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87 



nied us from the port of Cumana. We there 

 found milk, excellent meat from the richness of 

 the pasture, and above all, a delightful climate. 

 During the day, the centigrade thermometer* 

 did not rise above 22° or 23° ; a little before sun- 

 set it fell to 19°, and at night it scarcely kept 

 to 14°-f\ The nightly temperature was conse- 

 quently seven degrees colder than that of the 

 coasts, which is a fresh proof of an extremely 

 rapid decrement of heat, the table-land of Co- 

 collar being less elevated than the site of the 

 town of Caraccas. 



As far as the eye could reach, we perceived 

 only naked savannahs from this elevated point. 

 Small tufts of scattered trees rise in the ravines ; 

 and notwithstanding the apparent uniformity 

 of vegetation, we found here a great number of 

 curious plants ^. We shall only speak of a 



* At five in the afternoon, with a clear sky, Reaumur's 

 therm, was at 15° j De Luc's hyg. 62°. At nine at night, 

 therm. 13° ; hyg. 75» 11 at night, therm. 11-2° j hyg. 80°. 

 At 22 h. [10 in the morning] therm. 18°; hyg. 51°. At 

 noon, therm. 19° j hyg. 50°. We never saw the hygrometer 

 lower than 46° (83° Saus.) notwithstanding the elevation of 

 the place j but the rainy season had begun, and at this time 

 the air, though very blue and transparent, was already ex- 

 cessively loaded with vapours. 



t ll'2o Reaum. 



| Cassia acuta, andromeda rigida, casearia hypericifolia, 

 myrtus longifolia, buettneria salicifolia, glycine picta, g. pra- 

 tensis, g. gibba, oxalis umbrosa, malpighia caripensis, ce- 



