EDWARD STRATEMEYER’S BOOKS Old Glory Series _Six Volumes. Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume $1.25._ UNDER DEWEY AT MANILA. A YOUNG VOLUNTEER IN CUBA. FIGHTING IN CUBAN WATERS. UNDER OTIS IN THE PHILIPPINES. THE CAMPAIGN OF THE JUNGLE. UNDER MACARTHUR IN LUZON. Bound to Succeed Series _Three Volumes. Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume $1.00._ RICHARD DARE’S VENTURE. OLIVER BRIGHT’S SEARCH. TO ALASKA FOR GOLD. Ship and Shore Series _Three Volumes. Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume $1.00._ THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SPITFIRE. TRUE TO HIMSELF. REUBEN STONE’S DISCOVERY. War and Adventure Stories _Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume $1.25._ ON TO PEKIN. BETWEEN BOER AND BRITON. Colonial Series _Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume $1.25._ WITH WASHINGTON IN THE WEST; Or, A Soldier Boy’s Battles in the Wilderness. MARCHING ON NIAGARA; Or, The Soldier Boy of the Old Frontier. American Boys’ Biographical Series _Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume $1.25._ AMERICAN BOYS’ LIFE OF WILLIAM McKINLEY. _Another volume in preparation._ Pan-American Series _Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume $1.00, net._ LOST ON THE ORINOCO. [Illustration: Over it went, carrying the boys with it.] Pan-American Series LOST ON THE ORINOCO OR AMERICAN BOYS IN VENEZUELA BY EDWARD STRATEMEYER Author of “With Washington in the West,” “American Boys’ Life of William McKinley,” “On to Pekin,” “Between Boer and Briton,” “Old Glory Series,” “Ship and Shore Series,” “Bound to Succeed Series,” etc. _ILLUSTRATED BY A. B. SHUTE_ BOSTON LEE AND SHEPARD 1902 Published in March, 1902 COPYRIGHT, 1902, BY LEE AND SHEPARD _All rights reserved_ LOST ON THE ORINOCO Norwood Press BERWICK & SMITH Norwood, Mass. U. S. A. PREFACE “Lost on the Orinoco” is a complete tale in itself, but forms the first volume of the “Pan-American Series,” a line of books intended to embrace sight seeing and adventures in different portions of the three Americas, especially such portions as lie outside of the United States. The writing of this series has been in the author’s mind for several years, for it seemed to him that here were many fields but little known and yet well worthy the attention of young people, and especially young men who in business matters may have to look beyond our own States for their opportunities. The great Pan-American Exhibition at Buffalo, N. Y. did much to open the eyes of many regarding Central and South America, but this exposition, large as it was, did not tell a hundredth part of the story. As one gentleman having a Venezuelan exhibit there expressed it: “To show up Venezuela properly, we should have to bring half of the Republic here.” And what is true of Venezuela is true of all the other countries.