LA GUAIRA

la guaira, or la guayra (sometimes laguaira, &c.), a town and port of venezuela, in the federal district, 23 m. by rail and 61⁄2 m. in a direct line n. of caracas. pop. (1904, estimate) 14,000. it is situated between a precipitous mountain side and a broad, semicircular indentation of the coast line which forms the roadstead of the port. the anchorage was long considered one of the most dangerous on the caribbean coast, and landing was attended with much danger. the harbour has been improved by the construction of a concrete breakwater running out from the eastern shore line 2044 ft., built up from an extreme depth of 46 ft. or from an average depth of 291⁄2 ft., and rising 191⁄2 ft. above sea-level. this encloses an area of 761⁄2 acres, having an average depth of nearly 28 ft. the harbour is further improved by 1870 ft. of concrete quays and 1397 ft. of retaining sea-wall, with several piers (three covered) projecting into deep water. these works were executed by a british company, known as the la guaira harbour corporation, ltd., and were completed in 1891 at a cost of about one million sterling. the concession is for 99 years and the additional charges which the company is authorized to impose are necessarily heavy. these improvements and the restrictions placed upon the direct trade between west indian ports and the orinoco have greatly increased the foreign trade of la guaira, which in 1903 was 52% of that of the four _puertos habilitados_ of the republic. the shipping entries of that year numbered 217, of which 203 entered with general cargo and 14 with coal exclusively. the exports included 152,625 bags coffee, 114,947 bags cacao and 152,891 hides. for 1905-1906 the imports at la guaira were valued officially at £767,365 and the exports at £663,708. the city stands on sloping ground stretching along the circular coast line with a varying width of 130 to 330 ft. and having the appearance of an amphitheatre. the port improvements added 18 acres of reclaimed land to la guaira's area, and the removal of old shore batteries likewise increased its available breadth. in this narrow space is built the town, composed in great part of small, roughly-made cabins, and narrow, badly-paved streets, but with good business houses on its principal street. from the mountain side, reddish-brown in colour and bare of vegetation, the solar heat is reflected with tremendous force, the mean annual temperature being 84° f. the seaside towns of maiquetia, 2 m. w. and macuto, 3 m. e., which have better climatic and sanitary conditions and are connected by a narrow-gauge railway, are the residences of many of the wealthier merchants of la guaira. la guaira was founded in 1588, was sacked by filibusters under amias preston in 1595, and by the french under grammont in 1680, was destroyed by the great earthquake of the 26th of march 1812, and suffered severely in the war for independence. in 1903, pending the settlement of claims of great britain, germany and italy against venezuela, la guaira was blockaded by a british-german-italian fleet. la gueronniere, louis etienne arthur dubreuil helion, vicomte de (1816-1875), french politician, was the scion of a noble poitevin family. although by birth and education attached to legitimist principles, he became closely associated with lamartine, to whose organ, _le bien public_, he was a principal contributor. after the stoppage of this paper he wrote for _la presse_, and in 1850 edited _le pays_. a character sketch of louis napoleon in this journal caused differences with lamartine, and la gueronniere became more and more closely identified with the policy of the prince president. under the empire he was a member of the council of state (1853), senator (1861), ambassador at brussels (1868), and at constantinople (1870), and grand officer of the legion of honour (1866). he died in paris on the 23rd of december 1875. besides his _etudes et portraits politiques contemporains_ (1856) his most important works are those on the foreign policy of the empire: _la france, rome et italie_ (1851), _l'abandon de rome_ (1862), _de la politique interieure et exterieure de la france_ (1862). his elder brother, alfred dubreuil helion, comte de la gueronniere (1810-1884), who remained faithful to the legitimist party, was also a well-known writer and journalist. he was consistent in his opposition to the july monarchy and the empire, but in a series of books on the crisis of 1870-1871 showed a more favourable attitude to the republic.