Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-29

sitiye plant, and long clusters of rose-pink
berries, we were again in the saddle. The
way grew wilder as the distance from the
capital increased. Tall ferns hinged the
wayside, and no end of wild flowers among
huge stones, gray and NOISY, pitched about
in widest confusion, as though the mount
ain brownies had been playing at football
Little brown birds twittered around US, in
shape and size like English sparrows; larks
were heard in the meadows, and an occa-
sional phoebe uttered his CHEEKY call
And, most welcome sight of all, because SO
familiar at home, We saw dandelions, vel
low as gold Though with quite different
scent from those in the North, of which
We gathered hands full in memory of far
away days and places. At last
PUENTE CoAIMUN
Was reached, remarkable bridge, raised
considerably above the surrounding coun-
try, where, at a widening OF the road, is
another posada, in which all travellers
tarry for a siesta, while their horses are
being fed and rested. This is by far the
most interesting bridge | have yet seen in
Colombia. It crosses a bit of low ground,
which IN the rainy reason is a roaring
river, and at other times merely 4 swamp,
by span of three piers. At intervals
along the middle span are round turrets,
and on the four principal pillars is Span
ISL inscription which, translated, reads:
This bride was built in the reign of Carlos
", King Of Spain, IN 1892, by the Eng
fish prisoners who were taken at the abor-
tive attempt of Admiral Vernon TO capture
Carthagena"
After crossing this bridge, an hours
steady ride brought us within sight of the
distant trees and church towers of Zipa-
quira. Just beyond the blue hills We were
skirting lie the extensive iioaoS (plains) of
the unconquered Cassanare Indians and
to the left rises the never-ending Andean
chain, mountains towering one behind
another till the snow-covered tops of the
highest are lost in the clouds. Gradually
the scenery changed from pasture lands to
cultivated fields, where potatoes, corn and
wheat were growing, dotted all about with
miserable mud novels, wherein black pigs
and blacker humans dwell amicablv to-
gether. We had been invited to remain
during our stay, in pleasant little quinta
in the further suburbs OF Zipaquira, with
the family of one of the salt-mine owners,
and before dark we we're warmly welcomed
and safely housed in this hospitable home.
THE FAMOUS SALT MINES
Are located in the hills directly back of
the town. Nobody knows how old the
mines may be, nor how many millions of
tons have been taken out OF them. In the
year 1925 the SpaniardS found them old
and well established, having been worked
by the aboriginal tribes and ever since
then they have been worked for the benefit
of the changing Governments, to this day
furnishing the Colombian Government
with about one-eighth of its total revenue
Walking up a steep hill to the most ex-
tenslve workings, we witnessed both the
English and the American systems in con-
densing salt; the former in one big iron
tank, and the latter in numerous small
ones. In another large building the crude
salt is condensed into solid blocks. and all
the moisture squeezed out of it by rude
machinery with lever at one end, forced
down by men with ropes. Tub-shaped
blocks are thus made perfectly solid, and
these, we were told, are sold at five reals
each, or about 90 cents American money.
Sometimes thousand arr0bds of salt are
sold IN single afternoon, an arrOb1 being
exactly twenty-five pounds. In another
shed q row of earthenware kettles is fixed
over furnaces, and the salt is thus evapo-
rated into cakes, the kettles having to be
broken TO get the cakes out of them. In
another establishment the kettles are
made of clay, the same as that used for
adobe bricks.
Afterwards We followed steep path up
to the opening of the principal mine. On
the way thereto we met carts drawn by
oxen loaded with salt, and women bearing
on their backs heavy loads of the same.
While waiting for candles we had time to
look about US and enjoy the unrivaled
view. In front stretched the great Bogota
plain, the ancient elysium of the Chibshas;
to the left, shut in by high mountains, lay
the important town of Nemacon, about
six hours ride from Zipaquira; and Sepo
was dimly discernible a few miles to the
right, a village made famous by one feeble
and crippled girl, who does the most won
derful wood-carying, representing the peo-
pie, bird, beasts and characteristic scenes
of Colombia.
Inside the mine we followed a cartroad
to higher and higher levels, instead of
descending as in other mines. The dark
ness, rendered more apparent by our far
ing tallow dips, was so intense that itcould
be felt, and the utter silence was some
thing appalling. The walls were sup
ported by solid columns of salt; salt every
where, around, above, below, nothing but
salt. Somebody spoke of Lots wife, and
another quoted the Scriptural passage,
IF the salt hath lost its flavor wherewith
shall it be sailed ?" The superintendent
informed US that this stupendous
MOUNTAIN OF SALT
Must have been formed by the ocean,
which in prehistoric ages washed over the
place where We were standing, but whether
biologists will agree with him | cannot
say In some places the salt was white as
snow and sparkled like diamonds, but as a
rule it was a dirty slate-color Away up
in the heart of the mountain, where the
air was close to oppression and the black
ness and silence more terrible than before,
is little chapel, followed out of solid
salt, in which is an image of the Virgin,
surrounded by tall crosses. Night and
day, from year to year, candles are always
kept burning in front of this strange shrine,
and miners never fail to say their prayers
here on entering the mine, fully believing
that this alone saves them from falling
into the clutches of the evil spirits of the
mountain.
1t was an Undesirable reliefto find our
selves once more in the warm, sweet sun
shine, with the breath of heaven about
US. We brought away some crystals from
the river and some coagulated drops of salt
from the works, that h ld fallen out of the
kettles and formed themselves into the
most curious shapes, like frozen snow, to
put beside some equally strange formations
which | obtained last year from the great
Salt Lake in Utah.
Zipaquira is charming little village,
celebrated for its lovely gardens and flow
cry patios, especially for its orchids and
pansies. The last-named favorites are