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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In the valley of Tacagua we found some new
habitations, and also conucos of maize and plantains.
A very
extensive plantation of tuna, or cactus, stamps this barren country
with a peculiar character. The cactuses reach the height of fifteen
feet, and grow in the form of candelabra, like the euphorbia of
Africa. They are cultivated for the purpose of selling their
refreshing fruits in the market of Caracas. The variety which has
no thorns is called, strangely enough, in the colonies, tuna de
Espana (Spanish cactus). We measured, at the same place, magueys or
agaves, the long stems of which, laden with flowers, were
forty-four feet high. However common this plant is become in the
south of Europe, the native of a northern climate is never weary of
admiring the rapid development of a liliaceous plant, which
contains at once a sweet juice and astringent and caustic liquids,
employed to cauterize wounds.
We found several veins of quartz in the valley of Tipe visible
above the soil. They contained pyrites, carbonated iron-ore, traces
of sulphuretted silver (glasserz), and grey copper-ore (fahlerz).
The works which had been undertaken, either for extracting the ore,
or exploring the nature of its bed, appeared to be very
superficial. The earth falling in had filled up those excavations,
and we could not judge of the richness of the lode. Notwithstanding
the expense incurred under the intendancy of Don Jose Avalo, the
great question whether the province of Venezuela contains mines
rich enough to be worked, is yet problematical. Though in countries
where hands are wanting, the culture of the soil demands
unquestionably the first care of the government, yet the example of
New Spain sufficiently proves that mining is not always
unfavourable to the progress of agriculture. The best-cultivated
Mexican lands, those which remind the traveller of the most
beautiful districts of France and the south of Germany, extend from
Silao towards the Villa of Leon: they are in the neighbourhood of
the mines of Guanaxuato, which alone furnish a sixth part of all
the silver of the New World.
CHAPTER 1.14.
EARTHQUAKES AT CARACAS.
CONNECTION OF THOSE PHENOMENA WITH THE VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS
OF THE WEST INDIA ISLANDS.
On the evening of the 7th of February we took our departure from
Caracas. Since the period of our visit to that place, tremendous
earthquakes have changed the surface of the soil. The city, which I
have described, has disappeared; and on the same spot, on the
ground fissured in various directions, another city is now slowly
rising. The heaps of ruins, which were the grave of a numerous
population, are becoming anew the habitation of men. In retracing
changes of so general an interest, I shall be led to notice events
which took place long after my return to Europe. I shall pass over
in silence the popular commotions which have taken place, and the
modifications which society has undergone. Modern nations, careful
of their own remembrances, snatch from oblivion the history of
human revolutions, which is, in fact, the history of ardent
passions and inveterate hatred.
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