Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1924-06-04

stream for, judged by the total volume
of water which it yearly empties into
the sea, it is probably one of the half
dozen greatest rivers of the world. In
length the Orinoco cannot compete
with other great streams the distance
from its source TO its mouth is about
1,600 miles. 1t has many huge tribu-
taries, however, which give it high
rank in length Of navigable waters,
about $500 miles.
The river finds its way into the At
lantic through a huge delta covering
some 1000 square miles. The first
introduction which the river navigator
gets to the Orinoco leads him to class
it as a second Amazon; for on its low,
moist delta forest growths run riot.
One sails between the massive green
walls formed by rank-growing strands
of thousands Of rambling vines.
Above the delta, however, a hundred
or more miles inland, the screening
effect of coastal mountains comes into
play, and the plains or llanos begin.
Even in the prairie region trees fringe
the river banks, but back from the
stream, where the dry seasons make
themselves felt, only little clumps of
stunted palms and bushes break the
monotony of the grass-covered plains.
South of the river are great forests
like those of the Amazon basin, anc
from these tree-covered regions flow
numerous large tributaries, some Of
which are not we'll known 1t is in this
part of Venezuela that exploration Is
to be pushed.
Boats Almost Reach the Andes
Ocean ships sail up the Orinoco as
they sail up the Amazon, though not
so far Cuidad Bolivar, 260 miles
from the ocean, is the New Orleans of
Venezuela and is the country's fourth
port Here the river is ten or twelve
miles wide even in dry season and
spreads out amazingly when the floods,
40 or 80 feet deep, sweep down.
Smaller boats ascend the river hun
dreds of miles above Cuidad Bolivar,
almost to the Andes, in fact. The
traffic on the river is not nearly SO
heavy as the excellent navigation
facilities warrant, owing to the sparse
ness Of the population. Canoes and
RATS floating down from remote re-
gions Of the upper Orinoco basin bring
considerable quantities of rubber,
balata gum, chicle, and hides to Cuidad
Bolivar,
Photography has played a queer
trick on the Orinoco in the upper
reaches Of the river. A stream flows
part of its waters to the Amazon This
stream, the Casiquiare, is navigable by
small boats, so that it is possible to go
inland by water from the mouth OF
the Orinoco to the mouth Of the
Amazon.
1t is where the OrinocO system
merges with the Amazon system, and
in the region generally west to the
Andes that Venezuela's least-known
territories are to be found. From time
to time during the past several cen
turtles explorers have penetrated parts
the most part they have gone by water
and have seen only the rivers bordered
by their dense walls OF vegetation
which shut out perhaps interesting Sc
crets beyond.
Legends and reports about this re
gion and it's outskirts are numerous
and where one begins and the other
ends is often difficult to determine
The connection of the Orfnoco and
Amazon by a natural "canal" was long
considered a myth, but in 1899 Alex
| ander van Humboldt confirmed the
fact that the two river systems merge
| through good-sized stream Many Of
| the huge Orinoco tributaries are said
| to contribute waters of distinct colors
one milky white, another black, still
another yellowish, etc. In one of tn,
rapids just above the limit Of naviga
ton in the main stream are reported
to be musical stones" which, like the
statue of Memnon in Egypt. give out
sounds when warmed by the rays o.
the sun.
So great is the discharge Of the
Orinoco that it very materially re
duces the sadness of the Gulf of Paris
| and the neighboring waters. This eff
| feet is so marked that Columbus, whs
touched near the mouth of the Orinoct
in 1893. spoke Of these waters a. ''ties
fresh-water sea-"