335 



here observe, that it is no less rare under the 

 fine sky of Cumana, than it is common at Aca- 

 pulco, on the western coast of Mexico. 



The researches of Mr. Chladni having singu- 

 larly fixed the attention of the scientific world 

 upon the bolides and falling stars at my depar- 

 ture from Europe, we did not neglect, during 

 the course of our journey from Caraccas to 

 the Rio Negro, to inquire every where, whether 

 the meteors of the 12th of November had been 

 perceived. In a savage country, where the 

 greater number of the inhabitants sleep out in 

 the air, so extraordinary a phenomenon could 

 not fail to be remarked, except when concealed 

 by clouds from the eye of observation. The 

 Capuchin missionary at San Fernando de Apu- 

 ra *, a village situate amid the savannahs of 

 the province of Varinas ; the Franciscan monks 

 stationed near the cataracts of the Oroonoko 

 and at Maroa if$ on the banks of the Rio Ne- 

 gro ; had seen numberless falling stars and bo- 

 lides illumine the vault of Heaven. Maroa 

 is south-west of Cumana, at one hundred and 

 seventy-four leagues distance. All these ob- 

 servers compared the phenomenon to a beau- 

 tiful firework, which had lasted from three till 

 six in the morning. Some of the monks had 

 marked the day upon their ritual ; others had 



* Lat. 7° 53' 12"; long. 70° 20'. 

 + Lat. 2° 42' 0" j long. 70* 21'. 



