The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-09-27
A VISIT TO VENEZUELA.
ENTERING THE REVOLUTION
 .ARY REPUBLIC

AtLa Guayra-ThrOugh Ihe Clouds to
 Caracas, Via the Wonderful Rati- road-The Castle Where "the Rose of
 DevOn'' DweIt.
 Especial Correspondence of the Journal
 and JournaL)
 Caracas, Venezuela, Aug. 20 1902.
 In times of peace-if there ever are any in this turbulent republic-no pleasanter trip can be made than to Venezuela, wherever the starting point, and whatever time of year. The two- and-mile-journey, from New York to Cuba, or Yucatan, and thence by To- cal steamers across the blue Caribbean and among its beautiful islands-is un- alloyed delight from start to finish. True, it is not so fashionable as the two or three months European tour which unnumbered thousands of our country men make over and over again; but why not try it for change? Half the money that would be required for the beaten track in the Old World would give one this infinitely more desirable bit of travel, with it's strangely varied scenes and sensations, and some of the most enchanting views the world can show.
 Coming down from the North, or across as we did from Haiti, on one of the many vessels that ply between West Indian ports and the Eastern coast of South America-your first glimpse of Venezuela is of huge red mountains that seem to tower straight out of the tranquil sea. They are the northernmost extremity of the Andes, that mighty Cordillera which extends down the entire Pacific coast of the continent and stretches a long arm clear across Venezuela to the Atlantic, ending here as abruptly as at Cape Horn, its southern extremity. For hundreds of miles there are hardly more than ten feet of level land be- tween the rolling surf of long Atlantic pillows and the precipitous slopes, ex- cept at the mouth of some river, or ra- vine, where entrance from the sea is generally impracticable At La Guayra the ine-thousand-foot- mountains whose heads are lost in the clouds, ac- tually wet their feet in the sea. The little yellow city, clinging like barna- cle to their sides, looks as if any gale might blow 1t off into the ocean. Close to it's one long, dirty street the sea- floor drops into a hundred fathoms of water, and less than mile beyond the doorsteps of the houses the depth is said to be two thousand feet. To the north and south you see a tiny thread of roadway, leading from village to village, cut out of the sheer face of the cliff and sometimes overhanging the surf which dashes it's spray upon the passing traveller. Vessels which visit this so-called port, which is the only entrance from the sea to Venezuela S capital, must anchor far enough out to avoid the surf, which runs with tremen- dous force whenever a strong breeze is coming storm, every anchor is hoisted and vessels speed away, preferring to trust "the ocean wild and wide" Pas sengers are discharged into open boats a mile or more from shore, whence they are rowed across the laundering surf to pier where considerable wisdom and agility are required for selecting the most favorable spot and precise in- stant for making leap to terra firma. However, there are always plenty of friendly, If somewhat dirty, hands stretched out to assist the approaching stranger; and in cases of emergency, such as thin shoes or timorous female, the boatmen hoist human cargo to their shoulders with the same "neatness and dispatch" with which they handle bales and boxes It is but fair to say that a good deal of money has been put into this alleged harbor with view to inn proving it. Guzman Blanco, the late dictator of Venezuela, sunk millions here, in breakwater, in the shape of two moles built out from La Guayra at an acute angle, the narrow point open. He gave the contract for, its building to shrewd Yankees, who had the clause inserted in the contract that he should receive the stipulated sum soon as a ship could go behind the breakwater. The completed work proved altogether too small for harbor purposes, for nothing larger than lighters and the smallest kind of coast ing craft could get in and out of it. One ship did actually manage to wig gle through, hired by the contractor for a good round sum-the first. last and only one that ever accomplished the seemingly impossible feat So the Yankee got his money--but he left that very night on the hired steamer, to es- cape the righteous wrath of the dicta- tor. The abortive work, though entire- ly unfit for the purpose intended, did do some good. To this day it serves some what to break the tremendous force of the waves that continually roll in from the northeast, thus greatly facilitating the landing and discharge of lighters at the wharf. A new breakwater is now in progress of construction, which, it is hoped, will mend matters considerably An English company holds the contract with the Venezuelean government, to erect a wall of solid cement, three quarters of mile in extent, enclosing sixty acres in connection with a mod ern pier. It is to cost three million dollars, occupy not more than five years in building, (according to the contract)