Identifier: earthitsinhabita941recl (find matches)
Title: The earth and its inhabitants ..
Year: 1894 (1890s)
Authors: Reclus, Elisée, 1830-1905 Ravenstein, Ernest George, 1834-1913 Keane, A. H. (Augustus Henry), 1833-1912
Subjects: Geography
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and company
Contributing Library: MBLWHOI Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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ther coast towns. Several hundred white immigrants arrive annually, chiefly from the Canaries,France, Italy and Germany, ^he^ejorungos, as they are called, generally avoidthe land, and adopt some trade or profession in the towns. Their influence is,nevertheless, considerable, and but for them public works would be even in a morebackward slate than is the case. They have directed the mining operations,the erection of public buildings, the harbour works, the construction of roads andrailways. They thus act indirectly on the land itself, which with the openingof communications is daily brought more under cultivation, at least in the vicinityof the centres of urban population. lY. Topography. Venezuela has no seaport on the Gulf of Paria even remotely comparable toPort of Spain in the neighbouring British colony of Trinidad. The only con-venient harbour occurs, not on the gulf, but on the Rio Guavapiche (CanoColorado) about 30 miles below JUaturiii, the chief market for the produce of all
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CUMANA- AMERACAPANA. 109 the plantations on the lower slopes south of the Cumana coast range. Thelittle port of Guiria in the hilly peninsula of Paria, although well sheltered, isvisited only by small coasters ; the neighbouring agricultural district is too limitedto feed a large traffic. Carupano, a little farther west, is more conveniently situated towards themiddle of the advanced coastline formed by the Paria and Araya peninsulasprojecting east and west from this point. South of the inlet easy communica-tion is afforded through a gap in the coast range with the fertile inland valleys,so that with a sufficiently developed railway system Carupano could not fail tobecome the chief outlet for the cacao, tobacco, and coffee of all the surroundingplantations ; the approach to the harbour, however, is obstructed by somedangerous banks. Cariaco, still farther west, at the extremity of the Gulf oflike name, is little visited, despite its well-sheltered anchorage. The neigh-bouring salines,

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