WHY
EEPUBLICS AEE ALWAYS BOEEOWING.
France and the United States,
example
for
61
— did not publish
the amoimt of their exports to Venezuela, no one would
know what
really brought into this country.
is
by comparing foreign
come
know
to
incessant
to
It is only
fictions that
which the government
commence
country, aU
which
revolutions
the frauds of the
up the
extent
the
home
with
we is
Indeed, one would not be wrong in sa^^ing that
cheated.
the
statistics
the revenue
is
men
;
to
to
make Thus
of small means.
sown broadcast, and discontent leads
Yet, great as the evil
spiracies.
Owing
short
falls
customs are raised until the neces-
saries of life are too dear for
discontent
mihappy
this
at the custom-houses.
officials,
deficiency, the
distract
is,
to con-
one cannot help laugh-
ing at the impudence of some of the frauds.
According to
the published returns, the people here must be the dirtiest in the world with any pretensions to civilisation, since
made out
officially
a week
aU that each person
is
it
is
that a quarter of an ounce of soap in uses.
We
know
that the
provmce of Caracas alone consumes a hundred barrels of flour a da}', whereas, according to the
the daily consumption of
nine barrels.
are all
no remittances Puerto Cabello.
more or
end of
is
less
is
no wonder
mortgaged, and that there are
from La Guaira and
Of course the only resom'ce
is
to
borrow
and hence," said C, throwing away the
cigar, " I have the pleasure of
Apropos of
it
empty, that the revenues of the
to the capital except
in foreign markets, liis
custom-house retm'ns,
Venezuela does not reach sixty-
Under such circumstances,
that the pubHc treasmy
Aduanas
all
meetmg you
wliich, as there is a bull-fight to-day,
have never seen one,
let
us stroll
down
here.
and you
to the Corrida."
Before we could reach the eastern outskirt of the town,