44 A NATURALIST IN THE GUIANAS 



quence, been the scene of many a bloody encounter 

 between the generals of the president in esse and the 

 one i7i posse, who find it profitable to make their 

 followers fight for other people's animals. Sometimes 

 the generals of the opposing factions are friends. In 

 such cases the animals are divided without any fighting 

 taking place ; then one side goes over to the other, and 

 the generals, the colonels, and the soldiers feast on beef 

 that has cost them nothing. 



Although there were passengers on board for this place 

 they were not allowed to land, Barrancas not being a 

 jmerto habilitado — that is, a port regularly constituted 

 for receiving or despatching vessels trading with foreign 

 countries. The government of Venezuela, with its fatal 

 predilection for putting every difficulty in the way of the 

 commerce and advancement of the country, has decreed 

 that Ciudad-Bolivar shall be the only puerto habilitado 

 on the Orinoco. When we reflect on the waste of time 

 and money which this arbitrary decree entails on the 

 people of Barrancas, Los Castillos, San Felix, and on all 

 the inhabitants of that immense stretch of country on the 

 banks of the Orinoco east of Ciudad-Bolivar, we cannot 

 help being struck by the lack of foresight on the part 

 of a government which treats its subjects in so cruel a 

 manner. During our short stay opposite this ill-used 

 port, the ' Delta ' was invaded by clouds of sandflies. We 

 were all glad when the tinkering of the boiler-tubes was 

 completed and we were able to resume our journey. 



At ten o'clock we reached Los Castillos, formerly 

 known as Guayana la Vieja. We cast anchor quite close 

 to the shore, and as the upper deck of the steamer near 

 the pilot-house commanded a good view of the old 

 Spanish fort, I got Jacobson to take a photograph of the 



