Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-01

the first hour of cleaning, but not to
slumber, for rats cockroaches, beetles, Aeas
and goodness knows what other vermin,
galloped about the prison-like place in a
way that, like Macbeth's conscience, doth
murder Sleep" Though feeling painfully
the effect of our daily shaking up, and
already constrained to say our prayers in
a standing attitude, we were not ayerse
to leaving Villeta long before sunrise, hav-
ing partaken of the inevitable sour bread
and muddy coffee by the glimmer of a tai
low dip. Rain had fallen steadily during
the night leaving every thing clean, cool
and dripping; but alas 1t had also
washed away, for the third time this sea-
son, the only bridge across the Rio Negro,
leaving US no alternative but to ford the
brawling stream. Luckily the river was
not high, though running rapidly, and,
barring a slight wetting, all crossed in
safety.
The ground rises steadily from the
rivers brink, ever higher and higher; at
one place, called Gel Satire" leading up
some steps like flight of stairs cut in the
face of the mountain, which our animals
unwillingly climbed. As if TO recompense
the traveller for that trial, the way wound
next under some oyerhanging rocks COW
cred with ferns, moses, pink begonias and
orchids, overtopped with long-armed oaks
and dropping palms. But, like every
other earthly paradise,
THE TRAIL OF THE SERPENT
Was in it, and the guides forbade US, at the
peril of our lives. to touch leaf or a
flower.
Then comes Chimbi, village prettily
situated on the spur of the eastern cor
dillera of the Andes, up which we were
slowly creeping. All this section is de-
voted to the raising and expectation of q
superior grade of coffee.
At last, thank heaven Alto del Robe
was reached, one of the highest accessible
points in the Andean chain, some $4,000
feet above sea-level, which, the guides sol
EMMY assured us, was "the very end of W
hill" A cart-road from Bogeta come:
out nearly to the Alto; and, though horri
bly, bad, with deep gullies washed out by
floods that pour down the mountain sides
we were reioiced to exchange tie wilC
paths of "the land of the sky" for an un
picturesque, barley-bordered pathway.
At a hacienda, named Mazonoes, "tht
Apples" we halted for the night. Here
the orange and the banana give place t.
the pine and the aloe; and, notwithstand
ing good beds and warm rugs, we suffered
much from cold, the change being very
great from the heated lowlands of the Mag
dalena. And, it may as well be confessed
right here we surrendered, ingloriously
and Internationally. Having learned
that by telegraphing to Bogota coach
would come out from that city and conye,
us thitherward, we were glad to pay fol
the twenty-five miles or more which on
guides and mules were not to go, and III
in bed nursing our bruises during the fol
| lowing twenty-four hours.
1t was by no means brilliant part,
that was finally packed into the clums.
vehicle yclept diligencia, and was bumpe,
over the powders, big and little lever,
jolt being martyrdom), that strew the roaC
to Colombia's Capital. Long before GU
destination was reached its nearness wa
attested by the crowd of market-wagon
going and returning, men and womel
trudging along on foot or on muleback, ant
beasts of burden totally in eclipse unde
enormous loads of alfalfa or other mer
chandise.
| Just at sunset we passed the swamp.
fats that environ Santa Fe de Bogota
black with wild ducks this time of year
when, by sharp turn in the road, we sud
denly beheld the cathedral towers, house
tops and tall eucalyptus trees of the oil,
city, all gilded in the evening light. TIL
vesper bells were ringing as we clatteret
into town; but the two oyershadowin
hills, whose SUBMITS are crowned b,
churches, each kind of Calvary, u
which peniteltes go on their knees durin
holy week, looked gloomy and foreboding
with black clouds hanging above them, a
if bearing frown for the weary wander
ers, instead of a welcome.
FANNIE B. WARD.