TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF
ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT
AND EDITED BY
THOMASINA ROSS.
IN THREE VOLUMES
VOLUME 2.
LONDON.
GEORGE BELL & SONS.
1907.
LONDON: PORTUGAL ST., LINCOLN'S INN.
CAMBRIDGE: DEIGHTON, BELL AND CO.
NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN CO.
BOMBAY: A.H. WHEELER AND CO.
***
A tablon, equal to 1849 square toises, contains nearly an acre and
one-fifth: a legal acre has 1344 square toises, and 1.95 legal acre is
equal to one hectare.
A torta weighs three quarters of a pound, and three tortas cost
generally in the province of Caracas one silver rial, or one-eighth of
a piastre.
It is sufficient to mention, that the cubic foot contains 2,985,984
cubic lines.
Foot (old measure of France) about five feet three inches English
measure.
VOLUME 2.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER 2.16.
LAKE OF TACARIGUA. - HOT SPRINGS OF MARIARA. - TOWN OF NUEVA VALENCIA
DEL REY. - DESCENT TOWARDS THE COASTS OF PORTO CABELLO.
CHAPTER 2.17.
MOUNTAINS WHICH SEPARATE THE VALLEYS OF ARAGUA FROM THE LLANOS OF
CARACAS. - VILLA DE CURA. - PARAPARA. - LLANOS OR STEPPES. - CALABOZO.
CHAPTER 2.18.
SAN FERNANDO DE APURE. - INTERTWININGS AND BIFURCATIONS OF THE RIVERS
APURE AND ARAUCA. - NAVIGATION ON THE RIO APURE.
CHAPTER 2.19.
JUNCTION OF THE APURE AND THE ORINOCO. - MOUNTAINS OF
ENCARAMADA. - URUANA. - BARAGUAN. - CARICHANA. - MOUTH OF THE
META. - ISLAND OF PANUMANA.
CHAPTER 2.20.
THE MOUTH OF THE RIO ANAVENI. - PEAK OF UNIANA. - MISSION OF
ATURES. - CATARACT, OR RAUDAL OF MAPARA. - ISLETS OF SURUPAMANA AND
UIRAPURI.
CHAPTER 2.21.
RAUDAL OF GARCITA. - MAYPURES. - CATARACTS OF QUITUNA. - MOUTH OF THE
VICHADA AND THE ZAMA. - ROCK OF ARICAGUA. - SIQUITA.
CHAPTER 2.22.
SAN FERNANDO DE ATABAPO. - SAN BALTHASAR. - THE RIVERS TEMI AND
TUAMINI. - JAVITA. - PORTAGE FROM THE TUAMINI TO THE RIO NEGRO.
CHAPTER 2.23.
THE RIO NEGRO. - BOUNDARIES OF BRAZIL. - THE CASSIQUIARE. - BIFURCATION
OF THE ORINOCO.
CHAPTER 2.24.
THE UPPER ORINOCO, FROM THE ESMERALDA TO THE CONFLUENCE OF THE
GUAVIARE. - SECOND PASSAGE ACROSS THE CATARACTS OF ATURES AND
MAYPURES. - THE LOWER ORINOCO, BETWEEN THE MOUTH OF THE RIO APURE, AND
ANGOSTURA THE CAPITAL OF SPANISH GUIANA.
***
PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY TO THE EQUINOCTIAL REGIONS OF THE NEW
CONTINENT.
VOLUME 2.
CHAPTER 2.16.
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 granitic and
calcareous mountains of unequal height. On the north, they are
separated by the Sierra Mariara from the sea-coast; and towards the
south, the chain of Guacimo and Yusma serves them as a rampart against
the heated air of the steppes. Groups of hills, high enough to
determine the course of the waters, close this basin on the east and
west like transverse dykes. We find these hills between the Tuy and La
Victoria, as well as on the road from Valencia to Nirgua, and at the
mountains of Torito.* (* The lofty mountains of Los Teques, where the
Tuy takes its source, may be looked upon as the eastern boundary of
the valleys of Aragua.
