Evening star., 1901-12-14
THE ORINOCO.
One OF the Great but Little Known
Rivers of the World.

One of the Great but Little Known
Rivers of the World.
From the Caracas Herald.
One Of the greatest rivers Of the world,
the Orinoco, is also one Of the least known
to Europeans Its sister, the Amazon, has
often been described, by Wallace and
Bates. among others, but Humboldt re-
mains practically the only writer Of stand
ing upon the great stream. which. rising on
the frontiers Of Brazil runs for 1000 miles
through Venezuela, receiving in its course
such immense tributaries as the Mela and
Apure. and discharging itself by a hun
dred mouths1 the South Atlantic op-
posite the Bftfsh Island Of Trinidad.
The principal entrance, and the only one
available for sailing vessels, is the Boca
Grande. to the south, into which flow.
among other tributaries, the Aratura and
the Amacura, the latter almost coinciding
in it's course with the Schomburg boundary
line between British Guiana and Ven
ezuela. But most Of the traffic Of the ORR
noco passes through Trinidad, where pas
sengers and goods are transferred to steam
ers almost fiat bottomed, and reach tho
Orinoco by the mouth known as Macarao,
the open sea being avoided. 1t was by that
route that the writer started in the Apure,
chartered for the occasion, on trip of 800
miles UP the great river, forming probably
the first, and certainly the largest, party Of
tourists which had ever ascended 1t.
Six hours after leaving Port-of-Spain the
entrance of the Macarao was reached, and
for fourteen hours we navigated deep
channel, perhaps half a mile wide, whose
attractions surprised those who had read Of
the delta of the Orinoco as dismal
swamp, thousands Of square miles in ex-
tent. tenanted only by few wild Indians,
who built their houses in among the trees,
by wild beasts and by birds. The descrip-
ton Is true. though the impression left is
not quite correct. Well-nigh impenetrable
forest and underground hide ground which
Is for the most part ooZe, covered for half
the year by water. The Guaraon Indians,
many Of whom padded out to meet the
steamer and beg, in canoes roughly hollow
ed from the trunk Of tree, and who dis
pute supremacy Of these wids with jaguars
and alligators, are extremely low speci-
mems Of humanity, though attachment to
their dogs, large, rough-haired and excellent
hunters, should be mentioned to their credit.
But the passerby sees none Of the hor-
rors of this great swamp They are con-
cealed by magnificent trees growing to the
waters edge, whose branches may some
times be touched from the steamer, when
she Is steered close to the shore in order
did parasite. the matapalo, has wrapped in
its deadly folds several adjacent trees, and,
these perishing, 1t stands alone, showing
walls of green. and resembling a large ivy
mantled tower. Upon this and upon the
tops of the tallest trees other parasites
fling masses Of blossom. A flock of fla
mingoes makes a brilliant scarlet patch
here and there; the sun flashes from par
rots of many sizes and various hues; snow
white cranes gaze stolidly from the banks;
macaws, green and yellow, or deep GRIM
son on head and breast, fly heavily past;
and smaller birds, Of every color in the
rainbow. scream or chatter or sing among
the trees.