The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-06-11

prepared BY the National Geographic go
cioty. Washington. D. CO.
Venezuela Is to be looked into more
closely by explorers; for though the
more accessible coast regions and those
along the lower portion of the OrinocC
river are developed, there are thou
sands of square miles Of back country
southwestward toward the Andes and
southwark toward Brazil that are
wholly unknown.
The portion of Venezuela that is best
known is the coastal region due south
of Porto Rico. Nature set barrier in
the form Of mountains a short distance
back from this coast and for long
time all development was confined to
the north Of 1t. Farther west, how
ever, where the large Gulf of Maracai-
DO bites deeply into the land the noun
tains, too, run inward, skirting the
gulf at distance, and add consid-
cradle area to the region accessible
from the north by water. In the am
phitheater about Maracaibo and the
narrow strip Of sloping land that
stretches Off along the Caribbean the
Spaniards built their colonial power,
neglecting for time the great Orinoco
valley that lay south Of the mountains
with It's broad plains and dense forests.
Maracaibo furnished the name for
Venezuela. About this great protected
lagoon which, because of the many
rivers emptying into 1t, Is practically
a lake, the aborigines lived in typical
lake dwellings on piles. Ojeda, Span
lsh navigator, came sailing this way in
1903 transporting as one Of the first
tourists to the Western world Ameri-
go Vespucci, "pickle merchant Of
Seville" who by a strange twist Of for
tune gave his name to America. See
ng the lake villages with water pas
'ages between the houses, the explorer
,alled the region Venezuela, Little |
Venice" and the name, though wholly |
nept to a land of high mountains, |
,rosd plains and mighty rivers, came
o apply to the whole vast colony.
MaracaIbo Becomes an OIL Port.
Because the mountains, rising from
| tropical coast, pierce the temperate
;one, venezuela's most flourishing
tiles built by the conQuerors rose on
he highlands just inland, each having
Is port. Thus Caracas and Valencia
anne to prominence, one served by the
'ort Of La Guaira, the other by Puerto
Jabello. But Maracaibo, on the strait
eading to the great lake gulf, ranks
8 third city, having a population of
nore than $4,000. It is the greatest
owland city Of the republic. Just
ow petroleum development is taking
lace around the lake and even In 1t,
Or derricks are rising in the water as
hey do at some points on the coast
California. AS result of the
etroleum discoveries. the city Of
In addition to handling
acao. coffee, sugar and hard woods, Is
ecoming an oil port. bar comes
ithin IL feet of the surface at the
atrance to Lake Maracaibo. but inside
lie great body of water is 80 feet deep
I'D so capable Of floating the largest
,ean freighters. Plans to dredge an
ltTanCe are unueT way.
1t Is the extensive Orinoco valley
I'd Its bordering plains and forests ,
at constitute venezuela's land of to-
OF row. The open country has al Y
ady been developed to certain ex- {
MT. The northern bank Of the Orino-
IL in WY comparable to the banks {
the Missouri where that stream 6
'ws through the great plains Of our G
est; but In such a comparison II :
ust he kept In mind. of course. that
,nezueln Is a tropical country and c
Mt the grasses and shrubs Of Its 6
mos are ranker than those on which {
!. buffalo used TO browse. t
Ornoco q Mighty River. t
Just as great herds Of bison roamed I
r prairies. so vast droves Of half o
Id cattle covered the level llanos 8
nth of the Orinoco In Venezuela's r
lonial days. These cattle played an Il
portant part in making independence t
ssible In Spsnish-speaklng South s
nerica for the armies Of liberation s
d their guerilla forces lived on their Il
Eat. These inroads almost exter-
mated the herds, however, and II Is @
ly in recent years that the cattle in d
stry has shown indications Of re- a
ming its former Importance. fl
Il 1t were not hard by the Amazon, t.
ghtiest river Of the earth, the Orino- II
would stand out as a tremendous Fl