556 



which are accidental but often repeated. It is according to 

 these principles, that I have determined to publish in this 

 narrative a part of the meteorological observations I made 

 between the tropics at different heights. If we reflect on 

 the situation of a traveller, who cannot observe at fixed 

 hours, and who must divide his attention among a great 

 number of objects at a time, we must not be surprised to 

 find interruptions, where we could wish for a continued series 

 of observations. 1 have added to the temperatures of Ca- 

 raecas, those of Cumana, noted by Don Faustin Rubio. 

 They are both expressed in degrees of Reaumur's thermo- 

 meter, divided into 80°. The instruments were placed in 

 the open air, in the shade, remote from any reflection from 

 walls or the ground. The hygrometer was that of Deluc j it 

 has not been corrected by the temperature, so that it indi- 

 cates only the apparent humidity. The observations at Cu- 

 mana are preceded by a C, and belong to the same hours : 

 for ex. the 28th of October the temperature of the air at Ca- 

 raccas was, at noon, 18*4° j at Cumana (in the suburb of the 

 Guaiqueria Indians), according to a thermometer compared 

 with mine, 23*2°. In order to avoid continually adding the 

 words morning and evening, the time is reckoned according 

 to the method of astronomers, so that here, as in the Journal 

 of the voyage, vol. ii, p. 129 — 142, 22 h answer to ten in the 

 morning. 



Caraccas. Trinidad quarter ; Lat. 10° 30' 50". Long. 69° 

 25'. Height, 454 toises. Mean temperature of the year, 

 17-2° R. See above, p. 458. 



