254 SUNSHINE AND SPORT IN 



two fishermen, since concealment in such sunshine 

 is out of the question. Our failure was on this 

 occasion partly due, no doubt, to the proximity of 

 two or three large sharks, whose dorsal fins cut the 

 oily surface of the sea not a hundred yards away, 

 as well as to the somewhat clumsy manoeuvring of 

 a large Spanish steamer, which left two or three 

 hours before the Tagus. Ordinarily, Captain Laws 

 regards Porto Colombia as the best spot for the 

 fisherman on all the route. Otherwise, I imagine 

 that its shallow anchorage, threatened with the silt 

 of the Magdalena, does not make it popular with 

 R. M.S. commanders. 



La Guaira, with all its memories of Amyas Leigh 

 and Rose Salterne, is picturesquely situated, in a 

 temperature about which Dante and Milton have 

 something to say, between the green mountains and 

 the blue sea. The heat, even in June, is so 

 oppressive that it makes the eyes ache just to look 

 at the town from the ship. If the latter stays 

 overnioht, no time should be lost in takingr the 

 train to Zigzag and Caracas, which is, I understand, 

 one of the most remarkable short railroad jaunts in 

 all the world. Like the excellent breakwater, 

 the line was constructed with British capital. The 

 harbour was, when we anchored there, simply alive 

 with fish — snappers, Spanish mackerel and catfish for 

 the most part — but they were wary, and the clear 

 water made mockery of our wiles. Some " Spig- 

 goties," fishing off the quay, knew the trick better. 

 Flinging out a long line, carrying a single large 

 hook baited with a live garfish, into a boiling eddy 

 in which some large fish was evidently harassing 

 small fry, one of them soon landed a large barra- 



