New Britain herald., 1924-04-15
THE ORINOCO RIVER
 IS WONDER STREAM
May Be Compared to the Missouri A ,
 Of South America

Washington, D. C.. April 15,-Tbe
 Orihoco river, which an American party is to explore within the next few months with the aid of8an airplane tends Itself well to ths modern meth 3oh or travel, says a bulletin from the Nashington, D. c. headquarters of the National Geographic society. This is ecause, though in the tropics. inc river is bordered on one side bv ex- !ensi'e level prairics instead of by lmpenetrable forests such as those . through which the Amazon flows.
 Tn way" says the bulletin. 'it is as 1T the Missouri were being explored where It flows through the Great Plains Of the west: but in such con- parison it must be kept in mind. of course, that Venezuela is tropical country and that the grasses and shrubs Of its llanos are ranker than those on which our buffalo used to browse.
 Cattle Helped Freedom
 Just ss great herds of bison roam- cd our prairies, so vast droves of half wild cattle covered the level lIanos north of the Orinoco in Nenezuea's colonial days. These cattle played an important part in making independ- ence possible in Spanish speaking South Amerlca; for the armies of lib eration and their guerilla forces lived on their meat.
 These inroads almost exterminated the herds. however, and it is only in recent rears that the cattle industry has shown indications of regaining its former importance.
 If it were not hard by the Amazon, nightiest river Of the earth. the Ori- roco would stand out as tremen- dous stream: for, judged by the total volume of water which it yearly empties into the sea- it is probably one of tho half-dozen greatest rivers of the i world. In length the Orinoco cannot ! compete with other great streams; tho | distance from its source 10 its month is about l,G00 miles. Ii has many huge tribute ries, however, which give . it high rank in length of navigable . waters, about i,50o miles.
 Has Huge Delta
 "Thc rivor finds it's way into tho
 
 ing some 1000 square miles. The first introduction which the river nay igator gets to the Orinoco, leads him 10 class it as second Amazon: for m it's low. moist delta forest growths 1 run riot. One sails between the mas. sive green walls formed by rank. growing strands Of thousands of ram. bling vines.
 Above the delta. however. hun fred or more miles inland. the screen ag effect Of coastal mountains comes nto play, and tho plains of llanos be- yin. Even in the prairie region trees 'rinee the river banks. but back from he stream. where ihc dry seasons mako themselves fell, only little Jumps of sturted palms and bushes 'reak the monofony Of the grass oNered plains South of the river are | .reat forests like those of tho Anna $ on basin. and from these tree GOV |, red regions flow, numerous larg. ]: tributaries some of which are not |, fell known. m Iargocs Of Rubber and Chicklc "Occan ships sail up the Orinoro q s they sail up the Amazon, though ot so far. Cuidad Bolivar. 2Go miles rom tho ocean. is the New Orleans [ Nenczueia and is the country's ourth port. Here the river is ten r twelve miles vide even in the Y ry scason and spreads out amazingly \ hen the 1oods. forty of fifty feet l. eep. sweep down. smaller boats q scend the river hundreds of miles r' bote Cuidad Bolivar. almost 10 the T ntles, in fact. The traffic on the tf Frr fig not nearly so heary as the e scellent navigation facilities warrant. fol