The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-28
AT THE ORINOCO'S MOUTH.
pORT or SPAIN. TRINIDzD'S COS
MOPoIITAN CAPITAL.

.Ns-keys thst nave Tsnsw Fever s.a
other Cs-pisi-ts OF Ns-ki-s.
in sailing scros. from Tobaeo TO Trinidad
the northern mountain peaks Of the large island
are soon brought into view. and In two hours. or
less, the whole northern coast can be seen. a.
we'll a. \ long stretch Of the neighboring coast
Of Venezuela. The distance Of eighteen miles
between the two islands Is only a fraction Of the
distance a traveller must 70 to reach Port Of
spain, the capital Of Trinidad. for there IL a
long sail Town the Gulf of Paris.
"Thes story IL current in Trinidad" the young
botanist continued. that when Columbus was
sailing toward the island In 14os he determined
that the next land sighted should be named
after the Trinity; and the three mountain peaks
OF the island convinced him that he was right In
christening 10 Trinidad. But at that time the
island had thousands OF native inhabitants,
divided into six or eight widely differing tribes;
and I cannot help wondering whether IL one Of
those natives had taken q big canoe and crossed
over TO Spain he would have had the credit Of
discovering Europe.
Before we reached Trinidad learned some
thing Of the tremendous size OF the Orinoco
River. A river that with only part Of Its cur
rent can hold back the water OF the Atlantic
Ocean. and make itself felt far out at sea, is en-
titled to some consideration. You are familiar.
I suppose. with the geography Of Venezuela, and
the situation Of Trinidad just on the venezue-
Ian coast; II you are not, a glance at the map
will make II plain. The Orinoco divides into
two branches near the city OF BOLIVAR ana Iur-
tner uoWn eecn Orench separates iht" huhoreus
OF Ghanheis. More thah hAl the "e'er ,he
great river empties INTO tue ocean near ONT
barrima' iar peIow Irihidau' ana Wha' IL Iel'
nows northweru throush many channels inIo
tho 'ulto OF farla' ana through the gun ihto inc
-. - Gala Nhta auanar,Ntya1 ANAL
ocean twas on'S this compar"'''e's smhh
part OF the orlnoco Whtos tnht ehcouh'eIeu
sailing across 10 the isanu' out that Small part
made itself felt'
i had heard a great many stories OF the dan
gerous navigation near the island ana wnenl
> W as tnought' a long line OF rerts oeiore US.
ana the schooner heenlns uirect,y ior them'i
became Alarmed but tho captain iausheu'
mere IL no reei there. ne sau' mat 10
the Orinoco River water backing up the sea
"." ....,r -. - 80. 80.
Gus reef OF yours IN q minute OF I.
water was not caused by its breaking upon
-- .-----..,.- No. -.
cade. several miles long and four or Ave feet
This was right ont in the ocean. under
- a. - - sns s.v.,.I H. Co.,
land. Perhaps IL will make IL clearer to say that
The ocean there had two levels. The outer one.
ths clear transparent sea tina we were then on
was the lower. and beyond the cataract the
level vas four mr. Ave- feet HIGHER and the
~"
water was BLACK ana muddy; so tbat In sailing
along the schooner had to cut through the
linz NJ white water and mount IN the higher
-
levei. Inc white water OF course, was mano oy
the higher level giving way at this point and
,unbIing over In n Iit,ie casc,d. in,o Tho ocesn.
=. -, -
IL was one OF the most curious nautical Things 1
ever saw, though the explanation OF IL IL per-
fec,Iv simple. The tremendous volume Of water
80
rom the Orihoco oackN up the sea WAFER anu
the pressure from behind raises the level. until
IA. mint Ia reacbeJ vbere the river must oive
'"' -
up the hght' anu the hlgher water role grace
fully over into the ocean.
..Vo, ..e bv IN. man bovv tho nor,bsas, cor.
""p AZ" '"'
ner OF venezuela juts out ike n warning finger
pointed toward Europe. and how the upper part
~ Trln,d,d lies al,nos, a, ,hs hin M ,his anger
=, -
j no distance between Nenezueia ana lrinldad
there Is not more than two or three miles, and
his psrroyx channe, Ia the nor,bern entrance IN
$50 -
the dulf OF Paria. I'LL divided by small Islands
several parts, to which the old spanish
name of Roca ar mouth s,Iu clinps One of
-
channels IL the boca drahue' "hich Is pam