648 



NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



4. Cordillera de Merida 



The road to Merida is by steamer to 

 a Ceiba, R. R. to Motatan (and soon 

 to Valera) and then by car over 

 Mucuchies Paramo. 



Maracaibo: (About 12 hours.) River 

 steamer to San Carlos; R. R. to El 

 Vigia; road to Merida. 



Maracaibo: (About 24 hours.) River 

 steamer to Encontrados on Rio Cata- 

 tumbo; passes through rich, lowland 

 forests. In the vicinity of the town, 

 the forest has been largely removed, 

 but several swales and ponds are 

 interesting. 



Encontrados: (56 km.) R. R. to E, 

 Guayabo (posada). Rio Zulia, caiios, 

 and some uncleared woods. (102 km.) 

 R. R. to La Fria (native huts available), 

 much uncleared, lowland forest: also 

 foot-hills with almost pure stands of 

 tree-ferns (Cerritos de las Brujas), 

 and forest (Quebrada Santa Aguita); 

 Rio La Grita. (115 km.) R. R. to 

 Estaci6n Tachira (terminal; get permis- 

 sion to live in station) ; a rich locality 

 in the lower mountains; Rio Lobaterita 

 and many tributary brooks. 



Estaci6n Tachira: (About 55 km.) 

 good automobile road or horseback to 

 San Cristobal. 



Note: Scientists would be very hos- 

 pitably received at the American oil- 

 camps some of which have penetrated 

 absolutely virgin country in the Moti- 

 lone region, near the headwaters of the 

 Rio Catatumbo. H. B. B. 



5. The Lowlands 



Tucacas: (37km.) R. R.toPalmaSola 

 (get permission to live in station) ; rich, 

 lowland forest all around junction; hill 

 forest 3 km. up track towards San Felipe ; 

 Rio Aroa and Cano Minapam. (69 km.) 

 R. R. to Boquer6n (our party very hos- 

 pitably received at hacienda maintained 

 by Aroa R. R.) ; lowland and drier for- 

 est; Rio Aroa and numerous brooks, 

 creeks; and cafios; a very rich, largely 

 undisturbed region. 



Encontrados: See above. 



6. The Coastal Semi-Deserts 



Maracaibo: Everywhere (get in touch 

 with oil-men). 



Willemstad: (12 hours.) Biweekly 

 schooner to La Vela; (15 km.; R. R. to 

 Coro (t). 



7. Dutch Leeward Islands 



Willemstad: (About 12 hours.) 

 Weekly mail-schooner (Felipe S. Toledo 

 agency) to Oranjestad, Aruba (t). 

 Return trip 36 hours to 2 weeks, de- 

 pendent on relative strength of wind 

 and current. 



Willemstad: (About 12 hours.) 

 Weekly mail-schooner to Kralendijk, 

 Bonaire (rent a house). 



Willemstad: Do not get permission 

 from governor of Curacao and hire a 

 slooo to visit Klein-Curagao, as that 

 barren island is not worth the trouble. 

 H. B. B. 



It would be premature, for this Vene- 

 zuela, to try to define territories to be kept 

 as reservations. Forest destruction and 

 Nature defacing is the actual program 

 here in Venezuela as everywhere in 

 Spanish America. Traveling through 

 the country is made easier every day, as 

 roads are being built very actively. 

 Of course, it is expensive, unless you 

 have your own car and can handle it 

 yourself. But today, you can go at any 

 time from Caracas to El Sombrero in 

 a few hours, following Humboldt and 

 Bonpland route, and in summer auto- 

 mobiles travel easily to Ciudad Bolivar 

 via Zaraza and to San Fernando de 

 Aguire via Calabozo. Any kind of 

 motorcar will go today from Caracas to 

 Timotes, the high paramo and moun- 

 tain-pass giving access from Valera to 

 the valley of Merida, and it is expected 

 that in 1925 it will be feasible to reach 

 the town of Me"rida itself. An excellent 

 new road from Cumana to Maturin, has 

 just been opened, and another from 

 Barcelona South to Pao. One of the 

 greatest features of progress in Vene- 

 zuela during the last few years has been 

 the construction of good motor roads on 

 a giantic scale. 



