442 



as in Mexico and Peru, the traces of the an- 

 cient civilization of the natives. Caraccas, 

 Maracaybo, Cum ana, and Coro, have nothing 

 Indian but their names. Compared with the 

 three capitals * of Equinoctial America, placed 

 on the mountains, and enjoying a temperate 

 climate, Caraccas is the least elevated. The 

 great population of Venezuela lying toward the 

 coast, and the most cultivated region being 

 parallel to it in the direction of east and west, 

 Caraccas is not a centre of commerce, like 

 Mexico, Santa Fe de Bogota, and Quito. Each 

 of the seven provinces united in one Capitania- 

 General has a port, by which it's produce is 

 sent out. It is sufficient to consider the posi- 

 tion of the provinces, their more or less inti- 

 mate connection with the Windward Islands, 

 the direction of the mountains, and the course 

 of the great rivers, to perceive, that Caraccas 

 can never exert any powerful political influence 

 over the countries, of which it is the capital. 

 The Apure, the Meta, and the Oroonoko, run- 

 ning from west to east, receive all the streams 

 of the Llanos, and the region of pasturage. 

 St. Thomas in Guiana will be necessarily, at 

 some future day, a place of trade of high im- 



* Mexico, Santa Fe de Bogota, and Quito. The eleva- 

 tion of the site of the capital of Guatimala is still unknown. 

 From it's vegetable productions we may infer, that it is less 

 than 500 toises. 



