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direct distance of five or six thousand toises, a 

 population of forty thousand souls, assembled 

 in a narrow valley, enjoys all the coolness of 

 spring, of a temperature which at night de- 

 scends to 12° of the centesimal thermometer. 

 This near approach of different climates is com- 

 mon in the Cordilleras of the Andes ; but every 

 where, at Mexico, at Quito, in Peru, and in 

 New Grenada, a long journey must be made 

 into the interior, either by the plains, or by pro- 

 ceeding up the rivers, in order to reach the 

 great cities, which are the centres of civiliza- 

 tion. The height of Caraccas is but a third of 

 that of Mexico, Quito, and Santa Fe de Bogo- 

 ta ; yet among all the capitals of Spanish Ame- 

 rica, which enjoy a cool and delicious climate 

 in the midst of the torrid zone, Caraccas stands 

 nearest to the coast. What a privilege, to pos- 

 sess a seaport at three leagues distance, and to 

 be situate among mountains, on a table-land, 

 which would produce wheat, if the cultivation 

 of the coffee-tree were not preferred ! 



The road from La Guayra to the Valley of 

 Caraccas is infinitely finer than that from 

 Honda to Santa Fe, or that from Guayaquil to 

 Quito. It is even kept in better order than the 

 ancient road, which led from the port of Vera 

 Cruz to Perote, on the eastern declivity of the 

 mountains of New Spain. With good mules 

 it requires but three hours, to go from the port 



