521 



bles, rounded fragments of quartz *. It may 

 be conceived, that the valley of Caraccas was 

 once an inland lake, before the Rio Guayra had 

 found an issue to the east near Caurimare, at 

 the foot of the hill of Auyamas ; and before the 

 existence of the ravin of Tipe on the west, to- 

 ward Catia and Cape Blanco. But how can 

 we imagine, that these waters could ascend as 

 high as the Siila, when the mountains opposite 

 this peak, those of Ocumare, were too low to 

 prevent their gushing out into the Llanos? 

 The pebbles could not have been brought by the 

 torrents from more elevated points, since there is 

 no height that commands the Silla. Must we 

 admit, that they have been raised up, like all 

 the mountains, which border the coast ? 



It was half after four in the evening when 

 we finished our observations. Satisfied with 

 the success of our journey, we forgot that there 

 might be danger in descending in the dark 

 steep declivities covered by a smooth and slip- 

 pery turf. The mist concealed the valley from 

 us ; but we distinguished the double hill of La 

 Puerta, which, like all objects placed almost per- 

 pendicularly beneath the eye, appeared extra- 

 ordinarily near. We relinquished our design 

 of passing the night between the two summits 



* Fragments of brown copper ore were found mixed 

 with these pebbles at an elevation of 1170 toises. 



