The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-08
5, A. THOMPSON, THE ,eVENEZUELAN
EXPLORER LOATHEs SPANISH
8. AGGRESSORs.sti 49,
MONUMENT FUND LECTURE
ALTHOUGH THE ATTENDANCE
WAS QUITE SMALL.
roRR1D AMERICA IS TREATED
City of the Northern and I'm
sailed Sea.

About 300 people gathered last night
to hear a carefully prepared and ably
delivered lecture on Venezuela by s. A.
Thompson, of Duluth. It is to be re-
GREETED because the lecture was the
second of the series of entertainments
in aid of the monument fund. The
lecture was illustrated by magnificent
set of pictures taken by Mr.. Thompson
and members of his party.
In the first place Mr. Thompson
would have the word pronounced as if
spelled Vena-sway-la meaning Lit
tie Venice, a name given the country
by Amerigo Vespucci in 1499 when he
discovered city built up on high poles
in Lake Maracaibo resembling the only
Venice. Much attention has been at
tracted to this land Of perpetual sum-
mer through the Intervention of the
United States in the dispute over the
boundary line, and the speaker touch
ed quite exhaustively upon this. Very
little was known of this country, he ex-
planned, and he gave, in interesting
fashion, the result of his explorations
in the summer of 1896, when, with a
number of friends, he penetrated a por-
ton of thee Imataca mountains never
before visited and discovered and visit
ed one of the Hottest and most beauti-
full waterfalls in the world. He car
ried his audience up the wonderful
mountain railway from La Guayra to
Caracas the capital, and displayed
beautiful portraits of Bolivar, the
"Washington" of South America, and
Gen. Crespo, the president. A glimpse
was given of the island of Trinidad,
with it's swarming population, whose
habits, occupations, religious fetes, etc.,
were all accurately exhibited on the
canvas.
The Journey was then continued up
the Orinoco river, with it's whirlpools
alligators, electric cells, ferocious carih
fish and other strange and hideous
forms of life. The path of Sir Walter
Raleigh and the Spanish adventures,
who sought so long and in vain for
Manoa, the mythical city of gold, was
followed as far as Bolivar the chief
city of the OrinocO, and then the course
is down the great river to the delta
and through the tropical forest to the
unknown Imatacas and the waterfall
mentioned, a very effective view OF
which was shown.
RACES perpetrated upon the Indians by
the Spaniards during the conquests,
he said that newspaper reports indi-
Gated that the Spanish nature had MOI
changed, and equal outrages were oc-
curing daily, almost in sight of the
shores of the United States. Said he:
whether I read the record Of former
days OR of recent days, 1 can see no
necessity for a hell in the next world
for people cursed with the worse than
devilish rule of Spain in this There
may: be room for an honest difference
of opinion as to whether a recognition
of Cuban belligerency by the United
States would help or hinder the cause
of Cuban independence, but every lover
Of liberty will join me in a prayer to
the god of battles to make strong the
good right arms of the Cuban patriots
until Weyler and his bloody butchers
shall be driven into the sea, and in the
republic that shall rise when CUBA
shall be free, the machete shall be til"
emblem of human liberty, even as the
cross is the symbol of salvation"
Mr.. Thompson will deliver another
lecture at the same place this after
noon at 2.S0