TTNFOETCNATE ENGAGEMENT. 
149 
length and silvery splendour of its numerous stamina. We 
crossed the suburb of the Guayqueria Indians, the streets 
of which are very regular, and formed of small houses, quite 
new, and of a pleasing appearance. This part of the town 
had just been rebuilt, for the earthquake bad laid Cumana 
in ruins eighteen months before our arrival. By a wooden 
bridge, we crossed the river Manzanares, which contains a 
few lavas, or crocodiles of the smaller species. 
We were conducted by the captain of the Pizarro to the 
governor of the province, Don Vincente Emparan, to present 
to him the passports furnished to us by the first Secretary 
of State at Madrid. He received us with that frankness 
and unaffected dignity which have at all times characterized 
the natives of Biscay. Before he was appointed governor of 
Portobello and Cumana, Don Vincente Emparan had dis- 
tinguished himself as captain of a vessel in the navy. His 
name recalls to mind one of the most extraordinary and dis- 
tressing events recorded in the history of maritime warfare. 
At the time of the last rupture between Spain and England, 
two brothers of Senor Emperan, both of whom commanded 
ships in the Spanish navy, engaged with each other before 
the port of Cadiz, each supposing that he was attacking an 
enemy. A fierce battle was kept up during a whole night, 
and both the vessels were sunk almost simultaneously. A 
very small part of the crew was saved, and the two brothers 
had the misfortune to recognize each other a little before 
they expired. 
The governor of Cumana expressed his great satisfaction 
at the resolution we had taken to remain for some time in 
New Andalusia, a province which at that period was but 
little known even by name in Europe, and which in its 
mountains, and on the banks of its numerous rivers, con- 
tains a great number of objects worthy of fixing the atten- 
tion of naturalists. Senor Emperan showed us cottons 
dyed with native plants, and fine furniture made exclusively 
of the wood of the country. He was much interested in 
everything that related to natural philosophy ; and asked, to 
our great astonishment, whether we thought, that, under the 
and are terminated by a yellow anther. The dower of the guama ia 
eighteen lines long. The common height of this hne tree, which prefers 
a moist soil, is from eight to ten toises. 
