is 1060 miles long with a swift current, and navigable to Honda, a city
600 miles from Barranquilla at its mouth. A marine railway, around the
rapids at Honda, allows small steamers to go about 200 miles above this
inland port. Goods intended for Bogota usually go via rail from Puerto
Colombia to Barranquilla, a distance of about sixteen miles, and are
then transferred to the stern wheeler, wood-burning, river steamers for
all the world like those which navigate the Mississippi. A trip from
Barranquilla or from Cartagena to Bogota takes via the Magdalena River
from ten to fourteen days, according to the stage of water in the river
and includes steamboat, railway and muleback travel. In making this trip
the traveler is advised to take tinned food and bottled mineral water.
Travel through Colombia at best is difficult, the roads are bad and the
hotels miserable. Goods intended for Bogota have six trans-shipments
from the ocean to their destination—an argument for good packing.
The Atrato River, which rises in the foothills of the Andes and empties
into the Gulf of Darien, an arm of the Caribbean Sea and which England
threatened to make into a canal connecting the two oceans if not given
special privileges in the Panama Canal, is navigable for about 225 of
its 350 miles. The largest river on the Pacific side is the San Juan,
being navigable for 150 of its 200 or more miles. The rivers emptying
into the Amazon are navigable for canoes and lighters, but are so remote
and in such a sparsely populated region as to be negligible quantities
in this connection.
Agricultural experts estimate that only one-third of Colombia is
susceptible of cultivation, the eastern part being swampy and the high
mountain lands incapable of sustaining any growth, especially at an
elevation of 13,000 feet. The belt of coast lands with the plateau
regions can be made highly productive.
Coffee is perhaps the largest crop grown, in 1913 the output being
nearly 55,993 tons valued at $16,777,908, practically all of which came
from the Cauca Valley, and nearly all taken by the United States.
Some cotton is grown, of a particularly long fibre, and this industry
could be easily developed into a larger one.
Due to the work of the United Fruit Company of Boston, which maintains
banana plantations near Santa Marta and Cartagena, the growing of this
staple fruit is enlarging into a great business, owing to the fact that
the soil and climatic conditions are ideal for its propagation. In 1913,
$1,996,999 worth of this fruit alone was shipped.
Rubber to the extent of $736,427, tobacco valued at $442,461, most of
which went to Germany, ivory or tagua nuts worth $754,708 and Panama
hats to the extent of $1,174,641 were shipped in 1913. These industries
are susceptible of a greater increase.
The cattle-raising business could be materially developed in some
sections of the country which now grazes about 3,000,000 head. The
breeding of goats could be done profitably. Hides to the value of
$2,661,721 were exported last year, the United States taking by far the
greater portion. Some 30,000 alligator skins are sent annually to the
leather markets of Europe and America.
Excellent hard, cabinet and dye woods are to be found toward the
interior, but the poor transportation facilities retard the development
of trade in this field.
Colombia’s chief wealth is in her mines. There is much gold, also iron,
silver, lead, copper and coal. In the production of platinum this
country ranks next to Russia. Petroleum is found and the petroleum
industry is rapidly assuming large proportions. Practically all the
emeralds of the world to-day come from Colombia, this precious stone
being worth more per carat than diamonds. The government controls the
exploitation of emerald mines, leasing them to operators. The chief
groups of mines are the Muzo, the Coscuez, the Chivor and the Cuincha,
the first named having a yearly output of 262,548 carats of the first
water, 467,690 of the second, 22,700 of the third and 17,800 of the
fourth class. The Chivor group, it is estimated, is capable of producing
$500,000 worth of these stones per year.
Gold to the value of $6,634,914 was exported in 1913. Its production
increases annually. About $1,000,000 worth of silver and $600,000 worth
of platinum were shipped abroad in 1913.
Colombia is presumably on a gold standard, having as its unit of value a
_peso_ or dollar equal in value to the American one. As a matter of
fact, however, the currency in circulation is an inconvertible paper
dollar, which fluctuates in value according to the stability of the
government. I have seen it take three hundred of these dollars to equal
one of ours. Now a paper dollar is worth about one cent gold. Business
transactions are usually done in United States dollars or English
pounds.
Much of the business of Colombia is in the hands of the Germans who
maintain houses at the port towns and branches at other trade centers in
the interior. The English are the next largest investors, followed by
the French.
Colombia in 1913 imported goods to the value of $28,535,780 and exported
products worth $34,315,252. Of these amounts the United States shipped
her 27 per cent., Great Britain 20 per cent. and Germany 14 per cent.
Colombia shipped us 55 per cent. of her products, to Great Britain 16
per cent. and to Germany 9½ per cent. Expressed in figures we bought
from Colombia $18,861,880 and sold her $7,629,000. It is obvious that we
should do a much larger trade with the country, especially when it is
practically next door to us. Our trade with her in textiles now is
$1,500,000 against England’s $3,500,000. In this one line we should be
able to make a 100 per cent. increase.
Colombia exports coffee, gold, emeralds, platinum, rubber, tagua nuts,
hides, skins, feathers, bananas, hats, and requires textiles,
foodstuffs, flour, kerosene, railway supplies, hardware, machinery,
medicines, paper, metals, wines and liquors.
While Colombia _per se_ does not impose a tax in order to do business
within her territory, many of the municipalities do. This problem is a
matter that can generally be adjusted with the leading police official
of the city.
The chief cities are:
_Population_
Bogota 150,000
Medellin 72,000
Barranquilla 50,000
Cartagena 40,000
Manizales 35,000
Sonson 30,000
Pasto 28,000
Aguadas 27,000
Cali 27,000
Ibague 25,000
Palmari 24,000
Neiva 22,000
Monteria 21,000
Yarumal 21,000
Cucuta 20,000
Bucaramanga 20,000
Travel is tiresome, cities hard to reach, samples difficult to carry.
The country can be thoroughly covered by calling on the trade in
Barranquilla, Cartagena, Bogota, Santa Marta, Rio Hacha, Medellin and
Bucaramanga. The larger business houses are located at these points and
have branches in the smaller cities, to which goods are shipped, and
with which they are in close contact.
Colombia may be reached directly from the United States by the United
Fruit Company’s ships which stop at all ports on the Caribbean Sea, or
one may go direct to Colon and there transship to some vessel, of which
there are many plying along the coast.
Buenaventura and Tumaco are the largest ports on the Pacific coast and
are in weekly connection with Panama through the medium of small
steamers.
XI
VENEZUELA
Venezuela was discovered by Columbus on his third voyage to America
August 1, 1498, at the time of his visit being the home of more than 150
different tribes of warlike Indians, who resisted to their limit the
attempts made by Spain to conquer them and explore the country. In 1520,
Cumana, on the coast of the Caribbean Sea, was founded and is the oldest
European settlement in this hemisphere. The Indians, however, kept up a
continuous warfare against the invaders, being gradually pushed into the
interior while the conquerors established themselves along the coast in
towns fortified to resist invasion from the buccaneers who paid them
many visits.
An attempt at independence was made in 1718, which was suppressed.
Although quasi loyal to the Spanish crown, there were many abortive
attempts at revolution, which finally assumed definite form in 1810 when
the citizens of Caracas revolted openly, and declared Venezuela
independent July 5, 1811. Spain, however, put down this uprising and
reestablished its authority, maintaining control of the colony until
August 7, 1819, when Simon Bolivar defeated the Castilian army, and made
Venezuela one of the three States of Greater Colombia. With the breaking
up of this alliance Venezuela became absolutely independent September
22, 1830.
Venezuela is situated in the northern tip of South America with a
northwestern boundary of 2000 miles on the Caribbean Sea. To the east
she is bounded by British Guiana, on the south by Brazil and the west by
Colombia, a total area of 393,976 square miles, although it is really
doubtful if the exact extent of the country is known, especially along
the Brazilian frontier. It is as large as Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,
Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa.
There are three different mountain regions in Venezuela—a continuation
of the Andes—the Coastal Range and the Parima Range, between which are
many high plateaus. The mountain ranges reach an altitude of nearly
10,000 feet, while the highest plateau is about 6000 feet.
Owing to the mountain systems, Venezuela is divided into three climatic
zones: the tropical extending along the coast and up into the valley
through the center of which flows the Orinoco River, the semi-tropical
zone to be found in the llanos or broad plains or plateau between the
mountain ranges, and the temperate zone along the sides of the mountains
on which is grown the famous coffee for which the country is noted.
The United States of Venezuela is a federal union with a republican form
of government, the States, of which there are 20, being entirely
autonomous in their internal affairs. The executive power is vested in a
President and two Vice-Presidents, and the legislative in two houses—a
Senate and a Chamber of Deputies.
While the official estimate of the population is 2,743,000, it is
doubtful if the country has 1,500,000 inhabitants. There are about
400,000 semi-nomadic Indians, the remainder being of mixed blood, part
Indian, part negro, part white, or a mixture of all three. Pure white
and pure negroes are comparatively few. There are perhaps 20,000
Europeans engaged in business and located in the larger cities, the
countries represented in the order of their population being Germany,
Italy, France, Spain, England and a very few Americans.
In the northwest of the country is situated Lake Maracaibo, 370 miles in
circumference, covering an area of 8000 square miles, and navigable over
its entire surface. This lake is accessible to the Caribbean Sea by a
strait 34 miles long and varying from 8 to 12 miles in width. Its
channel permits the entrance of ocean-going vessels of 5000 tons or
less.
The fluvial systems of Venezuela are numerous, there being about 70
rivers navigable for shallow-draft boats for over 6000 miles, the third
largest river in the world—the Orinoco—with its many tributaries
contributing some 4000 miles of this distance. About 600 miles up this
river is situated the town of Ciudad Bolivar, formerly known as
Angostura, where the bitters of that name were first made. Regular lines
of ocean-going vessels and steamboats run to this inland port, the river
being navigable for smaller vessels to San Fernando de Apuri, where the
Apuri River joins it over a thousand miles from its mouth. It drains a
territory of over 370,000 square miles. Other navigable rivers are the
Meta, the Portuguesa, the Yaracuy, and the Escalante. Along the coast of
Venezuela there are about 50 harbors and 32 ports.
For its size there are few railways in Venezuela, the total mileage
being about 550, and the chances are that it will be many years before
there will be any marked activity in this field, due to the topography
of the country, its lack of population and its tendency to revolutions.
Some idea of the conditions confronting the engineer may be had when I
state that the German railway from Caracas to Valencia, a distance of
111 miles, is cut through the mountains in 86 different tunnels and
passes over 212 bridges, often coming out of a tunnel on a bridge and
into a tunnel again. Every time a revolution started some of its bridges
were blown up or tunnels blocked. The English road from La Guaira to
Caracas, a distance of 23 miles, has nowhere 50 feet of straight track
and goes up the mountain its entire length at a gradient of 4 per cent.
The road from Valencia to Puerto Cabello, a distance of 33 miles, owned
by an English company, requires a rack and pinion supplemental track to
negotiate some of its climbs.
There are no manufactured products exported from this country. The few
things elaborated within its confines, matches, candles, shoes, beer,
alcohol, sugar and the like, are for local consumption.
The chances are that its people will always be pastoral in their
pursuits. Its coffee and cocoa are world famous and form a large
proportion of its exports, about 25 per cent. of its population being
engaged in this line. In 1912, $15,137,994 worth of coffee was exported,
two-fifths of this going to the United States and the remainder to
Germany. “Caracas” cocoa is famous, most of the product going to France,
which in 1913 imported $2,305,475 worth of this article alone.
Tonka beans, used in flavoring extracts, are shipped to the United
States, which bought $137,156 worth of them in 1913.
This country is rich in dye woods, cabinet and hard woods, but the great
distance of the forests from the seacoast retards this industry.
“Ballata,” an inferior rubber, much used in the arts and found in the
forests bordering the Orinoco and its tributaries, formed an important
article of export, $1,767,259 worth being shipped abroad in 1913.
One of the largest asphalt deposits in the world, covering 1000 acres in
extent, is to be found in the State of Bermudez. This is owned by an
American company and is practically all exported to the States, $294,184
of the $303,589 shipped last year going to America, and the remainder of
$9,405 to England.
Venezuela, due to its vast grassy, well-watered plains, is destined to
become one of the world’s greatest cattle-producing countries, and is
capable of supporting many million heads. It is estimated that there are
more than 2,000,000 goats and 3,000,000 head of beef cattle in this land
to-day. Four slaughter-houses adapted to ship frozen meat to Europe were
opened and seemed to be on the verge of success when governmental
interference closed them.
Hides to the extent of $1,010,636 and goatskins to the value of
$365,447, came to the United States from this country in 1913. Feathers,
horns, wild animal skins, deer skins and fish-sounds are also large
items of export.
The extent of the mineral wealth of Venezuela is unknown, but the
chances are that it is exceedingly rich in such deposits. It is certain
that there is gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, sulphur, asphalt, coal,
lead, petroleum, phosphates, manganese and caolin. One gold mine between
the years 1871–1890 yielded $25,000,000. I have seen many Indians bring
bottles of gold dust to stores to trade for supplies. There is
undoubtedly much gold to be found in the country and the man with
determination and enterprise who will follow this clue is sure to get
rich returns.
The Island of Margarita, off the coast of Venezuela, and owned by the
Republic, produces the finest of pearls and mother of pearl. Other
islands off the coast are rich in guano and phosphate rock.
Venezuela is on a gold basis, the _bolivar_, equalling almost 20 cents
in our currency, being the unit of value. The _peso_, according to which
bills of the country are reckoned, consists of four _bolivars_, and is a
fictitious coin not existing in reality. The “_peso fuerte_,” or
five-_bolivar_ piece, is a regular silver coin.
The bulk of the business of Venezuela is handled by the Germans,
although the United States takes most of its exports, with France
second, Germany third and England fourth. German merchants are all over
the country, the Italians also are much in evidence.
In 1912, the latest data available, Venezuela exported goods to the
value of $25,260,908 and imported articles worth $20,568,940.
She purchases agricultural implements, arms, ammunition, bags for coffee
and cocoa, beer, butter, canned goods, confectionery, chemicals, drugs,
medicines, flour, glassware, iron-ware, lard, leather, oils, paints,
paper, perfumery, railroad material (chiefly from Europe), wall-paper,
wines, textiles, cotton and woolen goods, shoes, hats, and exports
coffee, cocoa, hides, skins, horns, feathers, dye woods, tonka beans,
gold, pearls, guano, phosphate rock, fish-sounds and ballata.
There are no fees or taxes assessed on the commercial traveler, and
samples are as a rule admitted duty free.
The following cities should be visited:
_Population_
Caracas 100,000
Valencia 65,000
Barquisimeto 60,000
Maracaibo 50,000
Puerto Cabello 40,000
Ciudad Bolivar 40,000
La Guaira 20,000
Cumana 10,000
Carupano 10,000
Barcelona 10,000
A visit to the Island of Margarita is not necessary because its traders
come to the ports of Venezuela for supplies.
Owing to the fact that in Venezuela the consignee can obtain his goods
without presenting an invoice or bill of lading, it is well, unless the
merchant to whom the goods are shipped is known to be reliable, to send
them through some bank or banker, with draft attached.
Venezuela is reached by the Red D Line, flying the American flag, direct
from New York to La Guaira, which maintains weekly freight and passenger
sailings. The Royal Dutch West Indies Line, under the Dutch flag, sail
bi-monthly from New York, having freight and passenger service, but
their route involves many stops and takes about twice the time of the
direct Red D Line.
Ciudad Bolivar may be reached by either of these lines or by going to
Trinidad, B. W. I., on any of the vessels touching there, then taking
the river steamers which cross the Gulf of Para and make the Orinoco
River landings. Better passage and quicker time can be made for these
ports by taking a Red D ship to La Guaira and trans-shipping there to
one of the coast boats.
XII
CENTRAL AMERICA
Owing to their many points of similarity in productions and climate and
their geographical position, the five republics of Central America, the
English colony of British Honduras, as well as the Republic of Panama,
may be considered together.
Nicaragua and Costa Rica were discovered by Columbus on his last voyage
to the New World in 1502, and a small settlement was made by him in
Costa Rica, which the Indians afterwards destroyed, being incensed by
the treatment received at the hands of the invaders. In 1540 a further
attempt to establish a trading-post was successful and finally in 1565 a
Spanish governor was appointed, these colonies having proved to be
valuable acquisitions to the crown.
[Illustration: CENTRAL AMERICA]
In the meantime, Cortez, having completely subjugated the Aztecs in
Mexico, dispatched his officers in all directions to explore the
countries to the south. Pedro Alvaredo, after a series of battles,
finally established Spanish rule over San Salvador in 1525, and
Guatemala in 1527 when he founded the City of Guatemala. Spanish
Honduras was acquired in 1526 by means of conquest.
British Honduras was originally a part of Guatemala, the Spanish troops
stationed there having conquered it, and it was ceded by Spain to
England in 1760.
Panama was a part of Colombia and was discovered by Columbus in 1502 who
minutely explored its shore in search of an expected passage to the
Pacific. In 1903 it revolted against Colombia and became an independent
republic.
In 1821 the five Central American Spanish Colonies, after many
unsuccessful attempts at independence formed a Federation, known as the
Central American Federation. This independence, however, was
short-lived, for Augustin Iturbide, who had proclaimed himself Emperor
of Mexico, annexed them to his territory in 1822 despite their protests.
After the downfall of Iturbide’s government and the execution of its
head, these states again formed a new union in 1824. Continual friction
and lack of harmony among the various countries, caused its dissolution
and one state after the other withdrew and ultimately established and
proclaimed its independence. Several abortive attempts since the rupture
of 1839 have been made to reorganize this union, and the chances are
that these states will always maintain their separate individualities.
Each one, including Panama, is organized as a republic, with a
constitution based on that of the United States, an executive in the
personage of a President, and a legislative body composed of two
houses—a Senate and a House of Representatives or Chamber of Deputies.
British Honduras is ruled by a governor sent from England.
Guatemala has a total area of 48,290 square miles, with a population of
2,000,000, the greater portion of whom are Indians, mixed breeds, some
negroes, chiefly from the West Indies, and perhaps 50,000 whites, mostly
Europeans and Americans. It is bounded on the north by Mexico, on the
east by British Honduras, and Salvador, while the Pacific forms its
southern and western boundary.
Salvador with an area of 7,225 square miles is the smallest of the
Central American Republics. It has a population of 1,700,000 and its
people are of a progressive type. There is a large percentage of Indian
and mixed blood among the inhabitants with a fair number of whites. The
Pacific Ocean forms its southern boundary, Guatemala its western and
Spanish Honduras its northern and eastern limits.
Honduras extends over 46,250 square miles, with a population of 600,000,
chiefly Indians, 100,000 of whom are uncivilized. There are few whites
and many mixed breeds. Its northern boundary is the Gulf of Honduras, an
arm of the Caribbean Sea. Guatemala is on its western frontier,
Salvador, with a bay of the Pacific Ocean on its south and Nicaragua on
the east.
Nicaragua has 49,200 square miles of territory with 700,000 inhabitants,
mostly Indians, and mixed breeds, with a gradual increasing of the white
race. Honduras runs diagonally across from northeast to southwest, the
Pacific Ocean is on its west coast, Costa Rica on the southern frontier,
and the Caribbean Sea washes its eastern boundary.
Costa Rica covers 23,000 square miles and has 399,424 citizens, about
7000 being Europeans, Americans or from the West Indies. There are about
5000 Indians and the remainder whites, blacks and mulattoes. Its
northern neighbor is Nicaragua, the Caribbean Sea washes its eastern
shore, Panama is its southern boundary, while the Pacific Ocean laves
its entire western coast.
Panama, 33,800 square miles in extent, with about 400,000 inhabitants,
and varying in width from 37 to 110 miles, needs little description. It
is bounded on the north by Costa Rica, on the east by the Caribbean Sea,
the south by Colombia, and the west by the Pacific Ocean.
Through its center is a strip of land stretching five miles on either
side of the Panama Canal for a distance of 45 miles and known as the
Canal Zone. By the Isthmian Canal Convention of November 18, 1903, the
United States acquired a perpetual right of occupation, use and control
over the Zone, paying the Republic of Panama the sum of $10,000,000,
and, beginning February 26, 1913, the sum of $250,000 annually so long
as such occupancy continues. The Canal Zone is governed by the President
of the United States. The population of this strip during the building
of the canal was as high as 70,000, but it is doubtful if it has 30,000
inhabitants to-day. With the completion of the Canal, the force of
workmen necessary to maintain it in running order, together with
civilian employes and the United States garrison, will make a permanent
population of perhaps 25,000.