South of the southern ridge of the coast-range is another but much lower ridge, called Calera de San Carlos and Del Pao. It is not con nected with the Andes, like the other ridges, but originates In tho savannas of San Carlos, several miles from the base of the Andes, and terminates before it reaches the banks of the Rio Orituco, an affluent of the Guarico, which falls into the Orinoco. This ridge is remark able as forming the line of division between the mountain region above described and the Llano", which extend south of it, and as marking also the limit of cultivation.
Tho mountain region, called Sierra del Bergantin, which occupies the northeastern portion of the republic, is of comparatively small extent. The river Neveri, where it flows from south to north, incloses it on the west ; and from that river it extends along the coast to the meet eastern point of the peninsula of Perla. Its length is about 180 miles, but its width varies between 50 and 10 miles, and where it approaches the Boeas dos Dragon, or the strait called the Dragons' Mouths, it is still narrower. Its highest summit Is the Turumiquire, at the mune of the river Nevoid, GS63 feet. Other high summits occur between the upper course of that river and the sea, among which the Cerro !Ionia rises to 6560 feet and the Arrempuja to 5820 feet above the PM. The table-lands which lie between the summits and ridges are generally from 3000 to 4000 feet high, and covered with grass, while the acclivities of the summit& and the valleys are over grown with high trees. In the fertile valleys of this range wheat, maize, and all tropical roots and vegetables are cultivated, and also cacao, coffee, auger, cotton, and tobacco.
South of the mountain regions hitherto mentioned lie the Llanos, or Cattle-Plains, which extend from the banks of the Rio Orinoco to the foot of the ridges, generally without the intervention of a hilly tract, and between the eastern extremity of the coast-range and the western extremity of the Bergantin they reach to the shores of the Caribbean Sea. Westward they extend to the base of the Andes, along which they run southward to the Rio Mete, by which they are separated from the Wooded Plains. This region, according to the statement of Coder-el, coven a surface of 116,592 English square miles. Though one immense plain, this tract presents a great variety in elevation, climate, rivers, and productive powers. Some tracts are hardly ele vated above the sea, whilst others rise to nearly 1300 feet : some are arid deserts, while the vegetation of others is extremely vigorous nearly all through the year. The whole however is characterised by a want of forests The trees which are found stand singly or form grove. of small extent, with the exception of the delta of the Orinoco.
Beginning on the east we Ind, first, the Delta of the Orinoco, which consist& of a deep alluvial soil, formed by the deposit of the earthy matter brought down during the inundations, which last from April to August. Except on the banks of the branches of the rivers which
traverse it, the whole is a swamp covered with trees. In the forests the mauritia-palms are numerous; and from the means of eubsistence which these trees offer, the few inhabitants of this tract, the Warrows (Guarannoe) derive their maintenance. During the rains they live on sesffolds which are erected between the trunks of the high trees, several feet above the water—a circumstance which has given rise to the opinion that this tribe lives in trees. The low swampy tract extends beyond the Delta westward along the southern shores of the Gulf of Paris, nearly to the innermost western recess of that basin. From this low tract the country rises slowly to the west, until at the distance of about 50 or 60 miles it reaches the table.landa. This region is a prairie, destitute of trees and shrubs, except that in many places grove of mauritia-palms occur, where water is always found. It is traversed by numerous' rivers, which during the rains inundate the adjacent low grounds; and hence it forms an excellent pasture ground during the dry season, when the table-lands do not contain a blade of grass.
The table-lands, called in the country Mesas, constitute a peculiar and well marked feature in this part of Venezuela. They begin on the east, at the southern base of the mountain-syatem of the Bergantin, attain their highest elevation in the Mesa de Urica, whose surface is 1300 feet above the sea-level, and continue westward to the river Orituco, where they join the southern ridge of the coast-range. Their surface is quite level, and the soil consists chiefly of sand, which in many places is mixed with chalk. This soil is unproductive, and the vegetation even in the rainy season is limited to a few hardy grasses covered with a kind of hair, which afford indifferent pasture. The rains, which fall in abundance from April to July, quickly find their way through the tipper layers of the soil, until they meet an fa-gills- mous chalk, where they collect and form springs and rivulets, and give origin to a hundred rivers, which run south to the Orinoco, east to the Gulf of Paris, and north to the Caribbean Sea. The rivers running southward are deep, and have always a great volume of water ; but those which run to the north soon leave the table-lands and enter an arid and much lower plain, where their waters are soon exhausted. Between the table-land and the Caribbean Sea a level plain extends about 60 miles from north to south ; it has a sandy soil, and is chiefly covered with grass, but there occur many tracts covered with oaks and some palms. A kind of lily spreads over extensive tracts, and it is supposed that all the parte covered with this plant were formerly cultivated by the Indians. At present it is only used as pasture for cattle, except near the coast where a few tracts are planted with cotton, cacao, coffee, sugar, tobacco, and several tropical rode and fruits.