Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20
THE oRINoCo.
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 hundred
mouths into the South Atlantic opposite
the British 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 coinctdinR
in Its course with the Schomburg boundary
line between British Guiana and Vene-
Zuela 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
Ortnoco by the mouth known as Macarao,
the open being avoided. 1t was by that
route that the writer started in the Apure,
chartered for the occasion, on trip Of 500
miles up the great river. forming probably
the first and certainly the largest party Of
tourists which had ever assembled it.
Six hours after leaving Port-of-Spafn the
entrance of the Macarao was reached, and
for fourteen hours We navigated a deep
channel, perhaps half a mile wide, whose
attractions surprised those who had read
of the delta Of the Orinoco as a dismal
swamp, thousands of square miles in exc
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 In
dams, many of whom padded out to meet
the steamer and beg, In canoes roughly
followed from the trunk of a tree, and who
uars and alligators, are extremely low spec
linens of humanity. though attachment to
their dogs, large, rough-haired and excel
lent 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
to avoid the current. Sometimes that splen-
did parasite, the matupalo, has wrapped in
it's 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:
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