Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-01-04

ready for the Journey up the river BY
o'clock IN the afternoon "
WAR SCENES.
Here more than ever since the robels
trleu their guns on us near Anton we
reallzed The country was I'm state NJ
Nur soldiers paraded the streets.
passport0 were necessary both to enter
or to leave the city and the river
steamers lying in the dock were allfltted
WIN iron rails both for attack and
| defense. In the evening q boat load OF
soldiers with arms and ammunition
! sailed Tor the seat of conflict, Rio Ha-
cha' ana later bad news came which
caused several women who were an.
| phrenlly awaiting news to burst into
tears,
| Barfanqulla Is a town Of considera-
bic Importance II has over 60 900 in
| habitants some beautiful parks and
drives, and several houses. such as the
government house the churches and
some private dwellings that would
nonor any city. The streets are rough,
but dry for the town site Is on the side
OF a hlll thus making good drainage
PERILs or RIVER TRAVEL.
Besides the consul and wife. we met
an energetic American by The name Of
LoVelace who is engaged In the aliga-
TOR hlde business, and has depots in
an me principal towns up the river for
oOO miles Fishing aligators on the
Magdalena,' is TO be the title of
Dook IN which he will give to the pub
nc the interesting parts Of his eXper-
fence an an alligator hunter Among
other things VIII be the story Of two
young men, who narrowly escaped
with their lives from monster that at
tackled them and with one bite OF his
great jaws broke the end OF their canoe
into spllnters. Another story which
WIN be accompanied by afIidayits, Will
De to the effect that once huge ALI
gator swallowed a man whole with the
exception OF one foot. The monster was
afterwards caught ana the poor fellow
that had furnished It's meal taken from
its stomach and given burial Minis
ter Hunter at Guatemala is authority
for the following "Once river steam-
er ran on a sand bar and Immediately
thereafter took Are. The terrified pas
sengers were forced TO choose between
death by the flames, or death by the
sharp teeth OF the huge aligatory that
swarmed IN the water below. Some
sought the water and were Immediately
torn to pieces, while the rest, seeing the
fate Of their fellows, chose the flames
and perlshed In the burning boat.
On Monday, Oct. z, all was hustle
about the steamboat Burranquilla, and
by eleven o'clock the goodbye salute
was whistled and we were GID
ing down the narrow canal
or branch OF the river towards
the Magdalena. In less than an hour
we reached the main stream, which is
about 600 yards wide. and from ten
to twenty feet deep. beautiful |
sheet Of water moving towards
the ocean at the rate of FIVE miles
an hour Along the banks for six hun
dred miles, or until the state of Tolima |
is reached, Is principally the virgin for
est, with occasionally small clearings |
Of few acres where a native has built |
a hut and planted a corn patch. There |
are several large towns, and some |
stock ranches but not a thousandth |
part of the original forest has been |
touched for centuries. The great trees |
look grand as they grow near the wa
ter's edge, while the branches hang |
over the stream and almost touch the |
boat side as we hug the shore to avoid |
the swift current, At places vines are
seen hanging from the tall trees and |
forming a veritable curtain of flowers
and green leaves, In the evening the
sweet odor Of thousand flowers was
waited from the forest TO the river
Birds OF various kinds delight the pas
sengers with their sweet song while
the parrot and macaw. beautiful or
plumage, screeoh out their hoarse cries.