Ports.

Let us now take a particular view of every port, in the same order in which we have described the navigable rivers.

Porteta and Bayahonda.

Six leagues east of Cape de la Vela, is a port called Porteta, which admits small vessels only; but four leagues farther to the windward is that of Bayahonda, where vessels of the largest size can enter and anchor, without being exposed to the smallest danger from the winds; the anchorage in these two ports is excellent, but being in possession of the Indians, they are of no advantage to the Spaniards. Here let me observe, by the bye, that these Indians are employed in the pearl-fishery in the road cf Bayahonda, from which they derive the only article they have to barter with the Dutch and English.

Maracaibo.

The first port we meet, as we proceed along the coast to the eastward, is that of Maracaibo. A bar of quicksand, which is but ten or twelve fect under water, entirely excludes large vessels, and with difficulty admits small ones; he must be well acquainted with his business, and extremely attentive to his duty, who attempts to enter this port without a pilot. As soon as he clears the bar, he has plenty of water. and a good harbour.

Coro.

As you travel farther to the east, you only meet with landing places at different distances from one another, till you come to Coro, whose port lies open from north to north-east. One may anchor as far in as he chuses, because the water continues to deepen, in proportion as he approaches the shore. Neither its accommodations, nor commodities make it a port of great resort.

Porto-Cabello.

Between Coro and Porto-Cabello, there are none that deserve the name of ports. But we are now come to the best, not only on this coast, but in all America. The bay of Porto-Cabello is spacious, handsome, commodious, and safe. It is capable of affording anchorage to the whole of the Spanish navy. It is defended against the fury of the winds, from whatever quarter they blow. The land which encompasses it on the south, east, and west, is so happily disposed by nature, as to baffle the impetuosity of the north-east wind, which is so common there. So little does this bay partake of those agitations which continually prevail with more or less violence, in the tropical seas that it resembles a pond more than port. The name given it by the Spaniards is expressive of the advantages, which it so eminently enjoys, importing that in the harbour of Porto-Cabello, a vessel at anchor is more effectually secured by a simple rope, than elsewhere by the strongest cables. The surge,

which is no where more common, never disturbs the placid composure of the road. Its anchorage, which owes nothing to art, is so commodious, that the largest ships may lay alongside of the wharf, load and unload without the assistance of lighters. The men of war have no other communication with the land, than by a flying bridge three or four toises long.

Turiamo, Patanemo, Borburata and Sienega.

Three leagues to the windward of Porto-Cabello,* is the Bay of Turiamo, which extends one league from north to south. Scarcely any shipping resort to it, because it has no shelter from the north wind, and because the country around it does not afford enough of commodities to induce merchants to subject navigation to those inconveniences to which it is liable in a port of this description. What has been said of the bay of Turiamo, is equally applicable to those of Patanemo, Borburata, and Sicnega. The whole population of each of these bays consists of no more than a small party of soldiers, stationed there to prevent smuggling.

Ocumara.

The bay of Ocumara, five leagues east of PortoCabello is a very good port, very well sheltered from the breeze, and from the north. Its moorings are excellent. The port is defended on the east, by a battery mounting eight pieces of cannon of the caliber of 8 or 12. The village of Ocumara is at the dis

* Better known by the name of Porto-Bello.

tance of one league from the port. It is watered by a river of the same name, which, after fertilizing its vallies, discharges itself into the same bay at the bottom of the fort.

Between the bay of Ocumara and that of La Guira, are several small ports, where the inhabitants of that coast ship their commodities for La Guira or PortoCabello; but none of those ports are of sufficient importance, to entitle them to a particular place in this description.

La Guira.

The port of La Guira is more frequented than any other upon the coast, and, at the same time, the least deserving of such a preference. Its road is always so open to the breeze, that the sea there is kept in a state of continual agitation, and the violence of the winds frequently occasions damage to the ships which ride at anchor. The surge is very prevalent here, which, joined with the winds, contributes greatly to augment the inconveniences of this port. The depth of water does not exceed eight fathoms at the distance of one quarter of a league from the beach. The continual agitation of this road renders loading and unloading tedious, expensive, and difficult; sometimes even impossible. But that is not the only objection which can be made to it; the surge acts with the same violence at the bottom, as on the surface of the water; by which agitation the sand being stirred up and raised from the bottom is carried along by the current, and deposited upon the anchors, till they are

in a short time so deeply buried under it, that before the expiration of a month, it is impossible to hoist them; they either break their cables, or are under the necessity of cutting them. To avoid the certain loss which would thus be incurred, every vessel is obliged to hoist anchor once every eight days. All that is necessary to be added to the sketch I have already given of this place, is that the worms commit greater ravages in the port of La Guira than in any

other.

Caravalleda.

From this wretched port, where we have very little inducement to tarry long, I would willingly repair to the first port on the coast, which would furnish materials for description, if I did not meet in my way at the distance of one league east of La Guira, the site upon which formerly stood the city of Caravalleda.

The cause of its depopulation reflects so much honour on its first inhabitants, that it must be considered as a high breach of duty in the historian to neglect transmitting the knowledge of it to posterity. The city of Caravalleda was founded the 8th of September, 1568, by Diego Losada, the same who founded the city of Caraccas. Caravalleda was built on the same spot where Francis Faxardo Losada gave to Caravalleda a cabildo, as was then allowed to all the cities which were founded. The inhabitants. had the right of electing their own alcaides, annually, through the intervention of the regidors. It was a