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 AUTHOR IN INTERIOR TRAVELLING COSTUME, 
 
 VENEZUELA. 
 Frontispiece.
 
 With the Trade-Winds 
 
 A Jaunt in Venezuela and 
 the West Indies 
 
 Bv 
 IRR NELSON MORRIS 
 
 (Second Edition) 
 
 " The benefit of travel comes not from the distance 
 traversed, nor from the scenes reflected on the retina, 
 but from the intellectual stimulus thus awakened, 
 and the amount of thought and reading which re- 
 sults therefrom. . . . Expansion, growth, broader 
 experience and wider charity, these are the fruits of 
 that real travel which is of the mind." 
 
 J. L. STODDARD 
 
 G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS 
 New York and London 
 
 1597
 
 COPYRIGHT, 1896 
 
 BY 
 
 G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS 
 Entered at Stationers' Hall, London 
 
 Ube fcntcfcer&ocftet f>tese t Hew Korfc
 
 DEDICATED 
 
 TO MY BELOVED FAMILY 
 AND TO MY FRIEND AND TRAVELLING 
 
 COMPANION 
 THE MARQUIS OF MONTELO 
 
 2054654
 
 PREFATORY 
 
 ""THE desire to impart to my readers 
 * some elementary knowledge of a 
 South American region of which but 
 little has ever been written in the Eng- 
 lish tongue, has led to this small volume. 
 It gives a desultory account of what I 
 saw and heard, together with personal 
 experiences during a recent winter tour 
 among the West India Islands and in 
 Venezuela. 
 
 I wish to express my grateful thanks 
 to my kind friend, the Marquis Mon- 
 telo, whose companionship contributed 
 so much to fill the tour with profitable 
 knowledge as well as with interest and 
 pleasure. 
 
 IRA NELSON MORRIS. 
 
 CHICAGO, 1896.
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 I. OUTWARD BOUND x 
 
 II. ON SHIPBOARD .... 5 
 
 III. STROLLS IN ST. THOMAS . . 9 
 
 IV. A NIGHT OF ROMANCE IN THE 
 
 INDIES 15 
 
 V. SANTA CRUZ, AN ISLAND OF 
 
 PLANTATIONS .... 20 
 
 VI. A FIELD-DAY IN ST. KITT'S . 26 
 
 VII. ENSEMBLE 33 
 
 VIII. ANTIGUA AN OUTING IN THE 
 
 MOUNTAINS .... 36 
 
 IX. MARTINIQUE, A FRENCH MIN- 
 IATURE IN THE TROPICS . . 39 
 
 X. ST. LUCIA, A FORMER GIBRAL- 
 TAR OF THE WEST INDIES . 45 
 
 XI. BARBADOES, AN ENGLISH COL- 
 ONY UP TO DATE ... 52 
 
 XII. A GLIMPSE OF GRENADA 61
 
 Vlll CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 XIII. TRINIDAD FIRST GLIMPSES . 65 
 
 XIV. TRINIDAD WANDERINGS ABOUT 
 
 PORT AU SPAIN ... 71 
 
 XV. TRINIDAD, A MINIATURE OF 
 
 HINDUSTAN .... 78 
 
 XVI. CURASAO, THE HOLLAND OF 
 
 THE SOUTHERN SEAS . . 85 
 
 XVII. LA GUAYRA FIRST SCENES IN 
 
 VENEZUELA .... 90 
 
 XVIII. MACUTO, THE NEWPORT OF 
 
 VENEZUELA .... 97 
 
 XIX. CARACAS, A CAPITAL IN THE 
 
 VENEZUELAN ANDES . . 103 
 
 XX. CARACAS REFLECTIONS ON THE 
 
 PAST AND PRESENT . . 113 
 
 XXI. RAILROADING IN VENEZUELA . 123 
 
 XXII. VALENCIA AND PUERTO CABELLO 
 FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO 
 THE SEA . . . .131 
 
 XXIII. LAKE MARACAIBO TO THE ORI- 
 NOCO ALONG THE SPANISH 
 MAIN 140 
 
 XXIV. THE DISPUTED TERRITORY . 148 
 XXV. DREAMS OF THE FUTURE . 154
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 AUTHOR IN INTERIOR TRAVELLING COS- 
 TUME, VENEZUELA . . Frontispiece 
 
 TO FACK 
 PACK 
 
 CHARLOTTE AMALIA, CAPITAL OF ST. 
 
 THOMAS 8 
 
 A PLANTATION HOUSE, SANTA CRUZ . 20 
 CAVALRY IN ST. KITT'S ... 30 
 
 IN THE MARKET-PLACE, ST. JOHN'S, 
 
 ANTIGUA . . . . . .36 
 
 A FRENCH CREOLE, MARTINIQUE . . 42 
 A BELLE OF ST. LUCIA .... 50 
 TRAFALGAR SQUARE, BARBADOES . . 54 
 
 PUBLIC SQUARE, PORT AU SPAIN, TRINI- 
 DAD . . ... . .66 
 
 COOLIE BARBERS, TRINIDAD ... 72 
 
 HINDU RELIGIOUS CEREMONY, TRINIDAD 82 
 
 ix
 
 X ILLUSTRATIONS TO PACE 
 
 PAGE 
 
 A TROPICAL ISLAND SCENE ... 86 
 CARACAS, VENEZUELA GENERAL VIEW . 106 
 PRESIDENT CRESPO, OF VENEZUELA . 112 
 RAILROADING IN VENEZUELA . . .124 
 
 CARIB INDIANS, ORINOCO DISTRICT, VEN- 
 EZUELA . . . .' . . . . 144 
 
 A TROPICAL FOREST, VENEZUELA . . 146 
 AMONG THE BAMBOOS, VENEZUELA . 148
 
 WITH THE TRADE-WINDS
 
 I. 
 
 OUTWARD BOUND 
 
 ON a very cold day in December I 
 stood on the deck of the steamer 
 Madiana as she slowly pushed her way 
 through the ice toward the Narrows 
 below New York. 
 
 After leaving the luxurious Waldorf 
 to face the biting cold winds and ac- 
 commodate one's self to the surround- 
 ings which the steamer affords, I must 
 say I did not wonder at my friends 
 asking how I could choose to take such 
 an out-of-the-way sort of trip. Not 
 that the Madiana is an uncomfortable 
 boat, for that would be doing it an in- 
 justice, but I anticipated a second Ma- 
 jestic or Teutonic, and in this I was 
 disappointed.
 
 2 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 At half-past five the familiar gong 
 one hears on shipboard announced din- 
 ner. My place was at the right of our 
 good captain, Mr. Fraser. Next to me 
 sat Mr. Maynard, of New York, while 
 opposite sat Count Bismarck, of Ger- 
 many, one of the younger generation 
 of that celebrated name. It was not 
 long before the captain and the gentle- 
 man whom hereafter I shall call our 
 friend Maynard began a conversation 
 which at once showed how well both 
 were acquainted with the places we 
 were leaving home comforts to visit, 
 and how much profit might be derived 
 from their companionship. 
 
 Our captain, a short, stout fellow, was 
 the typical sea-dog. His appearance 
 would answer to the description of the 
 hero in almost any sea-faring romance. 
 It was now Friday, and he informed 
 us it would be Tuesday evening of the 
 next week before we should reach St. 
 Thomas, our first stopping-place, and
 
 OUTWARD BOUND 3 
 
 only one island of twelve that we were 
 going to visit on our way to Venezuela, 
 before the boat would again turn toward 
 the cold north. 
 
 At first some of the ladies looked a 
 little " home-sick," but as time ad- 
 vanced the salon assumed a cheerful 
 aspect, and we began to notice our 
 companions for the next few weeks. 
 Acquaintance is soon made at sea ; and 
 by the fourth day out, partly through 
 good jokes, but mainly through our 
 amiable captain, everybody knew every- 
 body, and the best of fellowship pre- 
 vailed. About the third day people 
 began discarding their winter garments, 
 and on the fourth I strolled about in 
 tennis flannels and a straw hat. 
 
 One evening after dinner, as I walked 
 the deck in a dreamy mood, thinking of 
 the far-away countries I was about to 
 visit, I observed a charming girl of about 
 twenty seated comfortably on a steamer 
 lounge ; this fair maiden, with the
 
 4 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 moon's soft rays about her, added new 
 lustre to the surroundings. The smoke 
 from my pipe circled in graceful wreaths, 
 drawing me into a state of reminis- 
 cence, and soon my thoughts wan- 
 dered into strange lands, carrying with 
 them fanciful pictures of what a south- 
 ward trip might be in the company of 
 one so gracious, who should share my 
 travels and my experiences. Such were 
 my first dreams in the tropics ; and a 
 few nights later I was happy to find 
 them not evanescent, like the smoke 
 from my pipe, and blown away forever, 
 but reappearing in all their beauty in 
 actual life.
 
 II. 
 
 ON SHIPBOARD 
 
 PHE Tropics breed romance. Some- 
 
 * thing in the air seems to stimulate 
 
 one to adventure and awaken that spirit 
 
 of sentiment which burns dimly in all 
 
 of us. 
 
 Imagine coasting the luxuriant islands 
 of the Indies with a mellow moon to 
 cast the shadows of another world 
 across your mind and to awaken the 
 fondest dreams of youth into reality 
 It was on such a night as this that we 
 sat on the aft deck telling stories of ad- 
 venture. All were listening to a bit of 
 the early life and struggles of the Indies, 
 which the captain related somewhat as 
 follows :
 
 6 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 " From the time when Columbus first 
 landed on Salvador, and the wealth and 
 beauty of the islands were reported 
 abroad, it was not very long before 
 other adventurous Europeans discovered 
 many other islands in the neighborhood, 
 equally beautiful and even larger than 
 that which Columbus found. Some of 
 the expeditions sent over from Europe 
 were for military glory and the gain of 
 new territory ; some were parties ar- 
 rayed by rich and venturesome nobles 
 in England, France, and other countries. 
 It was by means of these expeditions 
 that the great groups of islands known 
 to us as the Indies fell into the hands 
 of European nations. 
 
 " Not to say," continued the captain, 
 " that you are to understand each expe- 
 dition coming over had only to plant a 
 flag and the island was theirs ; no, in- 
 deed ! They first had to fight and 
 conquer the native Indians or Caribs. 
 Then they were constantly fighting
 
 ON SHIPBOARD 1 
 
 among themselves as to who first dis- 
 covered the place and whether it should 
 belong to France, Spain, England, or 
 some other country that was sending 
 out expeditions at the time. 
 
 " It was no easy matter to take away 
 the islands from the Indians. The 
 Caribs were a powerful people, supposed 
 to have crossed over from South Amer- 
 ica. The conquest of a people like this 
 on their own territory and knowing 
 every inch of the ground was no easy 
 task. 
 
 " Many are the cruel stories told of 
 fights and hardships endured by these 
 gentlemen, who left their native homes 
 in search of gold and glory. 
 
 " Well, as now I hear the coxswain 
 strike four bells, I must go and prepare 
 for an early rise, for by to-morrow even- 
 ing if all is smooth sailing, I mean to 
 drop anchor in St. Thomas, our first 
 stopping-place." 
 
 I did not care to follow the example
 
 8 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 of the rest of the party by saying 
 good-night, but arm in arm with my 
 fair companion, whom I met in a 
 very romantic way, as my dream itself 
 had indicated we strolled the deck 
 until the night-watch was relieved, for 
 it was one of those beautiful nights on 
 the sea when the faint silvery bell struck 
 by the sailor on the bridge expresses 
 no idea as regards time. Surrounded 
 by such scenes and amid such circum- 
 stances time is measured only by one's 
 impulses and emotions.
 
 III. 
 
 STROLLS IN ST. THOMAS 
 
 IT was growing dark. One by one 
 * the silver stars peeped out of the 
 blue firmament, and the great moon 
 silently cast her silver rays upon the 
 dark waters. In the quiet and peace of 
 this summer night there stretched be- 
 fore us the beautiful harbor of the small 
 Danish island of St. Thomas. 
 
 Off in the background, reaching half 
 way up the mountain side, like mill- 
 ions of fireflies, rested the capital and 
 only city, Charlotte Amalia. 
 
 On entering the bay we noticed a 
 
 German man-of-war at anchor, quietly 
 
 riding the waves. A little farther on 
 
 we saw two French cruisers and a Span- 
 
 9
 
 IO VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 ish gunboat. These men-of-war, repre- 
 senting the great nations of the world, 
 seemed to add importance to the island, 
 and we were told that prior to the last 
 twenty years, before Barbadoes rose into 
 such popularity, this small island of 
 Denmark's was the chief coaling station 
 and outfitting place for those boats of 
 the world which found themselves in 
 need in Southern waters. 
 
 A few more turns of the screw and 
 we were anchored about a mile away 
 from a sort of pier running into the 
 water. Leaning over the rail of the 
 Madiana I beheld a scene of commotion 
 and excitement. About a hundred small 
 rough boats manned by strong negroes 
 of the island were crowding around the 
 hull of our great boat, looking as though 
 any moment they might be crushed like 
 egg-shells. This being a regular occur- 
 rence at each port we visited, and as it 
 was a striking feature of the trip, I 
 shall describe our experience with these 
 fellows.
 
 STROLLS IN ST. THOMAS II 
 
 These negroes are wonderfully well 
 built ; it is a pity that they so shun 
 work. Labor, except what is an abso- 
 lute necessity, is, in their eyes, useless 
 and degrading. Many of them gain 
 their only living by owning a clumsy 
 boat similar to the many which I have 
 described around our steamer. With 
 these they carry passengers to and from 
 the shore when a steamer is in harbor, 
 and during the many other days they 
 are engaged in unloading and carrying 
 freight from sailing vessels and other 
 freight boats. Their cries and shouts 
 to passengers on the steamer, persuad- 
 ing the latter to take boat to shore, are 
 much worse than any with which I have 
 ever been besieged by the army of cab- 
 men at the Grand Central Station in 
 New York. The sight of these fellows 
 fighting and pushing one another about 
 in their boats, made one think what a 
 fine foot-ball team they would make to 
 oppose our Yale eleven. 
 
 Col. Maynard and I did not take din-
 
 12 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 ner aboard ship, preferring a stroll on 
 land, and a visit to one of the hotels, 
 situated on high cliffs overlooking the 
 sea. On arriving ashore we seemed to 
 amuse the negroes in a high degree. 
 These simple-minded people are indeed 
 very easily amused, but let me remark 
 that there is this" difference between the 
 negro of the West Indies and his brother 
 of the States : the former has learned 
 that his position is not like that of the 
 educated white man, therefore he does 
 not presume to place himself on the 
 same footing. 
 
 It is needless to say how much we 
 enjoyed our first dinner in the Indies. 
 Not alone was the food delicious, but 
 it was a rare pleasure to sit on an open 
 verandah overlooking the sea, while be- 
 hind us rose the great volcanic moun- 
 tains. 
 
 After dinner we " did " the town. One 
 can usually gain an adequate idea of a 
 town in one of these islands by walking
 
 STROLLS IN ST. THOMAS 13 
 
 down the main business street and ob- 
 serving the people, the shops, and the 
 houses. The negroes are always jolly 
 and laughing : this is the only side of 
 life they know : if they have sufficient 
 food for mere existence they are satis- 
 fied. In these hot climates clothing is 
 dispensable. 
 
 The houses and shops are for the 
 most part built in one story, and are 
 constructed chiefly of a soft native 
 stone. The poorest houses are framed 
 by poles and then covered over with 
 palm leaves stuck together with mud, 
 which quickly hardens in this hot cli- 
 mate. 
 
 The few foreign residents, who form 
 the representative and best element in 
 all the Islands, have their homes on the 
 outskirts of the town, or back among 
 the hills, where they enjoy the breeze 
 of the trade-winds and a cleanliness not 
 to be found in the towns themselves. 
 
 In the general market-place loud-
 
 14 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 voiced negroes, both men and women, 
 offered their vegetables and wares for 
 sale. The fruits which grow so luxuri- 
 antly on the Islands are most tempt- 
 ing, even though handled by the dusky 
 maid of Africa. 
 
 Some of the large stores and ware- 
 houses in the town are kept by foreign- 
 ers who, anxious for the advantage of 
 trade, endure the hot climate of the 
 island. In the shops one can find most 
 articles of manufacture from both the 
 United States and Europe. 
 
 We spent two days in St. Thomas, 
 driving about the island, and seeing 
 many queer things. 
 
 Just as the twilight fell we were again 
 rowed to the Madiana. All was quiet 
 save for the plaintive voices of the ne- 
 groes singing on the shore, which the 
 wind wafted to us across the water. 
 With the melody echoing in the dis- 
 tance we drifted out to the open sea on 
 our way to Santa Cruz.
 
 IV. 
 
 A NIGHT OF ROMANCE IN THE INDIES 
 
 " T T AVE you a guitar ? " whispered my 
 * * fair companion as we mounted 
 the steps from the salon. 
 
 Our boat was dreamily skirting the 
 shore of the beautiful island of Tortola. 
 The silver rays of the moon reflected 
 on the waters below a miniature of 
 mountains clothed in rich tropical ver- 
 dure. 
 
 There was nothing to mar the quiet 
 of the scene. The rippling waves played 
 a soft accompaniment to the sweet voice 
 of my friend. We were lazily reclining 
 on some rugs in the stern of the boat. 
 Lulled by the sweet voice of my com- 
 panion, and the faint murmuring of the 
 guitar, I felt that I must invent a story 
 15
 
 l6 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 for the occasion one full of romance 
 and adventure. 
 
 I related how during the last century, 
 while England and Spain were engaged 
 in bitter war, a sweet and noble girl of 
 Devonshire was kidnapped by some 
 Spanish brigands after a severe fight in 
 the village. She was taken aboard ship 
 with other captives to be borne to the 
 West Indies to serve as slaves or be 
 treated as heretics in some miserable 
 monastery. Among those engaged in 
 the affray and left seriously wounded 
 was the lover of this girl, a hand- 
 some, manly fellow, about twenty-eight 
 years old. Though thinking himself 
 about to die, the hero made an oath 
 that if he should by any possibility sur- 
 vive, he would avenge himself on those 
 who had wrecked his happiness, and 
 spend the rest of his days in seeking her 
 who was dearest on earth to him, thus 
 proving that honor is the foundation of 
 an Englishman's code.
 
 A ROMANTIC EVENING 17 
 
 Perched on the high cliffs whose rocks 
 are washed by the blue sea, rests the 
 Spanish monastery of Santa Juanita. 
 The silver bell pealed forth the hour of 
 midnight. Before the altar in prayer 
 knelt a woman whose thoughts were 
 bent on her home in Devonshire, far 
 across the sea. 
 
 Half a league from the island, quietly 
 riding the waves, rocked the ship of some 
 English buccaneers on whose deck, if 
 the moon were bright enough, could be 
 observed armed men preparing for a 
 land attack. Impatiently pacing the 
 deck, clad in a military cloak, with 
 sabre and pistols, was a young officer 
 no other, indeed, than the hero of the 
 brigand fight in the small seaport town 
 of Devonshire. 
 
 The boat carried no lights : all was 
 quiet as death. The plan of action 
 which the party adopted was to gain 
 the shore, quickly surprise the Spanish 
 guards, take the town and capture the
 
 l8 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 monastery, reported to contain fabulous 
 wealth, and above all some English 
 souls. 
 
 But things did not turn out so fortu- 
 nately. The Spanish soldiers, hidden 
 by thick underbrush on shore, quietly 
 awaited their victims, and the handful 
 of brave English fellows were soon 
 overpowered. Many were killed, and 
 in the quiet and peace of the night 
 the Spaniards dragged the wounded to 
 the cloister to be cared for by the 
 Sisters. 
 
 The woman who knelt at prayer earlier 
 in the evening was now stooping over a 
 dying man. The faint rays of a quaint 
 lamp burning before a shrine cast a dim 
 shadow on the stony floor. The melan- 
 choly tones of the old bell came like 
 rays of hope to the ears of an English 
 soldier dying for the love and honor of 
 his sweetheart. 
 
 Having brought my story to a close, I 
 awoke from my dreams. My friend was
 
 A ROMANTIC EVENING 19 
 
 playing a soft plaintive air : from off in 
 the distance, like a far-away echo, came 
 the deep voice of the sailor on lookout, 
 " Twelve o'clock, and all 's well."
 
 V. 
 
 SANTA CRUZ, AN ISLAND OF 
 PLANTATIONS 
 
 I REACHED deck the next morning 
 * just as the sun poised itself over 
 the distant hills. Santa Cruz, like St. 
 Thomas, belongs to Denmark. It is not, 
 however, so mountainous, and the peo- 
 ple find more opportunity here for agri- 
 culture than on the other island. The 
 town itself is small, and much the same 
 in general character as Charlotte Amalia. 
 I had accepted an invitation from Mr. 
 Maynard to visit a large sugar planta- 
 tion in which he is interested. After a 
 light breakfast, we were rowed ashore to 
 the company's office. There we met 
 Col. Blackwood, who is interested in the 
 
 20
 
 AN ISLAND OF PLANTATIONS 21 
 
 estates on the island. We were soon 
 being driven by a swift team of West 
 Indian ponies over smooth hard roads 
 toward the plantation. The country 
 through which we passed was well- 
 cultivated. 
 
 After travelling some hours between 
 rows of stately palms and through a 
 rich country, we noticed in the distance 
 a mansion of the old colonial days built 
 imposingly on a great hill. Towards 
 this we made our way. Here was the 
 headquarters of the estate. 
 
 In better days when West Indian 
 sugar was a more profitable article and 
 before the sugar bounty on the conti- 
 nent was known, there existed many 
 other rich plantations similar to this, 
 both here and on the other islands. But 
 in recent times affairs are in a sad state 
 in all the Indies. This is due primarily 
 to the decrease in value of sugar, which 
 is the article of most importance in the 
 islands. Since the fall of the sugar in-
 
 22 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 dustry, the people find it hard to obtain 
 a means of subsistence. Small wonder 
 that most of the old European families 
 of high birth have within the last century 
 drifted away from this region, and that 
 now there remain only the fast decaying 
 estates, with their mansions, to testify 
 of once glorious times. It is a touch- 
 ing sight. 
 
 We lunched at the estate, where I met 
 Mrs. Blackwood and her niece, both 
 from Boston. It is charming to experi- 
 ence the true hospitality which the peo- 
 ple of these lands always seem so happy 
 to extend to strangers on their shore. 
 Charles Kingsley spoke the truth when 
 he said that the West Indian hospitality 
 and politeness are traits which the peo- 
 ple of the continent might well imitate. 
 
 The luncheon itself was a typical one. 
 It consisted of fruit of all kinds, in- 
 cluding mangoes, plantains, bread-fruit, 
 guavas, and other varieties which I had 
 not seen since my journey a few years
 
 AN ISLAND OF PLANTATIONS 23 
 
 before through Mexico, and also of 
 several delicious Indian foods of a light 
 and dainty character. 
 
 After luncheon we visited the sugar 
 factory. This great article of com- 
 merce appears to a stranger to be made 
 in a very simple and easy manner, while 
 only by one who understands the trade 
 and the principles of sugar, can the 
 truly intricate and difficult character of 
 the process be realized. 
 
 In a few words, the sugar-cane is 
 brought in great carts to the factory, 
 where it is crushed between gigantic 
 rollers. The juice thus obtained runs 
 into great vats, where it stands for clar- 
 ifying. It is then treated with steam to 
 a degree of ripeness, and afterwards 
 allowed slowly to crystallize. These 
 crystals form the brown sugar, which is 
 sent in great cakes to the market, usually 
 the United States, for refining. That 
 which does not crystallize becomes what 
 we know as crude molasses, and is
 
 24 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 again put through the same process as 
 the juice from the sugar ; that which 
 still remains passes into stills for the 
 manufacture of rum. 
 
 Of rum, also a very important article 
 of trade in the Indies, it is needless to 
 say that in former times, when this 
 liquor was more popular, the West 
 Indian was known to be the best. 
 
 After a very interesting hour spent at 
 the factory we returned to the house, 
 where we spent the rest of the day on 
 the cool verandas. After dinner, which 
 our excellent hostess presided over in a 
 charming manner, we strolled about the 
 parks under the great trees. But it was 
 now growing late, and as the moon had 
 already risen some hours, we were 
 obliged to bid our kind friends fare- 
 well. 
 
 There is a peculiar pathos in the part- 
 ing from such brief acquaintances who 
 have been very kind to us and whom 
 perhaps we shall never see again. That
 
 AN ISLAND OF PLANTATIONS 25 
 
 night, as we drove back to the coast, 
 threading our way through great forests, 
 the moon throwing dark shadows across 
 our path, I was unusually sensitive to 
 emotion.
 
 VI. 
 
 A FIELD-DAY IN ST. KITT's 
 
 PHE next morning I was awakened 
 * from my slumbers by the roar of 
 a cannon, followed by other reports 
 whose echoes were driven back by the 
 great mountains rising from the water's 
 edge. 
 
 As everything so far had been quiet 
 and peaceful during our voyage, and as 
 in these dreamy lands I had no antici- 
 pations pertaining to war of any sort, I 
 was naturally somewhat startled. 
 
 Thrusting my head out the port-hole, 
 I noted a few leagues from us several 
 men-of-war at anchor. A little time 
 afterwards I went on deck, just as the 
 reveille was wafted within our hearing 
 26
 
 A. FIELD-DAY IN ST. KITT'S 27 
 
 from an English man-of-war to our 
 starboard, and with my glass was able 
 to observe on the English boats the 
 sailors taking their muskets and prepar- 
 ing for early morning inspection and 
 drill. 
 
 Count Bismarck had asked me to go 
 aboard the warship Blake for breakfast, 
 having letters to the captain, whom he 
 expected to meet in these waters. As 
 we rowed alongside the ironclad, the 
 mouths of the great cannon looked 
 grimly towards us, in sharp contrast 
 with the very cordial reception we re- 
 ceived after boarding the English ves- 
 sel. Our cards were carried to the 
 officer of the deck, who at once directed 
 them to be sent to the captain. 
 
 It had always been one of my great 
 pleasures to make acquaintance with 
 the captains of vessels. Something 
 about their very sea-faring life breeds a 
 frank politeness giving them the quali- 
 ties of the true gentleman, although
 
 28 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 often somewhat hidden under a cloak 
 of brusque sea manners. 
 
 We were fortunate enough to see the 
 marines drawn up in line for drill, and 
 interested at the manner in which they 
 did justice to their colors. 
 
 It is hard to realize that one of these 
 ships is almost a city in itself. Each 
 man has his own little home and his 
 daily duties. There is a market-place 
 where are stored foods of all kinds, and 
 adjacent to this the place where live- 
 stock is kept for consumption. Farther 
 down the gangway we found in the work- 
 shop men busily engaged in the manu- 
 facturing of new implements and the 
 repairing of the old. 
 
 We also saw the tailor-shop and linen 
 outfit, where clothes were in process of 
 making and old ones being mended. 
 Here also was the boot and shoe repair- 
 ing shop. A blue and white sign at- 
 tracted our attention to the barber- 
 shop. In coming back by another
 
 A FIELD-DAY IN ST. KITT/'s 29 
 
 street we passed through the great 
 kitchen of the cruiser, where food is 
 cooked for the small city, and the hos- 
 pital where the sick are kept. 
 
 We spent a good part of the morning 
 aboard the Blake j nor could we make 
 a graceful retreat without accepting an 
 invitation from the captain for dinner, 
 to be followed by a military ball on 
 deck, given in honor of the governor. 
 
 Programmes were distributed about 
 the Madiana, telling us there were to be 
 athletic games given by the officers and 
 sailors of the British squadron on the 
 grounds in Basseterre, the principal 
 town of the island, off which we were 
 anchored. 
 
 During noon-time we wandered about 
 the streets visiting all the places of in- 
 terest to strangers. This was the first 
 English island we had yet touched on 
 our voyage, and it surprised us to find 
 how typically English everything was. 
 However tropical the surroundings
 
 30 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 might be, yet we found everywhere the 
 well-equipped, neat English house, with 
 its tennis-court and cricket set on the 
 lawn. 
 
 In the afternoon we noticed happy 
 people at their five o'clock teas or en- 
 gaging in athletic games, just as at 
 Southampton and Brighton. To be sure, 
 only a very small per cent, of the inhabi- 
 tants are English, but wherever an Eng- 
 lishman wanders he brings with him his 
 own ideas, customs, and mannerisms. 
 To me the English nation appears not 
 only one of great enterprise, but ranks 
 first as a people that civilized the world. 
 
 Pleasant fountains shaded by grace- 
 ful palms or mangoes, marked the inter- 
 section of many of the streets, and 
 numerous little parks were scattered 
 here and there throughout the city. 
 The streets were well-paved and clean ; 
 and the houses, though small, have a 
 neat and sanitary appearance. 
 
 About four o'clock we turned our
 
 A FIELD-DAY IN ST. KITT S 31 
 
 steps in the direction of the athletic 
 games. 
 
 While these games are not different 
 in themselves from the ordinary tourna- 
 ments of athletics that we have in Amer- 
 ica, there is here added to them the 
 romantic interest of being given by ma- 
 rines and officers of far-away England. 
 In the background loom up the great 
 mountains ; before us, beyond gently 
 sloping meadows and plains, the ocean 
 rolls in the distance. 
 
 The field was lined with carriages 
 and vehicles of all kinds, filled with 
 pretty girls arrayed in striking costumes 
 for this gala occasion of the week. 
 
 Here, through some English folk to 
 whom I had cards of introduction, I 
 made some very pleasant acquaint- 
 ances. 
 
 We sat in one of the carriages with a 
 bevy of fair English ladies, and amidst 
 the shouts and laughter and confusion 
 of the throng, thoroughly enjoyed our-
 
 32 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 selves. Popcorn, peanuts, lemonade, 
 sandwiches, soda and the like were all 
 in good form, and to say that we spent 
 a pleasant afternoon would hardly do 
 justice to our appreciation.
 
 VII. 
 
 ENSEMBLE 
 
 'T'HE Marine Band is playing a dreamy 
 * southern air. We are aboard the 
 English warship Blake. In the dis- 
 tance, glistening in the moon, the palms 
 sigh. Imagine the romance of a mili- 
 tary ball in the tropics ! 
 
 We were anchored only a short dis- 
 tance from Her Majesty's island of St. 
 Kitt's. The mountains rise from the 
 bosom of the ocean clad in a mantle of 
 rich tropical vegetation. 
 
 " Ah ! Count," I say, as the moon 
 appearing from a cloud brings this 
 grand panorama to view, " if there is 
 any spark of true life in a man, this 
 would surely kindle it into nobility ! " 
 3 33
 
 34 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 Thereupon my friend answers, " Why 
 ponder upon such serious thoughts 
 when your friend, yonder pretty Ameri- 
 can girl, awaits you for this waltz ? " 
 
 I am soon gliding away in the dance 
 with one of the sweetest girls. We are 
 on the British West India ship, whose 
 deck, garnished by pretty women and 
 handsome officers in full military dress, 
 presents a scene not likely to be for- 
 gotten. I am very proud, for well I 
 know my fair friend is the chief attrac- 
 tion of those brave English eyes. 
 
 What a night ! Shall I ever forget 
 it ? Threading our way among the danc- 
 ers we at last find ourselves in the bow 
 of this mighty ship, under two great 
 cannon (England's pride). Neither of 
 us speak. We thus sit musing some 
 time, till, faintly wafted by the gentle 
 breeze, the peal of the old cathedral 
 bell comes to us. In such times people 
 find in one another that which is most 
 pleasing on earth feelings in com-
 
 ENSEMBLE 35 
 
 mon ; and these, when based upon 
 character and the more noble qualities 
 of man, indeed bring one a little nearer 
 to true friendship.
 
 VIII. 
 
 ANTIGUA AN OUTING IN THE 
 MOUNTAINS 
 
 A FEW hours after returning from 
 ** the ball, we weighed anchor, and 
 the engines of our boat throbbed once 
 more as we headed again southward on 
 our way to new lands. 
 
 Needless to say, I slept the sleep of 
 the happy, and never waked in a more 
 contented mood than I did the next 
 morning. Our graceful ship is on her 
 way towards a dark shadow in the dis- 
 tance, which the captain tells us is 
 Antigua. 
 
 It was towards noon when we reached 
 the harbor and our boat once more came 
 to anchor. We were to spend the rest 
 of Saturday and Sunday in Antigua. 
 36
 
 AN OUTING IN THE MOUNTAINS 37 
 
 Next morning Mr. Austin, a young 
 Englishman with whom I had become 
 quite intimate, and I, decided to take a 
 forty-five mile drive around the island. 
 The road passed through dense forests 
 and jungles, where there was hardly 
 enough light at mid-day to read a news- 
 paper ; then again climbed the moun- 
 tain side or lay along the smooth sandy 
 beach of the seashore. On the way we 
 saw the city reservoir built by the colo- 
 nial inhabitants. Here were great piles 
 of masonry in which much skill in civil 
 engineering was displayed. I noticed 
 on steel plates the names of English 
 constructionists and engineers. From 
 this point, which is situated some twelve 
 miles distant in the mountains, run a 
 system of pipes to the city, by which 
 cool refreshing water of the very best 
 kind, derived from the mountain springs 
 and streams, is always obtainable. 
 
 Towards evening, as we were still 
 some distance from the town, we saw a
 
 38 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 neat white church situated at the side 
 of the mountain, from which came 
 strains of sweet music. We looked at 
 one another without saying a word, tied 
 our horses to a tree, entered and took 
 a seat in the midst of the little negro 
 congregation. I was particularly im- 
 pressed by the sincerity of devotion 
 with which these people worshipped ; I 
 learned there to respect the negro more 
 than I had ever before thought it possible 
 for me to do.
 
 IX. 
 
 MARTINIQUE, A FRENCH MINIATURE IN 
 THE TROPICS 
 
 I F a great searchlight could be levelled 
 * at Martinique, it would unfold to 
 the observer a vivid picture like that of 
 gay Paris. Although the rays of life are 
 somewhat diminished in coming such a 
 distance as from France to the West 
 Indies, nevertheless their nature is the 
 same. 
 
 Strolling up from the quays whither 
 we had rowed in small boats, we were 
 at once amused and interested. A 
 smile appeared simultaneously on the 
 faces of all of us, the sign on a large 
 yellow placard struck our gaze, an- 
 nouncing that a grand ballet was to be 
 30
 
 40 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 enacted by the famous X of Paris 
 
 that evening, followed by a French ball. 
 We had hardly anticipated such amuse- 
 ment in these romantic lands of the 
 South. 
 
 As we went about some of our party 
 attempted to exercise their knowledge 
 of the French tongue, although without 
 much success in understanding or in 
 being understood, for the reason that 
 these people have not a pure speech 
 but a mixture of French and negro 
 patois, similar to the " Gumbo " dialect 
 of New Orleans, which is quite incom- 
 prehensible to ordinary ears. 
 
 The striking feature of St. Pierre, 
 the largest and principal city of Mar- 
 tinique, is, as I have said, its distinc- 
 tively French associations. Were it 
 not for an occasional orange tree, or 
 some other tropical plant, we could 
 easily imagine ourselves in one of the 
 smaller towns of France. Here one 
 reads French names above the shops,
 
 LITTLE FRANCE IN THE TROPICS 41 
 
 and finds at the intersections of the 
 streets an occasional statue erected to 
 the memory of some noted Frenchman. 
 
 The island of Martinique being very 
 mountainous, the city should have the 
 very best of sanitary equipments, yet 
 what we consider the necessary condi- 
 tions for health are quite unknown 
 there. The gutters, supplied with fresh 
 and cold water from the streams of the 
 mountains, rush down the sides of the 
 streets, and were it not for these the 
 death-rate at Martinique would be still 
 greater than it now is. 
 
 The architecture of the houses is 
 decidedly European, though tending 
 rather towards the light and dainty or- 
 der than the solid and substantial, repre- 
 senting, like many French people, beauty 
 while it lasts, but quick decay. 
 
 In St. Pierre are pretty parks with an 
 occasional murmuring fountain ; also 
 here and there a marble or bronze statue 
 hid by thick foliage. In the quiet of
 
 42 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 the evenings hither come the beautiful 
 French Creoles ; and many a pretty lit- 
 tle romance takes place here, ushered 
 in by a guitar serenade. 
 
 One statue brings back reminiscences 
 of the older days of the French empire. 
 It represents the patient Josephine, 
 Empress of the French. Martinique 
 is her birthplace, and here the simple, 
 beautiful Creole lived her younger days 
 and received her first education. 
 
 But we could not linger too long 
 about these pleasant spots, for we had 
 engaged a voiture to drive us to the 
 botanical gardens and thence to a little 
 town situated some distance from St. 
 Pierre, high up in the mountains. 
 
 The botanical gardens of Martinique 
 are known all over the world. Aside 
 from those of Trinidad they are con- 
 sidered the finest in existence. Taking 
 into consideration the nature and adap- 
 tation of the surroundings, I consider 
 the gardens of Martinique even grander, 
 as a whole, than those of Trinidad.
 
 A FRENCH CREOLE, MARTINIQUE.
 
 LITTLE FRANCE IN THE TROPICS 43 
 
 To attempt to describe our walks 
 through the old parks would be a fail- 
 ure, for I could not do justice to the 
 sentiments which were aroused in me 
 on beholding growing in their natural 
 simplicity, side by side, the orange, 
 citron, fig, guava, and many other fruits, 
 in great luxuriance. Bamboo grows 
 here in profusion ; also wild and dainty 
 orchids of all kinds clinging to the 
 rocks and the bark of the trees. 
 
 Added to these wonders of growing 
 nature, were great cataracts leaping 
 from the near mountains. All this 
 beauty and grandeur was sufficient to 
 inspire the soul of any man. 
 
 After returning to our hotel and rest- 
 ing, we enjoyed an excellent dinner 
 prepared in good style by a French 
 chef. Even to the fact of wine ap- 
 pearing on the table free of charge, 
 everything showed the customs of the 
 French transplanted to the island. 
 
 Later on in the evening, we found 
 our way through gayly lighted streets,
 
 44 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 which appeared like a diminished re- 
 flection of the Rue de Rivoli, to the 
 Opera House, where, as previously re- 
 marked, we had observed a notice to 
 the effect that a ballet and masked ball 
 would take place that night. The ballet 
 was good ; the French ballet is always 
 good, comparatively speaking. The 
 energy and spirit with which this people 
 enter into everything is too well known 
 to comment upon. The ball, I shall 
 leave to my readers' imagination ; suffice 
 it to say that it was similar to any mid- 
 winter masked ball given at the Madi- 
 son Square in New York City.
 
 X. 
 
 ST. LUCIA, A FORMER GIBRALTAR OF 
 THE WEST INDIES 
 
 1VTO other small island in the West 
 * ^ Indies has been the scene of 
 more contention between European 
 powers than St. Lucia. 
 
 Speaking of the striking appearance 
 of this rough, volcanic island, and of 
 its convenient situation for military 
 purposes, a recent writer adds : " What 
 wonder that two mighty nations con- 
 tended for the possession of St. Lucia, 
 as the Greeks and Trojans waged war 
 for the guardianship of fair Helen of 
 old ? " 
 
 In 1605 the first attempt was made 
 at colonization, when the English ship 
 45
 
 46 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 Olive Blossom landed some sixty col- 
 onists, who planted the flag of St. 
 George and occupied the island in 
 the name of England. From this time 
 until the capitulation of the French 
 at Fort Morne Fortune, in 1803, there 
 was an almost ceaseless strife for the 
 sovereignty of the island. The fol- 
 lowing extract, taken from a letter 
 written by Admiral Rodney in 1772 
 to the Earl of Sandwich, shows the 
 importance with which St. Lucia was 
 regarded : " I had lately the honor 
 to present to your Lordship a copy of 
 a letter I thought it my duty to send 
 to the King's Minister . . . pointing 
 out the great consequence of retaining 
 some of the conquered islands, partic- 
 ularly Martinique or St. Lucia ; and 
 though at that time I preferred the 
 retention of Martinique, I am now 
 fully convinced that St. Lucia is of more 
 consequence to Britain . . . Either 
 of these islands in the hands of Great
 
 A FORMER GIBRALTAR OF THE INDIES 47 
 
 Britain must, while she remains a great 
 maritime power, make her sovereign of 
 the West Indies." 
 
 Such is a very brief outline of some 
 of the past events. To-day there re- 
 main but the fast crumbling forts and 
 barracks as a testimony to this once 
 important military strong-hold. 
 
 The old mountain barracks are far 
 more healthful than if along the coast ; 
 the matter of climate being one of the 
 most important things England has to 
 study in choosing her tropical loca- 
 tions. Thus at Aden on the Red Sea, 
 reported to be one of the hottest places 
 on the globe, it is necessary for the 
 Government to relieve the soldiers 
 every few months by sending fresh 
 recruits thither from other tropical 
 countries where they have been accus- 
 tomed to serve. 
 
 Great dredging machines, similar to 
 those used in Panama, were sent over 
 to deepen the waters of the harbor, so
 
 48 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 that now steamers of the largest draught 
 can land immediately at the side of 
 the pier. This is something unknown 
 to almost all the Islands and harbors 
 of South America. 
 
 St. Lucia has also been made one of 
 the coaling stations of England. It was 
 with great interest that I watched a 
 large German merchant steamer being 
 coaled in this remote section of the 
 world. The manner in which they 
 coal these boats is unique. From 75 
 to 150 negroes, both men and women, 
 are supplied with rough baskets of one 
 or two bushels capacity, which they are 
 compelled to carry on their heads. It 
 is very hard work, and on inquiry I 
 ascertained that these poor wretches 
 are only paid at the rate of a few cents 
 an hour. 
 
 St. Lucia seemed to me one of the 
 loveliest of the West India islands. 
 While I was sitting here on deck one 
 evening, our boat being fastened along-
 
 A FORMER GIBRALTAR OF THE INDIES 49 
 
 side the pier, familiar airs of religious 
 music were wafted thither by the 
 breeze. On inquiry I learned that 
 the Salvation Army had reached its 
 helping hand even to these poor lands. 
 Later, seated in the Salvation Army 
 Hall, amongst a hundred or so of the 
 meanest and poorest kind of people, 
 I faintly realized the real good a few 
 persons of sincere purpose may accom- 
 plish, though all odds are against them. 
 
 St. Lucia is a typical southern island. 
 Its mountains, clad with great tropical 
 forests and jungles, are the home of 
 many wild animals. Here the English 
 sportsman finds his joy and excitement 
 in hunting the fleet deer, while for still 
 more exciting game, he may hunt the 
 leopard and wild-cat up in the mount- 
 ains. 
 
 Castries, the principal city, off which 
 we were anchored, presented a very 
 pretty sight, the older part being nestled 
 at the base of the mountains, while the
 
 50 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 newer life seemed to be entwining 
 itself about the sides of the great pre- 
 cipice. 
 
 Towards evening the great cables 
 which had been holding the Madiana 
 to the pier were loosened and we drifted 
 once again into the open harbor. We 
 had been given a farewell by the in- 
 habitants of the town who came down 
 to the wharf, the negroes, gaudily 
 dressed, looking like parrots in crim- 
 sons, blues, and greens. 
 
 A little later we were passing the 
 Pitons, two great volcanic mountains 
 rising perpendicularly from the water 
 to a height of about three thousand feet. 
 The sea about these cliffs is so deep that 
 a steamer could pass touching the very 
 sides of the precipice itself. 
 
 A story is told of four English sailors, 
 who, having heard that these mount- 
 ains were insurmountable, made oath 
 among themselves that they would try 
 to accomplish the feat. Their friends
 
 A BELLE OF ST. LUCIA.
 
 A FORMER GIBRALTAR OF THE INDIES $1 
 
 from a boat in the distance watched 
 them anxiously through glasses. When 
 half-way up one of them was seen to 
 drop, but the three others went on. A 
 few hundred feet higher a second 
 dropped, and afterwards a third. The 
 last one had almost reached the summit 
 when he also fell. No account of what 
 had befallen them ever reached the 
 ship. They are supposed to have been 
 bitten by the fer de lance, the deadliest 
 snake in St. Lucia and perhaps in the 
 world.
 
 XI. 
 
 BARBADOES, AN ENGLISH COLONY UP 
 TO DATE 
 
 A LL was bustle and commotion on 
 ** board the Madiana on the morn- 
 ing of January izth, for we were soon 
 to arrive at Barbadoes, which was her 
 last stopping-place before she turned 
 her bow again toward the North. Many 
 of the passengers intended returning to 
 New York again by the Madiana ; 
 others, like myself, decided to part 
 with the boat, and associations which 
 had become so endeared, and strike out 
 for new regions. 
 
 It was with much feeling that I bade 
 adieu to our good captain, Mr. Fraser, 
 and to the passengers who had been 
 with us thus far on the cruise. 
 52
 
 AN ENGLISH COLONY UP TO DATE 53 
 
 Barbadoes is very much unlike the 
 other islands we have visited in being 
 not of the volcanic order but of a coral 
 formation, thus presenting a level ap- 
 pearance. It is about the size of the 
 Isle of Wight, and has a population of 
 about 180,000, by far the greater part 
 blacks. 
 
 On arriving at Barbadoes I was at 
 once driven to the Marine Hotel, 
 whither I had sent my luggage. The 
 Marine is a fine old hostelry built of 
 rough stone, a few miles from the town 
 facing the sea. Here one can always 
 find the cool breezes of the ocean and 
 the cleanliness of a well-kept inn. In 
 this vicinity are many of the better 
 houses of the capital and principal city 
 of Barbadoes, Bridgetown. Tramways 
 run from the business part of the town 
 to this locality, a distance of about 
 three miles. At the hotel I afterwards 
 met a few Americans as well as some 
 Britons. People seek this island for its
 
 54 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 salubrious climate and its pleasant sur- 
 roundings. 
 
 Barbadoes having been occupied by 
 the British for some two hundred years, 
 has a distinctively modern English ap- 
 pearance ; there is considerable wealth 
 there, for the ancestors of many of its 
 old English families owned plantations 
 and slaves. 
 
 The parade grounds or Savannah of 
 the military quarters present a lively 
 scene in the morning and evening, and 
 thither I strolled about five o'clock in 
 the evening with a certain charming 
 passenger of the Madiana, who has been 
 closely associated with many of my 
 experiences in the islands. That she 
 should be popular everywhere is indeed 
 no wonder. She is a typical American 
 girl : bright, vivacious, experienced, and, 
 above all, sincere. It is this kind of 
 girl that has made the American wo- 
 man appear as the ideal woman in the 
 hearts not only of Americans, but also
 
 AN ENGLISH COLONY UP TO DATE 55 
 
 of the stolid and easy-going Briton, the 
 gay and vivacious Frenchman, and the 
 more romantic and sentimental Span- 
 iard. 
 
 The soldiers performing their usual 
 evening dress drill, presented a fine 
 view on the field. The infantry per- 
 formed their evolutions, directed by 
 officers in gay costumes, while farther 
 off in the distance the cavalry bore 
 down upon an imaginary enemy, and 
 the artillery brought up the rear. 
 
 At our first dinner on the island, 
 among other things on the bill of fare 
 I noticed flying fish, and as these were 
 considered a great delicacy, I felt that 
 I certainly must try them. They taste 
 very much like the sole of England. 
 The fish itself is of the same genus as 
 the flying fish we meet in crossing the 
 northern Atlantic, but of a much smaller 
 species. 
 
 The next day I took a long drive with 
 the Count about this section. We drove
 
 56 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 past the Government prison and the 
 labor-house, not caring to visit either, 
 as I had been through institutions of a 
 similar nature. Suffice it to say, that 
 the Government institutions are here 
 well cared for. The governor, appointed 
 by the Home Government, is an able 
 man and well qualified for those duties 
 of trust and importance placed upon 
 him by the Queen. There is an assem- 
 bly which makes the laws and which 
 somewhat corresponds to our Senate 
 and House of Representatives. A chief 
 justice presides over the judicial de- 
 partment, and there are other judges on 
 the bench. The police are well trained, 
 being under the supervision of a Chief 
 of Police, an important personage of 
 the island. 
 
 In driving we passed many planta- 
 tions and rich fields of sugar, rice, and 
 other tropical products. After seeing 
 as much of the country as we had leis- 
 ure for, we returned to Bridgetown and
 
 AN ENGLISH COLONY UP TO DATE 57 
 
 did some shopping. The shops are very 
 much like those in England and on a 
 grand scale. They have a few large 
 department stores where one can find 
 anything from a hat-pin to an anchor. 
 
 We visited the famous Ice-house and 
 drank the local popular drink, the swiz- 
 zle. The Ice-house, so called because 
 the luxury of ice is there obtained, is 
 common to all the West Indian islands 
 and is a sort of hotel with cafe" and 
 restaurant attached. Here the better 
 elements of the people usually meet and 
 lead that indolent existence common to 
 the South. The swizzle, which is the 
 characteristic drink of the Islands, is a 
 sort of cocktail, which after being con- 
 cocted is made to ferment by the use of 
 a stick with prongs on the end called a 
 swizzle-stick. It is a mild and cooling 
 drink, in which both the ladies and 
 gentlemen of the South indulge. 
 
 That evening I was invited out to 
 dinner by some English friends to whom
 
 58 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 I had letters. Their estate, situated a 
 little distance from town on an emi- 
 nence, affords a fine specimen of 
 colonial architecture, refinement, and 
 wealth. High stone walls encircle the 
 grounds ; fountains give an air of life, 
 while in the rear is a park of great trees. 
 The house is built of rough stone : the 
 rooms are commodious and comforta- 
 ble. A great entrance hall into which 
 open the rooms, is finished in hard wood, 
 and contains many relics of antiquity, 
 such as helmets, swords, fire-arms, etc. 
 All the rooms contain large fireplaces, 
 for even in this climate the evenings 
 are cool and damp. 
 
 After dinner our host, a good story- 
 teller and a man who has had many 
 adventures and experiences, related in 
 an interesting way phases of the life of 
 former days in the Indies and on the 
 Spanish Main. 
 
 I must not leave Barbadoes without 
 impressing upon my readers the impor-
 
 AN ENGLISH COLONY UP TO DATE 59 
 
 tance and significance of this island 
 and especially of the city Bridgetown. 
 This is the centre of trade for all the 
 Islands and the port of the Royal Mail 
 line between England and the Islands 
 and the mainland of South America, as 
 well as that of the Hamburg-American 
 steamers, of other European lines, the 
 Quebec Steamship Co., and the boats 
 plying between South America and 
 New York. It is in fact the New York 
 of the Indies. The city itself is com- 
 posed of substantial shops and ware- 
 houses. The streets are well paved and 
 illuminated by electricity. Here one 
 finds all the modern conveniences and 
 comforts of life. The docks always 
 present a busy scene where one may 
 gain an idea of the commercial impor- 
 tance of the place. 
 
 A few days later I boarded the Royal 
 Mail Steamship Solent, which was to 
 carry us over our route to Venezuela 
 by way of the islands of Grenada, Trin-
 
 60 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 idad, and Curacoa; three countries 
 promising much of interest. 
 
 It is towards five o'clock in the even- 
 ing when the Solent slowly steams out 
 of the harbor of Barbadoes. I wave a 
 little silk flag with the stars and stripes 
 to our fair companion, who has added 
 so much to the pleasure and interest of 
 this trip and has also endeared herself 
 very greatly to our memory. She is to 
 remain here for some time and enjoy 
 with her father the delightful place, and 
 towards spring is to return once again 
 to her friends and home in the North.
 
 XII. 
 
 A GLIMPSE OF GRENADA 
 
 PHE Solent is one of those sharp, 
 * well-fitted steel cruisers which are 
 so often seen flying the British flag in 
 foreign waters. She is scarcely of three 
 thousand tons, and is said to be the 
 ideal model of the Royal Mail Line. 
 The rooms, though not situated on the 
 upper deck as were those of the Madi- 
 ana, yet are large and comfortable and 
 the table is excellent. 
 
 In the evening the captain, the doc- 
 tor, the purser, and the other officers of 
 the boat appear in full dress. Their 
 example is also followed by the passen- 
 gers on the boat. 
 
 But although so superior to the Ma- 
 61
 
 62 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 diana in respect of discipline and ser- 
 vice, I still bear the fondest recollections 
 of the pleasures of that good home-like 
 ship which brought us to Barbadoes. 
 
 We had a night of smooth sailing. 
 About four o'clock the next afternoon, 
 after coasting the shores of Grenada 
 for some hours, we turned a point of 
 land and entered the almost perfectly 
 land-locked harbor of the principal 
 city St. George. 
 
 On approaching, the first thing we 
 noticed was a fort built of heavy stone, 
 overlooking the town and the harbor. 
 It seems to be an Englishman's joy 
 to tug and climb whenever an oppor- 
 tunity presents itself. I was soon 
 on my way ashore with four young 
 English fellows from London. The 
 first thing we did on landing was to 
 scale the heights from below and try to 
 gain access to the fort. After an hour's 
 hard work we reached the gate and were 
 accosted by a sleepy sentry. We sent
 
 A GLIMPSE OF GRENADA 63 
 
 our cards to the commandant of the 
 fort, and in a few minutes one of the 
 lieutenants was showing us about the 
 place. 
 
 There is nothing remarkable about 
 the fort. It is a crumbling mass of 
 stone, and the few old rusty cannon lying 
 about could probably not be used even 
 in case of an emergency. The garrison 
 consists of a handful of old crippled 
 men, mostly negroes, and when later I 
 saw them on drill I thought I had never 
 known a poorer show of soldiers who 
 wore the British uniform. 
 
 Indeed, there was but little life any- 
 where to be seen on this island. The 
 citizens of the town lay about in a dole- 
 ful mood, as if they had forgotten all 
 about such a thing as energy. In former 
 years, before the negro gained so much 
 control over affairs, and when many 
 white people lived on the island, things 
 were prosperous ; the cane-fields were 
 well cultivated and brought in hand-
 
 64 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 some incomes, and commerce and trade 
 were active. 
 
 The subject is too sad to linger upon. 
 The few white inhabitants are thor- 
 oughly disgusted, and seem to have lost 
 all ambition of bringing about other 
 results. 
 
 In contrast to all this, as we were leav- 
 ing the shores of Grenada, a sunset such 
 as I have never seen in any land before 
 was presented to us. My travelling com- 
 panion, who had circled the globe twice, 
 told me he had never witnessed its equal. 
 Softly drawn before our eyes as though 
 by some unseen hands, the spectrum of 
 the sun in hues of soft radiance and 
 beauty lingers a few moments before all 
 is dark.
 
 XIII. 
 
 TRINIDAD FIRST GLIMPSES 
 
 IT is the early dawn of a tropical morn- 
 ing. For some hours our boat, the 
 Solent, has been skirting the shores 
 of the beautiful island of Trinidad. 
 Then, as if in response to the morn's 
 welcome, we proudly steam into the 
 harbor. The peace of the island is 
 slowly awakened by the soft caressing 
 rays of the golden sun ; as though afraid 
 to disturb such tranquillity, its disk 
 lingers behind the three great peaks 
 which suggested to Columbus the Trin- 
 ity and gave to the island its name 
 Trinidad. 
 
 We were soon being rowed to shore 
 by half a dozen strong negroes. It 
 s 65
 
 66 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 must be remembered that in these im- 
 mediate waters, where the dredging 
 machine is still unknown, a ship dares 
 not approach too near the shore. 
 
 The streets of Port au Spain, the 
 capital and chief city of the island, are 
 well laid out, and we were surprised at 
 the commercial importance a city in 
 this far out of the way land can attain. 
 Large business houses, the results of 
 modern civilization, are on either side 
 of the street, and we were passing an 
 intelligent-looking people, with an air 
 of refinement, worldliness, and culture, 
 far different from what one generally 
 sees in these southern countries. Thanks 
 be to England, for she has planted in 
 this remote corner of the globe the 
 civilization and advantages of modern 
 Europe. 
 
 Yet in sharp contrast to all this, and 
 what appeared to me to be as incongru- 
 ous as would the slow lengthy treading 
 of a camel on Broadway, are the East
 
 FIRST GLIMPSES 67 
 
 Indian coolies engaged in their daily 
 routine of work. Had we not been pre- 
 pared for such a scene it must have in- 
 deed startled us. The first question a 
 person asks is, How does the coolie find 
 himself on these shores ? England, re- 
 alizing the necessity of agricultural de- 
 velopment, and finding a scarcity of 
 good labor in Trinidad, took advantage 
 of the unique opportunity which pre- 
 sented itself in the transplanting of these 
 people from the far East to another 
 Southern home. 
 
 The contract which the planter who 
 imports these coolies through the Gov- 
 ernment must enter into, is made first 
 with the Government itself, and secondly 
 with the coolie. England in the case 
 of the coolie maintains herself rightful 
 protector against his master, in much 
 the same way as she extends protector- 
 ate over foreign colonies in Africa, 
 though on better grounds. The coolie 
 must be well cared for by the master, to
 
 68 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 whom he is indentured for a term of 
 five years, after which he is free to 
 choose his own course. During the 
 time of his indenture he is paid about 
 thirteen cents for each working day, 
 six days in the week being stipulated 
 as the number the coolie must work. 
 After the expiration of his time he may 
 be transported back to India, if he so 
 choose, or, what is more frequently the 
 case, for a small sum he may buy con- 
 siderable ground from the Government 
 and enter into the farming business for 
 himself. In the allotment of the coolies 
 after their importation from India, great 
 care is taken not to break up families. 
 On the whole, this arrangement seems 
 a commendable one, doing well for 
 the coolie, who is overburdened and 
 poverty-stricken in his over-populated 
 home, and bringing him to a country of 
 vast resources and great wealth, which 
 is only waiting to be developed. There 
 are many thousands of coolies living in
 
 FIRST GLIMPSES 69 
 
 Trinidad, besides a great many in Brit- 
 ish Guiana and other South American 
 countries. 
 
 We paid a visit to the Trinidad Club, 
 finding that club life in the West Indies 
 is an important factor in the better 
 class of society. Here one will some- 
 times encounter people such as one 
 finds at the Savoy in London, and the 
 Opera in Paris, and meets in the best 
 drawing-rooms both in Europe and 
 America. The clubs are very much the 
 same as those we are accustomed to, 
 with this great advantage over ours, in 
 being more hospitable and frank, and 
 in general truer to the tastes and desires 
 of gentlemen. 
 
 We refreshed ourselves with a light 
 breakfast, taken beneath the dark blue 
 sky on the open verandah. A pleasant 
 and most charming custom indeed ! 
 Here, hid by the screenage of rich palms 
 and exotics, lingering over our cigars 
 and coffee, the first officer of the Solent
 
 7O VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 and I decided to spend the day in an 
 outing among the mountains of this, 
 the most beautiful island of the Indian 
 seas.
 
 XIV. 
 
 TRINIDAD WANDERINGS ABOUT PORT 
 
 AU SPAIN 
 
 ONE should not leave Trinidad 
 without spending some time in 
 the places of which Charles Kingsley 
 in his book on the Indies speaks so en- 
 chantingly, so our good friend the offi- 
 cer told our negro groom to proceed to 
 these points. 
 
 After leaving the club we drove tow- 
 ard the Trinidad market-place, pass- 
 ing through the principal business 
 streets. The tinkling of a bell on a 
 single mule pulling a worn-out looking 
 yellow street-car, reminded us that we 
 were in the land of time and leisure. 
 
 I have usually found that the shop
 
 72 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 windows in a place show the tastes of its 
 people, and here, noting the many im- 
 ported wares on display, it was not hard 
 to realize that these people, though liv- 
 ing in the torrid zone, enjoy the com- 
 forts and luxuries of Europe. 
 
 After a while we saw a long wooden 
 building with a great glass roof, and 
 surrounded by a large yard. This is 
 the famous market-place. It was still 
 early in the morning, and hither we 
 found the coolies coming from the 
 country, many having walked many 
 miles to offer their vegetables and wares 
 for sale. Here were coolies sitting in 
 the same posture as we find the mer- 
 chant in Constantinople, and bargaining 
 in the most decided manner even over 
 the most trivial things. 
 
 They deal in cloth, jewelry, shoes, 
 hardware, in truth, one could purchase 
 from them almost anything from an In- 
 dian filigree ring to an English sewing 
 machine. The mass of the people at 
 
 S
 
 COOLIE BARBERS, TRINIDAD.
 
 WANDERINGS ABOUT PORT AU SPAIN 73 
 
 the market are coolies, though we 
 noticed a sprinkling of negroes among 
 them. 
 
 After purchasing a few odd articles 
 we went on to the museum. Here are 
 all sorts of specimens from the animal, 
 vegetable, and mineral kingdoms, repre- 
 senting both the present and past of the 
 islands. It is thrilling indeed, to hold 
 in one's hand an awful scorpion, the 
 very one perhaps whose bite has sent 
 many to the grave ; or to stroke the 
 boa constrictor, the terror of the peo- 
 ple. Many are the stories I heard told 
 during my sojourn in South America of 
 how this reptile, after fascinating its 
 prey, hurls itself upon it, only to result 
 in the sure death of its victim. 
 
 Here too were butterflies more beau- 
 tiful than I had ever imagined, and 
 fossils and shells representing the pre- 
 historic age of the island ; also there lay 
 scattered about the rooms tools and im- 
 plements belonging to the Stone Age,
 
 74 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 and showing the customs and arts of the 
 Caribs during that period. 
 
 From the museum we drove to the 
 residence part of Port au Spain, skirt- 
 ing the great Savannah on the way. 
 This open space covers a considerable 
 area bordering on the fashionable 
 street leading to the Government House 
 and the Botanical Gardens. It is a 
 place of much importance to the gen- 
 eral populace of the city. Here are 
 held the open-air political meetings, the 
 championship tourneys, tennis games, 
 and horse-racing. 
 
 The best houses are on the Savannah ; 
 it is where the old English aristocracy 
 established itself. 
 
 But the old colonial institutions are 
 fast decaying, and the English popula- 
 tion now prefer England to Trinidad. 
 
 The Government House is the resi- 
 dence of the governor of the island, 
 and is a palace fit for the ruler of any 
 empire. It stands in the midst of a
 
 WANDERINGS ABOUT PORT AU SPAIN 75 
 
 fine park with fountains, and grounds 
 for tennis and cricket. Charles Kings- 
 ley has made it the background for 
 many interesting incidents. I was so 
 fortunate as to attend a ball given by 
 the governor, in which, under the ban- 
 ner of England, were gathered men and 
 women from every clime. I met repre- 
 sentatives from South America, travel- 
 lers from the Far East, officers from the 
 continent of Europe, and other officers 
 well able to represent the dignity of our 
 own beloved country. What a scene 
 for a romance under the palms in the 
 park that beautiful moonlight night, as 
 the faint strains of sweet music fell on 
 the ear ! Well, perhaps there was one ! 
 After leaving the Government House 
 we took a stroll through the Botanical 
 Gardens. So much has been written 
 and said of these that I dare say they 
 are not unfamiliar to my readers. The 
 Gardens are maintained by the English 
 Government at a considerable expense.
 
 76 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 The chief purpose is to try experiments 
 in the cultivation of different trees, 
 plants, shrubs, and numbers of other 
 sub-divisions of the vegetable kingdom. 
 It is a most important branch of the 
 Department of Agriculture in London. 
 Trinidad has the honor to boast of the 
 grandest and most luxuriant Gardens 
 in the world ; although, as mentioned 
 once before in this book, those of Mar- 
 tinique are by their natural advantages 
 very much superior. 
 
 It was growing toward noon ; the 
 ball of fire above us was asserting itself 
 more and more strongly. The birds in 
 the trees stopped chirruping and be- 
 took themselves to rest. Here, in a 
 grove of mangoes overlooking the coffee 
 fields, we made a halt for luncheon. 
 
 Luncheon over, our cigars were 
 lighted. The officer began telling me 
 of his travels in the Indian Archipelago; 
 how, when lieutenant of Her Majesty's 
 good ship Lark, he was ordered by the
 
 WANDERINGS ABOUT PORT AU SPAIN 77 
 
 captain to make a survey of one of the 
 remote islands. Toward night the party 
 became lost in the thick fogs and under- 
 brush. But I cannot finish the story. 
 I fell asleep at that point and dreamed 
 not of jealous nations ruling the earth 
 and fighting for the balance of power, 
 but of one great land where all is peace 
 and contentment.
 
 XV. 
 
 TRINIDAD, A MINIATURE OF 
 HINDUSTAN 
 
 T AM awakened from my slumber by 
 * my companion, who assures me 
 that it is time for us to start. It is 
 much later and the heat has abated. 
 The soft trade-winds are refreshing. 
 So off we drive through forests of 
 mango and mahogany, skirted by cit- 
 ron and bamboo, to Coolie-Town, and 
 thence to Blue Basin, our final stop- 
 ping-place. We are no "longer on the 
 level prairie, but climb the rough roads 
 among the mountains. The slopes, 
 covered with thick tropical vegetation, 
 are luxuriant. We make our way 
 through jungles so thick that it be- 
 78
 
 A MINIATURE OF HINDUSTAN 79 
 
 comes quite dark, and again burst out 
 into the broad daylight. We pass plan- 
 tations of sugar and coffee. The offi- 
 cer tells me much about these people. 
 
 There is almost always a sad expres- 
 sion on their faces. I noticed this even 
 amongst the younger ones ; something 
 dreamy and far-away that I could never 
 understand. Could this have been 
 handed down from former generations ? 
 The coolies' lot in India has always 
 been a hard one, obliged as they were 
 to suffer from want of food and from 
 the tyrannical rule of a despotic govern- 
 ment. Perhaps their patient forbearance 
 has recorded itself in the facial lines of 
 this sad, transplanted people. 
 
 The East Indian is a graceful being, 
 soft-skinned, and with movements of 
 perfect ease. The women have long 
 black silky hair which ordinarily they 
 let fall down their backs. Their robe 
 is one of the utmost simplicity and 
 beauty, somewhat resembling the toga
 
 8o VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 of ancient Rome. It is made up of 
 long rolls of white cotton cloth, dis- 
 posed in graceful folds. The arm is 
 left bare, as well as the upper bosom 
 and the lower half of the limbs. I 
 have seen many of these people wear 
 this simple costume far more gracefully 
 than their northern sisters carry their 
 Worth gowns. 
 
 Bracelets, curiously wrought of sil- 
 ver, ornament the arms and lower limbs. 
 One woman I saw wore as many as 
 three dozen. Odd-shaped rings in the 
 likeness of serpents and animals be- 
 deck the fingers and toes. The cos- 
 tume of the men is simple ; trousers of 
 white duck and a short coat, or, more 
 often, mere strips of white cotton about 
 the loins. The latter alone constitutes 
 the costume of a majority of the men. 
 
 We have now entered Coolie-Town, 
 so let us dismount and walk about so 
 as to observe the place more closely. 
 This is a miniature of life in India.
 
 A MINIATURE OF HINDUSTAN 8l 
 
 The houses are built of bamboo with 
 open spaces for doors and windows. 
 Usually the house is divided into two 
 rooms, one for sleeping and the other 
 for cooking. The shops appear the 
 same as the residence houses. In front, 
 by the door, usually sit the merchants. 
 Among them are many silversmiths en- 
 gaged in turning silver into rings, brace- 
 lets, and other ornaments. In this we 
 discover the true cause of the women's 
 display of jewelry ; it represents the 
 assets of their husbands' business. 
 
 Before leaving the town I observed a 
 tall man with white robes and graceful, 
 dignified bearing, enter a large house 
 built more artistically than the others 
 and a little apart on a knoll. Heavy 
 portieres of rich red silk hung about 
 the large doors. Something about the 
 man impressed me very much. His 
 face was one of intelligence, learning, 
 and refinement the very seat of seri- 
 ousness. I paused in front of the place 
 
 6
 
 82 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 and would probably have entered had 
 not my friend come to me hurriedly and 
 explained that I was standing before the 
 holy temple, and that for one not of their 
 faith to enter is great sacrilege. But 
 through the curtains, left partially open, 
 I saw before the altar men and women 
 in prayer. A faint light is reflected 
 from an old colored bronze lamp, and 
 their gods rest on the table, flowers, 
 representing life, being strewed about 
 the room. 
 
 Is it not remarkable that these peo- 
 ple, after leaving home, friends, and 
 country, should still keep to their relig- 
 ion as closely as ever ? The coolie is 
 well built, agile, and graceful. The 
 negro, though powerful, is clumsy and 
 ignorant. No wonder these races do 
 not amalgamate. We hear of no inter- 
 marriages, there are no social relations 
 between the two. 
 
 In speaking of the coolie, I must not 
 fail to mention his cousins of the far
 
 A MINIATURE OF HINDUSTAN 83 
 
 East, the Chinese coolies. These too 
 have found a home in Trinidad. Al- 
 though not so numerous as the East 
 Indians, they are increasing steadily. 
 They take to agriculture, and in dispo- 
 sition are quiet, sullen, or sad. Seldom 
 do we find a smile lighting their coun- 
 tenances. 
 
 Taking to our carriage again, we were 
 soon driving through rich tropical for- 
 ests on our way to Blue Basin. We had 
 not time to visit the famous pitch lake, 
 situated in another part of the island, 
 from which the asphalt used all over 
 the world is mined. The lake is com- 
 posed entirely of this pitch, and as soon 
 as any is taken away, fresh pitch from 
 underneath arises to take its place. 
 
 We pass, on the roadside, fair coolie 
 women, often carrying baskets on their 
 heads. It is a pretty sight to see the 
 look of interest enlivening their faces 
 as we approach, and their gracious nods 
 and smiles.
 
 84 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 Thus we travelled On, working our 
 way into the mountains for some time, 
 till, at first faintly, then more clearly, 
 we heard the rush of a great fall of 
 water. Dismounting, we climbed up 
 the mountain side ; there, leaning from 
 a precipice, we saw dashing over a 
 ledge of rocks a stream of silver water 
 which finds peace and quiet in yonder 
 blue pool in the depths below. 
 
 But it was getting late and we knew 
 we must not delay. The thick forests 
 of the Indies are not the safest place 
 in the world at night. The soft light 
 of the evening was falling. By the 
 rays of the moon we threaded our way 
 along the road through the forest and 
 up and down the mountains. 
 
 Such a scene inspires the sense of 
 awe. As one of our great philosophers 
 said : " Man can best appreciate his 
 insignificance in comparison with the 
 grandeur of Nature."
 
 XVI. 
 
 CURACAO, THE HOLLAND OF THE 
 SOUTHERN SEAS. 
 
 \17AFTED by the gentle breeze of 
 * * the trade-winds a germ of Hol- 
 land has sprung up in this remote 
 corner of the world ; and like a fresh 
 twig in spring Curacao has taken' root 
 and flourished in these southern waters. 
 No city I have ever seen so resembles 
 the cities of Holland as Willemstad, the 
 capital. Leading from a lagoon which 
 forms the harbor, canals extend through 
 the city in all directions, with quaint 
 bridges connecting the land on either 
 side. The typical Holland scull-boat 
 has its home in these waters. We see 
 flying in the harbor the flags of all 
 85
 
 86 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 nations. Large iron-clad vessels lie 
 side by side with small sailing craft. 
 Cura9ao is the one place among these 
 Islands, outside of St. Lucia, where our 
 boat was able to draw up to the pier. 
 
 The houses, too, are an exact repro- 
 duction of those built in Holland, with 
 slanting red-tiled roofs, clean white- 
 washed sides, dark green shutters ; and 
 the people themselves dress the same as 
 their brothers across the water. The 
 girls and boys wear the heavy wooden 
 shoes ; the girls look very pretty indeed 
 with that peculiar white linen head-gear 
 of the Dutch, and with their short skirts 
 and white stockings. Many of the men 
 still wear knickerbockers, with silver 
 buttons and white hose. 
 
 Curagao is by far the cleanest and 
 most inviting country I visited on this 
 trip. The very air seems fresh and 
 stimulating in comparison with that 
 experienced elsewhere in these parts. 
 
 It was with pleasure I accepted the
 
 HOLLAND OF THE SOUTHERN SEAS 87 
 
 invitation of Consul Smith to take a 
 little trip with him in his yacht about 
 the canals and around the shores of the 
 island. We visited cane fields, and 
 orange groves, where the peel of the 
 orange is converted into that famous 
 liqueur called Curacao. 
 
 The island, which is small and for the 
 most part barren, is composed largely 
 of phosphates. These are shipped in 
 large quantities to the different markets 
 of the world, the Government deriving 
 at least half a million dollars a year 
 therefrom. 
 
 There is not a spring nor a well there, 
 nor any fresh water, the inhabitants be- 
 ing entirely dependent upon rain-water 
 for existence ; and as it sometimes does 
 not rain for a year or two, the natural 
 supply is often exhausted, and the peo- 
 ple are obliged to resort to water brought 
 in barrels by schooners from the Vene- 
 zuelan coast, fully 90 miles away. 
 
 The streets are well-paved and as
 
 88 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 clean as the boulevards of Paris. The 
 country roads are hard and well-built. 
 The entire place has about it an air of 
 success. Everybody seems happy and 
 well pleased with life ; how different in 
 this respect from their neighbors the 
 negroes of the Islands ! The greater 
 part of the population of Curapao is 
 also negro ; but, due partially perhaps 
 to its natural advantages, they seemed 
 to me to be of a more thrifty sort. 
 
 At the shops I purchased several bits 
 of jewelry wrought in the peculiar Dutch 
 style. A great many of the names above 
 the shops have a " Van " as a prefix. 
 
 There are many churches in Curacao, 
 and morality is said to have attained a 
 higher degree here than at the other 
 Islands we have visited. As regards the 
 general morality of the West Indies, 
 perhaps it will not be out of place for 
 me to say that the negro's sense of what 
 is right and what is wrong is dictated 
 by his feelings and not by his con-
 
 HOLLAND OF THE SOUTHERN SEAS 89 
 
 science. His conscience is still in the 
 embryonic condition, and it will require 
 some years of experience to make it 
 strong enough for his actions to be 
 ruled by his mind. A friend of mine 
 who had lived for many years in the 
 Indies and had seen and studied the 
 negro, told me that he would almost as 
 soon leave his family near the dens of 
 wild animals as to leave them on his 
 estate, remote from the foreign settle- 
 ments, without the presence of himself 
 or his friends. Of course this is exagger- 
 ated, but it only tends to show the feel- 
 ings of the colonist toward the negro.
 
 XVII. 
 
 LA GUAYRA FIRST SCENES IN 
 
 VENEZUELA 
 
 A PUFF of smoke, then a roar which 
 is echoed and re-echoed through 
 the valleys, announced our arrival in 
 Venezuela. Before us rose boldly the 
 mountains of the Northeastern Andes, 
 a Venezuela coast range, crowned by 
 the Silla de Caracas, a peak rising to 
 the height of 8600 feet. The city of 
 La Guayra, which is one of the three 
 principal seaports of Venezuela, lies 
 nestled at the foot of this great ridge of 
 mountains. From our boat in the har- 
 bor it looked like a Lilliputian village 
 in the land of the Giants. 
 
 There was much official ceremony 
 90
 
 FIRST SCENES IN VENEZUELA 91 
 
 and display of military authority con- 
 nected with our landing, a part of the 
 routine which every one is obliged to 
 go through before he may land in 
 Venezuela. 
 
 First a little boat carrying a yellow 
 flag brings on board the quarantine 
 officer. He ascertains from which ports 
 we come, whether all these ports are 
 free from being quarantined, and if 
 there is any sickness aboard. If, after 
 his scrutiny, all is well, we are met by 
 the military officer and then again by 
 the master of the port. 
 
 On landing, all our goods must be 
 examined by the custom-house officers. 
 Then each one of us in person must go 
 through an examination, and papers 
 have to be signed. I was saved all 
 these annoyances by my friend the 
 Marquis Montelo, who is a Spaniard 
 by birth and knows well how to handle 
 such people. 
 
 The Marquis and I had already de-
 
 92 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 cided on the kind of trip we wished to 
 take through Venezuela ; we had ar- 
 ranged, among other things, a visit to 
 the then U. S. Consul, General Thomas, 
 who has been since made minister, so 
 as to ascertain if the presence of yellow 
 fever would keep us away from any of 
 the places we might wish to visit. 
 
 On entering the harbor I noticed a 
 huge structure of masonry built for 
 the purpose of breaking the sea as it 
 rolls in towards Macuto, since Nature 
 has not been kind enough to this sea- 
 port town to build it a harbor in which 
 ships can anchor without danger of 
 being injured or going ashore. 
 
 This great breakwater was built by 
 an English company, which for its ex- 
 pense and trouble is allowed a certain 
 per cent, of the revenue collected as its 
 share. I met the manager of the Com- 
 pany, who talked interestingly to me 
 and gave me much information regard- 
 ing the English, German, and other
 
 FIRST SCENES IN VENEZUELA 93 
 
 foreign enterprises in Venezuela. He 
 told me that he regretted having ever 
 sunk any money in Venezuela him- 
 self, and that the breakwater was not 
 financially successful. He spoke also 
 of the railroad which runs from La 
 Guayra to Cardcas, a distance in a 
 straight line over the mountains of only 
 six miles, but from the necessity of 
 winding around the valley so as to gain 
 access above, the distance is lengthened 
 fourfold. This railroad, likewise, was 
 built by an English syndicate, and, as 
 I later learned in Cardcas from Sir 
 Vincent who represented the Company, 
 they were assured a certain per cent, of 
 interest on the money invested, which 
 up to that time, he told me, they had 
 not been able to obtain in full from the 
 Government. It may not be out of place 
 for me to remark here that one of the 
 greatest disadvantages the present Gov- 
 ernment has to contend with is the ex- 
 istence of contracts and agreements
 
 94 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 entered into by the previous ruler, 
 President Blanco, with various cor- 
 porations and syndicates, which are 
 thoroughly impracticable. 
 
 After our baggage had been examined 
 it was shipped at once to Macuto, a 
 small town about six miles from La 
 Guayra. Macuto is the Newport of 
 Venezuela, and hither come all the rich 
 and fashionable from Caracas and other 
 cities of the country. As this happened 
 to be the seasonable time, and as the 
 Marquis is well acquainted among the 
 prominent South American families, I 
 agreed with him that it was best to stay 
 at Macuto for a few days before going 
 to Caracas. 
 
 On walking up from the quays at La 
 Guayra, I was at once impressed by 
 the typical South American streets, 
 narrow and roughly laid with cobble- 
 stones. The houses on both sides sel- 
 dom stood over two stories, and in 
 many cases the people could shake
 
 FIRST SCENES IN VENEZUELA 95 
 
 hands from window to window across 
 the way. There is no regular plan laid 
 out for the streets, but they run in all 
 directions. The city being built at the 
 very base of the great mountains is hilly, 
 in many places even precipitous. 
 
 The houses are not well built, being 
 usually of rough stone plastered over 
 with a sort of cement. They are roofed 
 with dirty-looking red tiles, and lack 
 the neat shutters we observed in 
 Curapao. An iron balcony stands out 
 from the upper windows. This is typi- 
 cal of the South American houses. 
 The shops are not much to boast of. 
 Their articles are displayed in a miscel- 
 laneous manner in the windows and 
 lack neatness and system a character- 
 istic of many of the people also. 
 
 La Guayra, being a seaport town, is 
 quite a lively place, and considerable 
 commerce is carried on in coffee, sugar, 
 cocoa, hides, and other products. There 
 are some very large warehouses stocked
 
 g6 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 well with the country's products from 
 all sections. 
 
 Public buildings may be seen here and 
 there, but as a whole the city does not 
 present a very picturesque appearance. 
 
 We called on our American friend, 
 Mr. Thomas, the United States Consul, 
 and accepted an invitation from him for 
 dinner. His home is situated on the 
 outskirts of the town, on a high hill 
 overlooking the port. It is built in the 
 Spanish style with pretty patio or court, 
 having a splashing fountain surrounded 
 by palms and exotics. It is a delight- 
 fully cool and remarkably pleasant 
 place. 
 
 Before going to Macuto we went to 
 the harbor and bade farewell to our 
 pleasant companions on the Solent. 
 The boat grew smaller in the distance 
 until nothing remained but a pleasant 
 memory and a trail of smoke.
 
 XVIII. 
 
 MACUTO, THE NEWPORT OF 
 VENEZUELA 
 
 PHE small dark cars which carried 
 us to Macuto corresponded with 
 the railroad itself, which had been 
 built some years ago, and was a tumble- 
 down, shaky affair. 
 
 Macuto lies only about six miles 
 from La Guayra, yet it took us nearly 
 an hour to reach our destination. The 
 engine broke four times on the way 
 thither, and each time all the passengers 
 took a hand in repairing. To call the 
 two rails that run side by side parallel 
 would be offering insult to geometry. 
 
 This was my first experience on a 4 
 South American railway, but later the 
 97
 
 98 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 railroads which run into the country 
 for long distances and over dangerous 
 passes astonished me. The great feats 
 of civil engineering and the expendi- 
 ture in making these roads are some- 
 thing for Venezuela to boast of. 
 
 Arriving at Macuto, we took quarters 
 at a hotel facing the sea, the principal 
 feature of the same being a wide veranda 
 running all the way around, giving it 
 the appearance of an Italian villa. 
 Although rather roughly built, yet the 
 delicate colors in which it is painted 
 and the artistic manner in which the 
 rooms open upon the verandas, together 
 with its situation at the base of the 
 great mountains, make it a charming 
 place indeed. 
 
 At dinner I noted a man of very 
 striking appearance, a tall and hand- 
 some young fellow of thirty. His face 
 showed that he had endured consider- 
 able hardships, and his chin had that 
 strength which suggested the idea of
 
 THE NEWPORT OF VENEZUELA 99 
 
 his having come out successfully to his 
 own liking. I noticed that he wore a 
 college pin. This brought back to me 
 my own school days and at once put us 
 on terms of friendship. He had re- 
 turned a few days before from the gold 
 fields of the Orinoco, where he had 
 spent much of his time for the last ten 
 years. His health failing him at col- 
 lege, and his father's business at the 
 same time doing likewise, he was com- 
 pelled to fall back on his own resources. 
 Leaving the luxuries of the life he had 
 been accustomed to, he worked his way 
 in canoes with two Englishmen and 
 some Indians up the Orinoco pn their 
 way to the gold fields. The first year 
 was unsuccessful, and except for rein- 
 forcements the idea would have been 
 abandoned ; but gold having been 
 found all through that section of the 
 country, they still worked diligently in 
 the search. Twice was he taken down 
 with fever, and the entire party was in-
 
 100 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 jured by sickness ; the country, morever, 
 was infested with reptiles and wild ani- 
 mals, and many of the roving Indians 
 in that territory were unfriendly to 
 strangers. Such is a brief outline of 
 the story he told me. He was now 
 quite satisfied with what he had accom- 
 plished, and, as vice-president of one 
 of the large mining companies, was 
 returning to New York. I learned 
 from him much that was of interest in 
 connection with the disputed territory 
 of this section, the accuracy of which 
 was afterwards confirmed by the Ameri- 
 can Minister. 
 
 There are many parks in Macuto, 
 whose natural beauty is enhanced by 
 art, in which the young people take 
 great pleasure. After the surf-bathing, 
 which takes place at about ten o'clock 
 in the morning, the ladies all array 
 themselves in light gowns with large 
 sun-bonnets and listen to the military 
 band playing in the Plaza. Hither
 
 THE NEWPORT OF VENEZUELA IOI 
 
 also stroll the beaux of the place, and 
 there is an informal greeting and gen- 
 eral good time. About an hour later 
 the ladies disappear, and are not again 
 seen in public until, say, five o'clock, 
 when the band again plays in the Plaza 
 and the fair maids, arrayed this time 
 entirely in black, their heads adorned 
 with the Spanish mantilla, present a 
 more formal aspect. 
 
 Spanish is the language spoken, and 
 although I believed myself to have ac- 
 quired some knowledge of it while in 
 Mexico and other Spanish-speaking 
 countries, I was frequently at fault to 
 express my thoughts. Some of the 
 girls I met were able to speak a little 
 French or German. One of these, in 
 whose company I found myself fre- 
 quently, who had had the advantages 
 of a Paris education, helped me con- 
 siderably. There was one phrase in 
 my Spanish-American guide-book which 
 I always repeated shortly after an in-
 
 102 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 troduction, with my best accent. The 
 phrase read " Vd(usted) es muyamable" 
 meaning " You are charming," rightly 
 opining that these Southern queens are 
 just as susceptible to kind phrases as 
 are their Northern sisters. 
 
 It was with the most pleasant recol- 
 lections and kindest feelings that we 
 bade adieu to our friends in Macuto, 
 a few days later, when we left for Cara- 
 cas, a gem in the Andes.
 
 XIX. 
 
 CARACAS, A CAPITAL IN THE 
 VENEZUELAN ANDES. 
 
 \17ITH the tooting and screeching of 
 * * our English locomotives and the 
 ringing of gongs we departed Monday 
 afternoon from the railroad station at 
 La Guayra for Caracas. 
 
 The cars were typical English coaches 
 and the locomotives also were English 
 built. Telegraph and telephone lines 
 also are in operation in all the principal 
 cities of Venezuela. A few minutes' 
 ride brought us to the crest of the hill 
 overlooking the city, from whence we 
 obtained a bird's-eye view of the place 
 at which we had spent the last few days. 
 But it was not until some minutes after- 
 103
 
 IO4 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 ward, in winding our way up the steep 
 precipices, thousands of feet above the 
 sea, that we appreciated the magnitude 
 of this railroad enterprise and its mar- 
 vels of engineering and construction. 
 The St. Gothard Pass in Switzerland is 
 nothing in comparison, neither is 
 Georgetown in Colorado, nor the Mexi- 
 can Railroad which thunders down the 
 mountains from the City of Mexico on 
 its way to Vera Cruz. Like flies on a 
 wall we scaled the dizzy precipice. 
 The mountains extended as far as the 
 eye can reach in either direction, while 
 back of us, thousands of feet below, 
 rolled the blue sea with here and there 
 a white speck signifying a ship bound 
 for a distant port. 
 
 When a little later our train climbed 
 over the crest, there lay before us the 
 beautiful valley of the Rio Guaire with 
 the fair city of Caracas in its midst. 
 
 We were soon lodged in our comfort- 
 able quarters at the Grand Hotel, where
 
 A CAPITAL IN THE ANDES 105 
 
 I met an old travelling companion. We 
 three had a pleasant dinner, comparing 
 notes of travel and discussing the recent 
 topics of the day, both in Europe and 
 America. 
 
 The Marquis called me betimes the 
 following morning, as we had many 
 places to visit and much to do the next 
 few days before leaving Caracas. We 
 took a Venezuelan breakfast, which 
 consists only of chocolate or coffee, 
 rolls, and cheese. This is called the 
 early breakfast. Toward noon the sub- 
 stantial breakfast is served, which is 
 very much the same as their later din- 
 ner. I have noticed as many as eight or 
 sometimes ten courses being served at 
 ordinary hotels at these breakfasts and 
 dinners. As a rule the cooking in 
 Venezuela and the other South Ameri- 
 can countries is typically Spanish. They 
 seem to know no limit to the use of 
 peppers, garlic, onions and the like, 
 which are apt to spoil a foreigner's stom-
 
 106 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 ach if he is not very careful. The chilli- 
 ness of the King of Tabasco might well 
 be relieved by the seasoning of South 
 American food. 
 
 A very pretty custom observed in 
 these countries is to serve the meals in 
 an open patio. At dinner this is espe- 
 cially pleasant, under the blue canopy of 
 heaven set with twinkling stars. Music 
 is usually near to lend its soft charm to 
 the hour. 
 
 After the light breakfast we started 
 out on our wanderings. My first im- 
 pressions of Caracas came in the form 
 of an agreeable surprise. I had always 
 heard of this as one of the most beauti- 
 ful cities in South America, yet I had 
 not conceived of the grandeur and taste 
 that could be displayed in building a 
 city in this remote corner of the globe. 
 At the intersections of the streets are 
 pretty plazas, the most important being 
 the Plaza Bolivar, which is quite near 
 to the four principal business streets of
 
 A CAPITAL IN THE ANDES 107 
 
 the city. Richard Harding Davis well 
 called Caracas the Paris of South 
 America. 
 
 What a foreigner first notices is the 
 decidedly French air of the city. The 
 very names above the shops and the 
 signs naming the articles for sale are in 
 French. French bonnets, gowns, neck- 
 wear, etc., adorn the shop windows. 
 There are also a few German enterprises 
 in Caracas, but more especially among 
 the larger wholesale dealers. 
 
 American interests are steadily grow- 
 ing in Venezuela. One of the most 
 prominent names in commercial and 
 general importance in Caracas is that 
 of my pleasant acquaintance, Mr. Henry 
 Boulton, who, with his brothers, is a 
 large importer of grain, breadstuff's, and 
 other commodities, and in return exports 
 great quantities of coffee, cocoa, hides, 
 and other Venezuelan products. These 
 brothers now run a splendidly equipped 
 line of steamers between Venezuela and
 
 IO8 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 New York, and it is due to their energy 
 and perseverance that a large share of 
 the trade relations between the United 
 States and Venezuela have been brought 
 about. The Boultons have been con- 
 ducting business between these two 
 countries for many years, dating back 
 to the thirties, when only small sailing 
 sloops were engaged for the purpose. 
 
 The city of Caracas I found clean 
 and well kept, from the public build- 
 ings to the streets themselves. The 
 fresh invigorating air, sweeping down 
 from the Coast Range breathes a life of 
 restlessness and independence into these 
 people. It is no wonder that they were 
 among the first to throw off the yoke of 
 tyranny and subjection. 
 
 The residence houses of Caracas are 
 principally one story high, built of 
 adobe walls sometimes two or three feet 
 thick, having windows with iron grat- 
 ings and broad sills where it is the cus- 
 tom late in the afternoon for the pretty
 
 A CAPITAL IN THE ANDES 109 
 
 senoritas to sit, arrayed in becoming 
 toilets, observing the passers-by and 
 chatting with their friends. 
 
 The interior of the houses is always 
 in sharp contrast with their exterior. 
 The latter is modest and of rough ap- 
 pearance, but entering the short hall- 
 way into the patio, is like going into a 
 different world. The patio, which usu- 
 ally has a fountain, is surrounded by 
 palms, ferns, and other tropical plants. 
 Broad stone hallways lead from its space 
 to the different rooms through arches 
 graceful with ivy and other creeping 
 vines. I have been in some houses in 
 Caracas the interiors of which were 
 decorated in the most artistic and luxuri- 
 ous manner, Turkish rugs covering the 
 floors and tapestries bedecking the walls. 
 The water supply of the city is brought 
 from the mountains by means of aque- 
 ducts, constructed by the former presi- 
 dent, Guzman Blanco. Tramways tra- 
 verse some of the streets. Many shops
 
 IIO VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 bear an air of foreign relationship, and 
 the cafes have adopted the French cus- 
 tom of setting small tables on the broad 
 sidewalks, where it is usual for persons 
 to sit and read during the long days, 
 sipping the different beverages of the 
 country. 
 
 On the outskirts of the town there is 
 a sort of park called El Puente Hierro, 
 which has been much improved of late 
 years. Here are many cafes, dance- 
 halls and other delights for frivolous 
 pleasure-seekers. On Sunday afternoon 
 it is the fashion to take a drive to this 
 park, when the ladies of the better class 
 sit in their carnages and listen to the 
 music, while the peons, swelling the 
 crowd and paying their few coppers 
 here and there, have a great holiday. 
 
 The people of Venezuela do not seem 
 to know what we would call a good 
 horse. A gentleman at whose home I 
 visited, showed me a horse which he had 
 imported from Peru which was consid-
 
 A CAPITAL IN THE ANDES III 
 
 ered a grand specimen. He had paid 
 two thousand dollars for the animal, 
 but I much doubt if the same one would 
 have brought more than two hundred at 
 the New York Horse Exchange. 
 
 Many of the private carriages are 
 made in France, usually built in the 
 style of our victorias, and are certainly 
 good looking. The horses are small, 
 resembling our Western ponies. The 
 bicycle was then almost unknown here, 
 as in many other places in South Amer- 
 ica, although I saw one or two, which 
 were such curiosities that people stopped 
 their work to follow the machines, and 
 the urchins of the streets ran after them 
 shouting and yelling. 
 
 The president lives in an unpreten- 
 tious house not far from the business 
 part of the city. In sharp contrast to 
 the modest appearance of his home, and 
 the genuineness and unpretentiousness 
 of the man, is the ostentatious military 
 display with which he is surrounded. A
 
 112 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 group of trusty cowboys, mounted on 
 horses and armed with carbines and 
 revolvers, form his especial body-guard 
 and follow him everywhere. The presi- 
 dent told me that some of these men 
 had been through many daring engage- 
 ments with him, and would willingly, at 
 any moment, sacrifice themselves for the 
 life of their ruler. He is now having 
 built, on a hill overlooking the city, a 
 beautiful house of white stone. Presi- 
 dent Crespo is a man of very moderate 
 tastes and is probably spending so much 
 money on his home less for his own 
 gratification than in order to have his 
 surroundings more in accordance with 
 his position. He has won the favor of 
 the people by living an unassuming life, 
 thus coming into closer connection with 
 the masses.
 
 >/ I 
 
 PRESIDENT CRESPO, OF VENEZUELA.
 
 XX. 
 
 CARACAS REFLECTIONS ON THE PAST 
 AND PRESENT. 
 
 THE day had been unusually close, 
 * the sun shining through a cloud- 
 less sky. Toward evening, the earth 
 groaned forth its sighs of agony. The 
 people rushed from their homes and 
 places of amusement only to be dashed 
 to the ground and crushed beneath the 
 ruins of their crumbling city. Such 
 was the sight on the 26th of March, 
 1812, when the great earthquake sur- 
 prised the city and destroyed twelve 
 thousand of its people. 
 
 Vainly did the Spanish rulers of the 
 province use their cunning and deceit 
 in trying to make the superstitious peo- 
 s 113
 
 114 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 pie of Venezuela believe this an act of 
 God to show his vengeance on their up- 
 rising against their mother-country. 
 
 It was but a year previous, on the 5th 
 of July, that the great Miranda, then of 
 middle age, stood before a document 
 which he had drawn upland with other 
 patriotic men of his country signed a 
 declaration of independence for the 
 people of Venezuela. This was the 
 first formal proclamation of indepen- 
 dence, which was soon after to bring 
 many into battle and cause a great 
 loss of life and property. 
 
 Much might be said about Miranda, 
 whose life from beginning to end was 
 like an invention of romance. It was 
 he, who, coming over with Lafayette, 
 helped fight for the American colonies 
 against the British crown. His name 
 can be no more suitably commented 
 upon than by placing it side by side 
 with that of Bolivar, the great Liberator 
 of South America.
 
 CARACAS, PAST AND PRESENT 115 
 
 It is needless to speak of Bolivar, who 
 spent his life in the cause of his country, 
 leading on the revolutionists to victory 
 after victory. He starved along with the 
 soldiers, and tramped through jungles 
 in the fierce tropical sun, sharing the 
 common lot of all ; and at last, through 
 his high aims and lofty character, ac- 
 complished for South America the lib- 
 eration and independence of five of its 
 great countries. 
 
 The Palacio Federal, which is at 
 present used as the Capitol building of 
 Venezuela, is a large picturesque struc- 
 ture, whose rooms are fitted in an ap- 
 propriate manner. Here are paintings 
 of the many presidents of Venezuela, 
 and of various generals and soldiers 
 who fought in the cause of their country. 
 One could spend weeks studying the 
 relics of the past in connection with 
 things of the present. I passed a few 
 hours in this building in company with 
 that eminent scholar and scientist, Dr.
 
 Il6 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 Adolph Ernst, the greatest savant of 
 Venezuela, and a man of high reputation 
 in the scientific circles of both Europe 
 and America. 
 
 While in Caracas one should not fail 
 to visit the home of Guzman Blanco, 
 situated in the suburb of Antimino. It 
 is a palace fit for a czar or emperor. Sur- 
 rounded by parks of rare beauty, and in 
 itself a grand and stately home, it pre- 
 sents a unique appearance to the visitor. 
 The presidents have all had their hands 
 quite full in maintaining their hold of 
 office. Continuous warfare, due to 
 partisan jealousies and petty ambi- 
 tions, waged for the last seventy-five 
 years, has kept the country from pro- 
 gressing more rapidly. 
 
 As soon as a president is firmly seat- 
 ed a new man will spring up and claim 
 the power. Such has been the common 
 experience in past years. Guzman 
 Blanco alone ruled for nearly twenty 
 years of comparative quiet and peace.
 
 CARACAS, PAST AND PRESENT 1 17 
 
 The population of Caracas now 
 numbers about eighty thousand, while 
 the country of Venezuela numbers some 
 two and a half millions. Of the eighty 
 thousand, six thousand are foreigners. 
 It is said that Venezuela has fewer in- 
 habitants than half a century ago, and 
 we can well see that when the fathers 
 and their sons who are old enough are 
 engaged in bitter war there is no chance 
 for the population to increase. 
 
 It was under President Jose Gregorio 
 Monagas, in March, 1854, that the slaves 
 were liberated, and thus the country did 
 away with one of the great barbarisms 
 of the age. Too much stress cannot be 
 laid upon this^important fact. 
 
 The color line, while at present still 
 noticed in Venezuela, is not nearly so 
 marked as in the countries of the North. 
 Here are often found inter- marriages, 
 and it is no breach of social propriety 
 for a white person to marry one having 
 a taint of colored blood.
 
 Il8 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 Nearly twenty years after the emanci- 
 pation of the slaves and shortly after 
 Guzman Blanco was made president, he 
 expelled the monks and nuns from the 
 country. Some two or three years later, 
 that wise and far-seeing president, vexed 
 at certain actions of the Archbishop, and 
 seeing that the Church of Rome was 
 becoming a strong feature and a ruling 
 power of the State, expelled the Arch- 
 bishop and papal nuncio. Shortly after 
 this he issued that famous circular which 
 caused the world to look at him more 
 than ever. It set forth that religious 
 actions are free to everybody, and that 
 he as president could not allow to any 
 one religion advantage over another. 
 
 That there are many churches in 
 Caracas, the continual chiming of bells 
 both day and night is sufficient to attest. 
 The cathedral, a large building of no 
 especial beauty, dates back to the lyth 
 century. 
 
 A newspaper in a foreign land is al-
 
 CARACAS, PAST AND PRESENT 119 
 
 ways of interest. There are seven news- 
 papers in the city of Caracas, and a few 
 of the dailies are especially good as re- 
 gards the domestic events of the day, 
 though I must say their foreign news is 
 rather scanty. 
 
 Caracas has some pretty suburbs, 
 among which might be named Antimino, 
 where President Blanco had his former 
 home ; also El Calvario, a fine park on 
 a hill overlooking the town. 
 
 Before leaving the streets of Caracas 
 I must not fail to mention a custom the 
 people have of naming their shops. On 
 the signs we read such names as " Isle 
 of Emerald," " The Fountain of Glad- 
 ness," and others still more odd. Some- 
 thing similar to this, is the custom of 
 naming the children after patron saints. 
 It is not uncommon to .hear a mother 
 call her boy across the street " Blessed 
 Peter," " Jesus," or other names taken 
 from the Bible. It is also customary on 
 the baptism of a child to choose a god-
 
 I2O VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 father for it. He is supposed to care 
 for the child, and acts in very many 
 respects the same as the natural parent, 
 and it is quite true that there is almost 
 as much affection shown between god- 
 parent and god-son as between father 
 and son. 
 
 One evening the Marquis and myself 
 went to the Theatre Municipal. It has 
 a seating capacity of 2500 and is built 
 with much refinement of taste. As in 
 some foreign theatres, the lower galleries 
 are divided into boxes. In the rear, and 
 directly opposite to the stage, is the 
 president's private box, where I saw the 
 president in company with his wife and 
 suite enjoying the performance. The 
 parquet seems to be occupied only by 
 men, who ordinarily do not come in 
 evening dress, although the people in 
 the boxes are expected to be thus at- 
 tired. 
 
 That the Southern peoples are music- 
 lovers has been often noted. The
 
 CARACAS, PAST AND PRESENT 121 
 
 smallest city of Mexico and South 
 America will have a military band, 
 quite the equal of our best bands. 
 There seems to be a musical sentiment 
 inborn in these people which has been 
 developed into genuine appreciation of 
 the art. 
 
 On Thursday evenings the Govern- 
 ment military band plays in the Plaza, 
 where, coquettishly wandering in the 
 shadows, the sefioritas respond to their 
 suitors. Before North American cus- 
 toms became introduced into Caracas, 
 love-making among the best classes 
 of Venezuelans was European in char- 
 acter. The suitor might not call on his 
 lady unless some member of the family 
 was present, even down to the very day 
 of the marriage, and a breach of this 
 custom was reason enough to lose the 
 respect of one's friends. But now more 
 natural manners in this respect have 
 superseded the old, and the cavalier 
 sends his card to the lady upon whom
 
 122 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 he wishes to call, just as in the United 
 States. 
 
 While the band is playing the national 
 anthem, I walk with my friend to an- 
 other park. This plaza has no pretty- 
 colored tiles, but instead there is a car- 
 pet of velvet grass ; and instead of 
 fancy posts and lamps, the solemn 
 palm holds sway. On this night, as the 
 breeze carries to us the strains of the 
 patriotic hymn, we stop before a statue 
 of George Washington erected by Gen- 
 eral Blanco after his visit to the United 
 States some years ago. As we stand in 
 silence we cannot help feeling a strong 
 sympathy and affection for the people 
 of Venezuela, who have fought for inde- 
 pendence much in the same way as did 
 our ancestors.
 
 XXI. 
 
 RAILROADING IN VENEZUELA 
 
 A FTER having spent a week in Cara- 
 ** cas, I decided to bid adieu to 
 my friend the Marquis and investigate 
 further regarding the country and its 
 people. There were rumors afloat of 
 yellow fever raging in the districts I 
 intended travelling through, and it was 
 with no little anxiety that the evening 
 before leaving, while calling at the 
 United States Minister's house, I in- 
 quired regarding the report. It was a 
 great relief to be informed that the 
 health of the country was normal and 
 that I need feel no special uneasiness. 
 
 There are of course nearly always 
 sporadic cases of yellow fever in the 
 123
 
 124 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 tropics. I shall never forget one even- 
 ing when I entered Vera Cruz from the 
 City of Mexico. I had intended mak- 
 ing connection with the French Trans- 
 atlantic boat on the way to Cuba, but 
 through miscalculations was obliged 
 to remain for some time in this coast 
 town. It was during the epidemic of 
 yellow fever, and the papers reported 
 each day a long list of the new victims. 
 Such experiences are not very frequent, 
 but after one has passed through them 
 safely, it tends toward making him I 
 would not say more reckless, but less 
 inclined to credit rumors, most of which 
 when tested prove to be untrue. 
 
 The railroad between Caracas and 
 Valencia is owned and operated by 
 German capitalists. It makes a day's 
 journey through one of the most inter- 
 esting countries I have ever visited. 
 Soon after leaving Caracas the road 
 winds about the mountains. The fierce 
 puffing and steaming of the locomotive
 
 RAILROADING IN VENEZUELA 125 
 
 shows we are climbing a very steep 
 grade. Now the train crosses deep ra- 
 vines spanned by iron bridges which 
 look in comparison with the heights 
 like filigree-work. Another time it flanks 
 the side of some deep ravine whose 
 slopes are clothed with thick jungles 
 and forests that spread a shade of dark- 
 ness over all, or, again climbing the 
 summits of highest mountains, over 
 roads which show the marvellous in- 
 genuity of the civil engineer. 
 
 After the first few hours thus spent, 
 we entered a somewhat less hilly coun- 
 try. Green valleys and well-cultivated 
 coffee plantations spread before us like 
 a panorama. 
 
 Thanks to these and other railroads 
 which are soon to be constructed, the 
 vast resources and riches of the country 
 will be brought into closer touch with 
 those great winged messengers of our 
 civilized world, the ocean steamers. 
 
 It is curious to note how slow and ob-
 
 126 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 stinate the peons are about adopting the 
 customs and conveniences of civiliza- 
 tion. Yet this trait is in accord with 
 the nature and habit of the general pop- 
 ulation of South America. Many of 
 these Venezuelans prefer to ride for 
 days on the back of a miserable little 
 burro, climbing dangerous paths, rather 
 than submit to modern civilization and 
 avail themselves of the conveniences of 
 the railroad. I have noticed many long 
 trains of burros, heavily laden with 
 coffee, cocoa, and other articles of the 
 country, slowly and with difficulty bear- 
 ing their produce to the market, al- 
 though it might just as well and more 
 cheaply have been sent over the rail. 
 
 Before passing from the mountain re- 
 gions I must not forget to make mention 
 of the great South American eagle which 
 we saw soaring high into the clouds 
 and then floating leisurely along. It is 
 among these mountains that the true 
 sportsman most revels. Before my visit
 
 RAILROADING IN VENEZUELA 127 
 
 to Venezuela the fiercest game I had 
 ever hunted was the wildcat, or the 
 bear ; now I can better appreciate the 
 feelings with which an African or South 
 American traveller relates his tales of 
 adventure. 
 
 The distance of the stations apart de- 
 pends upon the country through which 
 the road passes. One often rides many 
 miles without coming to a stop. It 
 must be remembered that a great part 
 of Venezuela is still unexplored, and a 
 greater part is uninhabited. A coun- 
 try with an area of six hundred thou- 
 sand square miles and a population of 
 only about two and a half million is in- 
 deed sparingly peopled. The principal 
 export is coffee, which reaches the 
 value of many million dollars annually. 
 Other exports are cocoa, hides, skins, 
 feathers, rubber, and gold. 
 
 On leaving Caracas the cars were 
 rather well filled, but towards afternoon 
 there were comparatively few passen-
 
 128 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 gers remaining, most of them having 
 reached their destination at some of 
 the smaller stations. It was late in 
 the afternoon before we skirted the 
 shores of Lake Valencia, one of the 
 largest bodies of water in Venezuela, 
 whose shores have been the scene of 
 several bloody engagements during 
 revolutions. There are a few small 
 villages beside it, a rough boat plying 
 between them, but, in correspondence 
 with the rest of the country, it is little 
 utilized. 
 
 A complete system of long-distance 
 telephones operates between cities and 
 towns along the line. One can tele- 
 phone from Valencia to Caracas, with 
 less difficulty than from New York to 
 Chicago. It is quite surprising to see 
 how quickly the people have taken to 
 the telephone ; a great many of the resi- 
 dences both in Caracas and Valencia 
 have their long-distance wires. 
 
 It was growing dusk ; the latter part
 
 RAILROADING IN VENEZUELA 129 
 
 of the journey had been rather lone- 
 some, travelling over the great rolling 
 country. I knew comparatively little 
 of the places I was about to visit, and 
 with the vague rumors of yellow fever 
 still in my ears, I began' to wish that I 
 were back in Chicago or New York. 
 At the last station the passengers sit- 
 ting behind me vacated their seats. 
 While meditating in this way I did not 
 at first notice a new passenger. After 
 a little, the car coming to a stop with 
 an abrupt jerk, I turned around. I 
 could not see the man's face, as it was 
 covered by a newspaper he was reading, 
 but there appeared in large heavy print 
 on the side of the sheet facing me the 
 words : " The Chicago Sunday Trib- 
 une" Having met but few Americans 
 since my arrival in Venezuela, to be 
 confronted during this day-dream of 
 mine by a man who, ten chances to 
 one, was from the same city as myself, 
 was indeed a queer coincidence. In
 
 130 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 true American style, I reached over and 
 presented my card, and soon was in 
 conversation with Mr. Russell, an 
 American from Chicago travelling in 
 Venezuela.
 
 XXII. 
 
 VALENCIA AND PUERTO CABELLO 
 
 FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO THE SEA 
 
 F^ ARKNESS has covered the country 
 *^ and only after long intervals there 
 shines out a faint gleam from some 
 miserable hut. The train rushes on 
 through the wilderness for hours, until 
 far off in the distance below us appear 
 the many lights of the city of Valencia. 
 
 With the ringing of bells and the 
 noisy rumbling of the cars the train 
 rushes into the station. This is the 
 terminal of the German railroad be- 
 tween Caracas and Valencia. 
 
 The keeper of the hotel, a good- 
 natured, stout Spanish woman, gave me 
 the key to my apartments, and it was 
 131
 
 132 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 so large and heavy that, while passing 
 through the dark, cold stone halls, I 
 could not help thinking what a useful 
 weapon of defence it would be in case 
 of necessity. The hotels are seldom 
 more than two stories high, and this one 
 was no exception. A military band 
 was playing a Spanish air in the plaza 
 opposite, while the inevitable senoritas, 
 robed in their attractive gowns, prome- 
 naded leisurely about. Bringing a large 
 easy chair out on the veranda outside 
 my apartments, I lighted my pipe and 
 enjoyed the unique surroundings of my 
 first night in Valencia. 
 
 Soon afterwards I was asleep on the 
 typical bed of South America. It had 
 a canopy at the top from which fine net- 
 ting hung down around the four sides. 
 When the sleeper is comfortably situated 
 for the night this is tucked in at the sides 
 of the bed, thus forming a protection 
 from the mosquitoes, gnats, and other 
 insects so disagreeable in the South.
 
 VALENCIA AND PUERTO CABELLO 133 
 
 In a book I had recently read on 
 Venezuela the writer said that Valencia 
 is the most beautiful city in South 
 America, or at least in Venezuela. I 
 dissent entirely. I think Caracas by 
 far the grander, owing chiefly to its 
 situation, although Valencia is by no 
 means to be despised. Surrounding the 
 entire city loom up the great crests of 
 the Cordillera Range, while in the farther 
 distance, reflecting the sun, are the 
 higher mountains. 
 
 One South American city is very 
 much like another. The market-places 
 are interesting features of all. So are 
 the churches, the pleasant parks, and 
 those oddities which have been men- 
 tioned in previous chapters. The better 
 residence section of Valencia is situated 
 in a suburban district about two miles 
 away. Connecting this with the main 
 city are small tramway cars drawn by 
 mules, which a peon causes to gallop 
 along in the hot sun, thus making good
 
 134 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 speed between the two places. Here 
 there are very many pretty villas sur- 
 rounded by parks. Even the most 
 ordinary of these presents an attractive 
 appearance. 
 
 There are always some soldiers to be 
 seen in Valencia. The uniform of the 
 Venezuelan soldiers consists of bright 
 red trousers and a short blue coat. 
 Usually these warriors present anything 
 but an impressive appearance, for they 
 pay little attention to their attire or 
 the way they carry themselves. The 
 equipment of the president's guard dif- 
 fers to the extent of wearing white duck 
 suits and high black boots, with a short 
 sabre and carbine. 
 
 There are direct lines of communica- 
 tion connecting Valencia with the other 
 principal cities of Venezuela. The 
 Bank of Venezuela has a branch in 
 Valencia. The city has many large 
 mercantile houses and warehouses of 
 importance, for in the immediate neigh-
 
 VALENCIA AND PUERTO CABELLO 135 
 
 borhood is one of the most fertile sec- 
 tions of Venezuela. 
 
 To the westward and farther south 
 the country is still largely unknown. 
 Vast forests and jungles, the home of 
 the leopard and panther, occupy much 
 of the territory. 
 
 Valencia is the second city of the 
 Republic in size, and has about forty 
 thousand inhabitants. 
 
 After spending a few days in this 
 beautiful city, I left one afternoon on 
 the railroad for Puerto Cabello, the sea- 
 port town of this part of Venezuela. 
 From thence the boat sails to the wild 
 district of Maracaibo, from which place 
 connections are made with steamers 
 sailing eastward along the Spanish Main 
 and Trinidad to the Orinoco. 
 
 The railroad connecting Valencia 
 with the seaport town of Puerto Cabello 
 is owned and controlled by British capi- 
 talists. While the engineering and con- 
 struction are less daring than those of
 
 136 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 the road between La Guayra and Cara^, 
 cas, still the region which it traverses 
 is one of grandeur. 
 
 On the verge of this mountainous 
 district, where the coffee plant covers 
 the slopes and the cocoa is cultivated 
 in the valleys to perfection, is the inter- 
 esting village of San Esteban. It has 
 been founded principally by the Ger- 
 man population of Puerto Cabello, and 
 here, within a short distance from the 
 city, the wealthy people of Puerto 
 Cabello have their homes, preferring the 
 delightfully cool climate found here to 
 the hot and unhealthy coast regions. 
 
 It was towards nine o'clock when the 
 train reached Puerto Cabello. The 
 most notable part of the journey is the 
 gradual rise of the thermometer until, 
 on reaching the city itself, the heat is 
 almost suffocating. Situated as it is in 
 an indentation of the coast, where the 
 winds cannot reach it, the heat is some- 
 thing terrific.
 
 VALENCIA AND PUERTO CABELLO 137 
 
 Puerto Cabello, the Spanish for the 
 queer title, The Port of a Hair, is so 
 called on the pretence that within its 
 safe harbors a ship might almost be tied 
 by so frail a tether as a hair. This is 
 one of the few places on the coast where 
 a boat can draw up alongside the pier. 
 It is a busy place, about fifteen million 
 pounds of coffee, to mention one thing, 
 being shipped annually. It is the second 
 port in commercial importance in Vene- 
 zuela. Of its inhabitants, about seven 
 thousand in number are mainly engaged 
 in the commerce of the exporters and 
 importers. Eight different steamship 
 lines ply regularly between this port and 
 England, France, Germany, Holland, 
 the United States, and the West Indes. 
 There are many Germans, as well as 
 other foreigners, among the residents. 
 Puerto Cabello has been made interest- 
 ing by the many thrilling incidents be- 
 fore and during the Revolution. It was 
 in this hot territory that Sir Francis
 
 138 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 Drake, the great English buccaneer, 
 after exploring the coast, succumbed to 
 yellow fever. 
 
 At the entrance to the harbor, nearly 
 opposite the city, is the old fort where 
 Simon Bolivar, the Liberator of Vene- 
 zuela, was placed in command when 
 twenty-six years of age by General 
 Miranda, who was then leading the 
 country in its first struggle for liberty. 
 In the dark dungeons of the fort were 
 gathered the Spanish prisoners and 
 officials seized by the revolutionary 
 party. Bolivar had a sub-lieutenant in 
 whom he placed great confidence. It 
 was the treachery of this man that 
 caused Bolivar his first misfortune. 
 The lieutenant was bought over by the 
 other party, and one night let the pris- 
 oners free. Young Bolivar escaped in 
 the nick of time, and after swimming 
 several miles to shore, found refuge in 
 a hut farther down the coast, while all 
 the ammunition and arms captured by
 
 VALENCIA AND PUERTO CABELLO 139 
 
 the insurgents again fell into the hands 
 of the Spaniards. Part of the fort is 
 now used as a prison and hospital, and 
 another portion of it as a barrack, where 
 a handful of soldiers are stationed. It 
 is situated on a low island, on the 
 borders of which grow palms and under- 
 brush. To this place I saw consigned 
 every evening gangs of criminals whose 
 feet were chained and weighted by 
 great iron balls to prevent them from 
 escaping during the time they were at 
 work sweeping the streets, building, 
 dredging, or such other labors as might 
 be assigned to them. 
 
 With the quaint City of Puerto 
 Cabello to our left, and the fort to our 
 right, one evening the cables are silently 
 lifted from the pier and our boat glides 
 out to the open sea.
 
 XXIII. 
 
 LAKE MARACAIBO TO THE ORINOCO 
 
 ALONG THE SPANISH MAIN 
 
 CROM Puerto Cabello the Red " D " 
 * line sends a small steamer west- 
 ward, skirting the shores of the Gulf of 
 Venezuela for some miles until the 
 strait of Maracaibo is reached, entering 
 which, and turning southward, the boat 
 finds its way into the lake of Mara- 
 caibo, 
 
 This lake is a magnificent body of 
 fresh water with an area of two thou- 
 sand square miles. The basin is almost 
 anywhere navigable for small vessels. 
 The town of Maracaibo, situated on the 
 western side of the strait which forms 
 the entrance to the lake, is the emporium 
 140
 
 ALONG THE SPANISH MAIN 141 
 
 of the whole region of the eastern Cor- 
 dilleras, including districts in Colombia. 
 
 At the close of the i5th century, 
 when the spirit of adventure and ro- 
 mance filled the heart of every grandee 
 of Spain and every Italian navigator 
 in those grand old days, Americus Ves- 
 pucci sailed across the sea in search of 
 new lands. After coasting the shore he 
 entered this beautiful strait and found 
 there, built on piles and rafts, a strange 
 city, where the natives were paddling 
 about in canoes. It reminded the ex- 
 plorer so much of the city of Venice, in 
 his native Italy, that he called it Little 
 Venice, since altered to Venezuela. 
 Even now, situated a little distance 
 from Maracaibo, the city Vespucci de- 
 scribed, is another city called Santa 
 Rosa, where the natives still build their 
 houses on rafts, like those of the lake 
 regions around the City of Mexico. 
 
 There is nothing of special interest 
 about Maracaibo. It is a city of thirty
 
 142 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 thousand inhabitants, and of consider- 
 able commercial importance. The riv- 
 ers of the United States of Colombia 
 flow into the lake, and these rivers and 
 good mule-roads make it a centre of 
 commerce. Among the notable build- 
 ings are the palace of the governor, the 
 federal college, custom-house, market- 
 place, theatre, and churches. The city 
 has about ten miles of street railway, 
 and in sharp contrast with its romantic 
 surroundings are abundant telephones 
 and electric lights. 
 
 Some distance inward, back of Mara- 
 caibo, is a town called Santa Marta, 
 behind which rises the Nevada peak, 
 said to be the highest on the coast. 
 This is the most easterly port of Colom- 
 bia, and is noteworthy from the fact 
 that Bolivar took refuge and died here 
 when driven into exile by Paez. 
 
 Leaving Maracaibo, the boat sails 
 eastward for several days along the 
 Spanish Main. Passing between the
 
 ALONG THE SPANISH MAIN 143 
 
 island of Curasao and Venezuela, and 
 again- sailing by the towns of Puerto 
 Cabello and La Guayra, the steamer en- 
 tered the beautiful straits separating the 
 island of Margarita from the peninsula 
 of Paria. This island has been made 
 famous to the world for the numerous 
 beautiful pearls found along its coast. 
 Here the Indians in olden times, with 
 their crude diving apparatus, risked 
 their lives in waters infested by sharks 
 and other man-eating fish, to carry on 
 trade with the foreigners for articles 
 which they valued more than pearls. 
 
 Some hours after sailing by this beau- 
 tiful mountainous island of Margarita 
 the boat entered the capital of Trini- 
 dad, Port au Spain, which we had vis- 
 ited on our downward cruise. From 
 here a small side-wheel American boat, 
 such as are used on the Mississippi 
 and other Western rivers, left Port au 
 Spain, and steamed through the bay 
 into the mouth of the Orinoco, several
 
 144 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 days later reaching Ciudad Bolivar. The 
 boats are owned by North Americans 
 and are manned by American crews. 
 
 It is only in the latter part of the 
 journey to Ciudad Bolivar that one be- 
 gins to realize the beauty of this ro- 
 mantic river, and not until many miles 
 farther up does it attain its highest 
 grandeur. On entering the mouth the 
 banks are low and marshy. Great forests 
 extend back on either side for many 
 miles. Once in a while one sees vil- 
 lages built upon piles in the marshes, 
 the sides of the houses composed of 
 thatched leaves, and roofed with bark, 
 where those simple people live who lead 
 a wild adventurous life in canoes on 
 the waters. 
 
 The time required to make the jour- 
 ney to Ciudad Bolivar depends upon the 
 season of the year. Between May and 
 October, when there is a rise in the river 
 of many feet, navigation is much easier 
 than at low water, and the time required
 
 ALONG THE SPANISH MAIN 145 
 
 is three days. During the dry season 
 much more time is necessary. 
 
 Ciudad Bolivar is situated 240 miles 
 from the sea, where the river is four 
 and a half miles wide and navigable for 
 steamers. It is very like to the other 
 Venezuelan cities. The volume of busi- 
 ness is enormous compared with the 
 population of the country. 
 
 In the last few years the export of 
 gold has been valued high in the 
 millions. Cigar manufacturing is carried 
 on to a large extent. Great warehouses 
 containing stores from the interior give 
 evidence of its commercial importance. 
 
 Ciudad Bolivar is the only city prop- 
 erly speaking in a district covering half 
 the territory of Venezuela. The resi- 
 dents are Spanish, German, Italian, and 
 negroes from the Indies. All there is 
 of interest here can be seen in a few 
 days. 
 
 Flowing into the Orinoco at various 
 distances are many streams, some deep
 
 146 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 and extending far into the mountains. 
 One, the Meta, flows within two days' dis- 
 tance of Bogota, the capital of Colom- 
 bia, and is so far navigable for small 
 boats. Another, the Cassiquiare, flows 
 towards the Amazon, and by a sort of 
 natural canal, actually connects the 
 Amazon with the Orinoco, so that a 
 small boat entering the Gulf of Paria, 
 which is the mouth of the Orinoco, 
 can work its way up the Orinoco and 
 come out through the mouth of the 
 Amazon. 
 
 Baron von Humboldt in 1808 made a 
 journey along the entire course of the 
 Orinoco. In 1848 Dr. Schomburgk 
 made a careful journey of investiga- 
 tion, and wrote a very extended and 
 valuable book on the country. This 
 book with its maps has come into ques- 
 tion frequently during the recent con- 
 troversy over the disputed territory. 
 
 Bordering the banks of the Orinoco 
 for many miles are the jungles and
 
 A TROPICAL FOREST, VENEZUELA.
 
 ALONG THE SPANISH MAIN 147 
 
 forests of South America, inhabited by 
 uncivilized and aboriginal Indians. Be- 
 yond the forests spread out the llanos 
 or grassy plains whereupon feed many 
 thousand cattle of South America, which 
 are herded by adventurous cow-boys. 
 
 To the south, midway between Boli- 
 var and the mouth of the river, are the 
 mining districts. The gold here dis- 
 covered has given rise to the contro- 
 versies between Great Britain and 
 Venezuela over the boundary question.
 
 XXIV. 
 
 THE DISPUTED TERRITORY. 
 
 EVER since the time when South 
 America's wealth in gold was first 
 reported abroad by Columbus, Raleigh, 
 Vespucci, and others, more especially 
 since the story of Gonzales Ximenes de 
 Casada, the thirst for this precious 
 mineral has brought many seekers after 
 fortune into the wilds of South America. 
 Casada was an officer sent out by 
 the Viceroy of Peru, with other officers, 
 in charge of the expedition to search 
 for the El Dorado of the Orinoco. He 
 was a treacherous man of mean char- 
 acter. After engaging a few of the 
 party to mutiny with him, he stole away 
 from camp one night and with the 
 148
 
 AMONG THE BAMBOOS, VENEZUELA.
 
 THE DISPUTED TERRITORY 149 
 
 canoes and ammunition of the expedi- 
 tion floated down the Orinoco. Gain- 
 ing the coast after many months, he 
 made his way to Europe, where he re- 
 ported himself as having found the El 
 Dorado of which all the world was in 
 search. He reported that the city of 
 Manoah was literally built of gold, 
 which story caused a great fever of ex- 
 citement, not only among the general 
 population of Europe, but also in its 
 courts and among its noblemen. 
 
 Prior to the discovery of gold in Gui- 
 ana in 1880, all efforts to find it were 
 unsuccessful. In the i6th and i;th 
 centuries, when the wealth of the region 
 south of the Orinoco, in what is now 
 known to us as the Disputed Territory 
 was comparatively unknown and its 
 vast resources unexplored, there was 
 no occasion for any boundary disputes. 
 
 We hear of gold mining along the 
 Essequibo and its tributaries a hundred 
 years ago by the Dutch, but it amounted
 
 150 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 to little. In 1856 a deposit was dis- 
 covered which caused several companies 
 to explore ; they also were unsuccessful 
 and the search was abandoned. Then 
 nothing of importance was done until 
 1880, when a party of French laborers 
 from French Guiana found rich de- 
 posits in the sands of the Puruni River, 
 a branch of the Essequibo. This caused 
 a rush from all parts of the world, and 
 people from California, Capetown, and 
 the continent of Europe swarmed into 
 the territory. 
 
 From that time until the present, new 
 discoveries have been constantly made, 
 and some of the resources of the coun- 
 try brought to view, so that the question 
 whether this territory belongs to Vene- 
 zuela or Great Britain is now of serious 
 moment. A country which can export, 
 as the duties show, from the city of 
 Bolivar alone, thirty-nine million dol- 
 lars' worth of gold in a few years is 
 truly of no little importance.
 
 THE DISPUTED TERRITORY 151 
 
 There are many American and Eng- 
 lish people, as well as other foreigners, 
 living in the mining district, although 
 the negroes do most of the hard labor 
 in the mines, being best suited to en- 
 dure the fevers of the district and the 
 labor necessary in the severe work of 
 mining. 
 
 The colonial authorities of the Brit- 
 ish Government have quietly occupied 
 this territory and have been encour- 
 aged. 
 
 Great Britain usually has a gunboat 
 floating on the lower Orinoco. Whether 
 the river itself belongs to Great Britain 
 or Venezuela does not seem to have been 
 questioned, as it appears that Great 
 Britain rather acknowledged Venezuela 
 in this respect by requesting her, some 
 years ago, through the British minister 
 at Caracas, to build a lighthouse on one 
 of the islands. 
 
 The controversy grew out of condi- 
 tions that arose in 1691 when a treaty
 
 152 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 was signed between Spain and Holland 
 stipulating that the Orinoco colonies 
 should belong to the Spanish and the 
 Essequibo colonies to the Dutch. This 
 territory was practically unknown at the 
 time. In 1814 Holland ceded to Eng- 
 land that part of Guiana now called 
 British Guiana. 
 
 The question hinges greatly upon 
 the settlement between these two nations 
 of what properly belonged in those early 
 times to Holland and what to Spain. 
 
 Venezuela now claims the sovereignty 
 over a territory of 36,000 square miles 
 which Great Britain considers as belong- 
 ing to her colony of Guiana. 
 
 Through the medium of the Monroe 
 Doctrine the controversy over the Dis- 
 puted Territory has been brought into 
 prominence throughout the United 
 States. It is a question of vital im- 
 portance, not only between the contend- 
 ing powers, Venezuela and Great Britain, 
 but between England and the great re-
 
 THE DISPUTED TERRITORY 153 
 
 public of America. The United States, 
 like its emblem the eagle, which extends 
 its broad wings to protect its young from 
 harm or disturbance, has taken the posi- 
 tion of affording its protection to all the 
 younger countries of the American con- 
 tinent.
 
 XXV. 
 
 DREAMS OF THE FUTURE. 
 
 A MID the charms of a moonlight 
 ** night, let us imagine ourselves 
 seated on deck, quietly floating down 
 the Orinoco. The rays of the moon 
 reflected on the waters turn them into 
 a stream of pure silver. The deep 
 forests on either side respond with 
 gentle sighs to the caressing of the even- 
 ing winds. Were it not for the splash- 
 ing of an alligator as he falls heavily 
 into the water, or the weird cry of a 
 strange bird in his upward flight, the 
 quiet of the scene would be undisturbed. 
 It must have been on such a night as 
 this, that Ursua and his generous love 
 Inez met their untimely and tragic death
 
 DREAMS OF THE FUTURE 155 
 
 while floating amid love's caresses on 
 this same river. With our thoughts thus 
 given to the adventurous past, we yet 
 speculate on the destiny of this beautiful 
 land. As the smoke from my pipe curls 
 itself into wreaths, scenes from the past 
 and dreams of the future float before my 
 mind. I see armed men, covered with 
 steel, following a bold, handsome leader, 
 a Spanish knight. Perchance it might 
 be Ojeda, flourishing in the kind graces 
 of Queen Isabel. 
 
 Alas ! this expedition, like so many 
 others eager in the quest of the riches 
 of El Dorado, cared nought for the 
 prayers and offerings of the innocent 
 Indians, who greeted the strangers with 
 respect, thinking them gods from the 
 blue sky above. The minds of the 
 invaders being accustomed to the 
 cruelties of war, they return such treat- 
 ment on the part of the Indians with 
 butchery and crime. 
 
 The fever of adventure having taken
 
 156 VENEZUELA AND WEST INDIES 
 
 possession of the Continent, many 
 knights and adventurers seek the south- 
 ern land. A century has not elapsed 
 before the banner bearing the arms of 
 Castile and Aragon proudly floats over 
 the land in many places. 
 
 I see enacted before me the settle- 
 ment of the country with circumstances 
 of direst cruelty, and as the scene be- 
 fore me alters it is but a transition from 
 crime to crime. After the fighting 
 against these innocent Indians rose the 
 bitter struggles and contest of the Span- 
 ish colonists against their unprincipled 
 and tyrannical rulers. 
 
 It would seem that the upheaving of 
 the mighty mountains was only to show 
 their sympathy for the colonists. The 
 very groaning of the great Andes is 
 echoed by the colonists under these op- 
 pressions, and, like the mountains them- 
 selves, tired of the tyrannical choking, 
 they show forth their nature by a series 
 of uprisings in the form of revolutions.
 
 DREAMS OF THE FUTURE 157 
 
 Some years afterwards the cool air 
 of the Andes moderates the fever and 
 excitement ; but it is not until the germ 
 of a republic has been planted. I see 
 this germ growing into a mighty tree of 
 state, the roots of which have fastened 
 into a pure and honorable soil. This 
 tree of state will in time cast a shade of 
 protection and peace over its people. 
 This mighty tree, called Venezuela, 
 embedded in a soil of peace and pros- 
 perity, is one of a grove of similar 
 South American republics still being 
 nourished in their youth. In time the 
 roots of these trees will become grown 
 together and intertwined, giving forth 
 nourishment and strength to each other 
 and producing the rich fruits of peace, 
 happiness, civilization, and progress. 
 
 THE END.
 
 3 1158 01132 4752 
 
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