Personal Narrative Of Travels To The Equinoctial Regions Of America During The Years 1799-1804 - Volume 1 - By Alexander Von Humboldt And Aime Bonpland.
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The Piedras De Los Ojos, Introduced
Into The Eye, Act Like The Small Pearls, And Different Round Grains
Employed By The American Savages To Increase The Flowing Of Tears.
These Explanations Were Little To The Taste Of The Inhabitants Of
Araya.
Nature has the appearance of greatness to man in proportion
as she is veiled in mystery; and the ignorant are prone to put
faith in everything that borders on the marvellous.
Proceeding along the southern coast, to the east of Maniquarez, we
find running out into the sea very near each other, three strips of
land, bearing the names of Punta de Soto, Punta de la Brea, and
Punta Guaratarito. In these parts the bottom of the sea is
evidently formed of mica-slate, and from it near Cape de la Brea,
but at eighty feet distant from the shore, there issues a spring of
naphtha, the smell of which penetrates into the interior of the
peninsula. It is necessary to wade into the sea up to the waist, to
examine this interesting phenomenon. The waters are covered with
zostera; and in the midst of a very extensive bank of weeds, we
distinguish a free and circular spot of three feet in diameter, on
which float a few scattered masses of Ulva lactuca. Here the
springs are found. The bottom of the gulf is covered with sand; and
the petroleum, which, from its transparency and its yellow colour,
resembles naphtha, rises in jets, accompanied by air bubbles. On
treading down the bottom with the foot, we perceive that these
little springs change their place.
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