The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-09-27


 draught. Of course the present revolu- tion has supended operations and to- day vessels must remain outside, as of old, rolling and tumbhng at the mercy of the gale; while their anchors, lying on sloping rocks at the bottom of the sea, must be lifted every few hours. or shifting sands would bury them beyond recovery.
 William E. Curtiss, the well known American traveller, says of La Guayra: If the whole coast of South America had been explored for the worst place n which to build city, one could not be found with greater natural disad- yantages which the ingenuity of man could not overcome" Not only shade less and barren. it is one of the hottest places on the face of the earth, owing to the tall mountains crowding down to the sea, shutting off every breath of air from the land side and leaving hardly room enough for mule with a pack on his back to turn around at their base. Though hotter than Cairo, Madras, Acapulco, Yuma and other celebrated places that are said to rival "hades," the natives speak of it's climate as ''calido y sana," meaning warm and healthy. It does not follow that all sec tions within the isothermal line of greatest heat are unhealthy; and, strange to say, this dirty sweltering, squalid little port is the hygienic resort of the people of Caracas and the high lands beyond-the aristocracy coming down every year for gay season at the nearby resort Macuto, the Newport of South America.
 It does not take long to see all there is of La Guayra, though it struggles along the beach about two miles, gener- ally in a single TOW of houses, except when it's narrow street sends two or three offshoots a short distance up the precipitous heights. First you must go to the custom house, for the rescue of your luggage. It is altogether the most pretentious building in the town two-storied structure in the old Span ish style, with walls thick enough to be both bomb and earthquake proof and a long line of pillars in front to which an awning is attached, affording the only merciful bit of shade in the whole glar- ing, roasting, binding place. A central gateway gives admittance to the paved court yard, around which are the store rooms. A grand stair case leads to the upper story, where the chief of the GUS tom house, resides with his family and where is also a splendid suite of apart ments for the president of Venezuela. whenever that dignitary chooses to visit the port. It is 8 busy place, being the most important custom house in the country and large quantity of mer- chandise passes through the hands of it's offiials. A tramway connects it with the wharves. which are lined with the warehouses of French, English, German and Italian and American mer- chants.
 Next you proceed to the Hotel Nep- tuno, the best in the town, and find a large, deep, frowning edifice, whose street entrance leads into the inevitable patio, whence numerous staircases run off, in the most unaccountable manner, to various parts of the building. It is as picturesque as dirt and disorder can make it, and as uncomfortable as pie turesque, with number, variety and intensity of smells which are perpetual astonfshments to the most hardened of olfactories.
 When first ashore, it is best to stay within doors during the heat of the day, until properly seasoned" Wandering about a little in the waning sunlight, you soon discover that no glamour of romance or tradition can hide the fact that this principal seaport of our Sister Republic is most disagreeable little burg, whose few decent buildings and business houses are far out-numbered by the f1en-coop huts of the negroes. | who comprise more than two-thirds of the poulation. The ill-paved street has sidewalks about two feet wide, dimly lighted at night by oil lamps. A river runs through the town on its way to ] the sea. crossed by a good many bridges, which are the principal ornaments of the place. There is a covered house. a | theater and several churches; and strethed along the river bank is a little plaza, planted with dwarf trees and flower beds inclosed within an Amer ican iron fence. In it's center stands a
 bronze equestrian statue of Guzman Blanco, raised upon a pedestal of white marble. It is said to be an excellent | likeness of the late dictator, and was erected by himself in 1880, at great ex- pense-out of the government coffers. On the sides of the pedestal are em- blematic tablets in bronze and at the four corners stand enormous bronze candelabra. President Blanco was a self-made man, and evidently wor- shipped his maker. He certainly made hay" while the sun shone, and during his days of absolute power in Vene- ! zuela, erected at least one statue of himself in every city, town, village and hamlet of the country-and in some cit I ies several ''counterfeit presentments' l in bronze or marble, all of the costliest
 description, paid for at public expense. More interesting than the common features mentioned above are the ruin ed Spanish forts perched above the city on rocks that have been many times stained with blood during the terrific conflicts of days gone by. When buc- cancers and "pirate kings" were cruis- I ing the Spanish Main, La Guayra was a favorite fighting place, for galleons came here to load up with treasure on 1 their way from Carthagena to Spain Upon a high bluff overhanging the town is long, low, rambling castle which served for many years as a resi- dence for the captains general of the