Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-11
WONDERS OF THE oRrxoco.
As Reported by Recent American Ex.
plorers.


plorers.
From the ST. Paul Ciinn) Globe
;. A Thompson. who went TO Venezuela
last year in company with L. O. Dent and
Others TO Investigate the Orinoco country
Tor the Faribault syndicate. was in the city
yesterday On business. To Messrs. Thomp-
son and Dart belongs the honor of discover
ing probably the highest cascade in the
world. The most exhaustive search in all
records has failed TO disclose any record OF
the cascade heretofore.
The exploring party consisted OF Mr..
Thompson and Mr.. Dart and six or eight
naive carriers. The party struck out at
right angles from the Orlnoco through tho
dense jur giles. Mr.. Thompson said n was
iHpossible To make more than three or four
miles day through these forests as the
vines. trees and underbrush were SO closely
intertwined. The party We're compelled TO
use machetes to cut their way through At
night each man slung his hammock be-
tween the trees. covered himself with
stout mosquito netting and slept soundly.
during the trip parrots and gayly-plumed
pirds We're seen by the millions. Only seven
srakes We're seen. which rather disproves
the theory that the jungles of Venezuela
are inhabited by reptiles
The party continued through the jungles
lot No miles, and one day the sound OF a
mighty cataract came to their ears. The
exploring party was then in the Imataca
mountains. The sound of the falling water
was pursued. and in an hour or two the
party came in full view OF one OF the most
wonderful sights ever seen by man. COM
ing from hight which then could only he
guessed, was mighty torrent. Ii was
following the precipitous sides OF the noun
tam, winch rose at an angle of about NJ
degrees. The water followed a multitude
of channels. and its rush churned I into
white foam. Thompson says the cascade
looked Ike a great sheet of animated white
lace. wifi iOfri0a fel
standing spellbound. the party advanced to
explore the cascade They climbed up the
side to height of GO feet. hut still the
waterfall lowered an equal distance above
them. Mr.. Thompson believes the water
falls distance of LOO or 200 feet. The
cascade was named the Waterfall OF Ma
noa. after the mythical city of gold for
which Raleigh and other explorers so vain
ly searched.
Mr.. Thompson tells of many wonderful
fieaks of nature. The party several times
came In contact with the carib fish, which
are the most ferocious inhabitants of the
water known. The fish are not over four
teen inches long, but they travel in schools.
Their teeth are three-cornered. Any living
object which attracts their attention is at
tackled with a fury. Mr.. Thompson tells OF
an Indian woman who entered the water to
NIL a bucket. She was attacked by the fish
and reached shore, only to die in fifteen
minutes. The flesh was literally torn from
her body. Mr.. Dart, who was with Mr..
Thompson, caught one of the fish and
pulled IL upon the bank. He held the Garth
under his foot while he pointed at the pecu-
liar teeth with his finger. With quick
movement the Garth Topped out from under
Mr.. Darts foot and seized him by the
finger, cutting that member TO the bone.
TIE fish frequently have been known TO
bite ordinary fish hooks in two. Another
fish which the party often came across was
the morocoto. the flavor of which is like
Lake Superior white fish, only more deli
cate. The morocoto is provided with molar
teeth and subsists on vegetable matter,
which it thoroughly masticates before
swallowing. Another peculiar creature
found was the morocoy, a species of land
turtle, which at night utters a cry of won
derful sweetness, plaintive and clear. The
bugs and black ants, Nh. Thompson said,
are the hare of the country. The black
ant reaches the length of an inch and a
hal