VOLCANIC VOCUS. 
455 
had passed the day of the 26th of March in the island of 
Orchila, thirty leagues north-east of La Guayra, felt no 
shock. These differences in the direction and propagation 
of the shock, are probably owing to the peculiar position of 
the stony strata. 
Having thus traced the effects of the earthquake to the 
west of Caracas, as far as the snowy mountains of Santa 
Martha, and the table-land of Santa Fe do Bogota, we will 
proceed to consider their action on the country eastward of 
the capital. The commotions were very violent beyond Cauri- 
mare, in the valley of Capaya, where they extended as far ns 
the meridian of Cape Codera : but it is extremely remark- 
able that they were very feeble on the coasts of Nueva 
Barcelona, Cumana, and Paria ; though these coasts are the 
continuation of the shore of La Guayra, and were formerly 
known to have been often agitated by subterranean com- 
motions. Admitting that the destruction of the four towns 
of Caracas, La Guayra, San Felipe, and Merida, may be 
attributed to a volcanic focus situated under or near the 
island of St. Vincent, wo may conceive that the motion 
might have been propagated from north-east to south-west 
in a Ime passing through tho islands of Los Hermanos, near 
Blanquilla, without touching the coasts of Araya, Cumana 
and Nueva Barcelona. This propagation of the shock might 
even have taken place without any commotion having been 
felt at the intermediate points on the surface of the globe 
(the Hermanos Islands for instance). This phenomenon is 
frequently remarked at Peru and Mexico, in earthquakes 
which have followed during ages a fixed direction. Tho 
inhabitants of the Andes say, speaking of an intermediary 
tract of ground, not affected by the general commotion, “ that 
it forms a lmdgo” (<juo hace puente)-. as if they mean to indi- 
cate by this expression that the undulations are propagated 
at an immense depth under an inert rock. 
At Caracas, fifteen or eighteen hours after the great catas- 
trophe, the earth was tranquil. The night, as has already 
been observed, was fine aud calm ; and the commotions did 
not recommenco till after the 27th. They were then at- 
i ended by a very loud and long con aimed subterranean 
noise (bramido). The inhabitants of the destroyed city 
wandered into the country; but the villages and farms 
