The morning call., 1890-07-27

length, with varying breadth of from
three to seven miles, of the coast OF Nene-
zuela. the blue mountains Of that portion of
terra tirma known as the Paragu ana being
in plain sight. on every clear day, from the
nils above the harbOr From the sea, as
. the voyager approaches, Curacao appears
like volcanic fragment, rent from beneath
the waves. It's coast is everywhere rugged,
with deep assures, as haroors, leading to
extensive inland lagoOns. The bills are not
high, but abruptly broken off and sharply
cleft. 1t would seem that the island is
ONE VAST DEPOSIT OF PHOSPHATE OF LINE,
That there are mountains of it. for more
phosphate is mined here than the markets
will carry. Fortunes have been realized
here and fortrnes yet await the owners of
this vast deposit. The works of the mining
company form a little settlement isolated
from the others Of the island, and the treas
ure they guard is jealousy kept from the
view Of prying visitors. Traditions are
ahoat of the strange doings Of the company
in possession Of Curacoa's only treasure
trdye, that no one can penetrate the
charmed circle they have drawn about their
wealth, that the visitor is Hospitality re-
ceiyed and royalty entertained, the finest
set before him, but that no Establishments
can open the inner portal 1t is question
whether OF not all these precautions be
necessary, but the company is said to pay
the Dutch Government over 100000 each
and every year the mines are worked.
Phosphate was first found here by poor
Cornish miner, W no first secured the refusal
of this otherwise. waste land, the Dutch
being ignorant Of any value attached to it,
and then leaped suddenly into atfluence.
As we sail the southern shore of the
island, bright lagoon opens out to view,
below the phosphate region, called the
Spanish Water, and castle OF Spanish
times commands it from a beetling cliff.
Spanish possession of Curacao extended
from 1899 to 1854. The Dutch then acquired
il, and have held it ever since. except for a
few Years occupation by the English. And
to-day, though Spanish in nearly everything
save its Government and its architecture,
Curacao still pertains to the people who
rescued 1t from the marauding SpauiaTds.
The barren hills that form the backbone of
the island are rent apart at about its center,
and give egresS into the safest and most
securely land-lOcked harbOr in these seas.
perhaps in the world. 1t is so narrow that
the sentries of the two forts guarding 1t,
one on each side OF the entrance, can hail
each other from their respective stations.
One of these forts is called Fort Riff, and
the other Fort Amsterdam. They are old,
and their cannon are obsolete, while their
garrsons of funny Dutch soldiers are
enough to make a mummy smile. The in
let is deep and straight, and leads into a
capacious harbor, of perhaps half mile in
length, beyond which is
A GREAT LAGOON,
Called the Schattegat \ pontonn bridge
spans the harbor just inside the forts, and
this has to be opened, of course. every time
vessel of any kind seeks entrance.
As our steamer draws opposite the inlet,
she whistles warningly, and in a moment
mere comes DaGh 70 US an answering t
pilot takes the wheel and the bow is pointed
toward the lagoon, we see one end Of the
bridge slowly crawling toward the opposite
side of the harbOr, its prOpelling force be-
ing very diminutive steam launch. The
strip of blue water grows wider and wider,