EBEAE IE TUB EAEGES. 
329 
mountains of Capadare, Porto Cabello, and tlie Villa de 
Cura. It may be said to form the eastern irall ot tha,t vast 
eiroular depression of wbicb tbe lake of IMaracaybo is the 
eentre and which is bounded on the south and wfst by the 
mountains of Merida, Ocaha, Perija, and Santa IMarta. 
The littoral chain of Venezuela presents towards the 
centre and the east, the same phenomena of structure as 
those observed in the Andes of Peru and Xew t>rcnada ; 
namely, the division into several parallel ranges, and the 
frequency of longitudinal basins or vallics. Put the iiTup- 
tions of the Caribbean Sea having apparently overwhelmed, 
at a very remote period, a part of the mountains ol the 
shore, the ranges or partial chains are interrupted, and some 
basins have become oceanic gulfs. To comprehend the 
Cordillera of Venezuela in mass, we must carctully study 
the direction and windings of the coast from Punta Tucacas 
(west of Porto Cabello), as far as Punta de la Calera ot the 
island of Trinidad. That island, those of Los Testigos 
Marguerita, and Tortuga, constitute, with the imea-slates ot 
the peninsula of Araya, one and the same system ot moun- 
tains. The granitic rocks which appear between Puna, 
Duaca, and Area, cross the valley of the Eio Taracui, and 
draw near the shore, whence they extend, like a continuous 
wall, from Porto CabeUo to Cape Oodera 1 his p, elongation 
forms the northern chain ot the Corddlera ot Venezuela, 
and is traversed in going from south to north, either trom 
Valencia and the rallies of Aragiia, to Purburata and 
Turiamo, or from Caracas to La Guayra. Hot springs 
* The other hot sarmRS of the Cordillera of the shore, are those of 
S. Juan, Provisor, Bi igantin, the gulf of Cameo, Cumucator of Madara 
MM. Rivero and Boussiugault, wlio visited the ® otf F^de 
in February, 182:t, during their journey from Caracas ® 
Bogota, found their maximum to be 64 1 fo""' « 
season, only 59-2“. Has the great earthquake of the 
had an influence on the temperature of these spiings. , . nuritv 
above mentioned were, like myself, struck vvith the _ P 7 
of the hot waters that issue from the primitive rocks ot < 
Avagua. Those of Onoto, which flow at the ’'f 
the level of the sea, have no smell of f 
without taste, and cannot he precipitated, either by 
any other re- agent. When evaporated, they have an luappreciable residue, 
wMcreonsists of a Uttle silica and a trace of alkali; their temperature u 
