The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-02
WHICH FALLS 1000 FEET
AT AN ANGLE OF ONLY FIVE DE-
GREEs FROM THE vERTl-
CAL.
VENEZUELAN
RICH
FINDS.
EIoquently Exploited by 8. A
Thompson, the Former Duluth
Realty Boomer.

Dent, of Litchfield, and others, to in
vestigate the Orinoco country for the
| Faribault syndicate, was in the city
! yesterday on business. Mr.. Thompson
| was formerly resident of the Twin
Cities and was also intimately connect
ed with the Duluth chamber Of COM
merce: He is the gentleman who will
give an illustrated lecture at the Audi
forum May Z and the afternoon Of
May 8 for the benefit Of the Ladies'
Monument association, g. A. r.
Mr. Thompson says that the tract Of
| land placed under the control Of the
| Faribault syndicate by the Venezuelan
government is as large as Massachu-
setts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Della
ware and Connecticut combined. The
tract, which was implicated in the dis
pute with Great Britain is about as
large. as New Jersey. Even If this tract
was lost to the government Of Vene
zuela and the syndicate, sufficient land
would be left to make a small empire
for the Faribault capitalists. This land
is not given to the syndicate, but they
are authorized to have exclusive con-
troll over it for ninety-nine years. All
-. L
is provision in the contract, however,
which provides that the syndicate can
sell the lands to settlers, and that the
latter shall receive deeds to the same.
Mr.. Thompson says the Orinoco coun-
try is full of wonders Of nature, and
| many things were discovered in his
trip which are of vast Importance. The
great mass Of the population is Span
1sh and negro. These two peoples are
so mixed that one Is recognized in all
circles as readily and freely as another.
There Is scattering Of German, Eng
fish and American subjects in the larg-
er cities. German capital has up to the
present time found more investments
than that Of any other nation. Vene-
zuela has a population of 100000, not
including 100000 Indians.
To ,Messrs Thompson and Dart be-
| longs the honor Of discovering 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, Mr.. Dart and six or eight
native carriers The party struck out
at right angles from the Orinoco,
| y
son said 1t was impossible to make
| more than three or four miles per day
through these forests as the vines, trees
| ana underbruSh were so closely inter-
tWlned. The party was 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
ga1ly plumed birds were seen by the
millions. Only seven snakes were seen,
which rather disproves the theory that
the jungles of Venezuela are inhabited
by reptiles. The party continued through
the jungfes 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 burst
| into full view of one of the most Won
derful sights ever seen by man. Com
ing from height which then could
Only be guessed, was a mighty torrent
1t was following the precipitous sides
or the mountain which rose at an angle
OF about IS degrees. The water follow
ed multitude Of channels and it's rush
churned it into white foam Thompson
| says the cascade looked like a great
sheet of animated white lace with in
tr1cately woven meshes. After stand
ing spellbound the party advanced to
explore the cascade. They climbed up
the side to a height Of 600 feet, but
| still the waterfall lowered an equal
| distance above them. Mr.. Thompson
believes the water falls a distance Of
| LOO or 1000 feet.
The cascade was named the water
TALL OF Manoa, after the mythical city
| of gold, for which Sir Walter Raleigh
and other explorers so vainly searched.
The explorers returned to the Orinoco
| by the same path they had hewed out
on their way to the Imatacas. Mr..
| Thompson tells of many wonderful
freaks of nature. The party
! several times came into contact with
the carfb fish which are the most fero-
| cious Inhabitants of the water known.
| The fish are not over fourteen inches
| long, but they travel in schools. Their
| teeth are three cornered. Any living OBJ.
| ject which attracts their attention 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 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 it
upon the bank. He held the carib I'M
| der his foot while he pointed at the
| peculiar teeth with his finger. With
| quick movement the carib Topped
| out from under Mr.. Darts foot and
seized him by the finger, cutting that
member to the bone. The fish fire.
quently have been known to bite ordi-
nary 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
delicate. The morOcoto is provided with
molar teeth, and subsiSts on vegetable
matter, which 1T thoroughly masticates
before swallowing. Another peculiar
creature found was the morOcoy, a
species of land turtle, which at night
utters cry of wonderful sweetness,
plaintive and clear.
The bugs and black ants, Mr.. Thomp
son said, are the bane Of the country.
| The black ant reaches the length of
an inch and half, and it's bite is
more painful than that of a wasp. A
scorpion Is less annoying.
Mr. Thompson says there are won
derful deposits Of the finest iron ore
in the world along the Orinoco. The
deposits are along the high bluffs and
ere unlimited in their extent. Mr..
Thompson says the ore is far richer
than any ever taken out of the earth
In Minnesota.
One feature Of these iron deposits
Is that they are located so high above
the level Of the water that the mines
will never become flooded, and no
pumps will ever be needed. The ore
can be mined very easily, and let down
to the waters edge on gravity rail-
road, to be shipped In ocean-going
boats. The water is deep enough to
| feat any vessel. All the country needs
Is settlers. The Venezuelan govern