The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-18
TO HUNT ON THE ORINOCO.
AN EXPEDITION IN SEARCH OF Al
SJGATORs AND PLUMES.

1--WE Norwegian Brothers who Mako = BuHi-
mess OF Hunting In the Tropics-The Steamer
They Arc building for Their T~rip-Taies or
BtE Gators They Have brought Back.
Christian and Andrew Christiansen. two young
men OF Norwegian birth. are building q steam
launch at Browns shipyard, Tottenvllle, g. l.,
with which they intend to spend the next year
or two hunting on the upper Orinoco. Tho boat
Is being built with tho profits OF previous expo
ditions. The Christiansens hunt for business and
not for pleasure. Their spoils are principally al
Hgator hides, though the value Of the seasons
hunt is often moro than half Of It In tho plumes
and feathers they have collected by the way
while alligator hunting. Parrots, parrakcets,
and monkeys ill out tho list. 1t Is the present
intention OF the brothers to sail from New York
on the first West Indian steamer that leaves in
the second week Of May. Their launch La Fasosa
will go with them, with its deckhouse and all
easily detachable parts knocked down." to be
set up on their arrival at Trinidad. whence they
start on their long journey into Venezuela.
The brothers are short. chunky little follows.
with q strong family similarity Of features and
carriage. The apparent roundness Of their faces
Is increased by the queer little Handicapped.
rolling.brimmed felt hats they wear tipped back
on their heads in a fashion to suggest burlesque
aureoles. Really, when one takes a second look
at them, leaning on their elbows side by side on
the edge OF q polished table, they are ludicrously
like Raphael's little saints. But where the
cherubim smile in pious ~sanctity the grins that
wrinkle the tough, burned checks OF the two
brothers are very grim and very naughty.
Then. too, they have little yellow mustaches
that curl almost into their mouths. Neither
may the light OF their quick, keen. small eyes be
properly described as holy, and, finally. 1t must
be admitted that the words of their mouths are
OF the sailorman's usual vocabulary. They do
not like the idea Of talking for publication. The
yarns that they spun by tho hour in the loune-
ing room OF Charley Reuters hotel on Dcy street.
where they spend their time when they are in
New York, have to DO drawn out Of them as IL
by DISCRIMINATION when tho Questioner is q
stranger and a reporter.
The Christiansens were born in Norway.
Christian is SO years old and Andrew is %. They
came to this country In 1856. and shipped on a
coaster as able seamen. They worked in q Long
Island life saving station In the winter. Then
they began their alligator hunting trips TO
Texas and Mexico. They prospered, but they
found too much competition. The price of tho
native labor, which they needed to carry on their
work, became absurdly high. Aliigators were
scarce. Finally, though the Christiansens
strongly insist that they are not sportsmcn or
adventurers, the good old Morse blood was In
tnclE Nclubs tnty ielt u rebtlcbS, uuCOutrOllhDlo
desire to 60 whore other alligator hunters had
not been, and shoot and fay alligstors that had
never heard a gun fred. and. In general. to do
new things. In Tabasco, the last country in
which they hunted before going to South Ameri-
ca, they heard Of the wondrous colonies on the
upper Orinoco. just below the Cassiquiari,
which joins the upper Orinoco to the Niger. and
thus to the Amazon.
Three years ago they took their savings and
went down to Trinidad. Their first trip mp the
river was made in u craft that was q combina-
ton OF sail boat, mud scow and barge. Going
forth to hunt they were hunted. At the first
customs station, down on the delta, they had 10
pay duties Of several hundred dollars before the
expedition was passed. At the next station a
new set OF officials looked over their papers and
laughed in cold scorn.
These papers are worthless" they said.
why do you show them to usr'
And the Christiansens. because they were sim
pie and thought that the quickest way out was
the easiest. paid the duties all over again. The
Venezuelan law is very strict in requiring tho
registry Of all importations OF gunpowder. An.
first year. and a great. part OF the expense in
other years. was the outlay necessary to get tho
then the a1npowder tax has been an entirely
disproportionate part OF the seasons outlay. IT
was not the G0xerRment TAX nsd th so rel hpon them
Of a sort he specified BY winking his right eye
slowly and rubbing his thumb rapidly across the
Venezuelan natives, according to tho story OF
the brothers. arc the LATEST creatures OF the
ers tho honor OF accompanying the expedition
for less than Sl6 gold a month. For firewood
Enotted. and cut in ali sorts OF odd and incon.
venient lengths. The Christiansens say that II Is
easier to cut their OWN wood than to prepare
Cleveland's Venezuelan message, the brothers
say. things have been easier for them down
their attempts at extortion-the leopard really
could not 10 expected TO change bis spotsabut.
respectfully advised 70 keep on the orinoco.
Incl cEn 1s HsnDs"s,,I SAID Damn And ,rss; i he oh hs sssnb bad ID
damn guns fall overheard; buy wood Al full q
help him. Henozueia won't, sure. -
The Venezuelan hired man. II the tale Chris
eenuity in the matter OF running guns, lie said
that no would never again trust q native with a
s snp' of o Inc S %ineSes saa.m t@o y Years was ago sa nssd L
as a polling stick, and continually thrust 1t for
half Its length into the mud; The brute had
Ing the gun fairly. so before no came into Chris
tian's presence he rinsed the mud OF by sopslng
tian had occasion to- fire the gun at an alligator.
II kicked him nearly out Of the skin. and when
%ld4 Giish sf the Rtm Ssrre Up as ne bio ,ou as his 8 'f TWO II hs snS
where the steel had expanded before the mud
in the bore had finally given way; ~.
orinoco hy the venezuelan flag and have a
that are very easily arranged. except that It Is
almost impossible TO persuade the native who
more than to lie on deck and look important.
The boat that Capt. Brown is now putting to-
gcther at Tottenville will DO able to carry a
crew OF ten men into places where no steamboat
ever went before. 1t draws only 2la, feet, It Is
So feet long, with q l5-foot beam, and Is 4i2 feet
deep from main deck 70 keel. For the sake Of
the light weight the material used is whit" pine
signer. says that, considering the purpose for
quirements OF her owners. no cannot see
how q more graceful hull could have
Is apparent an easy broadening up to and an
equally gentle falling away from the general
fairness and roundness of the hull amidships.
-Four feet above the main deck will be the sec
ond, and the space between them will bc boxed
in, Above the second deck Will be a detachable
awning frame. The propeller will be driven by
triple expansion engines Of II: horse power. The
cnat az tho hnnt Ia said in be ~ 600. The homo