Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-21

y - " IL ~ IL IL u Il IL "A
forest Of the Amazon and Orinoco. where IL
grows wild in great abundance. and when cul-
iivated in the hot, lowlying districts, requires
little or no care.
TIE BEST CHOCOLATE IL THE WORLD.
Caracas chocolate" as the product of all
Venezuela is called, is certainly the best in the
world. and the very best of it comes from Chuao
plantation, belonging to the University of Cara
cas-. which derives fine revenue from its an
nual output Of 1000 pounds or thereabouts
The whole country exports some $4,000 pounds
year. Strange to saw, chocolate cost more
here where ii Is grown and manufactured than
in New York city. for the simple reason that very
little, If any, of the genuine article sold in the
latter market. You may buy what is said to be
Caracas chocolate" in New York for 50 cents q
pound, while here at the factories, before any
duties or costs of transportation have been
added. 1t sells for 65 cents pound. The best
cocoa beans cost 40 cents q pound on the plan
tatiOn, but American manufacturers have n way
Of increasing the weight of the beans and
correspoudingiy reducing their vaiue by q pro-
cess OF "5imple addition" of that cheap, heavy
and harmless substance known as pipe
clay. Ii weighs about five times as much as
ocoa and does not materially change the
taste of the beverage for those who do not
know the difference. To learn what chocolate
really is one should drink it where it grows,
amid surroundings in accord. in a Caracas pa
ito, for example. reclining in a hammock half
intoxicated by the odor of orange flowers and
orchids. and served BIZ some dark-eyed, round
armed Dolores, Panchita or Mercedes. 1t
constitutes the universal desayuno, taken i'm
mediatelv on arising with bit of crusty bread
TO sustain ones inner man until the MONDAY
almuerzo. The Venezuelan producer dries his
cocoa beans thoroughly in the sun. then ships
them IN gunny sacks to market. The manu-
facturer grinds them into fine gray powder
that looks like Graham four mixes them with
plenty OF papeion (native sugar. and fsvors the
compound with the Juice Of the vanilla bean. 1t
Is then boiled again, poured into molds, and
when hardened Is the chocolate Of commerce.
SOME VENEZUELAN EXPORTS.
Venezuela exports from 65.O0O to 100, 900
pounds of cotton every year of the South Sea
Islands variety; also considerable quantities Of
indigo, Peruvian bark, sarsaparilla and a few
similar articles to the value of many thousand
dollars per annum. Those crops which the peo-
pie raise for their own use--notably black beans
and corn of the violet, red, white, yellow and
black varieties-are known as frutos manores to
distinguish them from the frutos mayores or
articles Of commerce. The export trade is
mainly with New York and Philadelphia, Eng
land, France, Germany. Spain and Holland.
About the only products received exclusively
from the United States are wheat, -four and
cheese. Iron and all sorts of COTTON goods
come from England; silks, hardware, paper,
perfumery. wine, drugs, and, of course, the
fashions, come from France; jewellery, silver
ware, clothing materials, toys, beer, manu-
featured articles in glass, porcelain, iron and
steel from Germany through Hamburg and
Bremen There is an import duty which is gen.
orally regulated according to gross weight, but
no direct export duty. The transport Of goods
over all interior highways is exempt from toll
or other charges, but sort Of general tax is
lmnOGp1 on Mt he nortn on nfx--
five per cent of the proceeds are returned TO
the several states and the balance applied to the
maintenance Of public highways.
The two principal exporting markets Of VEN
ezuela for the shipment of coffee and chocolate
are Mnracaibo and Puerto Cabello. The latter
place. situated on what is called the "Golfo
Triste" (Gulf of Sadness). is as unhealthful a
place rs the wide world affords. The bottom
OF the bay Is said to be literally paved with the
bones of those who have persisted from its
deadly miasnlas. No less ghost than that OF
Sir Francis Drake. the English buccaneer. is be-
heved to haunt the spot. He died of yellow
fever at Puerto Cabello and his body was IN
closed In a leaden coffin and sunk into thirty
fatboms OF water. Besides numerous sailing
vessels that frequent Venezuelan ports, there
are several lines of ocean steamships. Among
those that arrive at regular intervals are the
ROYAL British Mail. whose European terminus
Ia southampton: the Hamburg merican Steam
ship Company. the French line from St Ma
zGare. which takes in Martinique on the way to
La Guayra; another from Port-of-Spain, Trini-
dad. and last, but By no means least, the
splendid "Red ID" line from New York via Port
au-PrInce and Curacao
PROJECTS OF ITS MINES.
Gold mining is carried on in Venezuela to a
limited extent, principally near the upper
waters OF the Rio Caroni, in the province of
GGayara- few copper and coal mines are
also worked and considerable guano is ex-
ported to the United States from the Island of
Orehii". As to manufactures. Venezuela is not
quite so Insignificant as has been represented
she makes and exports soap, candles, lime and
liquors, besides handmade laces of various
sorts, straw and wicker work and curious