Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-01-24
Correspondence.

d.. at the head Of Magdelena river nav
lgatlon, to Colombla's capital, is be-
tween 10 and so miles. az the crow liles'
but the journey lays over the main
oordllera Of the Andes and Is really
much farther, up and down the steep
trails A narrow-guage railway goes
part Of the way. and an old fashioned
sprngless coach the whole distance
Our party decided, whether wisely or
not remains to be seem, to make the
entire Journey In the saddle, for the
sake Of being comparatively independ-
emit as well as to better enjoy the mag
nlAoent mountain scenery. Our ladies'
have learned from long experience IN
these wild ATTITUDES to 30 always pro-
vlded with riding habits Of dust colored
alpaca, buckskin gloves reaching near
iy TO the elbow. bicycle boots, laclng
half way 10 the knee, and wide
brimmed hats OF Panama grass tied
tightly under the chin, la poke,
with thin but strong gauze yells'
crossed at the back and made 'becom-
ming by big bow In front. Right here
let me whisper a secret 30 ladies' only
when making saddle journeys In these
out-of- the-way mountain regions, Il Is
well TO be guided In the matter Of dress
by the customs OF the natives who,
travelling always In this fashion, may
be relied upon to have learned the best
way. A South American equestrienne
never burdens herself with too much
riding skirt, but makes II OF u llght,
weight material, scant as possible ana
only about four inches longer than an
ordinary walking dress Underneath
the skirt IA a pair OF very vide, full
Turkish trousers, Of the same material
as the habit, gathered close around
the shoe tops. Then, however winds
may blow when horse and rider are lit
full sail over breezy heights, trousers
and all pass for riding skirts and none
can tell where one begins and the other
ends. and no catastrophe, even TO the
turning Of the rider upside down
reveals an inch OF hose or a glimpse Of
those heterogeneous uncomfortable to
ears polite.
EARLY MORNING JAUNT.
Gathering out OF still sleeping Hon
da about o'clock one balmy morning
we took the old Canine Real, (king's
highway, which winds for miles under
q complete arch Of pawpaws, mangoes
and figtrees. The interlacing branches
obscurng the sky and rendering darker
that silent hour between night and
dawn--that mystic hour In which all
the forces Of life and nature are az
their lowest ebb. IN which II Is said
more souls 10 out OF the body Into the
great unknown that at any other time.
Not even dog was stirring 10 bark
us out OF town and our horses huddled
closer together with an instructive need
OF companionship In the uncertain
light we could not discern one anotheTs
faces aud our figures looked ghostly
and unreal, as might a procession OF
disembodled spOoks on some uncanny
expedition But presently the stars
we're lost IN the sea OF crimson and
gold that presages the rising Of the
tropical sun and Dame Nature shook
on her comatose condition; the flowers
lifted their dewy heads birds began TO
twltter smoke TO curl from house
tops and he hum Of human activity was
heard. Suddenly the road became alive
with Indians, trudging to market under
heavy loads; barefooted women, In wide
straw hats and short calico skirts.
generally carrying two persons and
donkeys, and black and white bulocks,
heavily laden with piles Of chlncona
bark bundles OF dye wood, sacks OF
gold or silver ore from DC mines or
merchandise OF various sorts The prin-
cipal towns OF Colombia, scattered along
the fertile valleys lying between the
spurs OF the Andes are from 60 10 100
miles distant from the Magdalena river.
and TO them all goods must be forward
ed over the rugged mountain trails.
Merchandise Is distributed into bales
OF 12b pounds each, allowing two bales.
or ESQ pounds, TO donkey load. Par
cells exceeding this weight must be
opened and repacked, or they viii not
be carried at all. The majority OF car
gadores. or carriers, are women, and
sheir charge for each load whether a
distance OF 10 miles or a hundred Is
from "A 10 30 reales--a Colombian real
being about ten cents American mon
ey Their system OF transit applies
only To articles OF comparatively Hight
weight, making It utterly impossible TO
forward across-country, 10 those places
where they are most needed, such hea-
Wy objects as mining machinery. agrl-
cultural implements, fire engines, wag-
ons. or anything else weighing over
half ton. Yet we are told that in Bo-
gotta every weil-to-do family has It's
plano. which was brought plece-meal
over the Sierras, at the cost OF a thou
sand dollars per piano, for trnnspor-
tatlon alonel They have streetcars.
too, In Colombia's capital. which wers
also toted In sections over the noun
tains as We're the rails and ties, all on
the backs OF mules or human beasts
OF burden.
OVER RUGGED WAYS.
After q time we left the royal road
of course escorted by gulde-and
took TO the shorter Indian trail, rough
steep and stony. winding over hills
which In some places ascend almost
perpendcularly and offer 80 narrow q
pathway that ponies, ambling one be-
hing the other, can hardly find foot
ing About p. m. We reached The
village Of Consueu. twas the Duchess Of
Marlborough named for it?)and stopped
at It's straw-thatched posada for break
fast. have seen many better mea
In the course o. somewhat variet
life, but never one that was more ac
ceptable, as We had eaten nothing sine
the hasty desaiuno OF bread and coffee
before daylight, IN Hondo Two hour
slesta and a good rubbing down witt
alcohol and hot water 1.-THE best rem
edy, by the way. for the lsmeness O
Joint aud soreness that alRlcts the anna
teur equestrienne), and by o'clocl
everybody cheerfully responded 10 IN
call OF boots and saddles" not wish
ing to remain over night IN desolat
Consuelo. However there Is not nue.
choice IN posadas on the road 90 Bogota
one being about as bad as another.
Az we assembled. ever higher an
higher the air grew cooler and az i.0o
feet above Honda the temperature wa
delightful. Winding around the stee
sides OF the Siefras, we had glimpse
OF q most wonderful panorama In IN
Magdalena valley, which, lar below
looked like a gigantic chess boart
squared on by hedge rows enclosln
cultivated fields. pale yellowlsh gree
~ Qttqu ana matches fpf.raf.nra.4 ,tstt