638 The National Geographic Magazine 



Maracaibo was founded in 1571, and 

 has had its ups and downs, like the other 

 cities upon the coast, the greatest disaster 

 in its history being the raid of the no- 

 torious buccaneer, Morgan, in 1669, 

 which, had it been two years later, might 

 have been regarded as a centenary cele- 

 bration. Today, happily, the city enjoys 

 comparative prosperity, and despite the 

 unfortunate reputation for unhealthful- 

 ness that it has gained abroad, and, 

 within the republic, the equally unfortu- 

 nate association in the popular mind with 

 its huge dungeon, crowded with political 

 suspects and the wretched leaders of the 

 last revolution — for Maracaibo and its 

 prison have become almost synonymous 

 terms in Venezuela — its citizens might 

 be excused for boasting of their western 

 metropolis, the only city upon the Vene- 

 zuelan coast which has refused to be 

 merely a port of call for vessels — an ag- 

 gregation of buildings, so to speak, sur- 

 rounding a customs-house. 



Notwithstanding the drawbacks, from 

 the tourist's standpoint, to many of the 

 places I have mentioned, I believe the 

 trip to and from the Venezuela coast will 

 soon become an attractive one, even to 

 the comfort-loving American. He will 

 visit Caracas, La Guaira, and Macuto, 

 and perhaps Puerto Cabello, returning 

 either by Curacao and Porto Rico or by 

 Margarita, Trinidad, and the beautiful 

 islands of the Windward group ; and if 

 he has read and treasured as a child the 

 strange and terrible stories of the Span- 

 ish Main, with its gold-laden galleons, 

 its fierce buccaneers, and the occasional 

 English freebooter from the Drake of 

 history to the Amyas Leigh of fiction, no 

 trip could be more fascinating to him. 

 The invalid, also, will in time be attracted 

 to these southern waters, and will find to 

 his surprise that a voyage through the 

 Caribbean Sea is almost as delightful and 

 quite as beneficial as a tour of the Medi- 

 terranean. 



FARTHEST NORTH 



AS this number goes to press news 

 is received of Peary's success in 

 reaching the "Farthest North," 

 87 6'. Our information is limited to 

 the brief telegrams printed below, but 

 they tell enough to show that the latest 

 expedition of Peary has been the most 

 successful he has yet made. The public 

 will probably be most interested in the 

 fact that Peary has won back for Amer- 

 ica the record of the farthest north, held 

 by Nansen and Abruzzi since 1896. Pre- 

 vious to Nansen's voyage, America had 

 held the record for 14 years by reason 

 of the achievement of Lockwood and 

 Brainerd, of the Greely expedition, in 

 reaching 83 ° 24'. 



Peary's first telegram was as follows : 



"HopedalE, Labrador, 

 "Via Twilungate, Newfoundland, 

 "November 2, 1906. 

 "Secretary Herbert L. Bridgman, Peary Arctic 

 Club: 



"Roosevelt wintered north coast Grant 

 Land, somewhat north Alert's winter 



quarters. Went north with sledges Feb- 

 ruary via Hecla and Columbia. Delayed 

 by open water between 84 and 85 degrees. 

 Beyond 85 a six days' gale disrupted ice, 

 destroyed caches, cut off communication 

 with supporting parties, and drifted east. 

 Reached 87 degrees 6 minutes N. latitude 

 over ice drifting steadily eastward. Re- 

 turning ate dogs. Drifted eastward, de- 

 layed by open water. Reached north 

 coast Greenland in straitened conditions. 

 Killed musk oxen and returned along 

 Greenland coast to ship. Two support- 

 ing parties driven on north coast Green- 

 land. One rescued by me in starving 

 condition. After one week's recupera- 

 tion on Roosevelt seldged west, com- 

 pleting north coast Grant Land, and 

 reached other land near 100th meridian. 

 Roosevelt magnificent ice fighter and sea 

 boat. No deaths or illness in expedition. 



"Peary." 



A more detailed account of the new 

 land which Peary reports he has discov- 



