New-York tribune., 1899-12-24

,a,r p'S The head chief-I know the old fellow
"eil-announced that the San pIa. 1nd,ons
unuer the protection Of the American flag.
ana dehed the Colombian exnedt,ior - a. -,
'hat nag. Well, the exned,tior u..s 80. a-,n,,
oh 'he American flag at that time of wear and
'"e Indians were left in peaceful possession Of
e" country and Of the secret of the death NJ
vic members OF the surveying marty Their
O'unFy and their secrets are in their own DOS
session TO this day and no man lifts hand
against them
Inc Colombian Government however
Pa'Ched up sort OF truce with the Indians
o''er that. They invited the head chief to Bo-
gotta the capital, and there they appointed him
coionel In the Colombian army and made him
Governor Of his country. The chief took the
Coilrlisslon and the uniform that went with IT,
ana returned 10 his own place. no worse off than
When he went He had lost none Of the freedom
OF ms people, and he had gained very gaudy
ulIorin' which he wears upon occasions Of un-
usual Importance
Whatever the secrets that remain hidden
pehlnd the banks Of clouds and mists that for
ever shroud the mountains do not believe that
any one would care to take possession Of the
country II he could. ! have never seen a place
OF so little climatic attractions In the interior
IL rains continually, and the does not get a
chance at the earth very often. Then there are
snakes There is the deadly mapana. for in
stance. the bite Of which means death within
twenty-four hours. There others but the
mapana is quite sufficient for me. ! have avoid
ed enough mapanAs TO establish a complete
snake show in Madison Square Garden.
PATTERSON'S SCOTCH COLONY.
But this question Of possible canal route
from Caledonia Bay to the Pacific side is not a
new one There is good deal Of romance in
connection with that country. and Caledonia
Bay has its share long time ago a Mr. Pat
terson director OF the Bank of England es-
tablished Scotch colony at Caledonia Bay
with the object Of trading with the natives and
ultimately building an interoceanic canal. Pos
sbly the Indians had not learned to repel the
encroachments Of white men in those days But
Mr. Patterson's enterprise. excellent in itself
failed through lack of support from the British
Government 1t was at the time when Great
Britain was at war with Spain and the colon
lists were not able TO defend themselves against
the attacks Of the Spanards without help from
the British ships Of war The colonists had a
fort at the head Of the bay, and the ruins of It
are there yet, but the fort was not enough so
the whole thing was abandoned, and Mr.. Pat
terson, If my memory serves me. died OF
broken heart.
81 two or three days at Caledonia Bay
1t is a beautiful spOt-that whole coast is Won
derfully beautiful. The mountains densey
wooded come down TO dip their feet into the
sea, which is here clear that one may see
the bottom al a depth OF forty feet. All along
the coast are islands covered with cocoanut
trees. There 365 OF these islands between
Caledonia Bay and San Bias Point. 1t is a
beautiful sailing ground for a yacht, as the
water inside the islands is as calm as the Upper
Bay here in New-York. The islands extend
for about one hundred and fifty miles along the
coast. Sailing vessels purchasing cocoanuts
from the Indians dodge In and out among the
Islands and the coral reefs. Were It not for
the never ceasing rains and fogs and clouds of
the country II would be a most delightful place
Of residence. Only occasionally the
whole chain OF mountains constant is the
bank Of clouds and mist
BEAUTIFUL CLOUD FORMATIONS.
But there is charm about that mountain
range that have never seen elsewhere. That
is the wonderful exhibition Of cloud shapes
which one may watch day after day as ones
boat goes lazily creeping along the coast So
far as I know there no such varieties OF
cloud formations in the world. AS one goes
browsing along the coast or skirts the mainland
10 the eastward, with the blue Caribbean under
foot and the soft trade winds singing in the
rigging. II is like q vision OF faryland those
everchanging cloud formations, with their fre-
quent rain squalls. sudden shafts Of brilliant
sunlight. and dazzling colors as the yellow light
Of sunset pierces through the serred banks and
billows of clouds"
Mr. Howard paused moment. apparently
busy with the recollections OF his thousand mile
sail up and down the San Bias and Colombian
coasts, and then continued: Il hope that those
Indians will be let alone. ! admire them for
one thing. If for nothing else. That thing is
their absolute refusal TO allow white men 70
come among them with the vices Of civilization.
No white man may pass the night the main
land of the San Bias coast He may go ashore
from his boat during the day If he has business
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