s 



175 



with abrupt slopes appear more lofty than they 

 really are, we need not be surprised, that the 

 Guacharo is supposed in the Missions to be a 

 height overlooking the Turimiquiri and Bri- 

 gantine. 



The savannah we crossed to the Indian vil- 

 lage of Santa Cruz is composed of several 

 smooth flats, lying above each other in steps. 

 This geological phenomenon, which is repeated 

 under every climate, seems to indicate a long 

 abode of the waters in basins, that have pour- 

 ' ed them from one to the other. The calcareous 

 rock no longer appears, but is covered with a 

 thick layer of mould. The last time we saw it 

 in the forest of Santa Maria, it was slightly 

 porous, and looked more like the limestone of 

 Cumanacoa than that of Caripe. We there 

 found brown iron ore disseminated in patches, 

 and, if we were not deceived in our observa- 

 tion, a cornu ammonis, which we could not 

 succeed in our attempt to get out. It was 

 seven inches in diameter. This fact is so much 

 the more important, as in this part of America 

 we have never seen ammonitse. The Mission 

 of Santa Cruz is situate in the midst of the 

 plain. We reached it toward the evening, suf- 

 fering much with thirst, having travelled nearly 

 eight hours without finding water. The ther- 

 mometer kept at 26° ; accordingly we were 



