Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-01

wienne, ana by O'Clock everybody cheerfully
responded 70 the call Of "boots and saddles"
Consuslo. However, there II not much choice
IN posadas on the road to Bogota, one being
about - bad ~ another.
Al We ascended, ever higher and higher, the
the temperature yas delightful. Winding
around the steep sides Of the Sierras we caught
elimpses Of most wonderful panorama in the
Msgdalena valley, which, far below, looked
IKE gigantic chess board, squared of BY
pale yellowish green Of sugar cane patches in
terspersed with the dark, glossy foliage Of
coffee groves and palm-thatched huts for
pawns, all environed BY distant heights whose
tops were lost in the clouds.
A GOOD MIGHT.
Down into . green valley, over An ANTIQUE
bridge built three centuries ago and now
crumbling to its fall, past pretty white casa
in the midst Of a coffee grove, and at last the
posada was reached, where a smoking dinner
Guaduas IL said to be one of the most comfort
able places on the road. though its high-priced
posada would bear no comparison to the poor
est hotel in the United States. F. and / en-
joyed the rare luxury of a clean and airy room,
and though it's floor was paved with damp
bricks, its wallis covered with old newspapers.
the windows entirely without glass and the door
Fastening pole to be set up against it, we
slept the sleep OF the just. each in her little
wnlte-canopied cot. In these southern coun-
never sleeping together, though several of the
narrow cots may be put into the same apart
mont
We were in tolerable order to start next
morning by the first peep of dawn, while the
early mists mercifully obscured from view the
heights we were yet to climb. The highest
point hereabouts is known as Alto del
Raizal, marked by little white house set
against gigantic heap of red-gray sand stone
The view from this place was even more glo-
rlous than that OF the day before Descending
thence to Las Tibayes was the most difficult
task we have yet encountered, over a road
strewn with loose flowers SO steep and slippery
that we momentarily expected to be pitched
over the heads Of our mules down among the
precipices. At the apology for an inn at Las
luncheon, only redeemed from utter failure by
some ripe, sweet figs, which, in the desperation
porn OF munger, we went out and stole before
the eyes OF the proprietor.
DOWN THE ToBAaaAN.
The rest Of the way was a rapid down-hill, a
regular tobaggan slide 1000 feet long, into
the green and lovely valley of Villeta. To this
day am not able to decide which is most to
be dreaded, going up the face of a hill, fy
fashion, In momentary peril of slipping over
the donkey.s tail, or going downward, at an
braced to prevent sliding over his ears. Since
no beast could possibly go astray on a trail so
narrow that we bumped the wall of rock on one
side and stones. loosened by his feet on the
brink OF the other, dropped without a sound
into an abyss SO deep that tall trees growing at
the bottom looked like mere twigs, l abandoned
all responsibility, closed my eyes to the fearful
view and chung for dear life to the pommel
AT vILLETA,
where the second night was passed, we were
fain to lay our weary bones to rest at the
first hour Of cleaning, but not to slumber, for
rats, cockroaches beetles, feas and goodness
knows what other vermln. galloped about the
prisonike place in way that like Macbeth's
conscience, "doth murder Sleep" Though
feeling painfully the effect of our daily shak-
lngs-up, and already constrained to say our
prayers In standing attitude, we were not
averse to leaving Villeta long before sunrise.
having partaken of the inevitable sour bread
and muddy coffee by the glimmer OF a tallow
dip. Rain had fallen steadily during the night,
but alas! it had also washed away for the third
time this season, the only bridge across the Rio
Negro, leaving us no alternative but to ford
that Drawing 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. and then
comes Chimbi, a village prettily situated
on the spur of the eastern cordillera of
the Andes, up which we were slowly creep
ing. All this section is devoted to the
raising and expectation of superior grade
of coffee.
At last, thank Heaven! Alto del Roble was
reached, one Of the highest accessible points
IN the Andean chain, some $4,000 feet above
sea level. which the guides solemnly assured
us was 'the very end of up HILL"
AT hacienda named Mazanoes. 1.-THE An
pies, we halted for the night. Here the orange
and the banana gave place to the pine and
the aloe, and, notwithstanding good beds and
warm rugs, we suffered much from cold the
change being very great from the heated low
lands OF the Magdalena. And it may as well
be confessed right here we surrendered in
and Internationally. Having learned
that by telegraphing to Bogota a coach would
come out from that city and convey us thither-
ward we were glad to pay for the twenty-five
miles or more which our guides and mules
were not to go and lie in bed nursing our
bruises during the following twenty-four hours.
Long before our destination was reached it's
nearness was attested by the crowd of market
wagons going and returning, men and women
along on foot or on mule back, and
beasts OF burden totally in eclipse under enor-
nous loads Of alfalfa or other merchandise.
Just at sunset we beheld the cathedral
towers, housetops and tall eucalyptus trees of
the old city, all gilded in the evening light.
The vesper bells were ringing as we clattered
into town; but the two overshadowing hills,
whose submits are crowned by churches, each
a kind OF Calvary, up which penitentes 90 on
their knees during holy week, looked gloomy
and forbidding, with black clouds hanging
above them, as ii bearing frown for the weary
wanderers, instead Of a welcome.
FANNIE B. WARD.