PERSONAL NARRATIVE 
OF A 
JOURNEY 
TO THE 
EQUINOCTIAL REGIONS 
OF 
THE NEW CONTINENT. 
Chapter XYI. 
Lake of Tacarigua. — Hot Springs of Mariara. — Town of Nueva Valencia 
del Rey. — Descent towards the Coasts of Porto Cabello. 
The valleys of Aragua form a narrow basin between gra- 
jLa. calcareous mountains of unequal height. On the 
north, they are separated by the Sierra Mariara from the 
sea-eoast ; and towards the south, the chain of Guacimo 
lusma serves them as a rampart against the heated 
ate PP es - Groups of hills, high enough to deter- 
-mrl * v, 0Ursc of ' va ters, close this basin on the east 
and west hke transverse dykes. We find these hdls between 
Vnlor.^ ^ c ^ or * a » as w©U as on the road from 
cia to JN irgua, and at the mountains of Torito * From 
niav be"lnr.L- , 'i mounta * ns ,°t Los Teques, where the Tuy takes its source, 
The level °f,“ u P°" as J the eastern boundary of the valleys of Aragua. 
Hacienda I f S !T " d ° ontinues ' " l fact, to rise from La Victoria to the 
of the sierra. U f f ^ rlver ’ tu rning southward in the direction 
VOL r ° f ” Ua ralma an< * Tiara lias found an issue on the east • 
