420 



CHAPTER XII. 



General view of the Provinces of Venezuela.— 

 Diversity of their interests. — Town and Val- 

 ley of Caraccas.- — Climate. 



The importance of a capital does not depend 

 solely on it's population, it's wealth, or it's site : 

 to be justly appreciated, we must attend to the 

 extent of territory, of which it is the centre; 

 the sum of native productions, that are the ob- 

 ject of it's commerce ; and it's connection with 

 the provinces, that are subject to it's political 

 influence. These various circumstances are 

 modified by the ties, less or more relaxed, that 

 unite the colonies with the mother country; 

 but such is the empire of habit, and the com- 

 binations of commercial interests, that it may 

 be foreseen, that this influence of capitals on 

 the surrounding country, those associations of 

 provinces blended together under the denomi- 

 nation of kingdoms, general captaincies, presi- 

 dencies, and governments # , will survive even 

 the catastrophe of the separation of the colo- 



* i Reinos t Capitanias Generates, Presidencias, Goviernos, Pro- 

 vineias, are the names, which the Court of Spain has always 

 given to it's transmarine possessions, dominios de ultramar. 



