The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-06-25
BINGHAM LIVES ON
CRANES and BIRDS
CURATOR OF HARVARD HAS RE-
MARKABLE EXPERIENCE IN
SOUTH AMERICA.

NEW YORK, June 9.-Prof Hiram
Bingham, curator of South American
history at Harvard and member of the
faculty of Princeton, has just arrived
with a story of adventure from a tour
of historical research in South Amer
lea With DR.. Hamilton Rice of Bos-
ton he gathered valuable historical in
formation. Secretary Root had given
letters to Prof Bingham to help him
along.
The professor first went to Crab
Island, near Porto Rico, and discovere~
the exact spot where the colony of the
Scottish-Darien company landed in
$685. Crab Island, which now Belongs
to the United States, is an ideal spot
said the professor. At Caracas Prof.
Bingham was given the freedom of the
port He he was joined by DR.. Rice.
The object of the expedition was to
get valuable data in connection with
the life of Gen. Bolivar and the wars
of independence.
They left Valencia with five saddle
mules, a guide and a mule cart. They
wished to cross the Venezuelan from
tier to Colombia with a cart, feat
never before accomplished. They did
it, but lost four mules. 1t took four
months to reach Bolivar, distance of
1000 miles The first accurate survey
was made of the field of Carabobo,
scene of the greatest battle in Vene-
zuela. The history of the engagement,
which was fought in 1920, has been
written many times, but never before
had there been an attempt to map the
scene
On the western edge of the Great
Llanos they saw many ruined cities
| houses of the Spanish grandees They
reached Arauca, town on the bound
airy opposite Colombia, after covering
more than 40 miles. Here they had to
abandon their cart. Although they
had American passports and orders
from the Venezuelan Government, the
local authorities said the travellers
cargo consisted of arms and ammuni-
ton. The Alcalde of the district re-
fused permission for them to go on
unless they surrender their weapons
They were about to enter a country
of wild Indians on the river, and their
guns were also needed to provide food
The Venezuelan garrison, four sol
diers, armed with Mausers and hun
dred rounds, were drawn up in front
of the travellers camp.
Then they rode fifty miles to the
capital of the province and the Gov.
ernor himself rode back to their camp
but did not discover their guns, which
were of the type that take down" in
to sections. The Governor was disap-
pointed, as he evidently wanted those
weapons for himself. He allowed then
to go on. Colombia showed every con.
sideration, a messenger from Bogots
meeting them overland.
From Venezuela to Bogota was 60(
miles. They followed the route o
Gen. Bolivar in his march, which end
ed in the battle of Boyaca, where thu
Spaniards were forever shut out o
Colombia. In this march Gen. Bolivar
lost every horse he had.
1--WE passed through terrible
swamps," said Prof. Bingham, "anC
over very high mountains where ther'
are no roads. We were held up fou
= days by little stream, when ordin
arily is twenty feet across but whicl
had been swollen to a width of tw,
miles by recent heavy rains, We hal
very little food, no salt, coffee or su
gar, and had to live on storks, crane
\ and wild birds. New York World.
nhUUnE NmUa GuaAEN