Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1910 edition. Excerpt: ... important shipping point, and the commerce is nearly all in the hands of large German mercantile houses. Here were warehouses full of coffee, rubber and bark. This bark is the kind quinine is made from and is very valuable. Mahogany logs are exported, also ebony and dye woods. I ran away, just as our schooner was ready to leave, as I had no desire to return to New York. Chapter xvi. "Tramping Across South America." I was offered several nice jobs on account of my knowledge of languages, but that section being very unhealthy and swampy I refused, and made plans to reach Brazil. Here I made the acquaintance of Tom Hanrahan, a boy of my own age, from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He had also deserted a vessel, and was loafing about waiting for a chance to return to the States. Being unable to speak Spanish, he was nearly starved to death. I had him soon thinking my way to go to Brazil and try to make fortunes as others had, and to prove to him that I could manage things pleasantly for both, I began "mooching" among the padres (priests ), German storekeepers, clerks and their wives. In two hours I returned to him with 60 bolivars ($48.00). Tom had not had a square meal for two months, and seeing my success we were soon devoted chums. For two bolivars apiece, we purchased two nice burros, riding being more preferable than walking, as we had a long journey ahead of us. Maracaybo is the shipping point for Bogota, the capital of the Republic of Columbia, 475 miles south, and as there was a single telegraph wire strung from tree to tree all the way, we planned to follow it to Bogota. At Maracaybo whole ship loads are transpacked on the backs of pack mules and burros, and thus transported all over the interior. The narrow path, beaten deep by...
