56 A NATURALIST IN THE GUIANAS 



difficulties. One may, however, obtain a fair idea of the 

 Orinoco by contrasting it with some of the rivers of the 

 South American system to which it belongs. Leaving 

 out of consideration the Amazon itself, the drainage of 

 which has been estimated to be about six times that of 

 the Orinoco, it will be remarked that one of its tributaries, 

 the Madeira, is at least as large as the Orinoco, and the 

 volume of its next important affluent, the Eio Negro, 

 is probably not less than that of the giant stream of 

 Venezuela. The Orinoco is somewhat larger than the 

 Tocantins, but is smaller than the La Plata. I have 

 entered into these details respecting the river on which 

 the capital of Guiana stands because they may prove 

 interesting to those who, like myself, are fond of physical 

 geography. 



The name Angostm'a appears so appropriate to the 

 locality upon which the city we were about to visit has 

 been built, that it seems a pity to have changed it to that 

 of Ciudad-Bolivar, however disposed we may be to admit 

 the claim of the Lihertador to the distinction conferred 

 •on his memory at the meeting of the Congress in 1819.^ 



It took some time to get the ' Delta ' alongside of the 

 steep sandy bank which forms the landing-place when 

 the river has begun to fall. "While my men were looking 

 after the carrying of our effects to the Custom-house, 

 I went ashore to pay a visit to the Hendersons, one of 

 whom is United States Consul. The first thing that 

 strikes the traveller coming from Port of Spain when he 

 lands at Ciudad-Bolivar, is the great difference in appear- 

 ance and construction between the houses in the British 

 West India islands and those of the towns in Venezuela. 



' In 1819, at a meeting of Congress, the city of Angostura was christened 

 anew Ciudad-Bolivar in honour of Simon Bolivar. 



