The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1902-12-25

| responded to the call of "bOOtS and
saddles" not wishing to remain over
night in desolate Consuelo. However,
there is not much choice in posadas on
the road to Bogota, one being about as
bad as another.
| AS we assembled, ever higher and
higher, the air grew cooler and at 200
feet above Honda the temperature was
delightful. Winding around the steep
sides of the Sierras, we had glimpses of
a most wonderful panorama in the
Magdalena valley, which, far below,
looked like a gigantic chess board;
squared off by hedge-rows enclosing
cultivated fields: pale, acknowledgment
of sugar-cane patches interspersed with
the dark, glossy foliage of coffee groves;
palm-thatched huts for pawns, royal
palms. for knights and kings; all envi-
roned' by distant heights whose tops
are lost in the clouds.
Long before we reached Guaduas, the
town where travellers on the way to Bo-
gotta must spend the night-the moon
was up. The miles are not many be-
tween these wayside hating places, but
while the day was still young the dull
lest horse in the c;1valcade had dis
covered that we were not Mazzepas and
| therefore he need not hurry himself
! Down into a green valley, over al an
tiQue bridge, built three centuries ago
and now crumbling to it's fall, past
| pretty, white cottages in the midst of
coffee groves, and at last the posada
was reached and thrice welcome dinner.
Guaduas is said to be the most comfor-
table stopping place on the road, but
its high-priced posada bears no compar-
ison to the poorest hotel in the United
States. My room was large, airy and
tolerably clean, it's floor paved with
damp bricks, walls covered with old
newspapers, windows entirely without
glass but guarded with heavy wooden
bars, and door 'locked" by pole to be
set up against it. Thanks to another
thorough rubbing with hot alchol, we
started next morning before daybreak,
fresh as the larks that were not yet
stirring. Long after the sun arose,
mists mercifully obscured from view
the heights we were yet to climb, or l
am afraid our spirits would not have
been buoyant. Always upward and
| upward, like that foolish youth who
bore banner with the strange device,
''Excelsior?' and came to grief, as he
richly deserved-by midday we found
ourselves three thousand feet above
Guaduas. The highest point called
"Alto del Raizal," is marked by little
white house set against a gigantic heap
of red-gray sandstone. The view from
this point was even more glorious than
those of the day before, the prospect
being wider, including circle of noun
tain SUBMITS, whose rosy peak, one
behind the other, peered out of an
ocean of cloud. Descending thence to
Las Tibayas was the most difficult task
we have yet encountered, over road
strewn with loose boulders, so steep and
slippery that we momentarily expected
to be pitched over the precipices AT
the apology for an inn at Las Tibayas
we partook of a poorer apology for
luncheon, only redeemed from utter
failure by some ripe, sweet figs which,
in the desperation born of hunger
we went out and stole before the eyes
of the proprietor.
The rest of the way was rapid down
hill, regular toboggan slide, four
thousand feet long, into the green and
lovely valley of Villeta. To this day l
am not able to decide which is most to
be dreaded-going up the face of hill,
tiy-fashion, in momentary peril of slip
ping over the horses tail; or going
downward, at an angle of fifty degrees,
every muscle braced to prevent sliding
over his ears since no beast could pos
sibly 60 astray on trail SO narrow that
we bumped the wall of rock on one side,
while 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. Your valiant correspond
ent abandoned all responsibility, closed
her eyes to the fearful trail 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 in the first hour of
cleaning; but not to slumber, for rats,
cock-roaches, beetles, fieas and goodness
knows what other vermin, galloped
over the prison-like place in way that
murdered sleep more effectually than
Macbeth's conscience. Though feeling
painfully the effect of daily shaking-up
and already constrained to say our pray
ers in standing attitude, we were not
adverse to leaving Villeta before sun
rise, having partaken of the inevitable
sour bread and muddy coffee by the glim-
mer of atallow dip. Rain had fallen stead
lily during the night, leaving everything
clean, cool and dripping; but alas! it had
also washed aWay-for the third time