493 



of the shore is the deepest ; while in the plains 

 near the Apure and the Oroonoko, the declivity 

 is from west to east ; but we must not forget 

 that the peculiar disposition of the bottom of 

 the two basins, which are bounded by two pa- 

 rallel chains, is a local phenomenon altogether 

 separate from the causes on which the general 

 structure of the country depends. The eastern 

 basin of the Cordillera of Venezuela is not 

 shut up like the basin of Valencia. It is in the 

 knot of the mountains of Las Cocuyzas, and of 

 Higuerote, that the Serrania de los Teques and 

 Oripoto, stretching towards the east, form two 

 vallies, those of the Rio Guayre and RioTuy ; the 

 former contains the town of Caraccas, and both 

 unite below the Caurimare. The Rio Tuy runs 

 through the rest of the basin, from west to east, 

 as far as its mouth, which is situated on the 

 north of the mountains of Panaquire. 



The northern range of the mountains of the 

 shore of Venezuela seems to terminate at Cape 

 Codera; but this is only an apparent interrup- 

 tion *. The coast forms a vast nook, thirty- 

 five marine leagues in length, at the bottom of 

 which is the mouth of the Rio Unare, and the 

 road of Nueva Barcelona. Stretching first 

 from west to east, in the parallel of 10 u 37', this 

 coast draws in at the parallel 10° 6', and. re - 



* Vol. ii, p. 262, 



