Personal Narrative Of Travels To The Equinoctial Regions Of America During The Years 1799-1804 - Volume 1 - By Alexander Von Humboldt And Aime Bonpland.
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The common height of
this fine tree, which prefers a moist soil, is from eight to ten
toises.) We crossed the suburb of the Guayqueria Indians, the
streets of which are very regular, and formed of small houses,
quite new, and of a pleasing appearance.
This part of the town had
just been rebuilt, for the earthquake had laid Cumana in ruins
eighteen months before our arrival. By a wooden bridge, we crossed
the river Manzanares, which contains a few bavas, or crocodiles of
the smaller species.
We were conducted by the captain of the Pizarro to the governor of
the province, Don Vincente Emparan, to present to him the passports
furnished to us by the first Secretary of State at Madrid. He
received us with that frankness and unaffected dignity which have
at all times characterized the natives of Biscay. Before he was
appointed governor of Portobello and Cumana, Don Vincente Emparan
had distinguished himself as captain of a vessel in the navy. His
name recalls to mind one of the most extraordinary and distressing
events recorded in the history of maritime warfare. At the time of
the last rupture between Spain and England, two brothers of Senor
Emperan, both of whom commanded ships in the Spanish navy, engaged
with each other before the port of Cadiz, each supposing that he
was attacking an enemy. A fierce battle was kept up during a whole
night, and both the vessels were sunk almost simultaneously.
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