STRANGE METHOD OF FISHING 75 



else. I had wandered to the suburbs of the town, along 

 the river's bank, where several fishermen were throwing 

 their lines. I noticed that they used no bait, their object 

 being to hook the fish by the body. To a long line a 

 cylindrical weight is tied. Above the weight, for a length 

 of about eight feet, and at distances of six inches, strong 

 fish-hooks are attached. The line is thrown out in spots 

 where the current runs swiftly, and then hauled rapidly 

 in by a series of jerks. This system of fishing is called 

 rohador, literally ' to rob,' and it is surprising to see what 

 quantities of fish can be caught by an expert fisherman 

 in this manner, without a particle of bait. 



Ciudad-Bolivar supplies most of the cattle used in 

 Trinidad. The animals in many cases come from con- 

 siderable distances. Suffering from fatigue and hunger, 

 they are packed so close on board the steamer that they 

 dare not lie down for fear of being trampled upon. The 

 enraged oxen spend the two days on board trying to 

 gore each other to death, and it is not to be wondered at 

 under these circumstances that the beef used in Trinidad 

 is usually tough and unpalatable. 



The soil of the country around Ciudad-Bolivar is poor 

 and is suitable for little else than pasture-land. It con- 

 sists either of hard red clay mixed with pebbles, or sand 

 supporting a sparse and stunted vegetation ; but in the 

 hollows, especially where there are pools or streams of 

 fresh water, there are trees of vigorous growth and the 

 grass is more luxuriant in character. These oases are 

 called morichahs, on account of the predominance of the 

 moriche palm in the vegetation with which they are 

 clothed. In the vicinity of the town the morichales are 

 used by the well-to-do inhabitants as country seats to 

 which they can escape from the heat and dust of the city. 



