Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-06-15
THE oRINoOo COUNTRY.
Explorers in South America Discover
a Wonderful Waterfall.

Wonderful Waterfall.
S. A. Thompson, who went to Ven
ezuela last year in company with /.
0. Dent and others to investigate th'
Orinoco country for the Faribaul
syndicate, was in the city recently
| To Messrs. Thompson and Dart be
longs the honor Of discovering prob
ably the highest cascade in the world
The most exhaustive search in al
records has failed to disclose any rec
ord Of the cascade heretofore.
The exploring party consisted OF
Mr.. Thompson, Mr.. Dart and six OF
eight native carriers. The party
struck out at right angles from the
Orinoco through the dense jungles-
Mr.. Thompson said it was impossible
to make more than three or four miles
per day through these forests, as the
vines, trees and underbrush were so
closely intertwined. The party were
compelled to use machetes to cut
their way through. At night each
man slung his hammock between the
trees, covered himself with a stout
mosquito netting and slept soundly.
During the trip parrots and gayly
plumed birds were seen by the mil
lions. Only seven snakes were seen,
which rather disproves the theory
that the jungles of Venezuela are in
habited by reptiles.
The party continued through the
jungles for 100 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. Coming from a height, which
then could only be guessed, was a
mighty torrent. 1t was following the
PERCEPTIONS sides of the mountain,
which rose to an angle of about So de-
grees. The water followed a multi
tudeof channels, and its rush churned
it into white foam. Thompson says
the cascade looked like a great sheet
of animated white lace with intricate
ly woven meshes. After standing
spellbound the party advanced to ex-
plore the cascade. They climbed up
the side to a height of 600 feet, but
still the waterfall lowered an equal
distance above them. Mr.. Thomp-
son believes the water falls distance
Of 100 or 1900 feet.
The cascade was named the Water
fall of Manoa, after the mythical city
of gold, for which Raleigh and other
explorers so vainly searched.
Mr.. Thompson tells of many won
derful freaks of nature The party
several times came in contact with the
carib fish, which are the most Zero
cious inhabitants of the water known
The fish are not over IA inches long
but they travel in schools. Thei
teeth are three-cornered. Any hv.
ing object which attracts their atten
ton is attacked with fury. Mr.
Thompson tells of an Indian woman
who entered the water to fill a bucket
She was attacked by the fish, anc
rachel shore, only to die in Is min.
utes. The flesh was literally torn
from her body. Mr.. Dart, who wa:
with Mr.. Thompson, caught one Of
the fish and pulled it upon the bank
He held the carib under his foot while
he pointed at the peculiar teeth with
his finger. With a quick movement
the carib Topped out from under Mr.
Darts foot and seized him by the fin.
ger, cutting that member to the bone
The fish frequently have been known
to bite ordinary fish hooks in two
Another fish, which the party otter
came across, was the morocoto, the
flavor of which is like Lake Superior
whitefsh, only more delicate. The
morocoto is provided with molal
teeth, and subsists on vegetable mat
ter, which it thoroughly masticate'
before swallowing. Another pecul
lar creature found was the morocoy, &
species of land turtle, which at nigh
utters a cry Of wonderful sweetness
plaintive and clear.
The bugs and black ants, Mr.
Thompson said, are the bane Of the
country. The black ant reaches the
length of an inch and a half-St
Paul Globe.
Sunken Treasure Ships.
Some Of the famous treasure ships