St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-03-30

in valuable minerals. The climate is
tropical, but the height of the noun
safely be done at Caracas, the "Grar
Reunion Americana. Into this Bolivar
and San Martin were initiated. Fol
some years Miranda made occasional
but futile attempts at revolution, III one
of which he engaged the interest of the
great Dundonald. Nothing of impor-
lance was achieved, however, until April
10, 1910, when Caracas openly rose
against it's Spanish governor, Miranda
and Bolivar heading the revolt. Two
years of conflict followed, not promising
for the insurgents. Then came an earth
quake. 1t destroyed Caracas, killing q
number of people The superstitious
troops Of the insurgents thought it was
an omen, threw down their arms, de-
serted or surrendered and the rebellion
was at an end Miranda was captured,
taken to Spain and died in prison --mur-
dered, it may be surmised. Bolivar
escaped into the neighboring province
OF NOW OIduaua'
In October, 1912. Bolivar re-entered
Venezuela with 500 men, declaring war
to the knife against Spain. Victory fol-
lowed victory In August, 1918, he re.
entered Caracas in triumph. Then came
reverses, and he had to flee to Jamaica.
For some years more the struggle went
on, until 1921, when New Granada and
Venezuela were united as an independ-
ent republic under the name Of Colon
bia, the last Of the Spanish troops being
driven out in 1924. Ecuador was added
to the republic in 1922 Peru formed
another state in 1925 under the name
of Bolivia, Peru itself-and Chile also,
thanks to the genius of Dundonald-
coming independent in 1924. Mexico
threw off the yoke of Spain in 1921, and
Standardization including all Central
America-in 1922 Nor did the prov
inces on the Plata river lag behind.
Paraguay, indeed, was first Of all to win
her Independence, in 1914. Uruguay fol.
tains and plateaus makes it endurablt
to Europeans The total area of land is
81, 600 square miles, and the population
some s, 000, 900. The flora is wonderful
ly profuse, comprising teak, sandal and
camphor trees, palms, tea, vast varie-
ty of spices and perfume bearing flow
ers, rice and the famous MANILA hemp.
The fauna shows no dangerous beasts OF
prey save the crocodile. There are buff
faloes pigs, antelopes, monkeys and
lemurs galore. AS for the people, they
are as much mixed as those of Spain
itself Negritos were probably autoch-
thonous Then Polynesians came in,
and then Malays. Chinese also came in
great numbers, and of late years the
japanese have been flocking, with in
tent, it may we'll be, to possess the is.
land when the Spanish are expelled.
The Spanish population is very small.
Industry and commerce are considera-
BILE. There are steamship lines, rail
roads, telegraphs and cables, and for
eign trade of $50, 600, 000a year. Manila
is splendid city, set on the margin of
one of the finest harbors in the world.
1t has an ancient fortress, fine churches,
gay parade busy streets and canals,
parks and palaces, hotels and theaters.
The inhabitants are an amiable and
handsome race.
Fortified Cities of Spain.
The fortified cities of Spain on the
north and northwest coast are Santona,
Santander Coruna, Ferrol and Vigo;
on the Atlantic, between the Portu-
guese frontier and the strait.of Gibral-
tar, there are Palos, San Lucar, near
the mouth Of the Guadalquiver river;
Cadiz and Tarifa. In the Mediterranean
nre Malaga, Cartagena, Barcelona, Pal
amos, Tarragona, Almeria and Alicante.
Barcelona, Cartagena and Almeria were
formerly looked upon as the most for
midable fortresses on the Mediterra.
mean, but their Notifications are now in
decay, so little attention having been
paid to them since the wars of the
French revolution that, with the excep-
ton of few modern batteries here and
there, they are not worthy of considera-
tion. During the wars with Napoleon
every port of Spain was put in thor
ough state of defense by English money,
but since the Spanards have been left
to their own devices the Notifications
have been neglected, and even forts and
batteries of modern style are mounted
with old fashioned smoothbore guns,
utterly ineffective in modern warfare.
At the entrance of the Mediterranean
are two points which if properly forti,
fed could be held against the naval
powers of the world-Tarifa on the
Spanish side and Ceuta on the opposite
coast of Africa. Tarifa is, in the judy
ment of military critics, capable of be-
ing made as invulnerable as Gibraltar.
All the seaports of Spain have stron.
ger Notifications on their land side than
on that toward the sea- This odd cir
cumstance is relic of the French inva-
sion in the early years of this century,
and also significant of the turbulent
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