The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-12-15
First Look at Venezuela.
AT LA GUAYRA, THE
,ntT OF NENEZUEJ As rAplTAr

Ing nollhWalu from Mafanllao to enc
sela, after several uneventful days of
,Nater, water everywhere you wake up
on a sunshiny morning to find yourself
1,ling and tumbling about in the most
accountable manner as if in a Cape
Hon gale, though no wind is blowing, and
1astening on deck find the steamer safely
in front of La Guayra, the sea
tdl of Caracas, Venezuela S capital. To
are who has spent a long time on the
A,tcrn side of South America, which is
DntIally low, fiat and monotonous, the
>t view of Venezuelan shores is as
-eeahle as striking, reminding him
."ungly of the more picturesque Pacific
St Of the same continent whose ports
all backed 10y the mighty Andes. And
g should it not. when those mountains
ming up before You are the Andes
mSelNes-those long lost friends. So
.ctantly left behind when YOU sailed
ugh the Strait of Magellan hich
eabouts stretch a long arm clear across
4ezuela down to the Atlantic? At once
think Of Peru. that most sccnicallv
urning and historically interesting.
olgh now financially the poorest OF all
>uth American Republics, for this port
q counterpart OF Mollcndo, with long
,aeils perpetually rolling into its road
,-ead 50 heavy at times that passengers
1--WE to he hoisted on board the steamers
means of chairs and ropes, and for
3NS together no freight can be landed or
barked. Another point of resemblance
The celebrated Peruvian port is in the
oring OF the hills that environ tired
III brown streaked with gray, notified
e3r their rocky bases with pale green
teJi.
\ celebrated American traveller perfect
X describes La Guayra by saying that if
whole coast of South America had
hccn explored for the worst place in
'eenty thousand miles in which to build
4 city. one could not have been found
8 tn greater natural disadvantages which
ingenuity of man cannot overcome.
it this point the Cordillera rises almost
uopendicularlv not five hundred feet be
nd the rolling surf to the height of five
six thousand feet, its twin peaks. Mai
-Iata and Celro de Avila, tone -. 600 feet
eth, the other l1.00W, forming what is
died the ''>illa" saddle OF Caracas, at
nose feet nestles La Guayra. or rather
tings TO the rocks like great halmacle
liking as if amy gale might blow it OFF
ITO the ocean. for one hundred feet from
III houses on its one long, dirty street.
-ac sca-ti"or slopes Oft into one hundred
t3-homs of water and less than mile out
om their door steps il is said Ia me two
Aousand feet deep.
The shore, with it's line of lofty hills.
e~cribes almost a circle, attoldiug some
Is INT protection to vessels, but not near
enough. They always stay far enough
lr to avoid THE Sult which runs worry
gh and with tremendous force Whom
rter Il strong breeze is blowing: and, ;l>
d. ape Horn. Mollendo. and Il few other
iaces on the earth surface the average
tngth OF Il man ) HE is not time enough
which to find a day When breezes are
uat blowing. Al the first indication OF a
Storm. every vessel hauls up its anchor
td speeds away. preferring to trust the
can, wild aud wide rather than The al
eyed halbor AZ best OF times tie anchor
e on sloping rocks ut the bottom OF
he sea, and has to be lifted every
few hours. OF shifting sands would hm1
beyond recovery. Passengers arc dis
harged into open-boats mile or more
nom shore, whence they are rowed across
he laundering su1f to a pier, where con
siderable wisdom and agility are required
in selecting the most favorable spot and
Iecise instant for making a leap to terra
-rma. However there are always plenty
+ friendly though somewhat dirty hands
stretched ont to assist the approaching
rayeler; and in cases ot emergency. such
a, thin shoes OF timorous female, the
b0atmen hoist human cargo to THEN
shoulders with the same neatncss and DIES
Patch that they carry bales and boxes to
shore. There is a sort OF breakwatel
- hich was originally intended for harbOl
purposes but is too small to be available,
unsiSting of two moleS built ont at an
acute angle with the narrow point open.
nto this lighters steer while shifting car
-0es and have comparatively easy time
II it, but the vessels must remain outside,
-uSsed and tumbled about at the mercy Of
he pillows. They tell It's that this abol-
i've piece OF work cost tiuzman Blanco.
sum Of money. He gave the contract tol
building to a thrifty son OF Connecti-
ut, and in the contract was clause which
provided that the Yankee should he
paid ''When a ship could be taken behind
H. one ship did actually manage to
Nriggle into the alleged harbor of refuge
he first, last and only one that ever ac-
aomplished the seemingly impossible feat
and the contractor got his money; but
found it convenient to leave for the land
of wooden nutmegs that same evening, to
escape the righteous wrath Of the Dicta-
ror. The work, theagh entirely unfit fol