Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-01
PERILOUS NEWS GATHERING.
THE REcoRD-UNIoN CORRESPONDENT
CROSSING THE ANDES.
-Four Days son the Deck OF Mule
Travelling in the United States
of Colombia.

Special Correspondence OF the REcoRD-UNIoS.l
BoGoTA (Colombia), January, 1890.
The city of Honda. though nearly 800
miles above the mouth of the Magdalena,
and the present terminus of the steamboat
routes, is by no means at the "head" of
cha. rivers navigable waters. The grow
ing town, which has acquired consequence
only on account of the river trade, is beau
tifully situated, surrounded by rugged
mountains, and at the junction of two great
streams, for here the Rio Gauli comes
rushing down to join the Magdalena on its
long journey to the sea.
Otherwise there is nothing about Honda
to distinguish it from hundred other cit
les of Spanish-America. 1t has the usual
tall-towered church. rows OF white-washed
casas rooted with red tiles, and suburban
cottages matched with straw. all shadedby
cocoa trees and groups of graceful palms.
There are very few old buildings of early
Spanish origin, whose enormously thick
walls were built with especial view to
withstanding the earthquakes that are fire.
quent in this locality but in spite of their
solidity, most of the old house were long
ago shaken into ruins. To my mind, the
most interesting thing about the place IS
the remains of an antique bridge, built by
the conquerors in the year 1901. Its
quaint arches are yet entire, and the stone
walls show inches, now dismantled, where
saints and crosses used to stand commend
ing the worship of all wayfarers, telling
n1utely how those stern crusaders built for
all time, and never forgot the outward to-
kens of religion in the midst Of their greed
for gold.
Before bidding ddios to the Magdalena,
that huvial highway which is to Colombia
what the Nile is to Egypt, | have collected
some facts concerning its upper valley.
The river is still navigable for small yes
seIs many miles above Honda, through
nearly all
THE RICH STATE OF ToLIMA,
Which, being level with the stream, is one
of the best agricultural sections of the re-
public Until within the last few years
Tolima supplied the greater portion of
Colombia's export agricultural trade.
Lately, however, the two Atlantic States
have been more extensively cultivated,
and these, being so conveniently situated
for foreign trade, besides possessing re-
lnarkable fertility of SOIL and the further
advantage of being intersected by several
considerable streams, have suddenly begun
to Weld at least two-thirds of the entire
export produce. The Cauca river, which
runs through this region, is itself nayiga-
BILE for light-draught steamers as far as
Cali, a place about seventy-five miles
northeast Of Buenaventura, the Pacific sea-
port.
THE cAUCA VALLEY.
Is best described as level upland, $500
feet above the sea, a series of uncultivated
meadow lands overgrown with tall, rank
grasses. Though especially adapted to
cattle-raising, the land produces cotton,
coffee, corn, cocoa, rice, tobacco, sugar
cane, potatoes and most fruits of the tropic
and temperate zones, the banana, espec-
Tally, growing wild in the greatest abun-
dance. The population of this valley is
reckoned at about 435, 900, and its average
temperature is II degrees Fair. Another
magnificent river is the Atrato, whose val
ley presents a similar aspect to that Of the
upper Magdalena.
Bogota de Santa Fe, the capital of Co
AOLAbAd. 10 OnA9 oCNChNr A4AANo nun 1AOhA1j
but the Journey thereto being straight over
the main cordillera of the Andes, is very
tedious and difficult, and can only be ac-
complished on horse or mule back. From
time to time during the last quarter of a
century, American companies have at
tempted the construction of a railroad be-
tween these two points. About thirty
miles of track have actually been laid but
those in charge of the work have again and
again been compelled to abandon il, be-
cause of frequent revolutions and the i'm
possibility of securing laborers. The ma
tives will not work, and the company can
not afford to pay wages enough to induce
immigration. But notwithstanding all
these disadvantages, the enterprise has not
been abandoned, and having received
SUBSTANTIAL ENCOURAGEMENT
From the Colombian Government in the
shape of land grants, and concession"
1t will doubtless be finished sometime.
Meanwhile on its own Account, the Gov
eminent has projected railway from Bo-
gotta to Honda; and has also given a lib
eral concession for the construction of an
other line leading into the Cauca valley,
where are supposed to exist the richest
gold mines in all the world, the same from
whence came those hundreds of millions
that we're sent to Spain in the days of the
Viceroys,
A stage line has recently been estab-
Hshed between Honda and Agriabarga,
thus shortening the saddle.jour by SO
mile; but il is a mooted question, which is
hardest, to be ratified across the mountains
shut up in a springless coach like dice in a
box; or 70 60 sailing over them on the
deck of a mule. In either case the trip
necessities fouI of the longest and hard
est days that are likely to fall to the lot of
an ordinary human being in the course of
his life.
Because of the certainty of obtaining
good mules for the through trip at Honda,
and the uncertainty Of all things at Agria-
barga, we decided whether wisely or not
remains to be seem to go the entire dis
lance in the saddle. The ladies of our
party secured riding habits Of dust-colored
alpaca, buck-skin gloves reaching nearly to
the elbow, and wide-brimmed hats of
Panama grass tied tightly under the chin
Ia poke Right here permit me TO
whisper a secret
TO LADIES ONLY.
When making saddle journeys in any of
these mountain regions. it is well 10 be
guided in the matter of dress by the advice
of the natives, who, travelling always in
this fashion, certainly ought to know what
they are talking about. A lady, ito the
manner born never burdens herself with
toe much riding skirt, but makes it scant
as possible, and only about four inches
longer than an ordinary walking dress,
and never, by any possibility, does the
direst accident expose an inch of hose or a
glimpse of the under garments which are
unmentionable TO ears polite, for she dons
a oair of very wide, full trousers, of the
same material as her habit, gathered
Turkish fashion, close around the tops OF