The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-12-21

begin, and they do not stop until the sun
has entered the Tropio of Cancer. Thu:
it is rainy and hot from April to October,
and the rest of the year it is dry and
cooler. During the summer the prevail
ing winds are from the northeast. There
are heavy transforms, called ''northers,'
usually, in November and December
There are over l, 600 rivers and brooks
in Venezuela, of which oyer 400 are
aff1uents Of the Orinoco. The Orinoco if
navigable $50 miles from the ocean, and
taps the fertile regions in the interior Of
the Colombian Republic. Some of the
navigabe tributaries of the Orinoco run
south and join the Amazon or its tribu-
taries, thus opening double route tc
the sea. Besides this network of rivers,
there are two large inland lakes, one OF
which, Lake Maraccaibo. is as large as
the Great Salt Lake in Utah, with an
area of 2 100 sQuara miles. The other,
Lake Valencia, j. / ,700 feet above the sea
level.
There are three kinds of soil in Vene-
UtAlthAJ 5Aet<1hSs NhN "NONAONN
There are LOCO square miles of agricul-
tural land of which only 300 square miles
arc under cultivation. The Orinoco
sweeps over the arc of an immense circle,
entering on the east coast, and emerging
from the country on the southwest border.
There are over 70 islands on the coast
the largest, Margarita, being Al square
miles in area. There are over 1900 miles
Of coast, scattered along which are 81
barbors and so bays. Like the great LAKES
of the United States, the two great in
land lakes of Venezuela have their own
ports. There are five cuffs on the ocean
coast, the largest of which is the Gulf sof
Maracaibo, 1000 square miles in extent.
There are many mines in operation
throughout Venezuela, the more valuable
being in the Yuruari region, which Is
in tho disputed territory. There is situ-
ated the famous Callao gold mine. Gold
is also found in the mountainous districts
of the Yaracui River. anG near the cities
of San Felipe and Niragua Several ricl
gold mines near Carupano are being
worked with New York capital, and
have assayed several ounces to the ton.
There are silver, copper, and lead mines
in Venezuela. Seventy miles east Of
Puerto Cabello are the valuable Aroa
copper mines, from which come the rec
copper. In the Cordillera region are red
hematite and iron DEPOSITS. The largest
deposits of these ores are near the Imataca
xuh ioh io ff mi INIT a,.ioc nj
the Lower Orinoco. A dozen miles from
Barcelona are extenive deposits of btu
minous coal. The Pedernales asphalt Is
similar to the Egyptian refined product
There are rich salt beds in the Araya
Peninsula which have been constantly
worked since 1899. when they were dis
covered by Nino. In the last quarter OF
a century they have produced a govern
ment revenue of 50, 700, 900.
In Lagrenillas, near Merida, there is a
lake the bottom of which is covered with
sesqui carbonate of soda, which the
natives call urao. There are large deposits
of sulphur in Barcelona, Cremona, and
Coro, and there are inexhaustible granite
quarries in the Silla Mountains, neal
Caracas. Granite, chalk, slate, and mar
Bile abonnd on the coast and in tht
Parma Mountains. Over nine tons O
solid gold were taken from the Yuruar
mines from 1886 to 1890 In Coro. at La
Quiva, near the Fedrigal road, there are
forty springs which gush through beds az
white as porcelain. Agriculture In
Venezuela is mainly confined to the rails
ing of coffee, COCOA, and sugar cane
There are mother-of- pearl deposits in
Nueva Esparta.
Venezuela is Federal republic. Itt
Constitution is modelled on those of the
United States and Switzerland. 1t gives
autonomy to the States in the confedera
ton. There are open elections, free
speech, free press, religious liberty, secur
ity Of person and property, prohibit on Of
slavery, and no imprisonment for debt.
But in Venezuela there is no writ Of
habeas corpus and no trial by jury. The
legislative power is lodged in Senate
and House of Deputies. There are
IL rec Senator'S from each State, and
with their alternates, they serve foul
years. One Deputy is apportioned to eacf
80. 900 Inhabitants. The Venezelean Con
gress consists of ~ Senators and 53 Depu
ties.
Ihe population Of Venezuela is ?, 400,
900 by the latest census. On s-the peace