Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-22
SOUTH AMERICA.
OVER SOUTH AMERICAN sIERRAs ON
MULE BACK.
The Great Magdalena vaney-The Ban.
ana and the Black Mana
Novel Trip.

Especial Correspondence of the REcoRD-U UNION. |
BARRANQUILLA, Colombia, 1890.
Though distant from New York scarcely
two thousand miles, this northermost Re-
public of the southern continent is less
known to the world than the heart of Africa;
and its 300-year-old capital is almost as
difficult of access. Until recently there
has been no communication between the
ports of the United States and those of
Colombia, its nearest neighbor, and to
this day there is no direct way of reaching
them.
Some four years ago an English company
established line of steamers between
New York and the mouth Of the Magda-
lena river (the great fuvial highway to
Colombia's INTERIOR, by which two trips
per month are made; but the vessels go
6rst to several West India ports, consum-
ing fifteen days in the voyage to Colombia.
Three times a month the Pacific Mail
steamers leave New York for Aspinwall i;
and at the latter place one may always find
a steamer under almost any flag but the
stars and stripes, which will stop at the
Caribbean ports on its way TO Europe.
But when we have reached this point
the Journey to Colombia's capital has
hardly begun. Before you is short rail
road ride to Barranquilla, and then go
miles by boat up the river to Honda, near
the head of navigation Occupying from
ten to thirty days, according to the time OF
YEAR,; and from Honda to Bogota, the
capital city, though only distance of 20
miles, is the worst part of the trip, requir-
ing at least
FOUR DAYS on MULE-BACK,
Over sky-piercing sierras. Though with
such stretch of sea-coast, Colombia pos
sesses no harbor worthy the name-those
of Aspinwall and Panama being the best.
Besides the last named Insecure and rocky
port, there is but one other on the Pacific
side, that of Buenaventura, which has
lately been brought into some degree OF
prominence. On the Atlantic coast, or
more correctly speaking, that of the Ca
ibbean sea, the only shipping place for
Colombian commerce is Sabanillia; both
Aspinwall and Panama being merely ports
of transit trade, with so little of local in
dustry that primeval forests crowd close
upon them.
Sabanilla itself is the most desolate and
dirty of fishing villages, of no consequence
whatever except for its bay, which, though
totally inaccessible to large vessels, has
been made to answer the purposes Of a sea-
port, by company of enterprising Ger
mans. In 1871 some Bremen gentlemen
put lighters and steam-tugs on Sabanllla
bay, for the benefit of larger vessels that
could not come into it, and laid a line of
railroad from the coast to the old Spanish
town of Barranquilla, sixteen miles inland.
The consequence is that the latter hither-
to insignificant village of hardly twenty
houses has suddenly blossomed out into
the most important city in the republic,
commercially speaking, with a population
of 25,000, and still growing, far eclipsing
the old cities of Carthagenia and Santa
Marta, lying on either side of it, both of
which figured so conspicuously in the
Spanish colonial history of earlier days.
The Custom-house is now located in Bar
ranouilla pronounced Bahr-ran-kiel-ya),
and through it must 60 all merchandise
and passengers bound for "up the river
or coming down from Columbia's interior
into the outer world. Also, every small
steamer and sailing vessel which conveys
the multitudinous products Of the vast
back-lying country to the coast, via the
Magdalena, must start from and return to
this place and wait for official permission
before its cargo can be discharged. To re-
turn to
sABANILLA,
The village is not situated on the mair
land, but on long and narrow sand-spit
that has formed itself at the mouth of the
river. Its bay is neither safe nor conven-
lent for any sort of vessels, being full o.
shifting sand-bars and exposed to the fury
of tropical storms Not a green thing
grows within sight of Sabanilla, and no.
6pdy lives there but miserable colony Of
cargddores, or boatmen, and few even
more degraded saloon-keepers, who absorb
all the money the wretches earn, IN ex-
change for the vilest of native intoxicants
All up and down the coasts of South Amer
lea the cargddores are necessary eylls-as
there are few places where vessels can ap-
proach the shore-and these of Colombia
are mostly Canary Islanders, with liberal
sprinkling of low-class Italians and few
Cinnamon. Their palm-thatched huts are
filthy beyond description, but not more SO
than the occupants-men and women more
than half unclothed, and their numerous
offspring entirely so.
There is not a drop of fresh water in
the place; all that is used being brought
In canoes from a point about eight miles
up the river. Yet the water business Is
not brisk, though retailed by the dipper-
full. for a very small quantity serves for
The meager cooking Of the Sabanillans
while cheap liquor (dear at any price, IS
the universal beverage. Even less Is used
for lavatory purposes, fresh or salt, though
the wide ocean, rolling up to their doors,
furnishes as fine bathing facilities as can
be found in any quarter of the globe. In
deed, the people seem to entertain
HYDRoPHoBIC TERROR
OF water in any form; and the pig-tailed
Celestial who runs the only laundry in the
place. looks like sad case Of slow starva-
tion.
Woe unto the luckless traveller who is
compelled to stay over night in Sabanllia's
alleged hotel If his vessel arrives too
late in the day for train to Barranquills,
he will do well to remain on board until
the morrow or if her commander cannot
be induced to risk "norther" among the
sand-bars, ne would better walk the six
teen miles that intervene between the
coast and civilization. In this des-
nerate community of roustabouts, lighting
= tbe chief amusement; and murder and
robbery are of common occurrence. But
even were the Sabanillans angels in dis
euise. the place would be intolerable on
account of excessive heat and swarming
fieas. Were it not for the ocean breezes
that constantly sweep across the desolate
sand-spit. blowing up the sand in binding
clouds. no human being could abide
thereon. At every step in its payeless
streets YOU sink ankle deep into the burn
ing sand, every infnitesimal grain Of which
Is loaded with Aea, whose sting IS Ike