The Republican journal., 1892-12-22
NeneZuela's Principal SEAPORT.

l..
special correspondence Of The journal.
IA GUANEA, Venezuela, Nov. 9. 1892.
ming down TO this port from the north,
one OF the many coasters that ply the
rbbcan Sea, for hundred of miles YOU
never out of the sight of huge red
ountalns that seem to rise straight out
,he water. At La Guayra you stand at
e northelnmost extremity of that vast
lldillera which extends down the entire
itstcrn side of the continent, whose
lthern extremity is chopped off at Cape
m us abruptly as on the Venezuelan
lst. Nowhere hereabouts are there
nole than one hundred feet of level land
Ween the PERCEPTIONS slopes and the
zen waves OF the turbulent sea, and in
81 places, except at the mouth of some
ne, Water-comse OF barlana, there is
AeiN ten feet OF steady shore. The road
~ which runs from town to town along
coast has been cut into the faces of the
IS. sometimes overhanging the SUIT that
shes its spray upon the passing traveller.
"A truayla owes its origin to an acci-
ru, or rather to a quarrel. II seems
Don L"sada. the carly Spanish COY
nar who founded Caracas, the Ntnezue-
capital, also established the water
Ic city of Caravalleda for it's seaport.
somewhere about the year Loo. For
Heuty years his pet pueblo throVe be
ld all precedent until it became the
,>t prosperous in the colony. of greater
poTance even than the capital, and en-
we'd universal privileges OF self govern
ent bestowed by the Spanish Cabinet.
IS II when Iosado's day was done and a
-rauger Governor came over from Spain,
uiz de Roias by name, tyrant whose
ny bad deeds have caused any good
Mes he may have done to be quite forgot
.n-his first act was to cut off all the old
privileges of Carayalleda. Among 9th
obnoxious innovations, Rojas arrogAt-
jo himself the power to appoint its Jete
l3 ciapped into prison every citizen who
upd to protest. In due time the for-
Lu magistrates came in state to Caraval-
Gd-but they found not soul to rule
-+cl, Rather than yield their rights to
viii of the Dictator, the citizens had
andoned their homes and fields and va
lis aVocati"ns and hastily removed to
cr portions OF the coast This made
alters extremely inconvenient for his
fttatorsllip, for in those days CaIavalleda
vas the only port Of entry for Caracas, and
deserted city soon fell into ruins
H1wever, Rojas regime was short. His
ecessor in power endeavored to persuade
ae people to return, but in vain and fin
the site OF La Guayra was fixed upon
t- a sort of compromise between the gov
gament and the malcontents.
iM the days OF the buccaneers, when
Pirate Kings were forever cruising the
Spanish Main. La Guayra seems to have
Ieen ii tayorte fighting place for galleons
amc here TO load up with treasures on
Aeii way from Carthagena to Spain
pom ligh bluff oyerhanging the town
a long, low rambling :astlc which sely-
. ion many years as residence fol the
aptain,- General of the Spanish colonies.
,poIt has it haunted by lively com
ay of ghosts, of both sexes and many
jonaities, and all manner ot romantic
additions are rife concerning it. Those
ho have read the fel Charles X ngsle1 :
comparable novel called "Westward
.lo, (and who has nou VIII be interest
to learn that in tins very coSd the Rose
f Devon dwelt with heI Spanish lover.
nd here She was found by Frank and AY-
.as Leigh. The author states that the
astle stood under the shadow ot d gloomy
1oking fortress. The latter which
loks more like a gigantic mud wasp )
lest clinging to the dark red rocks, is
-pW in ruins, and the four mile-loug tun-
.el. which formerly connected the two by
n underground passage, has mostly cav
od in. The ancient abode Of love and
agedy, of Spanish Knights and captive
laidens, is -a-days utilized as the
lead-quarters of the great American
-Ouse OF Boulton, Bliss & Dallett, who
-.ntrol Venezuela 5 coffee trade and send
Ship load of that commodity every ten
.ays from this port to New York.
La Guayra is also celebrated As one of
lie very few places in South America
where bull fighting is vet carried on near
tile close OF this nineteenth century. The
1Jhcr places are Montevideo, Bentos and
.ilua and III eacL the bull-r ring is used
nly once OF twice a year. when some
~IoIling company of fighters happen to
r.me this way between Cuba and Spain.
La Guayra has neat little plaza, filled
With dwarf trees and flower beds enclosed
within an American iron fence. In the
of Guzman Blanco, raised upona pedestal
# white marble. 1t is said to be very
GOOD likeness of the late Dictator Presi-
lent, and was erected by himself in 1850,
at great expense but at the cost OF the
Government. On the sides OF the pedestal
are emblematic tablets in bronze and at
Zach corner stand huge bronze candeIabra.