. The land of Bolivar; or, War, peace, and adventure in the Republic of Venezuela . h its long jagged cliffextending nearly the whole length of the island, andculminating in a grand sea-wall of nearly 200 feethigh at its western extremity, appeared wildly grandand terrible. The never-endino; wash of surae andtide on the northern foot of Battery Hill is slowly butsurely sapping its foundations, and forming all alongits lower reaches fantastic caves, which look like somany ragged wounds in the side of the giant and in them dashes the surf, with its ever-angry roar. We noticed wh
. The land of Bolivar; or, War, peace, and adventure in the Republic of Venezuela . h its long jagged cliffextending nearly the whole length of the island, andculminating in a grand sea-wall of nearly 200 feethigh at its western extremity, appeared wildly grandand terrible. The never-endino; wash of surae andtide on the northern foot of Battery Hill is slowly butsurely sapping its foundations, and forming all alongits lower reaches fantastic caves, which look like somany ragged wounds in the side of the giant and in them dashes the surf, with its ever-angry roar. We noticed what looked like phosphateson the face of the bluff, but could not approach nearenough to determine their existence. For countless VOL. I. o 2IO THE LAND OF BOLIVAR. [Chap. xi. ages a portion of this rock has been the resort of wildsea-fowl, who have so lavishly displayed their indus-try upon the surface, as to prevent in a great measurethe identification of its geological structure. In an odd angle of the isle, at the north-easterncorner, we were favoured with a grand sunset. The. SUNSET FROM THE NORTH-EAST CORNER OF EL GRAN ROQUE. glory that flooded the heavens was beauteous indeed,but, like all tropical sunsets, so evanescent in itscharacter as to almost defy description. Whilst wewere gazing at the new-born flush in the heavens, ithad died away. The next morning (Wednesday), the heat was lessintense, but I was too unwell to work much before Chap, xi.] EXPLORING THE ISLAND. 211 evening. Lighthouse Hill was, however, carefullyexamined, and samples of its minerals obtained. Boyemade me a very serviceable sketch-map of Los Eoques,showing the principal islands and islets. The com-mercial value of the group is not great, for, with theexception of El Gran Koque, the islands appear to bedestitute of phosphates. They are chiefly composedof coral, sand, and shells, with here and there salt-marshes. By Thursday, some fifty sacks of minerals had beentaken from diflerent parts of the isla
Size: 1697px × 1472px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidlandofboliva, bookyear1878
