52 A NATURALIST IN THE GUIANAS 



had become a millionaire. A friend of mine now living 

 in Trinidad relates how three original shares were offered 

 to him when he was in business at Ciudad-Bolivar in ex- 

 change for ten cases of Angostura bitters, an offer which, 

 he says pathetically, ' I declined with thanks.' 



Two of these same shares realised subsequently 80,000 

 pesos.' For a considerable period original shares of 1,000 

 pesos produced dividends of 72,000 pesos yearly. In 

 those days of its prosperity the business of the Callao 

 Company was conducted in a most extravagant manner, 

 and although there was a clause in the articles of associa- 

 tion providing for the establishment of a reserve fund, no 

 such fund was put aside. When, in 1895 or 1896, the 

 main lode was lost, the directors of the company found it in 

 consequence impossible to prosecute a search for the vein 

 of paying quartz, which seems to have disappeared sud- 

 denly. The mine is now the property of a small syndicate 

 of merchants at Ciudad-Bolivar, and they have arranged, 

 so one of them told me quite recently, with the aid of a 

 powerful company in Paris, to spend a considerable sum in 

 search of the lost lode. Should the attempt be successful, 

 and it is to be hoped that it will be, the Callao will again 

 pour forth a stream of wealth like that which so benefited 

 in the past the commerce of the Lower Orinoco. To the 

 fact of huge fortunes having been occasionally made by 

 a few lucky ones out of successful mines like the Callao 

 can be traced that infatuation most human beings appear 

 to suffer from, of investing, sometimes all their savings, 

 in gold-mining speculations. And it may be remarked 

 that men who are exceedingly cautious in their regular 

 dealings are frequently the most easily duped where mines 

 are concerned. Probably ventures appealing strongly to 



' G4,000 dollars U.S. money. 



