er HE following is an abstract of a paper read before the Agri
./ cultural Society by Senor M. J. Romero of Caracas, Venezuela,
who has been detailed to this place by the Venezuelan Gov
ernment in order to study our experiment station methods.—[Ed.]
Venezuela was the first South American country discovered by
Columbus on his third voyage. He landed on the eastern coast
near the mouth of the Orinoco river on August "st, 1498, the
fourth centennial of which event was celebrated with great pomp
throughout Venezuela on the first day of last August. In 1499
Alonzo de Oleda, a Spanish navigator, arrived at the Gulf of
Maracaibo, on the western coast of Venezuela, where he found a
small colony of Indians living in huts supported by piles extend
ing out from the water. On account of the similarity of this
settlement to the Italian city of Venice, he gave to it the name of
Venecia. It was later called Venezuela (Little Venice), a name
which was soon applied to the entire country.
The Spaniards spent more than forty years in subduing the
native inhabitants of the country, after which time Venezuela re
mained in their power until the early part of the present century.
In 1806 the Venezuelan General Miranda, with a band of valiant
followers, raised the first cry of independence. The revolution
ists were overcome and cast into prison, where Miranda died.
Among his companions were quite a number of Americans, all of
whom were either beheaded or hanged. A statue of Miranda,
one of the finest in all Venezuela, has been erected to the memory
of the Americans who lost . their lives in our war for independence.
On the sth of July, 1811, was signed the declaration of inde
pendence, but independence was not gained until after ten years
of bloody warfare. Bolivar, who, for delivering five countries
from Spanish bondage, has been aptly called the Washington of
South America, led our forces during this long war. As Bolivar
was the Washington, so was General Monagas the Lincoln of
Venezuela. In 1854, he abolished slavery which had first been
introduced.into the country in the 16th century by the Spaniards..