The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-03-02
CROSSING THEANDES.
Experiences on a Donkey's Hur-
ricane Deck.
souR BREAD AND MUDDY COFFEE
On Earthly Paradise MARRIED by the Trail
OF the Serpent-Yiews From the
Mountain Tops.


correspondence of THE HERALD. The city
Of Honda though nearly eight hundred
miles above the mouth of the Magdalena,
and the present terminus of the steamboat
routes, is by no means at the "headn Of
that 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 Gauh comes rush
ing down to join the Magdalena on its long
journey to the sea.
Otherwise there is nothing about Honda
to distinguish it from hundred other cities
of Spanish-America. It has the usual tall
lowered church, rows of white-washed
casas rooted with red tiles, and suburban
cottages matched with straw, all shaded by
cocoa trees and groups of graceful palms
There are q very few old buildings of early
Spanish origin, whose enormously thick
walls were built with especial view 10 with
standing earthquakes that are frequent in
this locality; but in spite Of their solidity,
most Of the old houses were long ago
shaken into ruins. To my mind, the most
interesting thing about the place is the re
mains Of an antique bridge, built by the
conquerors in the year 1901. It's quaint
arches are yet entire, and the stone walls
chow inches, now dismantled. where saints
and crosses used to stand commanding the
worship of all wayfarers, telling mutely
how those stern crusaders built for all
time, and never forgot the outward tokens
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, l have collected
some facts concerning its upper valley
The river is still navgable for small YES
sells many miles above Honda, through
arly all
TIM 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,
Tollma supplied the greater portion OF Co
lombla'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 remarkable fer
tiliuy 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 pro-
duce. The Cauca river, which runs through
this region, IS itself navigable for light
draught steamers as far as Cali, place
about seventy-ive miles northeast of Bue-
naventura, the Pacific seaport.
THE CAUCA VALLEY
is best described as a level upland. $500
feet above the sea, a series of uncultivated
meadow lands overgrown with tall, rank
grasses. Though especially adapted to cat
Jleraising, the land produces cotton. coffee.
corn, cocoa, rice, tobacco, sugar cane, pota-
toes, and most fruits of the tropic and TEN
perate zones, the banana, especially. grow
ing wild in greatest abundance. The popu-
lation of this valley is reckoned at about
435,OOO, and its average temperature is
seventy-seFen degrees Fair. Another mag
nifcent river is the Atrato, whose valley
presents similar aspect to that Of the
upper AIagdalena.
Bogota de Santa Fe, the capital of Colon
bia, is only seventy miles from Honda: bet
the journey thereto being straight over the
main cordlllera of the Andes, is very tedi-
Gus and difficult, and can only be accom-
phshed on horse or mule back. From time
10 time during the last quarter OF a century
American companies have attempted the
construction of a railroad between these
two points. About thirty miles of track
have actually been laid; butthose in charge
OF the work have again and again been
compelled to abandon it, because of fire.
quent revolutions and the impossibility Of
securing laborers. The natives will not
work, and the company can not afford 10
pay wages enough to induce immigration.
But Notwithstanding all these disadvan-
tages, the enterprise has not been aban-
doned, and having received
SUBSTANTIAL ENCOURAGEMENT
from the Colombian government in the
shape OF land grants, ana concession, sit
viii doubtless be finished sometime. Mean
while, on It's own account, the government
has projected a railway from BogoUa to
Honda; and has also given a liberal con-
cesslon for the construction Of another line
leading into the Cacua valley, where are
supposed to exist the richest eold-mines in
al the world, the same from whence came
those hundreds of millions that were sent
60 Spain in the days of the viceroys
A stage line has recently been established
between Honda and Agriabgrga. thus
shortening the saddle Journey by thirty
miles; but 1t is mooted question which
is hardest, to be ratified ssS;rscss the noun
tains shut up in a springless coach like
ulce IN box, or TO go sailing over them on
the deck OF mule. In either case the trip
necessitates four OF the longest and hardest
days that are likely TO fall to the lot of
an ordinary human being in the course Of
his life.
Because ofthe certainty of obtaining good
mules Tor the through trip at Honda, and
the uncertainty OF all things at Agriab7rga,
we decided Cwhether wisely or not remains
TO be seem 10 90 the entire distance in the
saddle. The ladies' of our party secured
riding habits OF dust colored alpaca, buck
skin gloves reaching nearly to the elbow.
ana wide brimmed hats of Panama grass.
tied tightly under the chin a Ia poke. >
Right here permit me to whisper q secret
TO LADIES ONLY.
When making saddle journeys in any of
these mountain regions, it is well to 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
too much riding skirt, but makes 1t scant
as possible, ana 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 glimpse
OF those under-garments which are unmen-
tionable to ears polite, for she dons pair
Of very wide, full trousers. of the saulaIra-
terial as her habit, gathered Turkish fash
ion, close around the tops of her shoes
However the winds may blow when horse
md rider are in full sail over breezy
heights, breeehes and ali pass for riding
skirt. and none can tell where one begins
and the other ends, ever should a catastro-
phe tumble her upside down.
Gathering out Of still sleeping Honda
about three O'Clock one baimy morning flor
the seasons are reversed down here, YOU
know, and midsummer comes in january
Dur road wound for some distance under a
complete arch OF papaws, mangoes and fig
trees, whose lnterlacing branches obscured
the SKY, and rendered yet darker the silent
nour between night ana dawn. that grue-