On the northern coast of this country, from Cape de la Vela to Cape Paria, the tides are so irregular :nd im perceptible as to be entirely overlooked in nautical reck onings and calculations ; whilst on the eastern coast. from Cape Paria to Dutch Guiana, they arc so powerful as to command the anxious observation of all navigators who frequent those latitudes. The bearings of the coasts are the obvious cause of that remarkable difference. The winds are much more regular on the coasts, where nothing deranges their natural direction, than in the in terior of the country, where they arc subject to local influence. The trade wind, which prevails at sea in these latitudes, is likewise the common breeze on the coasts; with this difference, that at sea it is constant, but on the coasts it blows only front nine or ten o'clock in the morning till the evening. It blows from north east by east ; and is succeeded every night by an oppo site wind, which is called the land-breeze. But this pe riodical succession, though general, is not ex ceptions.
Pursuing the same course which we observed in our enumeration of the rivers, we come first to the port of PORT ETA, about six leagues east of Cape de la Vela. This port admits only small vessels : but in the harbour of BAVAMONDA, four leagues farther to the windward, vessels of the largest size can anchor without being ex posed to the smallest danger from the winds. Both these ports are in possession of the Indians, who derive from a pearl fishery in the road of Bayahonda the only article they have to barter with the Dutch and English. As we proceed along the coast to the eastward, we come next to the port of MARACAIBO, which, though in itself an excellent harbour, is rendered almost inaccessible by a bar of quick sand at its entrance, which is never cover ed with water beyond the depth of ten or twelve feet. Proceeding in the same direction, we come to Cono, whose port lies open from north to north-east. In this port the water continues to deepen as we approach the shore; but neither its accommodations, nor its commo dities, are such as to render it a place of great resort. After leaving Coro, we meet with nothing that deserves the name of a harbour till we conic to PORTO CABELLO, better known by the name of Porto Bello, which, for space, beauty, convenience, and safety, is by far the finest harbour on the whole coast of America. The whole of the Spanish navy might ride here without con fusion ; and the high lands which encompass it are so happily disposed, as to shelter it from the fury of any wind that blows. In the unruffled tranquillity of its sur face, it resembles a pond, rather than a port upon those tropical seas, which are always agitated with more or less violence. PORTO CABELLO, the name given to it by the Spaniards, imports, that a vessel at anchor is more effectually secured here by a single rope, than elsewhere by the strongest cables. Its anchorage, which owes nothing to art, is so commodious, that the largest ships may lie along side of the wharf, and load and un load without the assistance of lighters. Three leagues to windward of this port is the bay of 'l'URIAitIO, which extends one league from north to south, but which, hav ing no shelter from the north wind, is seldom visited by merchants, to whom the commodities of the adjacent countries hold out no temptations. The same remark is applicable to the bays of Patanemo, Borburata, and Sic nega. Having passed these, we find ourselves next in the bay of OCUMA It A, five leagues cast of Porto Bello. This is a commodious and well sheltered harbour, de fended on the east by a battery mounting eight pieces of cannon of the calibre of 8 or 12. At the distance of one league front the port is the village of Ocumara, watered by a river of the same name, which discharges itself in to the bay, at the bottom of the port. The next port of any consequence which we meet with is that of Gus vIt A, whose road is always so open to the breeze, that the sea kept there 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 strong : and acting at the bottom, as well as CM the surlace ()Hie water, keeps the sand in constant agitation, and depo sits it in such quantities upon the anchors, that before they have been fixed for a month it is impossible to hoist them. To avoid the certain loss of their cables, vessel is obliged to hoist anchor once in eight days. The depth of water does not exceed eight fathoms at the distance of a quarter of a league from the beach ; and to complete the catalogue of its inconveniences, that spe cies of worms, called tarots, which is so destructive to shipping, commits greater ravages here than in any port of the Caraccas. Yet in spite of all these unfavourable circumstances, the harbour of Guayra is more frequent ed than any other upon the coast. Between Guayra and Cape Codera, the distance is twenty-five leagues. The coast then takes a direction to the south-east, and conducts us to the lake of TACARIGUA, about thirteen leagues and a half distance from the Cape. In its form this lake exactly resembles a bay, a name which it would certainly have obtained, were it not for a bar of quick sand, which frequently cuts off its communication with the sea. Its form is circular ; and from the sea on the. north-east to its deepest recess on the south-east, it mea sures about seven leagues. The next port we meet with is BARCELONA, which is so shallow as to be incapable or admitting vessels of any considerable size, and affords no shelter but against the breeze. At the distance of
one league to the north, however, the island of Borra cha presents, on its south side, a safe harbour for ships of any magnitude. From Barcelona the coast runs to the north-east as far as Cumana, at the distance of two leagues. The intermediate space is filled with a chain of islands not far separated from the coast. Some of these are provided with bays and harbours, none of which, however, are of such importance as to merit particular notice. The port of CL Ji.a NA is well sheltered against the inclemency of the weather; but we forbear giving any particular description of it, till we come to speak of the government and town of the same name. To the east of Cumana, at a considerable distance, is the GULF of CARIACO, formed by a part of the coast of Cumana, the point of Araya, and the Barrigon. This gulf ex tends ten leagues from east to west, and is from four leagues broad. Towards the centre its depth is from 80 to 100 fathoms. Protected by the surrounding mountains from every wind, except the trade wind, its surface is in general as smooth as a lake : to that wind, however, it is entirely exposed, and its waters of course are agitated in proportion to the strength of the breeze. In this gulf, the lake of Eveco, the Gurintar, and Juan antar, are three places very convenient for loading. The point of An AvA, lying cast from the mouth of the river of that name, is rendered dangerous by its lowness, and by a sand hank, on the north-east, almost on a level with the surface, which advances two leagues into the sea. To this point, however, the attention of those who ar rive from Europe mast be directed, if they wish to make an easy entrance to the port of Cumana. For that pur pose it is absolutely necessary to bear off from the north east and south-west till they have doubled the point ; after which they may coast along the shore for hall' a league. Advancing still to the east, we arrhe at a large gulf, which the Spaniards call Goi.eo Tit but which is known to the French and English by the name of the GULF of PARIA. On the west of this gulf is that part of Terra Firma, called Paria, and on the east the isle of Trinidad. From these two lands on the north, two points jut out, between which lie two islands, with regard to these two points nearly east and west. These islands almost close the gulf on the north, leaving. !towel cr, between them, a space in which are four openings called the mouths of the Dragon, by which the superfluous waters of the gulf are discharged. The largest of these openings, being two leagues broad, lies on tree west, he tweet) Point Paria and the island of Chacachacares. this inlet to the gulf there is nothing dangerous, except a rock just emerges front the surface at two cables length from the island of Chacachaeares. Between this island and that of Navios is a second and smaller mouth, called the Vessels Its channel, lying from north to south-east, renders it very good for the going out, but very bad for the entrance of ships. A third mouth, call ed the mouth or I hw, os, (Egg's mouth,) is formed by the isle of Na% los on the west, and that of Moms on the cast. Lying in a direction front north, north-east, to south, south-east, it is much more convenient for enter ing than going out. The !Mirth mouth is between Trini dad, and the point that is most to the west south-west of that island. It is called the mouth du Los Mottos, (Mon key's .Youth,) probably because it is rendered narrower and more difficult by a rock, which, from its position in the centre, occasions a continual commotion, while, at the same time, the land or Trinidad, by excluding the winds, occasions a calm which is but rarely interrupted by momentary gusts. This gull is twenty-five leagues from east to west, and fifteen from north to south. In all that extent the anchorage is good, but the depth va ries from eight to thirty fathoms: upon the coast of Pa via, the soundings are much less. This gulf is in fact a real port, which, in extent and excellence, is scarcely surpassed by the finest in the world. Its bottom is muddy, except on the coast of Terra Firma, where there are shoals and banks of sand. Though the waters of this gulf have been said by some authors to be fresh, they are in reality as salt as those of the sea. A consi derable volume of water is poured into it on the south south-west, by different mouths of the Oronoko, with a velocity which greatly incommodes vessels steering that way on their passage. Depons thinks it probable that a part of those waters have, in the progress of ages, de tached from Terra Firma what is at present called Trini dad, and that their ravages will not cease till they have opened the mouths of the Dragon, and thrown them selves into the ocean. The currents, which are always carried into the sea by the channels of these mouths, ren der it impossible to enter, particularly by the small ones, unless the winds he highly favourable. Nor is it less difficult to enter on the south than it is on the north. It cannot he attempted with safety unless the wind be from the south-east, and then it is necessary to coast it to the south of the island of Trinidad as far as point Hicacos, which must be approached within two cables length, in order to pass between that point and a shoal in the middle of the channel, formed by the same point and the small island of Soldado. There are several ports and roads along the coast of Paria which greatly facilitate the com munication with Trinidad.