Off the coast of Caraccas are several large islands, of which _Aves_, _Rocca_, _Orchilla_, _Blanca_, Tortuga-Salada, _Margarita_, _Cubagua_, _Cocke_, _Los Testigos_, and some others belong to the Spaniards, and are included within the limits of the captain-generalship of Caraccas. _Aves_ and _Rocca_, are barren and uninhabited rocks; _Orchilla_ or _Horchilla_, is a small cluster, in 12° north latitude, and 65° 20' west longitude, the largest isle being in the form of a crescent, and is low, excepting on the east and west capes, which are very hilly; on this part the trees and verdure abound, whilst the other sides are barren and salt. The only animals on it are goats and lizards, and it contains but little fresh water; _Blanca_, or _Blanquilla_, in 11° 56' north latitude, and 64° 40' west longitude, is also desert, but higher and more rocky than the former. _Tortuga-Salada_ is in 10° 53' north latitude, and 65° 18' west longitude, ninety-five miles east-north-east of La Guayra on the main land, and forty-eight west of Margarita, being about thirty miles in circumference, and abounding in salt ponds. The southern part contains some fresh-water springs, and is well covered with trees, but the rest is barren, naked and full of salt-pools, for which reason it was much frequented by vessels of all nations, in order to take in cargoes of that substance, but the Spaniards have lately laid these pools under water; this island is, however, still used by foreign vessels in time of peace, and on it are some goats which have multiplied very much. _Margarita_ has been already noticed; its western side is a noted sea-mark, on account of a cape in 64° 26' west longitude, named Cape Macanao, the mountains of which are 3500 or 4000 feet in height above the sea. _Cubagua_, _Coche_, _Los Testigos_ and _Los Frayles_, are small uninhabited islands in the neighbourhood of Margarita, but were formerly noted for their pearl fishery, and they were first discovered by Columbus. On Cubagua a town was founded soon after by Ojeda, who named it New Cadiz; but no vestiges of it now remain. At that time the coast from Paria to Cape Vela, was named Costa de las Perlas, the Coast of Pearls, the first Spaniards who landed on this shore, finding the natives every where decorated with those valuable jewels. So actively was the trade carried on in these islands, that at the conquest, _Coche_ alone furnished to the value of 1500 marks a month; and the King's annual fifth amounted to 15,000 ducats; til 1530, the pearl fishery averaged yearly 173,000_l._, while the American mines furnished only during the same period, 434,000_l._ sterling. But this fishery diminished rapidly afterwards, and was entirely at an end before 1683.