92 



clandestine communications with the islands, 

 and on a freedom of trade forced from the 

 ministry, the European Spaniards were proud of 

 the antique wisdom of the code of laws {leyes de 

 Indias), that permitted the entrance of foreign 

 vessels into their ports only in extreme cases 

 of want or distress. I have dwelt on these 

 contrasts between the restless desires of the 

 planters, and the mistrusting immobility of the 

 governors, because they throw some light on 

 the great political events, which, long prepared, 

 have at length separated Spain from it's colonies, 

 or, as we might perhaps say with more precision, 

 from it's provinces beyond sea. 



We again passed some agreeable days, from 

 the third to the fifth of November, at the penin- 

 sula of Araya, situate beyond the gulf of Cariaco, 

 opposite to Cumana, and of which I have already 

 described the pearls*, the sulphurous deposits, 

 and the submarine spring's of liquid and colour- 

 less petroleum. We were informed, that the 

 Indians carried to the town from time to time 

 considerable quantities of native alum> found in 

 the neighbouring mountains. The specimens 

 which were shown to us sufficiently indicated, 

 that it was neither alunite similar to the rock 

 of Tolfa and Piombino. nor those capillary and 

 silky salts of alcaline sulphat of alumin and mag- 



* Vol. ii, p. 239—299. 



t Alaunstein, alum stone. 



