The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-03-27

rivers of the interior seem to have cut ther
way through mountain ranges; as for m
stance near TuLja and NeleZ, and on the
western verge of the plateau of Bogota. At
Tunja and Nalez the So2amosa appears
TO have become the outlet of a series Oh
highland lakes within a comparatively re-
cent geological period. And so also at
TeQucndame, twenty-eight miles from the
national capital, there is every indication
that the rupture of the mountain was an
event of perhaps less than ten centuries
ago. Here the waters of the plain break
through a deer and narrow assure ana
plunge over a precipice more than six hun
dred and fifty feet high, and thence descent
in a series of sma Ter c&taracts to deep
canon in the torried plains of Anapoie and
Iocaime.
l nave already had occasion, in q former
paper, to refer to some of the principal riV-
ers of the isthmus. Besides these, however,
mention may be made of the Bayano, or
ChepO, as it is perhaps more frequently
called, which flows into the great shallow
bay OF Panama; the Daren or San Miguel
which flows into the gulf of the same name;
and also the San Juan, which has it's outlet
III another part Of the gulf of Darien. On
the Atlantic side the principal river is the
Atrato, which, after a course of some
three hundred miles flows into the Gult
OF Uraba. At guido. some two hundred ana
twenty miles from its mouth. the Atrato
is more than eight hu%dred and fifty feet
wide and from eight to twenty feet deep.
Thence upward some thirty-tWo miles to
San Pablo, the rise of the current averages
only about three and one-half inches to the
mile, and light draught steamers ascend
with little difficulty. The impression which
one receives while exploring this valley is
that it once, and at no very remote
period, and estuary of the sea, whose wa
ters broke upon the foot of the cordillera;
and the fossilferous rocks near the head
waters of the Tuya, ON the opposite SIDE,
Seem to indicate that not great many cen
turtles ago the whole country was SUD-
merged by the Pacific ocean.
The fact is generally overlooked that the
river Amazon waters Colombian soil for
distance of about six hundred miles, ana
that it forms, in part the boundary line
or what is claimed to be such-betWeen
Colombia and Brazil and also pc
tween Colombia and Ecuador, ana
it is perhaps generally overlooked tex
sept by the British authorities IN quay
anal that the great Orinoco ana us ANU
ents are navigable far into the southwestern
plains and valleys of Colombia; and that the
possession of uat fuyial highway means
easy approaches, not only to central ana
southeastern Venezuela, but to a portion Oh
Colombian territory as large as our states
of Virginia Ohio.
rhe republic is peculiarly rich in minerals
From the borders of Costa Rica to those OF
Nerezcuia. tha"e is hardly department or
even a petit ,etecture - which sofa has
not beer @-tt red in gre " !ass Qpau-,
titles; ,ii.- the remottS eiJst'lir depart
ments and p.,slecture5 of Choco. AHcloqtHa'
Toena, Mariquto, Sopyan, Gcona and Buc-
aromarga, there are gold deposits Wnlch
experts have pronounced equal II not Su-
perior to those of California of focty years
md I'm
many localities and on others sulpha-e OF
mercury is known to be abundant. TIRE
are several though as yet partially deVel-
oped, silver mines; and the great coal beds
near Cali are said to extend beyond the
western cordilera to within few miles
of the Pacific shore. Veins of bituminouS
coal and also of the richest iron ores, crop
out to the very surface around the edges Of
the plain Of Bogota, and also Sacho, SC me
leagues beyond. Near Rio Hache on the
Caribbean coast, are apparently ineNhaust-
ibla beds of the best canal coal. Rock salt
abounds in the foot hills around the pla
teaux of BoSota, Tunja, Pamplona and Tu-
queries; and sulphur, alum, magnesia and
asphaltum are found in various places. The
emerald mines of MuZo are famous the
world over.
In all parts of the republic, where " al
titude is from two to four thousand feet
me coffee plant seems to ;Je iIdis.Lr1s. Ine
celebIdted CaimpI 4>,:ttes. IN the remote in
terror of Cunidamdrea. gre said 10 produce
the most deliCiously Favored coffee
in the WoEld. None OF this,
the better grades Of Colombian coffee, ever
finds it way TO the United States 1t IL
always bought up early in the season,
sometimes even before harvest for the
European markets. In the tierraS cali
entcs, or hot districts, cocoa, bananas
yucca, arrac2ke sugar cane indigo, tobac-
co. vanilla and rice are among the staple
products; while in the intermediate regions
wheat, barley. oats, potatoes and many of
the other cereals and vegetables of the
north temperate zone are successfully cul-
tlFated.
VI
Within single days journey one can
find the four seasons and the vegetable
pe1 lliarties of the three zones In the deep
vallies we find all the tropical flora, where
the sugar cane and p!antain are Indigenous
On the elevated plateau we find maize,
wheat, potatoes, peaches, pears and the
other products OF the temperate zone On
the bleak poramos we find the wild potato
and nearly all the coarse grasses and stint
ed shrubs commonly seen in the high la IL
tudes OF the NORTH. And farther up We
rarely fail 10 fird the fora OF the arctcs.
III the vicinity OF Papyan we see the chin
chona growing to perfection; higher uD,
at an altitude of 1900 feet, are wax palms
one ana two hundred feet high: and still
higher up, on the sides of the great frozen
mountains, are the cedar and the balsam.
In the lower valleys, the sugar cane will
continue in good condition without re-
planting once in a lifetime In the region
of Gachela i've quinquiana tree is indigen-
Gus; and near by is the vegetable wax of
southern Asia. In many parts of the
country the arra2o is common growth
a tree which yields exceptionally bril-
liant rose-colored dye which, when mixed
with the juices of the yucca, becomes u
glossy black. The so called Sweet milk
tree" Oacmelles ddulis) or leche-miel, as it
is known in the language of the country,
grows abundantly near Medina The bark
of this tree eXudes milk-like fluid, which
the Indians article of food. IN
many parts of the interior the currucai
Gsica helerophila) is a common growth.
1t Yields a resin that is very white, aromatic
and rich in turpentine. When heated over
a fire this resin becomes a brilliant paste.
very similar to Burgundy pitch On the
banks of the Gat-unta river grows a tree
called the necha "a species of the fevilla
tarrillo) the eXudatons of which are used
in the treatment of cancers and tumOrs.
The sarsapariila (smilax ofcnalis) is found !
in great abundance al attitudes of from one
TO three thouSanr feet.