Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume III.djvu/774

764 CARABOBO CARACAS height of the eyes enables it to swim with very little of the head exposed. Its food is vege- table, and is crushed very fine in order to en- able it to pass through the very narrow throat. It is found in small herds near the banks of the rivers in tropical South America. It is hunted for its flesh, which is excellent both fresh and salted ; the jaguar feeds upon it very largely. When disturbed it makes a loud and prolonged noise. CARABOBO. I. A N. W. maritime state of Venezuela, bordering upon Caracas, Barinas, Barquisimeto, and Coro; area about 7,000 sq. m. ; pop. 235,000. It is divided into two dis- tinct parts, the highlands and the llanos or plains, and is traversed by the Venezuela coast chain of mountains, from which 21 rivers de- scend to the sea, though only one of them is navi- gable, the Yaracuy. The state is watered by 74 rivers, the largest of which, the Cqjedes, form- ed by the confluence of the Barquisimeto and Buria, is navigable from 12 m. below the town of the same name to its mouth in the Portugue- sa, a distance of 90 m. The lake of Valencia, formerly called by the Indians Tacarigua, be- longs in part to this state. There are also several smaller lakes in the plains of Pao, San Carlos, and Baul, many of which dry up during the summer. The state is divided into 7 cantons and 33 parishes. Of the inhabitants about one half devote themselves to agricul- ture, and one fourth to cattle raising. Wheat is raised in abundance, as well as most of the tropical fruits. The capital of the state is Valencia, and the chief port Puerto Cabello, which, after that of La Guayra, is the most fre- quented by foreign shipping of any in the re- public. The climate is cool during the sum- mer in the highlands and generally healthy; in the plains the temperature is much higher, but there is comparatively little sickness, except in the valleys contiguous to the Santa Maria mountains and some parts of the coast, where fevers are common. In winter, from May to November, the greater part of the plains is inundated. The exports mainly con- sist of coffee, cacao, indigo, hides, sugar, cot- ton, and tobacco, to foreign countries; and salt, preserves, cassava, plantains, rum, maize, rice, &c., to the neighboring states. Some horned cattle and swine are reared; and there are numerous herds of asses. II. A town from which the state takes its name, situated 30 m. S. W. of Valencia, famous for a battle fought there on June 24, 1821, which was de- cisive of the independence of Venezuela and the associated republics. CARACALLA, Marcus Anrelins Antoninus, a Ro- man emperor, born at Lyons A. D. 188, died in 217. He was originally called Bassianus, but received the nickname of Caracalla from a favorite Gallic tunic which he introduced into Rome. He accompanied his father Septimius Severus on his expeditions against the Par- thians and to Britain, and on his death at York in 211 he ascended the throne with his brother Geta, but soon caused the murder of the lat- ter, and, according to Dion Cassius, of 20,000 Romans who wore his partisans, among whom was the jurist Papinian. He multiplied extor- tions in order to purchase the favor of the sol- diery, gave the right of Roman citizenship to all free men of the empire in order to impose taxes upon their estates, and admitted Egyp- tians to the senate. He made unimportant ex- peditions against the Gauls, Goths, and Par- thians, and at Alexandria took revenge for some epigrams by a general massacre of the inhabi- tants. He was assassinated near Edessa on his way to Carrhse, at the instigation of Macrinus, the pretorian prefect, who was proclaimed his successor by the army. CARACAS. I. A N. state of Venezuela, border- ing on the Caribbean sea, Barcelona, Guayana, Apure, Barinas, and Carabobo; area, 25,461 sq. m., 4,527 of which are uncultivated; pop. about 300,000. The state may be said to be divided into two distinct zones. The first or northern, with a rocky coast dotted with excellent ports, rich and fertile valleys, cultivated uplands, barren and craggy hills, and lofty mountains, comprises the agricultural and commercial re- gion of the republic. The second presents vast plains or steppes, extensive table lands, savan- nas, some low and others of considerable ele- vation, small woods, great palm groves, and immense forests. The mountain system called the Venezuela coast chain, considered as a continuation of the Cordillera of the Andes, traverses the state like a wall uninterruptedly from Puerto Cabello W. ; and the interior chain in almost the same direction, but in two separate branches. The mean elevation of the coast chain is about 5,000 ft. ; a few sum- mits, such as the Silla de Cariicas, attain a height of over 8,000 ft. above the level of the sea. These ranges enclose many longitudinal valleys, remarkable among which is the delightful val- ley of Aragua, where sugar, indigo, cotton, and European wheat are largely produced. The llanos of Caracas are grassy plains, and the abode of numerous herds of cattle and wild horses. Humboklt gives 3,070 ft. as the height of the plateau of Caracas. The state is watered by no fewer than 145 rivers, and an immense number of smaller streams. The largest riv- ers are the Guarico, Orituco (an affluent of the former), and Manapire, 372, 213, and 189 m. in length respectively, and navigable for 180, 150, and 12 m. The lake of Valencia, which be- longs in part to this state, is 27 m. long from E. to W., and 12 m. wide ; and there are besides the lagoons of Unare (separated from the sea by a sandy tongue of land, and the shores of which abound in excellent salt), Encantada, Taiguaiguai, Palmananita, and many smaller ones. Few of these lagoons become altogether dry in the summer. The climate, though ex- tremely varied, is in general salubrious ; not- withstanding the excessive heat in the plains, fevers are not common, except on some parts of the coast subject to inundation,