The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-01-23

had no desire to return where they Wouio
meet their former negro slaves on Terms
Of civil and political equality. The ulque'
or grand, canal fell into disuse. ana was
soon overgrown with tropical jungle; ana
what little of foreign commerce mat re-
manned sought outlet through the delta u
the Magdalena.
This was the condition of affairs as late
as 1865, when the commerce OF the county
began to revive. In the meantime hoWesei'
Carthagena had completely lost an tle
river trade; and her only hope or regaihlhS
it was in the reopening OF the olo uique'
This was not accomplished till sometiiiic III
1880, when the young and vigorous it1ie
city of Barranquilla had already ABSORBED
all the trade and become the CHIEF port Oh
the republic. Still nothing daunted, tne
heroic old city began Il determined struggle
to regain her ancient commercial supre-
macy and since then her exports nave
steadily increased from year to year. Hi
American company is now bdiidlnS ran
road to connect the city AID harhor WIN
the Magdalena at Calamar; ana When ms
enterprise is completed Carthagena WILL
by reason of it's superior harbor, regain the
bulk of the foreign trade.
HI
The harbor of Savanila, a few leagues
west OF the Magdaena delta, is merely an
open roadstead. 1t is generally conSpdereu
a reasonably safe anchorage but, except ~
great distance out, the water IS too shal-
low and full of treacncrous sand banks LOT
large vessels. Until within the past rev
Years all large sea-going vessels anchored
far out, some four or five miles or more
from the SaVanilla shore, and siSnaled 1of
q tug on which to disembark passengers
and cargo. This was Il great Inconvenience
and the source of many veXatlouS oeiays'
But within the past lew years, the railway
has been extended down the rocky coast
some eight or ten miles, and an IRON pier
built out to deep water; so That passengers
and freight are now embarked with reason
able facility.
The lie of railway connecting the port
with the river at Barranquilla is only about
fifteen miles long. 1t was built orlSmaly
by a German company but Is now owned
and controlled by the national government
OF Colombia. The road passes through d
sort of wilderness of swamp and Jungle
which q few centuries aGo was covered by
the waters of the Caribbean. The ellfe
SaVanilla, from the coast to the sara hlllS
around BaTanquilla, 13 the rroGuct OF
joint action OF river and ocean. ard IS yet
too new and crude to produce anything pul
dWarfed cacti, brambleS ard plachpNrIE
briers. At the extreme farther end ct me
little plain. near the foot hills If the noun
tain range, is the city of Barranquiila.
I have never been able to get rid OF my
first Impressions of this locality. That was
more than twenty years ago. and great
improvements have been made since then.
Indeed. both SaVanilla and Barr3nqullia
have undergone complete transformation
But although | have visited both places
scores of times since and once quite recent
ly, ! somehow always find myself thinking
Of them as | first saw them. The Colombo
an minister al Washington had warned me
that my first impressions OF his country
would not be favorable, since ] would see
its worst features on the coast. But 1t
was worse than | had anticipated and had
] returned home without going farther,
should have been prepared to accept as
true the exaggerated and distorted accounts