128 Naturalist at Large 



made to the Utoivana at La Guaira. His wife and sons 

 were in the States and we were quite foot-free. Allison felt 

 that he should stay on board the boat, only coming up to 

 the capital from time to time for the day. Finally Allison 

 set a certain day and suggested that we meet him in Puerto 

 Cabello. From my point of view this arrangement was 

 perfect, for it made possible a motor trip from Caracas to 

 the port with visits to Maracay and Lake Valencia en 

 route. 



Maracay is one of the unique cities of the world. There 

 is a great ready-made stronghold with a sumptuous hotel 

 and beautiful buildings, all because the famous dictator 

 General Juan Vicente Gomez disliked the climate of 

 Caracas. Here he had his model farm and his extraordinary 

 zoological garden. This was in charge of one of the 

 younger members of the well-known Hagenbeck family 

 of Hamburg, who by chance knew who I was. Herbert 

 Stabler naturally knew Gomez well and at this particular 

 time was teaching some of the old General's boys to play 

 polo. I don't think to the day he died that Herbert even 

 dreamed what an unbeHevable beast the General really 

 was. 



At last it was arranged that I should meet the old tyrant 

 and see his zoo. At the hour appointed we drove out to his 

 farm some miles from the city and waited near the um- 

 brageous rain tree under which he held his audiences. Be- 

 fore long a host of his Andino cowboys, armed to the 

 teeth, rode up in a cloud of dust and in the middle of the 

 great straggling group rode the General on a beautiful 

 horse. He held a large umbrella over his head and car- 

 ried a little grandchild in front of him in the saddle. The 



