Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-09-29
[VOL. XyII.---NO. 10

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bia, reduce the marches of Hannibal. d
Charlemagne. and Napoleon, 10 compare
tive inconsequencs. In 0sjer TO afford
some slight ideas, Tor written language
falls short OF adcquai descriptions, OF
those extraordinary cDterpr'zes, we shall
give sketch OF The pass oi GuGnccS
HE lotlios pinnacles OF the Cordilleras
are II tue Colombian republic aud
run parallel 10 the coaS, al abou, ld0 To
$50 miles disiapce--rhe main body Of
The Cordelicra branches I'll into iilrce
great limbs, between lar > deg. anh 5
deg. aorih. The easiernmost OF these
three, contiguous 10 the pass Of q aapaca.
forms the fountain OF the great rivers
lea Parama and Magdalena, The former
OF which p!unges Oft 10 the s. L. aud
Winds rs vast stream. ill IL unltes with
Ia Oronoco--the Magia!ena pours lis
magnificent waters 10 the north, d.Sciarg.
ing them into The Caribbean sea.
The central limb separates tie MaeS
daena from Ike Cauca, and is the mast
elevated of the three It's three lofty peaks
eEirr the regions oieternal SNOW, ana iNe
10 Tic passes The names of OHindlu, Bar
agan, and Guanacas-ihe latter X The
p3ss-lateiy entered by the republican,
troops
The western limb separates The valley
oil the Caucas from the province of Choc0,
which pours from its sides thousand
streams INTO Tie valley OF DarieD, aud
where IN some vast CONFUSION OF nature
ihe primitive Andes have been cleft IA
snnder, and left open 10 the cutrrpI,ze or
man, that great valley though which the
Airaio and Noanama or 81. Juan open a
complete wafer navigation from the Al
lan,ic to the Pacific ocean.
HE central of these three branches
winch IN The loiiIest, passes Popa,a an. la
order to pass tom Bdgoia the capital OF
Cnndlnamaica 10 POpayau or to QUITO,
ore OF those passes must be surmcupiea
and crossed. That az Guauacas il allow
cd 10 be The least difficult ard therefore
lie mosiirequcnled IL is in lii. 2dxg. 81.
n. presenting Ia every poiutz-suniuits
clothed with eternal SNOW. en- TIE
south, distant six leagues, IL HE peak OF
Cocono, an exhausted volcano, ana IA
he north at iwa leagues, Tic snow-caot
ii"ulln, and The route is al the heiIh, ,f
I0,CC0 feet above the level ri the sea AT
LagrHa. Ebe road lies along the side
OF a precIpice, the bottom OF which cau-
n"i DE disccIDed-i!Ie night is the cou-
s'Sht precursor OF the most terrible
storms and torrents OF rain iLt. road
G!inCuit for mules 10 pass aIony. TIN.
cold Is extreme, and so fatal has il been
To even these hardy animals, the E,uls.
that The road for several leagues 10 sfrrw.
Ell wHh ihc bones Of those t!fa1 rave. sunk
under the hardstiips Of ll.e ascent aud The
stVeiity OF the cold. So hai..iuusuzz2E1z
,e'fre = tsS 'IIa - :. z'<<
Is the head becomes 0IZzV ~
along The road, and The only security is on
Tie srreioOisfress OF the mule who car
,iss the traveller.
II Is Indispensable 10 encamp, on the
approach OF night, rs near the sunimif
oi The pass as possible, or 10 halt al the
village OF Guanacas, on the eastern side
AS ihe.orrents would inevitably sweep
every obstacle thar stood In IFS way
Having reached I've gorge at the summit.
there Is Il small lake, Tie water OF which
never freezes, and within 300 wards on
each side OF This lake, the Magdalcne
and the Cauca have their sources. Tais
Is the least difficult OF the three passes
and through Tins ilie republicans under
valdez, marched aud defeated the royaf
force under Cazada.
The pass OF Quinjiu, which leads from
by POpaYan hague TO Carthage, ia In
deg. 80 ! ! 400 feeI above sea The pail.
is moi more than Is inches wide, aud
composed OF muddy clay along those
galleries, many of them mile and a half
IN length, oxen are employed, because
HER feei are better adapted than the
mule or horse, for struggling throsgh this
induratr mirc; along the whole romic, M
nut IS To lie seeu-nO means Of Subsis-
lebce, and The traveller 10 accomplish
llis Journey must calculate al not less Than
~ days. hague, al which the entrance
ol ihis pass commences, is small town.
IS leagues iiom Honda, and six west Of
The Magd1lrna iAg,0,0