CA RTH AG ENA, a province of South America, in the \ ice- rov al ty of New Granada. Its boundaries are the Carribean sea on the north, the river St Martha on the cast, Terra Firma on the south, and the sea and gulf of Darien on the west. It is 100 leagues in length, from north-east to south-west, and 80 in width, from east to west. It was discovered in 1520, by l de Basti das. The people being of a warlike character, resisted attempts that were made to conquer them ; at length they were subdued in 1533, by the governor, Pe dro do Ileredia. A great part of this country is com posed of mountains and forests ; but there are also some very fruitful wallies, which the natives call savannahs, and in these are many settlements of Europeans, Indians, and Spanish Creoles. 'cowards the north, a part of the territory is swampy, sandy, and from the lowness of the ground full of sea-water pools. The climate is remark ably hot and moist ; and from flay to December, the weather is almost continually rainy or tempestuous. Ac cordingly the earth is covered with perpetual verdure, and rice and Indian corn are raised in sufficient quanti ties for the consumption of the inhabitants. The same circumstances which render the production of these so easy and certain, are unfavourable to the growth of wheat and other grains that are cultivated in Europe. There is a great variety of plants, trees, and fruits. Or trees, the principal for size are, the caobo or acajou, the wood of which is beautiful, fragrant, and close in the texture, and is employed in making canoes and other small ves sels; the cedar, which is of two kinds, white and red, the last being the most esteemed; the. 'florin, from which the maria oil is obtained; and the balsam, which distils the balsam of Tolu, so called from a village where it is found in the greatest abundance, and of the best quality. The fruit trees consist of the tamarind, the medlar, the sapote, the papayo, the guayabo, &c. Of most of these, not only is the fruit palatable and wholesome, but the timber also is finely variegated, and very durable. Pine apples, limes, melons, grapes, oranges, medlars, dates, papayas, cocas, plantanes, bananas, &c. are in vast abun dance. The maneanillo deserves particular notice. It grows to a large size ; near the top its branches form a kind of crown ; its wood is very hard, of a yellowish cast, and exquisitely veined like marble. Its fruit resembles an apple exactly in shape, flavour, and colour, but con tains a very strong and deadly poison. Its white juice has the same quality in such a degree, as to render it unsafe to work the wood until it be thoroughly dried. Even those who happen to take shelter under it in a shower, feel the same effect from the dropping of the leaves as if the juice had fallen upon them. And the very beasts are said to have such an instinctive aversion to it, that they will neither eat of the fruit nor approach the tree. Palm-trees too, of different sorts, grow on the mountains in great numbers, producing various kinds of fruits, and exuding a juice from which, when fermented, a species of wine is made, of a whitish colour, a racy taste, and an intoxicating quality. The guiacum and
ebony trees are also ? cry common. The hardness of their wood is almost equal to that of iron. There are numerous plantations of sugar-canes ; a great many cot ton trees, some of which grow spontaneously, while others arc planted and cultivated ; and cacoa-trees, which are chiefly found on the river de la Magdalena, and the fruit of which, both in size and goodness, excels the same kind of fruit in all the other parts of the country, except Soconusca and Caraccas, whose (mew sells high est at Cadiz. Of the vegetables, which grow here in such profusion and variety-, the sensitive plant is one of those most frequently met with. There is also a great h•oco,, one specks of e bich is particularly known on account of its fuit, called the bean of Cartha. gena. 'Phis bean is reckoned the most effectual anti dote against the bite of thc venomous animals, which are found here in great numbers. The f ow al.d the hog are the only tunic eatable quadrupeds to be seen in this dis trict; but these are in great plenty. The flesh of the former is not remarkably good ; that of the latter is c x tremely delicate, and the ordinary food of the inhabitants. The hides and tallow furnished by the cattle, form a con siderable article of commerce. Poultry, pigeons, par tridges, and geese, are both good and plentiful. No thing can surpass the variety and beautiful plumage of the birds. Bats appear in great multitudes; and arc said to be the most dextrous bleeders both of men and cattle. Deer, wild boars, foxes, armadillos, squirrels, rabbits, and nionkics, are extremely numerous. There are also leopards and tigers, which make great havoc among the cattle, and sometimes prove destructive to the inhabitants. Poisonous reptiles abound. The prin cipal ones are snakes, coral-snakes, rattle-snakes, and the culibras de bejuco;—the centipedes, which swarm here, and are monstrously large ;—and scorpions, which are equally numerous, and of various kinds.—The prin cipal rivers are the de la Magdalena, already mentioned, and the San Juan, or Atracto, both of which are navi gable, and contain alligators, tortoises, and a multitude of fishes.
This province contains two cities, seven towns, and ninety-six settlements or villages. When first discover ed, it was \VC] I peopled, but since that time the popula tion is considerably diminished. According to the numeration of the fiscal of the royal audience of Santa Fe, Don Francisco Moreno y Escandon, there were, in the year 1770, of whites, 59,233 ; of Indians, 13,993 ; and of negro and mulatto slaves, 7770. See Juan and Ulloa's Voyage to South ?nerica, vol. i.; Alcedo's Gcogranhical Dictionary of ?lmerica and the West Indies, with Thomp son's ?dditions, vol. i. ; and Peuchet's Diction. Univers. de la Gcogra/ih. Commery. tom. iii. (7)