Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/notesoncolombiatOObach NOTES NOTES m it * TAKEN IN THE YEARS 1822-3. WITH AN ITINERARY OF THE ROUTE CARACAS TO BOGOTA AN APPENDIX. - /Wks/Lf* l\'< dtv*^* /v&^-Aje-^ BY AN OFFICER OF THE UNITED STATES' ARMY H. C. CAREY & I. LEA— CHESNUT STREET. 18S7c EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA, to wit: BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the fourth day of De- (L. S.) cember, in the fifty -first year of the Independence of the United States of America, A. D. 1826, H. C. Caret & I. Lea, of the said District, have deposited in this Office the Title of a Book, the right whereof they claim as Proprietors, in the words follow- ing-, to wit: "Notes on Colombia, taken in the years 1822-3. With an Itinerary " of the Route from Caracas to Bogota; and an Appendix. By an Offi- "cer of the United States' Army." In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, en- tituled, " An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned," and also to the Act, entitled, " An Act supplementary to an Act, entitled, ' An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned,' and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving', and etching historical and other prints." D. CALDWELL, Clerk of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, SKERRETT NINTH STREET S PHILADELPHIA. / PREFACE. The arrangement of the following Notes, com- menced to beguile some tedious hours, and to com- ply with the wishes of a brother, was continued and drawn to a conclusion by the stimulus of frequent gratifying inquiries from another quarter, with re- gard to its progress. I have consulted the books within my reach. From Humboldt I have drawn descriptions and physical results : from Depons, some historical data and economic details. If I do not indicate with more precision, the portions due to each, it is be- cause their works are no longer in my possession, and I cannot make the references from memory with exactness. In candour it should be stated, that my informa- tion has not always been derived from sources com- pletely satisfactory even to myself. The names of places on the Magdalena, for instance, obtained from the pilot of our canoe, may not always be cor- rectly given. Yet, whatever has been stated as coming under my personal observation, is the result of impressions, formed hastily it is true, but formed VI PREFACE. on the spot ; and the reflections are those which naturally suggested themselves. If it be asked, why, after riding posthaste through a country, and enjoying so few advantages, I have ventured to pursue a track trodden by a Humboldt, my presumption may appear less, when it is consi- dered, that each traveller sees with different eyes — is attracted by different objects, and collects different materials. After the harvestman has passed over the field to minister to the palates of the more re- finr >', the gleaner is still allowed to cater for those, whose appetites may retain a relish for more homely fare. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Page, Voyage— -La Guayra — Yellow Fever— Commercial regu- lations. 9 CHAPTER II. Road from La Guayra to Caracas — Earthquakes— Sym- pathy of the United States. . . . . 30 CHAPTER III. The Host — Visits — Rosario — Priests — Party of pleasure —St. Simon's Day — Ball— Dinner party — Inscrip- tions — Morning ride — Mr. Blandin — Coffee planta- tion 42 CHAPTER IV. Colombia — Territorial divisions — Historical sketch- Valley of Caracas — Silla — Captain-generalship. . 63 CHAPTER V. City of Caracas — Pavements — Plazas — Cathedral — Mar- ket — Costume — Provisions — Manufactures — Society — Merchants — Siesta — Theatre— Nobility — Ladies — Servants. .79 CHAPTER VI. General descriptions — Cities, towns, and villages — Churches— Private houses. . . . . 103 CHAPTER VII. Journey — Departure from Caracas — San-Pedro— Victo- ria — San-Mateo — Bolivar — Sugar plantation — Ma- racay — Valencia — Lake Tacarigua.— -Peasantry— • Aguas Calientes. . . . ."'■■-. . .115 Vlll CONTENTS. CHAPTER VIII. Page- Leave Valencia— -- Carabobo—- General Paez— -Barqui- semeto— Colonel Manreky — Tocuyo— Agua Obispos — Santa- Ana — Truxillo. . . . . .142 CHAPTER IX. Leave Truxillo— Farm-house — Valeria — Mendoza — Ti- mothes — Fiesta of Independence — Paramo — Merida. 168 CHAPTER X. Leave Merida — San-Juan — Military escort — Bridge- Mountains — Dangerous road — Estanques — Cacao- tree — Besoin de Societe— Bailadores — Tobacco— Mo- nopolies — La Grita — Paramo — Tariba — Cucuta. . 182 CHAPTER XL Leave Cucuta— Hacienda — Pamplona— -Chitaga — Re- ligious procession — Capitanejo — Suata — -Susacon — Santa-Rosa — Paypa — Tunja — Arrival at Bogota- Itinerary ........ 205 CHAPTER XII. Valley of Bogota — City — Cathedral — Convent San-Fran- cisco — Private houses — Bolivar's Quinta — Carnival ■ — Dinner-parties — Lake Guatavita— Tequendama — Religious ceremonies. . . . * . • . 223 CHAPTER XIII. Journey-— Departure from Bogota — Facatativa— Villeta — Guaduas— Colonel Acosta — Honda. . . . 243 CHAPTER XIV. Navigation of the Magdalena. . . » . £51 CHAPTER XV. Journey to Carthagena — Leave Barancas — Amatis — Tur- baco — Itinerary — Arrival— Carthagena. . . 271 Appendix A. . . . . ' • . . • 281 Appendix B. . . . ... . . 301 Appendix C. . . .. ' . • . . .302 &OTES ON COLOMBIA CHAPTER, L Voyage— la guayra — yellow fever-^-commercial regulations. THE opportunity of accompanying a citizen of the United States, whose devotion to the cause of South American Independence had been rewarded by a vote of thanks, and the epithet benemerito? bestowed by the Colombian congress, was gladly embraced by the writer of the following notes. In- dependently of an ardent desire to visit foreign countries, to extend his sphere of observation, to travel down his prejudices, and multiply his exist- ence, by placing himself in new situations- — motives common to all travellers ; his ulterior views point- ed to professional employment, The cause in which he proposed to engage was not less holy than that which fifty years ago called forth the exertions of his forefathers; and the theatre was equally domes- tic, since the struggle was for the soil and inde- pendence of America,, But it was soon perceived^ that the war was drawing too near its close to jus- tify a stranger in entering upon a new career. Thfi 10 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. Colombians, besides, had become so confident as to the result of the conflict, as no longer to seek for or desire foreign aid; and the composition of the army, and the state of its moral, rendered such em- ployment very little to be desired. The advantages of friendly intercourse with the officers of government and influential citizens, in the course of his journey, were afforded through the connexion above alluded to: the demonstrations of respect by the public authorities have* no personal reference to the writer, an unknown individual; but were the outpourings of grateful feelings, towards the chief of the party, whose exertions in favour of their country prompted the people to this expres- sion of their regard. 1822, October 2d. The gallant ship on which we embarked this day at noon, was destined for the service of Colombia. A fair wind soon wafted her proudly through the narrows of the harbour of New York; but on approaching Sandy Hook, a necessary alteration in her course, to follow the windings of the channel, drew the wind rather scant. The pilot, whose eyes were alternately glancing at the tremu- lous, close-hauled sails, or rivetted on the waste of waters which he appeared to fathom, evinced some uneasiness, lest he should not be able to clear the bar. An exclamation of satisfaction put us at rest as to his success. His attention, which had been completely engrossed by his duties, now appeared equally relaxed, and he seemed to take no further interest in the movements, his voice had so recently VOYAGE. 11 directed, when suddenly a crash arrested the atten- tion of all on board. The lashings of the block of the main brace had parted, and the huge yard swung round, being no longer braced to the wind. The pilot, vociferating twenty commands in a breath, sprang to the wheel, until now governed by an ex- perienced old sailor, brought the ship about, and instead of continuing on the new tack and endea- vouring to gain the sea, his purpose was changed without an instant's hesitation or delay— the ship at his command wore round, and in ten minutes was at anchor inside the Hook. I was highly gratified at this display of promptness and self-possession on the part of the pilot, and the intelligent co-opera- tion of the crew. Each man appeared to have a fixed station and a prescribed duty, which he per- formed without confusion. In this manoeuvre, every rope in the ship was either " let go or hauled," and the yards performed a complete revolution. October 3d. Weighed anchor early this morning, after having repaired the damage of the preceding evening, and stood out to sea. A fresh breeze brought us in a few hours to the gulf stream, when the motion of the ship became rather annoying to us landsmen. The indefinite expanse of the ocean, of the effect of which I had so often read, did not strike me as sublime. Our vessel was such a fine one; and so great was my confidence in the skill of the captain and the activity of the crew, and so complete my ignorance of the real dangers of navigation, that the ±% NOTES ON COLOMBIA*. feeling of apprehension so necessary to the sublime never entered my mind. While gazing on the well- defined circle which encompassed our ship as its centre, I in vain endeavoured to find cause for as- tonishment, where it had been discovered by so many others, I looked with disappointment for some new impression, suggesting a new train of thought, but there was nothing of the kind. The sole impression was that of a beautiful ring of about half a mile radius, bounded by a perpendicular wall, admirably well adapted for a race course. Although disappointed in this respect, it would be impossible to express my admiration of the trans- parent, crystal-like appearance of the dark blue water, and its brilliant contrast with the milk white foam dashed from the bow, which at night appear- ■ ed like a mass of liquid fire, from the multitude of luminous insects. We spoke eight or ten vessels on the passage; at one time there were three or four in sight. These greetings on the highway of commerce are extremely agreeable in a ship of war, to the inmates of which, a strange sail does not call up the uncomfortable idea of a pirate ; but to a vessel without armament, a lonely voyage is much to be preferred to doubtful company. On passing near the island of Aquillia, we saw what at first was supposed to be a whale spouting. The appearance was afterwards ascertained to be occasioned by the surf striking against the rocks, under such circumstances as to throw a column of LA GUAYRA. IS water into the air at least fifty feet high. It was this appearance in nature which suggested to Mont- golfier the idea of his hydraulic ram. October 18th. We arrived to-day at La Gruayra, without any incident worthy of notice, and found there the United States' ship Cyane, captain Spence, and about twenty sail of merchantmen. On anchor- ing, we fired salutes, which were answered from the batteries on shore. Madam C**#, the sister of the Liberator, who, with her family, had been our fellow passenger, excused herself from going on shore with the rest of the company, as she had made a vow, that if ever she should be permitted to revisit her native country, from which she had been exiled nine years, she would land barefooted. The appearance on approaching La GUiayra, was so different from that of the low and verdant shores I had so lately left, as to strike me by the contrast in a very lively manner. The rugged outline of the mountains is strongly defined upon the sky ; the rocky and perpendicular sides of this chain, which skirts the whole coast of Caracas, have breasted for countless ages the impotent rage of the ocean; they appear perfectly barren, and are almost white, as if calcined by the powerful influence of a vertical sun* The Silla, (saddle,) of Caracas, ascends imme- diately behind the town, to the height of 8000 feet, and is so little removed from the shore, that it seems to rise immediately out of the sea. Cape Blanco, four miles to the west of La Gruayra, is rendered 14} NOTES ON COLOMBIA. prominent by its conical summit of dazzling bright- ness. Previous to 1812, M. de Humboldt ascertained the height of the look-out on the summit of the cape to be 384 feet ; but I have been assured by a gentle- man who resided at La Guayra in 1812, that it sunk from sixty to eighty feet, during the convulsion of the 26th of March of that year, which laid the capi- tal, and two-thirds of the towns of Venezuela in ruins. Should any future admeasurement of this height, give a less elevation than that assigned to it by M. de Humboldt, it will no doubt be attributed to the proper cause, a freak of nature; whose ope- rations are less invariable than the results of the philosophical observations of the "first of travel- lers." The rocky sides of this chain are finely contrast- ed with the narrow strip of cultivated land at its base, in which the beautiful cocoa-bearing palm is most conspicuous, proclaiming at once, if other evi- dences were wanting, the region of the tropics. Euilt upon this narrow belt, the town of La Guayra is confined by rocks almost inaccessible in its rear, upon which, battery above battery are seen towering to a height, adding more to its picturesque appearance than defence ; and in front is hemmed in by a strong line of well-constructed water batte- ries, the base of which is washed by the surf. The road-stead is an open one, exposed to cur- rents, destructive storms, a drifting of the sand which buries the anchor, rendering it necessary to LA GUAYRA. 15 weigh every eight or ten days; open to all the pre- valent winds, and a heavy surf, which is most dan- gerous in a calm. This was the case in 1823, when seventeen or eighteen vessels were dashed upon the rocks. The United States 7 frigate Congress, only escaped the same fate, through the skill and unex- ampled exertions of her officers and crew. Reduced to her last anchor, she had ridden out the swell till morning, when she was seen by the anxious spec- tators on the shore, to yield occasionally to the hea- vier waves. This was owing to a judicious discre- tion in paying out cable. To the very circumstance which excited most apprehension on shore, the ship was probably indebted for her safety. She escaped with the loss of two anchors, and two or three men, who had been sent to afford assistance to the other vessels. In addition to these dangers and inconve- niences, the depth of water does not exceed eight fathoms, at the distance of one mile from the shore. There is, besides, no mole or wharf; all goods must be landed and embarked in boats, in a surf that never completely subsides, exposing the merchan- dise to loss or damage. The moment a boat approaches the shore with passengers and baggage, fifteen or twenty negroes, and men of various casts, having no other covering than a pair of drawers, a dress, or rather undress, well adapted to display their remarkable muscular developments, and symmetry of proportions, rush into the sea up to their waists, to meet the boat. Each seizes something proportioned to his strength: 16 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. men and trunks are indiscriminately raised upon their brawny shoulders, and are carried through the surf to the shore. As this is done in the twink- ling of an eye, without consent asked or granted, you are somewhat surprised, on being pitched down upon the beach, as well at the want of ceremony of your new hosts, as at the appearance of Agrarian law, which you would be inclined to suppose exist- ed, from seeing your effects instantly divided among the surrounding crowd ; for it seems to be an esta- blished principle, that each is to carry but one par- cel, however small it may be, the lighter articles beiug pounced upon by the boys, who are neither less adventurous than the men for the safety of your baggage, nor less clamorous in their demands for the service they have forced you to accept. As the arrival of a vessel excites considerable interest, and attracts many people to the landing, you find no difficulty in obtaining the information you may re- quire. A European is easily distinguished ; he greets you as a countryman, a countryman receives you as a brother, and both are prompt to offer their assistance. On entering the custom-house gate, you are ushered at once into a motley crowd, in a wide part of the main street, appropriated as a market. The scanty covering of those engaged in this busy throng; the disproportionately large number of wo- men of the lower class ; the various casts ; the dis- gusting cripples ; the bare-footed soldiers ; and the petticoated priests, first arrest attention. The fruits LA GUAYRA. 17 and vegetables are sold by women squatting in rows on the stone pavement, each having her little store displayed before her. The meats are protected from the sun by a shed. Not far removed, the countrymen stand near their mules or asses, laden with coffee, hides, dye-woods, corn, rice, cacao, faggots, or charcoal, in large panniers, for the kitchen, and various other articles, ready to offer to purchasers. October 19th. Took up my quarters in a hotel kept by a Baltimoreau. I here first experienced the total want of comfort of a Spanish house. Se- veral cots, placed in the sleeping apartments, con- stituted the only furniture. The barred windows, the absence of privacy, (hangings of chintz or calico being substituted for doors,) the tiled floors, with swarms of fleas, are the greatest annoyances. The dining-room, extending along the whole front of the house, and furnished with a balcony overlook- ing the batteries, which commanded a view of the sea, was extremely pleasant. In this room was served to about thirty persons, chiefly foreigners, an excellent breakfast, a la fourchette, about 10 o'clock; at which, besides meats, coffee, and choco- late, were a number of fruits, almost all new to me, and very good claret, each person being furnished with his bottle. The dinner, differing very little from the break- fast, except in the greater abundance of substan- tial, and the addition of vegetables, soup, and a variety of wines, was served about 5 o'clock 5 the 3 18 NOTES ON COLOMBIA, concluding cup of coffee finished the eating for the day, suppers in so hot a climate being considered unwholesome, as well as inimical to tranquil sleep, so difficult to be obtained, on account of the oppres- sive heat and other " disturbing influences." Be- sides the square court into which the chambers look- ed, another in the rear, partially covered by a shed, contained the kitchen, stables, and offices, without any division by partitions. The fastidious would do well to avoid passing through this court before dinner. Employed this day in wandering through the streets, batteries, and ruins of the town. Mul- titudes of green lizards, from two to five inches long, are apt to startle you at first, as they dart across your path at every step. A few days are sufficient, however, to render them familiar ; they are perfectly harmless. During my rambles, I was attracted by a crowd witnessing the antics of a tumbler, dressed like Harlequin, who took this public method of giving a sample of his talents ; at the same time ad- vertising the inhabitants that he would give an ex- hibition at some stated place in the evening. The soldiers on post and wandering through the town, struck me by the variety of their complexions, and their want of shoes. Their uniform is a linen coatee with blue cuffs and collars, linen trowsers, and leather cap trimmed with muslin. Cripples and beggars are met with at every corner, basking in the sun, displaying their deformities to excite compassion. Most of these deformities are the re- sult of want of cleanliness, and inattention to extract- LA GUAYRA. 19 ing the egg9, deposited under the skin by an insect called chigre or niguas. October 20th. Dined with the American consul at Maiquitia, a small village about half a mile west of La Gruayra, with captain S***, and other Americans. In the evening, I was attracted by some delightful music on the harp. I crossed the street, and standing near the door of a hut for a few minutes received an invitation to enter. The inmates, a negro and a mulatto woman, welcomed me with politeness, and without the least embar- rassment handed me the only chair the cabin con- tained. Some beautiful airs were played; among others a cotillion I was acquainted with. A young man and woman shortly after came in, and danced very gracefully and with much spirit a coquettish dance, in which the swain appeared to sue for fa- vour; while the haughty lass rejected his attentions, till tired out by her neglect he pouted in turn. The lady then became the suitress, and endeavoured to mollify the anger of her lover; a reconciliation then takes place, and the parties join hands. Two little barefooted children then waltzed very prettily. La Guayra is situated in 10® 36' 19 " north lati- tude, and 9° 55' east longitude from Washington. It contains at present about four thousand five hun- dred inhabitants; having suffered since 1810, equally with the neighbouring towns, the united effects of earthquakes, famine, pestilence, and an extermi- nating war of twelve years' duration. SO NOTES ON COLOMBIA. The mean temperature of the year is 8S° Fahr Do. Hot season - - 84*° Do. Cold season - - 74° Maximum - - - 95° Minimum - - - 70° Rain is by no means frequent, but a small quan- tity falling in the course of the year. The location of the town is very singular. The chain of mountains that separates the port from the high valley of Caracas, descends precipitately to within eight hundred feet of the sea, leaving but that space of moderately inclined ground for the buildings. These are arranged in two narrow and irregular streets, having a general direction east and west, connected by others at right angles sloping considerably towards the sea. The whole are well paved, and kept tolerably clean. Several batteries, at different heights on the sides of the mountains, command the water- batteries* which are well built of excellent stone, and com pletely encompass the town. The bomb-proof case- mates are very capacious, sufficiently so to shelter a great portion of the inhabitants, in case of an at- tack from the sea. There are three entrances ; those on the eastern and western extremities of the town are defended by traverses, artillery, and strong gates, at which guards of soldiers are stationed. The third entrance, about mid- way between the other two, looks to the north. This is the custom- house gate, through which all merchandise landed or intended to be embarked must pass. The store- LA GUAYRA. 2i houses and offices connected with the revenue are convenient to this gate; and directly in front of it is the office of the American consul, the stripes wav- ing from its roof. These gates are closed at six o'clock in the evening, and remain so till the same hour next morning. The water-batteries, although well-built, and judiciously disposed, are out of re- pair, and at present are nearly stripped of their ar- tillery, not more than eight or ten pieces being mounted. The batteries above, however, have an imposing appearance; and, commanding each other, could be defended as long as provisioned ; but would be unable to prevent a maritime enemy from destroy- ing the town with shells. Their immense height, at the same time that it insures their own security, diminishes the efficacy of the protection they could afford the town. The front street is by far the most comfortable ; as from the second story of its houses you look immediately over the battery, and enjoy a fine view of the sea and vessels in the road, as well as the re- freshing sea-breeze. The other long street, between the first and the mountain, is much confined. A re- sidence in this part of the town, would be insup- portable, during the hot season, were it not for an elevation in the ground, which enables the sea- breeze to have a partial circulation. The houses, generally of two stories, are built either of stone and mortar, of bricks burnt or only dried in the sun, or simply of rammed earth, called tapia, in most cases plastered with lime, both inside 2% NOTES ON COLOMBIA. and out, white-washed and roofed with burnt earthen tiles. Those of the better order have bal- conies in front, projecting from the second story, sheltered from the sun by a continuation of the roof, supported by posts. In walking through the streets of La Guayra, the effects of the earthquake of the 26th of March, 1812, are visible at every step. Not more than one-fourth of the houses escaped that calamity ; one-half still remain in ruins. Six hundred lives were lost in one building, the principal church, in which the terrified inhabitants had collected to arrest by prayer and adoration, the impending catastrophe; thus has- tening by their blind fceal, the calamity they sought to avoid. Mass is now performed in an adjoining building, temporarily fitted up for the service of re- ligion. The dissonance of the cracked bells re- minds the inhabitants three or four times a day of the calamity, which reduced their town to a mass of ruins, and implies a reproach upon the good Ca- tholics, who have omitted to replace them, and have suffered the temples of their religion to remain twelve years encumbered with rubbish. But this neglect may be satisfactorily accounted for, by the continued state of war, and the situation of the town, exposed to be battered at any moment by an enemy in possession of superiority at sea. Whole squares are still in ruins, little having been done but to clear the streets of the rubbish. In the eastern quarter of the town fronting the sea, is a good hotel kept by an American from Bal- . LA GUAYRA. %'S timore. This house is supported by strangers whom commerce carries to the port. The habits of the Spaniard, his reserve in what relates to domestic concerns, render him averse to living in a public house. The few now to be found in Colombia owe their establishment and support to the patronage of foreigners. About half a mile from the western extremity of the town is the pretty village of Maiquitia, the re- sidence of the American consul, connected with La Gliayra by a road along the beach. This spot en- joys a free circulation of air; and as the mountain here retires somewhat from the shore, the space capable of cultivation, or which may be appro- priated to buildings is much enlarged. Here also are groves of palms, which yield a pleasant shade, and are more grateful to the eye than the glare of the sun from the white walls of the town. But the greatest advantage this situation enjoys, is an ex- emption from the effects of the radiant heat from the mountains. The heat given out in this way during the night, is nearly as oppressive as the direct in- fluence of the sun during the day. Our consul, in conjunction with another American, has purchased some land here, and after the custom of his coun- trymen, has laid it out in streets and building lots. A few years after the country shall have become tranquil, will probably see this a flourishing place, rivalling La Guayra; as natural obstacles present an insuperable barrier to any further increase in the plan of that town. S4 NOTES ON COLOMBIA . It is only in the present year that Mr. Lowry* has received the less equivocal appointment of con- sul, which, at the same time that it renders him more respectable in the eyes of the people of La Guayra, and of foreign merchants, will enable him to become still more extensively useful to his com= mercial countrymen. La Guayra is supplied with water by a rivulet, the source of which is on the mountain at a distance of six miles from the sea. This stream, although am- ple for the supply of the town, is warm and not very agreeable to the taste. This quality is proba- bly acquired in passing over beds of sarsaparilla, which are said to impart to it a medicinal virtue. Previous to the opening the port in 1797? the yel- low fever was unknown in La Guayra. Its intro- duction is attributed to a brig from Philadelphia, on board of which the disease first made its appear- ance, and was thence communicated to the hospi- tals and town. The inhabitants insisted that the disease had been imported. The captain of the ves- sel as positively asserted, that, so far from having introduced the malady, his sailors had caught it in port. Opinions were at once divided between do- mestic origin and importation. The discussion per- haps would have been carried on with as much heat as it has been since in some of our cities, had * Mr. Lowry was the first commercial agent of the United States to the Spanish Main. He resided at La Guayra with occasional absences, rendered necessary by political events, from 1810 till 1825, when he fell a victim to the climate. YELLOW FEVER. &5 not the thermometer incessantly urged the propriety of keeping cool. The adverse arguments were equal- ly satisfactory. One side says — a disease is unknown among us till foreign vessels enter our port; it im- mediately makes its appearance, it is therefore im- ported. The other insists, that the vessel left a healthful place, that the crew enjoyed perfect health during the voyage, and until they* entered the port; the irresistible conclusion is, that the complaint ex- isted and was contracted there. An indifferent per- son would probably be of opinion, that each party contributed its assistance; and that the disease owed its origin to both foreign and domestic causes, without the co-operation of which it would not have been gene- rated. An inhabitant of a northern climate, whose peculiar habit of body is such as to ensure exemp- tion from disease, only so long as he remains in an atmosphere and temperature congenial to him, is suddenly transferred to the torrid zone. A new form of disease is the consequence, produced by the operation of deleterious influences upon a subject predisposed to their effects. The yellow fever, however, scarcely ever passes the ridge of mountains, four thousand eight hun- dred and fifty feet high, which divides Caracas from its port. 66 The first commercial regulation was obtained in 1560. By it, a vessel was permitted to be sent annually to the port of Borburata, afterwards changed for that of La Guayra. During the whole of the sixteenth century, agriculture was almost 4 26 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. wholly neglected, under the expectation of disco- vering mines. The want of success in this, was the cause of the glaring neglect, this portion of Ame rica experienced from Spain; the whole attention being directed to Mexico and Peru, countries more abundant in mineral wealth. In 1634, the Dutch seized upon the Island of Cu- racoa, and by making it a commercial emporium, stimulated their neighbours on the Main, to draw from the surface of their inexhaustible soil, those advantages which seemed to be denied in its bowels, by an exchange of their surplus productions for those of Europe. They first attached themselves to the culture of cacao, which with hides, for a long time, constituted their commercial barter. This contraband with the Dutch being unshack- led, entirely destroyed the commerce with Spain* The company of Gaipuscoa was then established to trade with Venezuela, upon the condition of de- stroying this contraband. This succeeded to the advantage of the company and Spain, and to the satisfaction of tlie colonists till 1742, when the com- pany having obtained a monopoly from the king, the colonists wisely took the alarm, and the tran- quillity of the province was on the eve of being dis- turbed, when a modification of the company's char- ter, admitted a board to be formed, composed one- half of cultivators, the other of the members of the company, to decide on the price of cacao, the prin- cipal article. By these means, the quantity was in- creased, and other productions, hides and tobacco, were added. COMMERCIAL REGULATIONS. 27 The company soon engaged in the contraband, which they had been created to destroy. The abuse becoming glaring, in 1778? the regulation called of free commerce, was put in execution. By this, Spaniards who should build a vessel of a certain tonnage, to be manned by Spanish subjects, obtain- ed the privilege of trading with the colonies, and four- teen or fifteen ports were opened in the Peninsula and the Canaries, and seven on the Spanish Main. La Gruayra was first opened to neutrals general- ly, by an order of the 18th November, 1797 '■ but the clamour raised by the merchants of the mother country, induced the king, by an order of the 13th of February, 1800, to revoke, not only the order previously given, but also, every other permission, general or particular, granted either by himself, or by the governors, viceroys or intendants of Ame- rica. Thus after enjoying a free commerce for. more than two years, it was closed on the solicitations, and for the advantage of a few interested mer- chants. This state of legal interdiction continued till the 20th of May, 1801, when the captain general of Caracas opened the port for the residue of the year, or till the return of peace, should that event sooner take place, with a view to diminish the con- traband trade, which had been actively carried on by the Dutch, but more particularly by the English, notwithstanding the war in which the two nations were engaged. The Spaniards having no neutral or friendly colony, to which they could legally re- 28 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. sort, except Gaudaloupe, (the Dutch, Danish, and Swedish possessions being occupied by the Eng- lish,) it became necessary that all vessels going to Jamaica, Cura§oa or Trinidad, should clear out for Gaudaloupe. Hence the custom-house registers of the Spanish ports, exhibited evidences of an active and important commerce between the Main and Gaudaloupe; while those of the latter made no men- tion of any arrivals from the former. The vessels thus engaged, so far from being considered prizes, received on the contrary, passports from the Eng- lish admirals, and were even convoyed by British cruisers. Thus it was in time of actual war, that England laid the foundation of her extensive commerce with the Spanish Main, and that Jamaica became the emporium to which nearly all its productions are exported, and from which nearly all its wants are supplied."* At the present time, the commerce between Ja- maica and the single port of Carthagena employs ten or twelve vessels, which are monthly convoyed back and forward by English cruisers, maintained by government for that especial purpose.f * Extracted from Depons. t For the present commercial regulations of the Republic of Colombia, see Mr. Anderson's Report to the Secretary of State, Appendix A. ; and for a return of the exports from La Guayra during the year 1824, Appendix Bo COMMERCIAL REGULATIONS, 29 Revenue of the port of La Guayra from the 1st January to 31st October, 1823, from official returns. Import duties - - - - g 515,609 06| Export do. .... 153,101 43| Tonnage do. - - - 5,778 43| Salt do. .... 4,083 18| Anchorage do. - - - - 414 00 Prizes do. ... - 105,552 37 i Military Hospital do. - - 6,038 06| 8 790,576 561 CHAPTER II. ROAD PROM LA GUAYRA TO CARACAS — EARTHQUAKES, October 21. Accompanied by some friends, who had rendezvoused at Mr. Lowry's house for that purpose, we mounted our mules about 7 o'clock this morning, with high expectations at travelling the far-famed road to Caracas. Madam C***, more punctual to the hour appointed, had preceded us with a large party. We found them at La Venta, partaking of some refreshments, which proved very acceptable after our toilsome ascent. In an hour, the cavalcade, of from fifteen to twenty per- sons, continued their route, enjoying from time to time the most enchanting views. The saddles for the ladies were formed like an arm-chair, having a narrow board suspended by straps of leather, to rest the feet upon. We arrived at Caracas before 12 o'clock, entering the town from the north, and passing through long, ruinous, and deserted streets. The extraordinary road which unites Caracas with its sea-port, is said by Humboldt to resemble those of St. Gothard and the great St. Bernard. This traveller determined the height of twelve points. From his observations it is found, that La Venta, (the inn,) on the mountain de Avila, at which passengers generally stop to rest and take some refreshment, is at an elevation of 3888 feet ROAD TO CARACAS. 31 above the sea; from this to El Guayavo, a smaller inn on La Cumbre, (the summit,) is 9^2 feet, giv- ing 4850 feet for the latter station, which is nearly the highest point on the road. From El Gruayavo^ the way for a mile and a half, covered with moun- tain growth, is called, on account of its windings, Las Vueltas. Here the traveller first gets a view of the city; the descent is then rapid for 1944 feet to the Plaza Major, (Great Square,) which is 2906 feet above the sea; thence, more gradual for 205 feet, to the Rio (riiayra, which runs through the plain, at the foot of the city, and is at an elevation of 2701 feet, the general level of the high valley of Ca- racas. On leaving La Gruayra, the road passes along the sea beach to the village of Maiquitia ; the ascent then begins with an extremely steep ridge of rocks, passing by a station, called from the suffocating heat reflected by the walls of rock, Torre Quemada, to Ciirucuti ; here the ascent is somewhat less labo- rious to the Salto, (leap,) (a chasm crossed on a drawbridge, defended by a battery,) and as far as La Venta. It is more abrupt to El Guayavo, and the little battery La Cuchilla, at which Humboldt was made prisoner by a guard of artillery, and de- tained some time for want of a passport. The road then becomes more level as you thread the incessant windings called Las Vueltas, after which the de- scent begins towards the valley in which the city stands. Owing to the abruptness of the side of the mountain over which the road is made, it has been 32 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. impracticable to carry it in a straight line, in any one part. The turnings, therefore, to accommodate it to the rugged surface of the ground, and make, the ascent less laborious, are incessant, short, and in every possible direction, rarely affording a view of the road for more than thirty or forty feet in advance. The average width may be twelve feet, but it is by no means uniform, sometimes ex- tending to twenty, at others diminishing to eight. It is admirably well paved, with large flat and rounded stones, sloping a little to the centre, and entirely across, to guard against the undermining of the rains. The sides rise perpendicularly, and are of schistose rock and indurated clay, in which the road has been sunk, presenting the appearance of a paved trench, the walls being, for the greater part of the way, much higher than a man's head as he sits upon his mule. There are many points, however, where the road, emerging from the bowels of the mountain, presents the finest views. The most sublime is that from La Venta, which is thus described by Humboldt : — " La Venta already enjoys some celebrity in Eu- rope and in the United States, for the beauty of its scenery. This spot does, indeed, wheu the clouds permit, present a magnificent view of the sea, and the neighbouring coasts. You discover an horizon of more than twenty-two leagues radius; the white and barren shore reflects a dazzling mass of light: you see at your feet Cape Blanco, the village of Maiquitia, with its cocoa-trees, La Guayra, and ROAD TO CARACAS. 33 vessels that enter the port. But I found this view far more extraordinary, when the sky was not se- rene, and trains of clouds strongly illumined on their upper surface, seemed projected like floating islands on the surface of the ocean. Strata of va- pour, hovering at different heights, formed interme- diary spaces between the eye and the lower regions. From an illusion easily explained, they enlarge the scene, and render it more, solemn. Trees and dwellings discovered themselves from time to time, through the openings, which were left by the clouds driven on by the winds, and rolling over one an- other. Objects then appear at a greater depth, than when seen through a pure and uniformly serene air. On the declivity of the mountains of Mexico, at the same height, (between Las Trancas and Xalapa,) the sea is at twelve leagues distance, and the view of the coast is confused ; while on the road from La Guayra to Caracas we command the plains, (the tierra caliente,) as from the top of a tower. We may conceive the impression, which this aspect must have on persons, who, born in inland coun- tries, contemplate the sea and ships for the first time from this point." Humb. Per. JSTar. The Salto, a deep chasm, passed on a draw- bridge, and defended by a battery, effectually se- cures the safety of Caracas from attempts made by this avenue. Indeed, did no fortifications exist on this route, he must be a very unskilful enemy who should decide on making his approaches in this direction; for, setting aside the defences of La 5 34 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. Gruayra, its unsafe road and high surf, the bar- renness of the country should of themselves de- ter him. A little to the westward of La Gruayra, the small bay of Catia furnishes excellent anchor- age for ships, from which the Quebrada (ravine) de Tepe, by which the valley is supposed to have been drained, ascends to the table land of Caracas. By this route, Drake penetrated to Caracas with a handful of men in 1594, and sacked the town, with- out encountering any opposition; the troops dis- patched to dispute his advance having proceeded by the ordinary route, under the persuasion that he could reach the capital by no other avenue. It is in this direction that a wagon road was com- menced about twenty years since; but some difficul- ties with the contractors suspended the work. Suc- ceeding events have engrossed the attention of the enterprising part of the community too much, to allow them to prosecute so extensive an improvement, in opposition to the influence of those engaged in the present mode of transportation by means of mules, wedded by interest and prejudice to the good olden way. Although the direct distance from the port to the capital is not more than six or eight miles, the journey is from five to six hours ascending, and from three to four descending, for mules carrying two quintals, about 250 pounds, the customary load ; for which, the muleteer receives one dollar and a half for going up, and one dollar for returning. Subject to this delay, and burdened with this ex- ROAD TO CARACAS. 35 pense, all the produce of the fruitful valley of Ca- racas is brought to the sea for embarkation, and the commodities of Europe reach the capital. Ow- ing to the narrowness of the road, aud the number of mules employed in the transport of goods to and fro, it has beeo found necessary, to establish three days in the week for going up, aud the alternate ones for returning, in order to avoid embarrass- ments, delays, and injuries to the mules, which would, otherwise, inevitably take place. For, al- though the average width of the road may be twelve feet, there are many straits which do not exceed half that breadth, a space barely sufficient for two loaded mules to pass. As these animals are heed- lessly driven forward, in herds of from five to twenty, or more, by the goads and shouts of the muleteers, the overloaded beasts frequently acquire such a momentum, in the steeper passes, that they are obliged to blunder forward, staggering from side to side to preserve their equilibrium, as the ill-secured load swerves from its true poise; and are utterly unable, (however well disposed to ob- serve the courtesy of the road,) to avoid overturn- ing the opponents they may encounter, toiling up the steep ascent; or, at least, dismounting the packs of one or both, by the rude contact. Woe to the unfortunate wight, who, by a sudden turn in the road, finds himself in the midst of a herd, laden with hides, faggots, or some other equally yielding substance, unless he has had the precaution to pro- vide himself with eui$se$, or possesses dexterity 36 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. enough to throw one or both legs across the mule 7 s mane. Even then, he is not exempt from the incon- venience of having his saddle stripped from under him, or, perhaps, is compelled to yield to the irre- sistible tide which carries him onward, for some distance, in a direction opposite to that of his route* After passing La Cumbre, a charming view of the city is presented, immediately at the foot of the mountain, nearly two thousand feet below, as well as of the luxuriant valley in which it stands, sur- rounded on all sides by mountains, traversed by four small rivers, teeming with the fruits, trees, and shrubs of a tropical climate, flourishing by the side of, and affording a rich contrast with, those of the temperate zones. The appearance of the city, approached in this direction, is that of a confused mass of buildings constructed of some red material. As you descend, the direction of the streets becomes apparent; the houses and public buildings are more distinguish- able; the colour changes as the whitewashed walls present themselves to view, and it is now perceived, that the red appearance was owing to the tiled roofs alone being presented to the eye, when first viewed from the height. It is deplorable to find that about one fifth of the city is still in ruins. These are chiefly in the most elevated* parts of the site upon which the town is built, nearest to, and in fact on, the spur of the mountain. In this quarter, which suffered most severely, little has been done but to disencumber the streets of the rubbish, which has EARTHQUAKES OF CARACAS. 87 been thrown within the cracked and tottering walls of the roofless buildings. The earthquakes experienced in this part of the globe, which have been recorded, extend through a period of nearly two centuries. Vibrations of va- rious degrees of intensity were felt in 1641, 1703, and 1766. One more severe occurred on the 21st of October, 1778, at one o 7 clock at night; in com- memoration of which, nocturnal religious proces- sions were instituted at La Guayra and Caracas. In 1796 there was an eruption of a volcano of Gua- daloupe, and in 1797 Cumana and Riobamba were destroyed. "During the years 1800-l-S, there were other shocks, that of the latter year be- ing very violent. In 1811, Caracas experienced a more violent shock than any which had pre- ceded it, which banished the hopes of security the inhabitants entertained, founded on the na- ture of the formations and the height of their val- ley. From 1811 to 1813, the whole country, from Caracas to the valley of the Ohio, and from the West India Islands to the mountains of New Grenada, was the theatre of nearly simultaneous vibrations. The commencement of this period was marked by the appearance, on the 30th of January, 1811, o£ the Island Sabrina, near St. Michael, one of the Azores, and of the earthquakes of the Island St. Vincent, which lasted from May 1811, till the same month in the succeeding year. The shock immediately preceding that by which the city was destroyed, was in the month of De- 38 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. cember, 1811. The Caracanians, at the period of the great catastrophe, were ignorant of the earth- quakes of the Island St. Vincent, as well as of the shocks of the 7th and 8th of February, 1812, which kept the basin of the Mississippi in a con- tinual state of oscillation. For five months previous to the 26th of March, 1812, the province of Venezuela had suffered ex- tremely from drought. Not a drop of rain had fal- len during that time, within ninety leagues of Ca- racas. The weather of that day was oppressively hot, the air, calm and cloudless. It was the last Thursday in lent, and a great portion of the inha- bitants were collected in the churches. At 7 mi- nutes past 4 P. M. the first shock was perceived, which lasted five or six seconds, and was suffi- ciently strong to shake the church bells. It was followed immediately by another, which continued ten or twelve seconds, and seemed to agitate the ground like a liquid. The danger was now sup- posed to be passed, when a horrible subterranean sound, resembling the loudest thunder, but more prolonged, was heard : this sound was followed by a perpendicular movement of three or four seconds, succeeded by vibrations from north to south, and from east to west, of longer duration. The upward movement, and that in opposite directions, were irresistible ; nine-tenths of the city were instantly reduced to a mass of ruins. Three or four thou sand persons, assembled in the churches to form a procession, perished by the falling of the vaulted EARTHQUAKES OF CARACAS. 39 roofs. A regiment, under arms at the barrack San- Carlos, ready to join in the ceremonies, was buried under the walls of that fine edifice. Between nine and ten thousand persons were instantly killed, and the number of wounded, who died in one or two months, for want of proper attendance and nourish- ment, was very great. A mass of rubbish only six feet high, was all that remained of the Trinity and Alta Gratia, two fine churches, which rose to an elevation of one hundred and fifty feet. The cathe- dral, supported by enormous buttresses, remained standing. The effects of this shock were experienced as far as Merida and Bogota, on the banks of the Magdalena, and the Sierra of Santa-Marta, many of the intervening towns being either totally or partially destroyed. The number of lives lost in the province of Venezuela alone, was estimated at 20,000. The vibrations ceased in fifteen or eighteen hours; but on the S8th, they recommenced with loud subterranean noises, and fifteen shocks were frequently felt in a day. On the 5th of April, a shock nearly as strong as that which destroyed the city, was experienced ; the ground for several hours continued to have an undulatory movement, and immense masses of rocks were detached from the mountains. This appears to have been the last throe ; the soil now became fixed, and the fears of the inhabitants were begin- ning to subside, when, on the 30th of April, their terrors were awakened by a loud subterranean 40 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. noise, which was unaccompanied, however, by any perceptible movement of the earth. This was the date of the great eruption of the Island of St. Vin- cent. Since this time, slight tremblings have frequently been felt ; but habit has so accustomed the people to their recurrence, that no alarm appears to exist on the subject ; on the contrary, they are regarded with satisfaction as the prognostic of a wet and fruitful season. A scientific European, residing in Caracas, has invented a machine, by means of which the slight- est vibrations of the earth are indicated. These are stated by him to take place daily, but they are so gentle, as not to be perceptible to the senses. It is understood, that the register in preparation, of these vibrations, is destined for the scrutiniz- ing eye of the Baron de Humboldt, to whose de- ductions, founded on the comparison of multiplied, discriminating, and accurate observations, the world is so largely indebted. Humboldt concludes his relation of the misery produced by the earthquake, with the following grateful testimony in favour of our country and its government: — Apres le recit de tant de calamites, il est doux de reposer son imagination par des souvenirs con- solans. Lorsqu' on apprit aux Etats-Unis la grande catastrophe de Caracas, le Congres, assemble a Washington, decreta unanimement, 1 ? envoi de cinq navires charges de farines aux cotes de Venezuela, SYMPATHY OF THE UNITED STATES. 41 pour etre distributees aux habitans les plus indi- gens. Un secours si genereux fut accueilli avec la plus vive reconnaissance ; et cet acte solennel d ? un peuple libre, cette marque d'interet national, dont la civilisation croisante de notre vieille Europe offre peu d'examples recens, parut un gage precieux de la bienveillance mutuelle, qui doit rapprocher a ja- mais les peuples des deux Ameriques."* I became acquainted subsequently in Bogota with the officer who was deputed to receive this timely offering. He reverts, on every proper oc- casion, to the circumstance, with a fervour, which proves that his gratitude has not been cooled by the lapse of time. * After the detail of so many calamities, it is pleasing to al- low the mind to repose upon more consolatory recollections. When the news of the terrible catastrophe of Caracas reach- ed the United States, Congress, then. in session, resolved, unanimously, to send five vessels, freighted with bread-stuffs, to the coast of Venezuela, to be distributed to the most desti- tute of the inhabitants. So generous a relief, was hailed with transports of gratitude. This solemn act of a free people j this evidence of national sympathy, of which the advancing civilization of our older Europe, affords but few recent exam- ples, seemed an earnest of that mutual good understanding, which is about to unite for ever the people of the two Ame- ricas. CHAPTER III. THE HOST VISITS ROSARIO PRIESTS PARTY OF PLEA- SURE — st. simon's day — ball — dinner party — in- scriptions MORNING RIDE MR. BLANDIN COFFEE PLANTATION. October 22d. Was presented this morning to the Intendent General Soublette at his council cham- ber, during the negotiation for the purchase of the corvette. The General, seated on an elevated chair of state, at a table covered with papers, was attend- ed by secretaries and interpreters, and surrounded by a brilliant military staff. His figure is very com- manding; his olive oval face quite prepossessing, and much set off by beautiful black mustachios, so well denned, that not a single straggling hair inter- rupted the symmetry of their curves. A little tuft is also left in the centre of the under lip, and gives an oriental expression to the face. His demeanour was at once courteous and dignified. In returning home after the audience, I was ac- costed sharply by a sentinel in attendance on the Host, who even advanced towards me, with his bayonet charged, for not uncovering my head, on passing a church door, from which the umbrella, used to shade the Host, was about to issue. I ap- peared not to be aware that I was the person ad- dressed, and passed on without receiving any in- THE HOST. 43 jury. After following me some paces, the soldier., finding I paid no attention to his vociferations, re- turned to his post, swearing like a trooper, as in duty bound, at my want of reverence for the sym- bols of his holy religion. My apparent disrespect was caused through inadvertence ; at first I did not see the umbrella; and, besides, I neither knew the purpose for which it was. designed, nor my duties towards it. The circumstance was calculated to excite some irritation, and in this state of mind, I came to the conclusion, that it was a duty to dis- countenance ceremonies derogatory to a rational being, extremely inconvenient, and such as were at- tempted to be enforced by the bayonets of a bigotted and depraved soldiery ; and never after did I pay the least attention to them, further than by avoid- ing the Host, whenever it could be done without inconvenience. As this outward contempt for the prejudices of the people was attended with some risk, and calculated to draw upon me their ill-will, when I was so constantly in need of their good offices, it was, perhaps, unadvised in one in my situation, whose solitary example could eflFect nothing. But I am still of opinion that our public functionaries, residing in Catholic countries, should strenuously resist any encroachments upon their rights, as it regards religious opinions, both on account of the degradation it implies, and with a view to intro- duce a more tolerant feeling. That this may be done, by the example of men of character and con^ 4*4 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. sideration, I have become thoroughly convinced? by after observation. The influence of foreigners in Caracas is already very discernible; that city is half a century in advance of the more secluded and less frequented capital, in which the influence of the priests has undergone but little diminution. October 23d. Paid some visits with my young Caracanian friend, and fellow passenger, to see his acquaintances, from whom he had been separated some years ; among others, to the house of General C*##, whose daughter Conchita had resided some years at Philadelphia, whither her father had taken refuge, when driven from his country by political events. She spoke a little English, with a most bewitching accent; I was extremely amused with her vivacity in describing to some company, what she had seen during her residence abroad. The assertion that she had seen a house three stories high, built of brick in a few weeks, appeared to stagger the belief of persons, in the habit of con- sidering the building of a house of even one story, as the work of years. But when she spoke of the surface of a river becoming solid, and wood-carts driving over it, as if upon a bridge, their politeness gave way in the wish to evince that they could not become the dupes of what they conceived to be her playful imposition. Had some conversation to-day with the English officers of General Soublette and General Paez's staff, and with Colonel It***, a real German sol- dier, about five feet high, thick-set, with broad R0SAR10. 45 shoulders, and seamed with scars ; this officer com- mands a battalion on duty at Caracas. They all appear to have been disappointed, probably because their expectations had been too highly wrought. They stated, that out of forty officers of the English legion, only five had escaped the ravages of war and the climate. Since my arrival in Caracas, I have been enter- tained every night by a religious ceremony called Rosario. Lanthorns, elevated on poles, are carried in front of the procession by ragged negro boys ; a man bearing a large cross, and another an ensign representing the virgin, are followed by priests, a band of fiddlers and other instrumental musicians, and some male singers. The priests and assistants chant some Latin sentences, the music striking in at intervals. A collection is taken up on these oc- casions ; the persons before whose houses the pro- cession stops being more especially expected to con- tribute. The music is tolerably good, and the cere- mony somewhat imposing. These parties are at- tended by a guard of soldiers to enforce respect, who occasionally fire off their muskets, or throw squibs, crackers, or small rockets into the air. October 2^th. While paying a visit this morning at a house in the Plaza, and listening to some mu- sic on the piano from the ladies, we were called to the windows to witness the execution of an Indian for murder. The culprit was tied to a post, and shot by a military guard. The execution excited but little attention.. There were not more than 46 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. three hundred persons present, principally women, which circumstance may be accounted for by the great disproportion of the sexes at Caracas ; it be- ing estimated that there are four or five women to one man. This disproportion is attributed to the exterminating war. There have been six or seven executions within the last half year. All culprits within the intendency are sent home for trial ; this, beside the hardship of dragging a man from the place in which he is known, is complained of for the delay it occasions. My next visit this morning was at Don Fran- cisco G*** ? s. This gentleman received me with the greatest politeness ; my young friend appeared to be a great favourite with him. I was introduced to his family ; his daughter, quite a large grown up woman, but with the manners and gaiety of a child, was but thirteen years old, as her father in- formed me, as an excuse for her gaucherie. Senor Gr** made me an offer of rooms in his house, and treated me with the warmest cordiality. In taking leave, he made use of an expressive gesture which was then new to me, that of pressing my hand against his heart, as if in attestation of the sincerity of his professions. October %Qth. Introduced to several Colombians. Dined at Dr, TVs with Colonel T***, his secretary, and a member of congress, on his way to Bogota, from whom we derived some useful information touching our intended journey. After dinner, a company of infantry passed the door, on its march PRIESTS. 4-7 to Valencia. The officers were mounted, the sol- diers barefooted, except a few who were provided with a sort of sandals, called yaragaters. The music was good, consisting of drums and fifes, and two or three bugles. Since my sojourn at Caracas, I have been struck with the uniformly polite and courteous behaviour of the priests, who never suffer you to pass without removing their hats. Whether this has always been their practice, or whether recent events have convinced them of the necessity of conciliating pub- lic opinion, I do not know. But this civility is extended with so much apparent humility, and such a benevolent smile, that I have frequently been vexed at myself for inadvertently permitting these dignified ecclesiastics to be beforehand with me in this token of politeness. On returning from Madam C** J s this evening, I was embarrassed by the quien viva of a sentinel. It is necessary to answer Colombiano, when you are permitted to pass. These sentinels are posted from small guards stationed at the intendent's • quarters, and in different parts of the city ; of which they constitute the police. October 27th. After dinner visited General C*** ? s estate, with Madam C***, her daughter Conchita, and eight or ten gentlemen and ladies on horseback. This was a delightful ride of about three leagues. The whole party was admirably mounted, some of the gentlemen on as beauti- ful and spirited horses as I have ever seen. The 48 NOTES ON COLOMBIA*. road, though narrow, was well paved for some dis= tance into the country. It was a lovely afternoon. As we advanced, the finest, ever varying prospects opened to our view. The beautiful luxuriant fo- liage ; the balmy fragrance of the air, perfumed by hedges of rose-bushes which skirted the road; the exercise of a brisk g Hop ; the company, — all con- spired to render this one of the most agreeable jaunts I ever enjoyed. After taking some refreshments with Madam C***, we again mounted to follow her through the domain, which she superintends during the absence of the General with the army, and visits every morning before breakfast. She point- ed out her flower garden, and rose-bushes ; the plantations of coffee, sheltered by their wide branching shade- trees ; the graceful plantains, teeming with clusters of delicious fruit ; the thriv- ing sugar-cane and fragrant orange groves. After an hour or two spent in threading the mazes of this earthly paradise, our party, highly delighted, returned to town, which they found illuminated in honour of Bolivar, it being the eve of St. Simon's, his birth- day : we rode around the Plaza, which | presented a very brilliant appearance. Upon a stage, erected for the purpose, a band of music, ac- companied a stentorian singer, who celebrated, in some twenty or thirty verses, the glory of his hero, each verse ending with his name. A display of fire- works amused the crowd till late in the evening. October 28th, St. Simon's Day. The ceremonies of the day commenced with a procession of the civil ST. SIMON'S DAY. 4)9 and military officers, to witness the celebration of a grand mass in the Cathedral. After mass a review took place of some companies of uniform volunteer infantry, composed of the young men of the city. These companies may be favourably compared with those of our cities ; they marched in good time to the music of an excellent band. At noon, paid a visit of ceremony to General Soublette, as the representative of the head of the government. These Saints' day visits are never omitted. The failure of an acquaintance to pay his court on these occasions, is considered as an expres- sion of a desire to break off all social intercourse. Went to the public square at four o'clock, with heightened expectation to see a bull-fight, but was disappointed in the exhibition: there were about ten thousand persons present. Five or six bulls were successively turned into the arena, to be tor- mented by horsemen and foot. The animals, how- ever, appeared tame, it was difficult to goad them into the necessary fury for the sport. Some of the men on horseback displayed much skill, botli in the management of their horses and in throwing the bull, by seizing his tail and giving it a sudden jerk to one side. National airs were played during the whole time by a band of music, and salvos of artil- lery were fired at intervals, from a battery in one angle of the plaza. The houses surrounding the square, and those of the principal streets, were tastefully decorated with hangings of damask of the national colours, red, blue, and yellow, sus 50 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. pended from the tops of the windows and extend- ing to the pavement. In the evening a splendid ball was given in honour of the occasion. The rooms were hand- somely decorated, the adjoining galleries brilliantly lighted with variegated lamps, and the square court or patio was filled with shrubbery, tastefully ar- ranged, forming a delightful promenade. The sup- per was very sumptuous. The music struck me as peculiar in its style, as well as the dancing. The couples arrange themselves, as if to dance an Eng- lish contra-dance. As the movements are upon an unyielding tiled floor, there is no jumping, no French ambition to spend half the time in the air,, or Yankee strife to dance the strongest ; on the con- trary, they use all gently. The movements, instead of being up and down, like a paper toy between two electrical disks, is lateral — the time being kept by a slight scrape upon the gritty pavement These dances appear intricate to a stranger, and difficult, on account of the waltzing in a very con- fined space, introduced at every turn. The arms have more employment than the feet, and are bran- dished by the fair Colombians with much skill and grace. Their a twistings and twinings" are so in- timate, that it requires some self-command not to be frightened from one's propriety. In the course of the evening the mirth of the company was excited by a lady leaving the room, sobbing because her husband had been too devoted in his attentions to some other fair one. A feeling thus shown, and on BALL. 51 such an occasion, must indeed have been uncon- trolable. I pitied her most sincerely, but more par- ticularly her daughter, who followed her mother covered with confusion. General Soublette sat in state at the head of the room, lolling with graceful indifference, and seem- ed to contemplate the amusements of his subjects, with condescending complacency. Immediately behind him, seated upon an elevated bench, two beautiful sisters, whose plump cheeks and smooth brows had never been distorted by the fatigue of thought, amused the company by a display of phi- losophical indifference, in sleeping with the most uninterrupted serenity, during the whole of the noise and bustle of a crowded assembly. The sleeping beauties were the admiration of the room; never before, I will venture to say, had they at- tracted so much attention. The governor of the city was pointed out to me ; it was said that he had lived four years under ground to avoid the pursuits of his enemies. October 2yth. Visited the theatre this evening. The divisions of the boxes, are made with canes wattled together. The drop scene represents saints and angels. The play appeared to be from the iEnead, and was miserably enough performed. October SOth. Colonel T** and his secretary left Caracas this evening, after dinner, for Bogota- Joined the cavalcade of his friends, and escorted him about five miles, to the Marques del Toro's, his first stage. We remained about half an hour. 52 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. took leave, and then returned to town, by the light of an unclouded moon. October Sist. This day employed iu rambling through the city, examining churches and other public buildings, and in paying visits. November 1st. Dined at % with the Marques del Toro, at his sister's house, with twenty or thirty ladies and gentlemen of Caracas. This en- tertainment was very sumptuous ; the most delicate dishes, and delicious wines, followed each other in endless succession. The servants, nearly as nume- rous as the guests, seemed bent, by incessantly changing the plates, on affording an opportunity of tasting every dish. My plate was changed twelve or fourteen times, often before I had an opportunity of tasting the delicacy it contained. There was a total absence of all formality ; the gentlemen fre- quently rose from their seats to attend to the wants of the ladies, or carry them, on the end of a fork, a delicate morsel. This little civility is usually re- turned in kind, and forks are seen passing in all directions. As this may be translated into eating to your health, there is a civil obligation to taste the morsel, however unpleasant it may be to the palate. Long toasts, or rather short patriotic speeches, are much in vogue ; the ladies appear to drink the toasts, and not unfrequently give a senti- ment, which is hailed by the company with raptur- ous applause. After the course consisting of pas- try, the company withdrew to an adjoining room, or walked in the corridores. In a few minutes. DINNER PARTY. 53 they were summoned to a second desert, consisting of ices, confectionary, delicious sweet wines, and champaigne. The gentlemen easily become excited, but their gaiety and elevation appear more the results* of a buoyancy of spirits and constitutional vivacity, than the effects of wine, and have nothing in them either brutal or harsh. Mirth, good-humoured playfulness, and sallies of wit abound. I was much amused at a part of the company endeavour- ing to. expel a young gentleman, as a recreant bib- ber. They carried the joke so far, as to thrust him quite into the street, when they all returned with increased hilarity to their seats, laughing with unfeigned glee at the expelled member, who speedi- ly reinstated himself in the good graces of the com- pany by swallowing a bumper. How delightfully does the inspiration of the generous grape affect these mercurial beings ! How much more amiable do they appear on these occasions, than their more northern neighbours, whose orgies produce either riot or stupidity; with whom, instead of gaiety, each bumper but adds to the maudlin gravity of the party, as if each phlegmatic guzzler endeavoured to fence himself around with dignity, in proportion as he loses all claim to it, until dignity and digni- tary sink together under the table, in brutal insen- sibility. After a long sitting, during which the ladies did not desert us, the party ascended to the withdraw- ing room, or rather the boudoir of the lady of the 54i NOTES ON COLOMBIA* mansion. Here we admired the rich state bed, the elegantly, carved bedstead, and some fine hangings and lace, the fabrics of the country. In this apart- ment, coffee was placed upon a round marble table, in the centre of the room, at which each gentleman was expected to help himself, after having served the ladies ; a very excellent arrangement, by which the interruption and importunities of ser- vants are avoided. The servants, however, in the absence of employment, crowded the door-ways, and seemed by their smiles of approbation, neither less pleased with the music and waltzing which succeeded, nor less backward in expressing their delight, than the company within the room. The revenue of Madam del Toro is estimated at twenty thousand dollars, although her estates are much dilapidated, owing to eight or ten years' ab- sence of the family to which they belong. Dr. F*** saw this lady, a few years since, in one of the West India islands, in a state of the most ab- ject poverty. Her noble and expressive counte- nance is marked with the traits of patient suffering. She reminded me of a Roman matron, even before I had heard her history, or the excellence of her character, which is extolled by all, in the most en- thusiastic strains. Her daughter, recently married to the eldest son of Madam 0***, is a most charm- ing woman. I shall long remember the infantile playfulness she exhibited, when, endeavouring to waltz with her husband, another gentleman embar- rassed her movements, by insisting on waltzing in INSCRIPTIONS. 53 trio. Nor can I easily forget that most perfect mo- del of beauty, not excepting the " stone ideal,' 7 La Sefiorita P***, and still less the provoking man- ner in which she adjusted sa chaussure mignonne? while I was attending on her at dinner. To a fragile form of the most delicate proportions, gracefulness, an expressive face, and a complexion much fairer than those of her countrywomen, she unites many accomplishments, among which is a knowledge of the French and English languages. This very delightful party broke up about 11 o'clock, after partaking of dulces, (sweetmeats,) and its accompanying glass of water. The Marques had given this entertainment at his sister's, on ac- count of the ill health of his brother, who resided at his own. He unites great dignity to much sua- vity of manners ; his conversation with foreigners is in French, with which language he is perfectly familiar. >, November 2d. Saw some of. the adventurers this morning, who had embarked a few months before from the United States, under Irving and others, in an expedition to Puerto Rico. They had just been released from prison at Curacoa, to which place they went when disappointed in their undertaking. November 3d to 7th. In my rambles through the city, remarked some of the inscriptions to be found over the doors of almost all the houses. That upon the front of the mansion occupied by the Bishop of Caracas, is as follows : — 56 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. MDCCXCV S. YGNACIO DE LOYOLA DOCENTE MAGISTRA RELIGEONI SANTA CASA DE EXERCICIOS This inscription, which appears to have some re- ference to the illustrious founder of the Jesuits, and is half Latin, half Spanish', I do not perfectly com- prehend. Others are more easily understood; they most commonly indicate the patron saint of the family. As El patron de esta casa es el dolce nom- bre de Jesus; or, La patrona de esta casa es la madre santissima de la luz. Besides these sort of inscriptions, almost every house has painted upon it, usually over the entrance, some patriotic motto: as, viva la republica de Colombia. This, it is un- derstood, was done by order of the government, and must be considered a very good stroke of po- licy, as it presented to the eye and ear of the lower orders, a palpable sign, which would lead them to reflect upon the change in the government, of which, else, they might scarcely be aware; gave an ap- pearance of unanimity, as regarded the political change, when this was far from being the case; and, perhaps, tended to fix the wavering, by thus forcing them to wear, though unwillingly, the co- lours of the republic. But it was more particularly useful in preventing the royalists, should they be- come masters of the town, from distinguishing the residences of their more decided opponents, which they would have been enabled to do, had the roy- alist or trimmer been permitted to indulge the bent MORNING RIDE, 57 of his predilections, by omitting the " outward and visible sign" of republicanism. November 8th. Took a ride this morning, before sunrise, to Antimano, a distance of about five miles, in search of minerals noticed by Humboldt, but was unsuccessful. The beautiful view presented from the hill near Antimano, just at sunrise, afford- ed ample compensation for my mineralogical dis- appointment Dense clouds overshadowing the whole basin, rested upon the summits of the moun- tains which encompass it, a sea of vapour hung upon the city and valley, and between these two planes, the sides of the mouutains were distinctly visible. As the mist was dispelled or driven up- wards by the ascending current of air, the valley unfolded its beauties, in all their freshness. Luxu- riant foliage, and beautiful wild flowers, skirt the road. This growth is not presented to the eye, in well defined shrubs or trees ; every limb, capable of sustaining the weight, is draperied with vines, and decorated with festoons of flowers. As if the surface of the ground were not sufficiently extended, to answer the purposes of prolific nature, parasitical plants take root upon the branches of trees, and in return for the sustenance they extract, deck out their sturdy supporters with foreign and whimsical ornament. Cottages embosomed in this mass of foliage, line the road, each having a small garden, enclosed with a fencing of canes, wattled together, or tied with pliant vines, which answer all the pur- poses of cord. The market women, carrying a huge 8 58 .NOTES ON COLOMBIA* burden on their heads, or goading on their grave looking long-eared buros, and not unfrequently riding a second, or mounted on the top of the well filled panniers, jambe depajambe dela, were jogging onwards to the fair. They were cleanly dressed, extremely robust and well made, and graceful in their walk. As the road approaches the river, the bathers are seen performing their daily ablutions — the women in little family parties, including the children, partly screened by the dense foliage, or, when necessary, by a bathing dress. As it is con- sidered extremely rude to intrude upon these par- ties, custom, apathy, and good manners, prevent the violation of propriety. November 10th. This afternoon, accompanied a party made up by the polite attention of Dr. L***, to visit the famous estate of Mr. Blandin, about four leagues from Caracas. As soon as we entered his grounds, we were struck with the neatness and ex- cellent order of the estate ; the results of the skill and personal superintendance of its wealthy and hospitable owner. Mr. Blandin has enjoyed the happy advantage of conciliating the respect of the contending parties, and without taking a part in political events, manages to preserve his lands un- touched, while so many others have had to deplore the devastation of their estates, by the infuriate malignity of their adversaries. As we rode up to the gate, we found the venerable proprietor ready to receive us, and as he stood with his head bound up in a snow-white handkerchief, his air and man- MR. BLANDIN. 59 iier recalled to my mind the idea I had formed of an English country gentleman. We dismounted on the paved terrace, in front of the bouse, and ascend- ed by a handsome flight of steps to the piazza which surrounds the mansion. This beautiful house is built of wood, in such a manner as to guard against the effects of earthquakes. It is painted white, re- lieved by Venitian blinds ; some of the floors are of wood; the doors and windows large, admitting a free circulation of air. Beauty, cleanliness, and comfort, combine to form a dwelling which has not its equal in Colombia. After partaking of some dulces and wine, we went to view the grounds. Directly in front of the house are two vats of mason work, in which the coffee is dried ; in the centre of each is a trap-door opening into the vaults, constructed to receive the grain when its moisture is sufficiently expelled. A broad walk extends between the vats, at the foot of the walk, a flight of stone steps leads to a flower garden below, and farther on to a very pretty piece d'eau, which, after serving for ornament, is usefully employed in turning the machinery and irrigating the plantation. The out-houses, stores, and mill for separating the husk from the coffee and for pounding rice, are to the right, and a little in the rear of the principal building ; the barracks of the negroes being removed some hundred yards. A coffee plantation in Caracas resembles a fine park, as nothing is visible at a little distance, but the beautiful cotton- wood shade trees, called sombre- .60 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. ros, (hats,) planted to protect the coffee-plant from the direct and too powerful rays of the sun. These shade-trees attain the size of our oak in fifteen or sixteen years. In forming a plantation of coffee or cacao, it is usual to shade these delicate shrubs by plantains, which reach a sufficient height for this purpose in two or three years. The cotton-trees are put into the ground at the same time, and when large enough, the plantains are cut down. The quantity of land cultivated in coffee by Mr. Blandin, is from ninety to one hundred acres, which, it is said, yield a clear revenue of from twenty to twenty-five thousand dollars, with the employment of forty hands. According to Mr. Blandin, shade- trees are not necessary ; the part of his own plan- tation not shaded, yields as much as that which is furnished with sombreros. " The cultivation of coffee was first extensively introduced in the neighbourhood of Caracas about the year 1784, by Mr. Blandin. A nursery is raised from seed planted in quincunx, about six feet apart, the young plant is removed when about two feet high, with the soil attached to it, and is trimmed dawn to the height often inches. The soil of the nursery should be the same in quality as that upon which the plantation is projected. It is sup- posed to be an advantage to limit the height to about five or eight feet by pruning, but the trees are frequently suffered to attain their natural eleva- tion of twenty or more feet. The plant yields a COFFEE PLANTATION. 6i slender crop the second year, and is in full bearing the third ; each tree is estimated to produce, after that period, about two pounds annually. The fruit is picked or shaken from the tree, when it is per- fectly red, resembling a large cranehevry, it is then exposed, in vats of mason work smoothly plaster- ed, in the sun to dry. When nearly dry, the red pulpy envelope which surrounds the grain, becomes of a dark brownish colour, and is easily separated from the grain by means of rollers. After this ope- ration, it is again exposed to the sun, to expel the remaining moisture, this must be done effectually to prevent fermentation. The coffee is then inclosed in bags, such as are known in commerce. The best coffee is from Arabia Felix, called Moka coffee. If that of Caracas has not attained the second rank, it is owing to want of care in the harvest and sub- sequent preparation. Mr. Blandin's coffee always commands one or two cents more in the market from his superior care and attention to these pro- cesses."* The evening stole upon us as we were admiring this terrestrial paradise ; we returned to the house, and after taking a cup of the delightful beverage afforded by some of the plants we had been view- ing, the party was conducted into the music room, an apartment constructed expressly for this pur- pose. Here one of the ladies of Mr. Blandin's family sat down to an exquisitely toned piano, with * Depons, 63 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. upright strings, in the form of a harp ; a gentleman of the party accompanied the piano on the violin* With these instruments and two voices, we were unexpectedly regaled with a concert of the most admired Italian and French compositions, executed in the most finished style. We left this hospitable roof late in the evening, with many wishes for the continued prosperity of its interesting and accom- plished proprietor; and returned to town, building castles in the air, as high and unsubstantial as the moon-lit clouds reposing on the summit of the Silla CHAPTER IV, COLOMBIA TERRITORIAL DIVISIONS HISTORICAL SKETCH VALLEY OP CARACAS — -SILLA CAPTAIN-GENERAL- SHIP. THE Republic of Colombia, composed of the three separate governments formerly known as the Captain-generalship of Caracas, the Vice-kingdom of New Granada, and the Intendency of Quito, and subsequently, as the territorial divisions, Venezuela, Cundinimarca, and Quito, is bounded on the north and north-east by the Caribbean Sea and the Atlan- tic Ocean ; on the south by Brazil and Peru, the line of demarcation extending from the mouth of the Orinoco, along the coast to Cape Nassau, thence to Esequibo, on the river of that name, to the mouth of the Repumunuri, thence to the chain of Tunucu- raque mountains, along that ridge to its intersection with the Sierra de Acaray; along the Sierra to the Paracaima mountains, by this chain to the river Cababuris, and by the latter to the Rio-Negro ; thence nearly due south to the river Yapura, by this stream and the Rraso de Yapura to the Ama- zon. The boundary then ascends the Amazon to the mouth of the Iavari, thence for the most part by ill-determined imaginary lines, nearly in a westerly direction to the main chain of the Andes, and by the Cordillera to Tumbes, in the gulph of Guayaquil. To the west it is bounded by the Pa= cific Ocean and Guatimala, or Central America, 64 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. the division lines of the republics extending across the Isthmus from the Gulph of Dolce to Point Ca- pita. Its extent from Carita to the mouth of the QrL noco,from west to east, is about one thousand three hundred miles; and from Cape Vela to Guayaquil, from north to south about one thousand two hun- dred. According to Humboldt the Captain-general- ship of Caracas or Venezuela, contains forty-eight thousand square leagues, and the kingdom of New Granada, including Quito, sixty-five thousand. A territory about as large as the United States, east of the Mississippi, with an extent of sea-coast esti- mated at three thousand miles, containing a popu- lation of two million six hundred thousand. When the central position of Colombia is consi- dered in regard to our own continent, as well as to Europe and Asia, and the probability that ere long a navigable canal, connecting the oceans will be opened by the Atrato,* or some of the other prac- * The following is one of the nine points of communication between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, indicated as practi- cable by M. de Humboldt, in his essay on New Spain: — "In the interior of the province of Choco the ravine of Raspadura unites the neighbouring sources of the rivers San- Juan and Quito. This latter, united with the Andageda and the Zitara, forms the Atrato, which empties into the Gulph of Darien, while the San-Juan falls into the Southern Ocean. An enterprizing priest, curate of the village Novita, caused a canal to be dug in the ravine of Raspadura, by his pari- shioners. By means of this canal, navigable during the season of rains, canoes, laden with cacao, have passed from one ocean to the other. Here, then, is a scarcely known interior commu- nication, which has existed since the year 1788. The points TERRITORIAL DIVISIONS. 65 ticable routes traversing her territories. When her soil, productions, climate, rich mountains, fine naviga- ble rivers, extending like radii from the capital, and mingling their waters with those of three seas, are con- templated — the anticipation of her future riches and power, promoted by so many advantages, and foster- ed by an enlightened government, can scarcely be too extra vagaut. Division of Colombia into Departments, Provinces, and Can- tons, established by Congress, on the Q5th of June, 1824. Depart- ments. Provinces. Cantons. I. Maturin, formerly Orinoco, capital, Cumana. 1. Cumand. 1. Cumana. 2. Cumanacoa. 3. Aragua Cumanes. 4. Maturin. 5. Cariaco. 6. Canipano 7. Rio-Caribe. 8. Guiria. 1 2. Guayana, capital, Angostura. 1. Angostura. 2. Rio-Negro, chief place, Atabapo. 3. Alto Orinoco, chief place, Caric&ra. 4. Caura, chief place, Moitaco. 5. Guayana Vieja. 6. Carom. 7. Upata. 8. La Pastora. 9. La Barceloneta. 3. Barcelona. 1. Barcelona. 2. Piritu. 3. Pilar. 4. Aragua. 5. Pao. 6. San-Diego. 4. Margarita, capital, Asuncion. 1. La Asuncion. 2. El Norte. II. Venezuela, capital, Caracas. 1. Caracas. 1. Caracas. 2. Guaira. 3. Caucagua. 4. Rio-Chico. 5. Sabana de Ocu- mare. 6. La Victoria. 7. Maracay. 8. Cura. 9. San-Sebastian. 10. Ipire. 11. Chaguarama. 12. Calabozo. 2. Carabobo, capital, Valencia. 1. Valencia. 2. Puerto Cabello. 3. Nirgua. 4. San-Carlos. 5. San- Felipe. 6. Barquisemeto. 7. Ca- rora. 8. Tucuyo. 9. Quibor. on the coasts of the two oceans, united by the small canal of Raspadura, are distant from each other two hundred and twenty- five miles." 9 66 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. Depart- ments. Provinces. Cantons. III. Apure, capital, Barinas. 1. Barinas. 1. Barinas. 2. Obispos. 3. Mijagual. 4. Guanarito. 5. Nutrias. 6. San- Jaime. 7. Guanare. 8. Ospinos. 9. Araure. 10. Pedraza. 2. Apure, capital, Achaguas. 1. Achaguas. 2. San-Fernando. 3. 1 Mantecal. 4. Guadualito. IV. Zulia, capital, Maracaibo. 1. Maracaibo. 1. Maracaibo. 2. Perija. 3. San-Car- los de Zulia. 4. Jibraltar. 5. Puer- to Altagracia. 2. Coro. 1. Coro. 2. San-Luis. 3. Paraguana, chief place, Pueblo Nuevo. 4. Ca- sigua. 5. Cumarebo. 3. Merida. 1. Merida. 2. Mucuchies. 3. Ejido. 4. Bailadores. 5. Lagrita. 6. San- Cristoval. 7. Tachira. 4. Trujillo. 1. Trujillo. 2. Escuque. 3. Bocono. 4. Carache. V. 1 Boyaca, capital, Tunja. 1. Tunja. 1. Tunja. 2. Leiva. 3. Chiquinquira. 4. Muzo. 5. Sogamoso. 6. Tensa, chief place, Guateque. 7. Tocuyo. 8. Santa-Rosa. 9. Suata. 10. Ter- merque. 11. Garagoa. 2. Pamplona, 1. Pamplona. 2. San-Jose de Cucuta. 3. Rosario de Cucuta. 4. Salazar. 5. Concepcion. 6. Malaga. 7. Jiron. 8. Bucaramanga. 9. Pie de Cuesta. 3. Socorro. 1. Socorro. 2. San-Gil. 3. Barichara. 4. Charala. 5. Sapatoca. 6. Velez. 7. Moniquira. 4. Casanare, capital Pore. 1. Pore. 2. Arauca. 3. Chire, at present Tame. 4. Santiago, at pre- sent Taguana. 5. Macuco. 6. Nunchia. TERRITORIAL DIVISIONS. j Depart- j menfs. Provinces. Cantons. VI. Cundinamarca, capital, Bog-ota, 1. Bog-ota. 1. Bogota. 2. Funza. 3. Meza. 4. Tocaima. 5. Fusagasuga. 6. Ca- quesa. 7. San-Martin. 8. Sipa- quira. 9. Ubate. 10. Choconta. 11. Guaduas. 2. Antioquia. 1. Antioquia. 2. Medellfn. 3. Rio- Negro. 4. Marinilla. 5. Santa-Rosa de Osos. 6. Nordest, chief place, Remedios. 3. Maraquita, capital, Honda. 1. Honda. 2. Maraquita. 3. Ibague. 4. LaPalma. 4. Neiva. 1. Neiva. 2. Purificacion. 3. La Pla- ta. 4. Timana. VII. Magdalena, capital, Cartagena. 1. Cartagena. 1. Cartagena. 2. Barranquilla. 3. So- lidad. 4. Mahates. 5. Corosal. 6. El Carmen. 7. Tolii. 8. Chinu. 9. Magangue. 10. San-Benito Abad. 11. Lorica. 12. Mompos. 13. Ma- jagual. 14. Samiti. 15. Islas de San-Andres. 2. Santa-Marta. 1. Santa-Marta. 2. Valle-Dupar. 3. Ocaiia. 4. Plato. 5. Tamalameque. 6. Valencia de Jesus. 3. Rio-Hacha. 1. Rio-Hacha. 2. Cesar, chief place, San-Juan de Cesar. VIII. Cauca, capital, Popayin. 1. Popayan. 1. Popayan. 2. Almaguer. 3. Caloto. 4. Cali. 5. Roldanillo. 6. Buga. j 7. Palmira. 8. Cartago. 9. Tulua. 10. Toro. 11. Supia. 2. Choc6, capital, Quibdo. 1. Atrato, chief place, Quibdo. 2. San-Juan, chief place, Novita. 3. Pasto. 1. Pasto. 2. Tuquerres. 3. Ipiales. 4. Buenaventura, capital, Iscuande. 1. Iscuande. 2. Barbacoas. 3. Tu- I maco. 4. Micay, chief place, Guapi. 5. Raposo, chief "place at present, j La Cruz. 68 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. Depart- ments. Provinces. Cantons. IX. 1 The Isthmus, capital, Panama. 1. Panama. 1. Panama. 2. Porto Bello. 3. Chor- reras. .4. Nata. 5. Los-Santos. 6. Yabisa. 2. Veragua. 1. Santiago de Veragua. 2. Meza. 3. Alanj'e. 4. Gaimf, chief place, Remedios. X. The Equator, capital, Quito. 1. Pinchincha, capital, Quito. 1. Quito. 2. Machachf. 3. La Ta- cunga. 4. Quijos. 5. Esmeraldas. 2. Imbabura, capital, Ibarra. 1. Ibarra. 2. Otabalo. 3. Cotacachi. 4. Cayambe. 3. Chimborazo, capital, Riobamba. 1. Riobamba. 2. Ambato. 3. Guano. 4. Guaranda. 5. Alausi. 6. Macas. XI. Asuay, capital, Cuenca. 1. Cuenca. 1. Cuenca. 2. Canari. 3. Gualaseo. 4. Jiron. 2. Loja. 1. Loja. 2. Zaruma. 3. Cariamanga. 4. Catacocha. 3. Bracamoros y Mainas, capital, Jaen. 1. Jaen. 2. Borja. 3. Jeveros. XII. Guayaquil. 1. Guayaquil. 1. Guayaquil. 2. Daule. 3. Baba- hoyo. 4. Baba. 5. Punta de Santa- Elena. 6. Machala. 2. Manabi, capital, Puerto Viego. 1. Puerto-Viejo. 2. Jipijapa. 3. Monte-Cristi. Note. The names of the capitals, or chief places of Departments, Pro- vinces, or Cantons, are omitted where they are the same as the territorial divisions in which they stand. The first voyage of Columbus, in 1492, resulted in the discovery of San-Salvador, Cuba, and San- Domingo or Hispaniola, called by the natives Hayti. He built a fort, and took possession of the discovered countries in the name of the king of Spain. HISTORICAL SKETCH. 69 During his second, which occupied the years 1493-94 and 95, he founded the town of Isabella, in Hispaniola. The reward of his third expedition, in 1498, was the discovery of Trinidad, and that part of the continent lying opposite, in the gulph of Paria. In 1500, he was sent in fetters to Spain; but, having triumphed over his enemies, in 1502, a fourth expedition was entrusted to his direction, dur- ing which he explored a large portion of the coast. Alexander VI. by his bull, dated in 1501, trans- ferred to the kings of Spain all jurisdiction which he or his successors might have claimed, over the churches about to be established in the New World. The crown of Spain thus became the head of the hierarchy in America, and all intercourse between the church and the pope was interdicted except through the king.* In 1511, the council of the Indies was establish- ed by Ferdinand, and re-modelled by Charles V, in 1524. This council, at which the king was sup- posed to preside, became the sovereign legislature of the colonies. The cortes, or the council of Cas- tile, which were at different periods the parliaments of Spain, could in no way interfere with the go- vernment of America. The newly discovered coun- tries, according to the laws of the Indies, formed an integral part of the Spanish empire, equal in * Nearly similar privileges were accorded to the kings of Portugal. Are the Catholics, then, of North America, the only ones who have direct communication with the pope ? Is it not high time to have an American successor of St. Peter ? 70 NOTES ON COLOMBIA, rights and dignity to the Peninsula, but no other- wise connected with it than in having a common head. Soon after the discovery, the country and the human cattle were seized upon by the conquerors. The Indians were sold into slavery, oppressed, and so inhumanly treated, that thousands perished through the severity of their task- masters. Upon the representations of Las Casas and other friends of humanity, an attempt was made to ame- liorate the condition of the Indians, in the establish- ment of the repartimientos, by which they were divided among the Spaniards, who had the profit of their labour for a certain term, but without a right of property in their persons, which remained with the king. The crying abuses of this plan led to the substi- tution of the encomienderos. The encomiendero was obliged to live in the district containing the In- dians under his guardianship; he was required to protect, civilize, and instruct them; and, in return, was permitted to receive a tribute in money or per- sonal service. This system was the source of as much oppression as the former. The next effort in favour of the abused Indians, was the confiding them to the care of missionaries and curates ; but, finally, they were allowed to elect magistrates called alcaldes, for their own go- vernment; subject, however, to the control of a corregidor, to prevent the alcaldes from committing excesses in the exercise of their authority. HISTORICAL SKETCH. 71 At first the king had but two representatives in America. These were the viceroys of Mexico and Peru. Chili was erected into a captain-generalship in 1568. The remoteness of some parts of the coun- try from the viceroy at Lima, occasioned the crea- tion of a third vice- kingdom, that of New Granada, having Santa-Fe de Bogota for its capital. In 17^1, the captain-generalship- of Caracas was se- parated from the vice-kingdom of Granada, having for its capital the city of Caracas.* This part of the coast having been discovered by Columbus in 1498, during his third expedition, a number of adventurers had succeeded in penetrat- ing into the valley of Caracas. The reports made of its fertility, its mines, and the beauty of its situ- ation, were so often repeated, that the Spanish go- vernment determined to place a colony on its soil. The first who attempted it was "Francis Faxardo, son of a Spaniard of Margarita and Isabella, ca- cique of one of the nations which inhabited the valley. Possessing the advantage of his mater- nal origin, and a knowledge of many of the Indian languages, he at first made himself acceptable to the different caciques, who at that time amounted to upwards of thirty, holding under their coutrol, according to estimation, one hundred and fifty thousand Indians. Faxardo, wishing to profit by the favourable disposition existing towards him, * A fourth vice-royalty was established in 1778, at Buenos Ayres, comprehending all the Spanish possessions east of the western cordilleras of the Andes, and south of the Amazon, f2 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. applied for permission to build a town ; but awaken- ing the suspicions of the Indians, he was obliged to retire with the few adventurers who had followed him. Having failed in various attempts, he at length incurred the ill will of the Spanish gover- nors, was treacherously decoyed to Cumana, by the governor Alonzo Cabos, and strangled. Peter Miranda supplied the place of Faxardo. Collado, the Governor, accompanied this expedition, to satisfy himself with regard to a mine, which he found to exceed the report made of it by Faxardo. A general opposition of the Indians, obliged this party to make a hasty retreat, and it was not till the arrival of a reinforcement of Spaniards that they succeeded in building a small village of huts, which was called San-Francisco, and occupied the spot upon which Caracas was subsequently built. The attention of* the Spaniards being diverted from the conquest of the valley, by the necessity of repressing a freebooter named Aguirre, who, with his followers, was perpetrating every atrocity on the coast, the project of conquest was not seriously resumed till 1565, when Governor Bernaldez gave the command of an expedition, for this purpose, to Gutierres de la Pefia, who finding the Indians as- sembled to dispute his passage, thought it prudent to retire. The execution of this enterprise was reserved for Bon Pedro de Leon, who arrived from Spain as Governor, with instructions to neglect no means to accomplish the conquest of Caracas, In 1567, he VALLEY OF CARACAS. 73 formed an expedition composed of one hundred and fifty fighting men, and eighty scouts, and con- ferred the ccmimand on Don Diego Losada. This commander made his approach by the mountain Coquisas, at the foot of which he encountered a nu- merous army. Victory remained a long time doubt- ful. The Indians, in order to make an impression on the invaders, had set fire to the forests on the mountains. Having surmounted this first opposi- tion by the sacrifice of some lives, he next met the Cacique Graycaipaco, posted with ten thousand In- dians at the river San-Pedro, nine miles from Ca- racas. The discipline and valour of the Spanish troops rendered them victorious, notwithstanding the immense numerical disparity. After innumera- ble conflicts, hardships, and dangers, which would bear a comparison with those of Cortez and Pi- zarro, alternately employing the terror of his arms and the arts of conciliation, Losada succeeded in penetrating to the collection of huts at San- Fran- cisco, where he established his camp, and laid the foundation, in 1567? of the city, to which he gave the name of the Governor, Santiago de Leon, with the affix, de Caracas, the appellation of one of the tribes of Indians inhabiting the valley. The valley of Caracas is about sixteen miles long ? from east to west, with an unequal breadth of from four to seven miles, formed by two ridges nearly parallel to the coast. The craggy ridge of the Cerro de Avila, and the two domes of the Silla, to the north and north-east, shut out this delightful valley 10 74 NOTES ON COLOMBIA, from the bustle of its sea-port, La Guayra, distant in a straight line, not more than six or eight miles, and render the city as retired and secure, as if re- moved one hundred miles into the interior. The ridge on the south gives inclination to the tributary streams which swell the Tuy. To the west, it is separated from the fertile valley of Valencia and its romantic lake, by a group of mountains, called Higuerote, comprising, among others, Buenavista and the Coquisas. Four small streams, the Gruayra. the Anauco, the Catuche, and the Caraguata, digni- fied by the name of rivers, after meandering through the valley, affording water for the purposes of irrigation and the wants of a populous city, unite and find their way to the sea by the river Tuy, to the east of cape Codera. This surface is sufficiently near a dead level, to warrant the belief that this basin once formed the bed of a lake. The valley is said to have been drained by a cleft in the ridge called the quebrada de Tipe. Many slight inequalities, however, serve to give variety to the ground. These have been seized upon as appropriate sites for villas, which are dispersed here and there, like little islands, in this sea of verdure. The margin is very irregularly indented by the projecting spurs of the mountains, forming promontories, or head -lands, stretching a greater or less distance, till at length they subside into the general level of the plain. These projections, with the alternate indentations, present a striking trait in SILLA OF CARACAS. J5 the scene; for, continuing with considerable regu- larity to the summit of the ridges, being clear of trees, though covered with verdure, they present the appearance of huge furrows, which the imagi- nation may fancy to have been traced by the hands of a race of giants. In this narrow valley, which the historian of Ve- nezuela compares to the terrestrial paradise, recog- nising in its four streams those of the garden of Eden, are to be found, — the banana and plantin, orange, lime, and lemon trees, the sugar-cane and Indian corn, the cacao, (of which chocolate is made,) coffee, apple and apricot trees, the pine-apple, olive, vine, fig, peach, quince, cotton, rice, indigo, and a long list of exquisite fruits, as the guava, chilimoyas, alligator-pear, tamarinds, &c. flourishing near each other, uniting in a narrow space the productions of the temperate and torrid zones. Among the many striking objects presented at every step to the eye of the delighted visiter of this favoured spot, the Silla, (saddle,) so called from its supposed resemblance, arrests attention by its towering height. It is situated to the north-east of Caracas, distant about five or six miles, sloping, on one side, towards the valley, and on the other over- hauging, with its frightful precipices, the little town of Caravalleda, built ou the sea-shore, a short dis- tance to the east of La Guayra. Its height was first accurately determined by MM. de Humboldt and Boopland, in 1800. They found the elevation of the highest, or eastern dome, to be 8663 feet, a re^ 76 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. suit much under the estimated height given to it by the Caracaniaus, who, from a natural feeling, had identified themselves with their favourite mountain, and cherished a sort of pride in its supposed eleva- tion. The following lively description is from M. de Humboldt's account of his visit to the Silla : — (i Having arrived at the eastern summit, we enjoy- ed only for a few minutes, all the serenity of the sky. The eye commanded a vast space of country, and looked down towards the north, on the sea, and towards the south, on the fertile valley of Ca- racas, embracing an extent of sea of thirty-six leagues radius. Those persons whose senses are affected by looking down a considerable depth, should remain at the centre of a large flat which crowns the eastern summit of the Silla." " The mountain is not very remarkable for its height, but it is distinguished among all those I have visited, by an enormous precipice on the side next the sea. The coast forms only a narrow bor- der, and looking from the summit of the pyramid, on the houses of Caravalleda, the wall of rock seems, by an optical illusion, to be nearly perpen- dicular. The real slope of the declivity appeared to me, according to an exact calculation 53° 28', the horizontal distance from Caravalleda, to a ver- tical line passing through its summit, near 6416 feet. The mean slope of the Peak of Teneriffe is 12° 30', and the greatest declivity of Mont Blanc, though it is described as cut perpendicularly, does SILLA OF CAKACAS. 77 not even reach an angle of 45°. A precipice of six or seven thousand feet, like that of the Silla of Caracas, is a phenomenon far more rare than is ge- nerally believed by those who cross mountains without measuring their height, their bulk, and their slopes. Since the experiments on the fall of bo- dies, and their deviation to the south-east have been resumed in Europe, a rock of sixteen hundred feet perpendicular height, has in vain been sought for, among the Alps of Switzerland." Rains are frequent at Caracas, in the months of April, May and June. Although no hail falls in the low regions of the tropics, yet it occurs here every four or five years, and sometimes, though not so frequently, in vallies of less elevation. During the remainder of the year, there is not more wet weather than is required for the purposes of agri- culture. In this climate of perpetual verdure, the months of November and December are delightfully pleasant, the greater part of the day is very clear, generally not a cloud to be seen; but towards even- ing, mists are formed, by conflictiugcurrents of air, of different temperatures, which first enveloping the beautiful domes of the Silla, come sweeping down the sides of the surrounding mountains, and con- densing into clouds, settle over the whole valley. But this gloomy contrast, between the clearness of the morning and the cloudy sky of the evening, is not observed in midsummer. The nights of June and July are clear aud delicious, the atmosphere then possesses, almost without interruption, that 78 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. purity and transparency which are peculiar to ta- ble lands, in all elevated vallies, in calm weather^ Previous to the revolution, the Captain-general- ship of Caracas was one of those separate govern- ments by which the King of Spain ruled South- America, through the medium of his Council of the Indies. The Captain -general received his appoint- ment from the King, to whom alone he was ac- countable. The territory committed to his govern- ment occupied forty-eight thousand square leagues, subdivided into seven provinces ; namely, Cumana, Barcelona, Caracas proper or Venezuela, Coro, Maracaibo, Varinas, Guiana, and one separate go- vernment, that of the Island of Margarita. In 1800, the seven provinces, according to Hum- boldt, contained about 900,000 inhabitants, of whom 60,000 were slaves, and 100,000 Indians CHAPTER V. CITY OF CARACAS PAVEMENTS PLAZAS CATHEDRAL- MARKET COSTUME PROVISIONS MANUFACTURES — SO- CIETY MERCHANTS SIESTA THEATRE NOBILITY ■ LADIES SERVANTS. CARACAS, by the recent territorial division of the Republic, is the chief city of the province of the same name, in the department of Venezuela. It is situated in 10° 30' 50", north latitude, and 9° 37' east longitude, from Washington, at an ele- vation of 2,906 feet above the sea; containing, in 1853, about 27,000 inhabitants.* The mean temperature of the year 71° Fahr* Do. hot season - - 75° Do. cold season - - 66° Maximum - - - 84° Minimum - - - 52° The city is built on the northern confine of its delightful valley, at the foot of the Cerro de Avila. It extends from the river Gruayra, its southern limit up the side of the mountain, about half a mile, hav- ing an ascent in that distance of two hundred and five feet. As no pains have been taken to graduate the slope, it would be found extremely inconvenient were wheel carriages used ; but as every thing is transported on the backs of mules accustomed to * The population in 1802, was forty-one thousand. — Hum- boldt. 80 NOTES ON COLOMBIA, traverse the mountains, the inconvenience is not sensibly felt. The length of the city from east to west is much greater than its breadth, and may be estimated at about a mile. The rivers Anauco and Caraguata bound it on the east : they, as well as the Guayra on the south, are crossed on excellent stone bridges. The Catuche runs through the whole length of the city, supplying the public fountains, and water for domestic uses. It has five bridges; but as the banks are suffered to remain as nature formed them, steep, irregular, and covered with weeds, this stream, however useful, injures the appearance of the city very much. The streets, well paved with pebbles, are about twenty five feet broad; their direction north and south, and at right angles, forming blocks or squares of about three hundred feet on each side. A stream of clear water flows constantly through many of them. There are no elevated side walks ; the sharpness and unevenness of the pavement, and the constant encounter of loaded mules, which as often take as yield the wall, render their absence a serious inconvenience to strangers. Some taste and much ingenuity are discoverable in the pavements, particularly in those before the entrances of public buildings, and along the pas- sages leading to the patios, or court yards, of some private houses. Formed of black and white peb- bles, they are tessellated, or are so disposed as to form a name, date, coat of arms, or patriotic motto. PLAZAS. 81 Frequently a memento niori, in the shape of a raw- head and bloody-bones, greets yon on entering a church. In these delineations, the leg bones of animals, planted vertically so as to expose the socket of the knee joint, with stones aud shells of various shapes and colours, are frequently used. The breadth of the streets is diminished by the projections of the windows, which prevent one from walking very near the houses ; and at night some precaution is necessary on the part of strangers to avoid them, as the streets are not lighted. A small part of the calle real, or main street, is neatly flagged on the side walk, but it is not raised above the level of the pavement. There are eight public squares in Caracas. The Plaza-Major, is about three hundred feet on each side, paved with rounded stones, and bounded by four streets. On the east, is the cathedral ; oppo- site, a barrack, guard-house, and some private build- ings ; on the two other sides, dwelling-houses and shops. In this square the market is held. Candelaria, its church in rums, from the earth- quake. St. Paul, neither paved nor graduated ; it has an ornamental fountain in its centre. Trinity, irregular, not graduated, and surround- ed with ruins. St. Hyacinth, with its convent. St. Lazarus, merely an inclostire in front of the church, Pastora, and St. John. a 82 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. The Cathedral, occupying tin?, east side of the great square, is about two hundred and fifty feet deep, by seventy-five front, low and heavy; the roof is supported by twenty-four mason-work plastered columns, in four rows. The two centre rows form the nave, twenty-five feet broad; the other two divide the aisles, at the distance of twelve feet each ; so that the nave is as broad as the two aisles on its right or left. The high altar is placed against the wall, opposite the principal entrance. The choir occupies half the nave, and has a very cumbrous effect. Besides the high altar, there are fourteen smaller ones, in recesses along the sides of the church, approached through the intervals of the columns. The steeple, which, previous to 181Sj was remarkable for its height and boldness, does not now reach to more than one-fourth its former elevation. The appearance of the building is also much injured by enormous buttresses, of stone work, erected on the outside, to guard against the effect of earthquakes. The part of the interior near the high altar is en- tirely covered with, pictures, in richly gilded frames. Velvet and damask tapestry, fine carpets, rich can- dlesticks, and a profusion of other ornaments, com- plete the decorations. The vestments of the priests and assistants are very splendid. At a celebration of high mass, on the 28th of Oc- tober, the president's birth day, at which all the dignitaries of government, both civil and military, and about two hundred priests of the various orders. CATHEDRAL. 83 assisted— the military in their gorgeous uniforms, the civilians in black, wearing the insignia of office, and the priests in their peculiar costumes ; the state- liness of the ceremonies was very imposing. The priests, in particular, seated in extended rows along the nave, in their black, white, and grey robes, rivetted my attention. The degree of mortification to which some of the orders subject themselves, was evident, from their homely coarse habits, bare legs, emaciated frames, and wan countenances; the ton- sure added to their venerable appearance. Their devout demeanour, the splendour of the temple, the impressive ceremonies, brought to my mind the col- lege of cardiuals, and at the swell of the organ and numerous choir, I was transported, for a moment, to St. Peter's — the Vatican and St. Angelo were present, with their crowd of associations. There are four parish churches besides the cathe- dral; St. Rosalie, St. Paul, Candlemas, and Alta Gratia. Three monasteries, the Franciscan, the Dominican, and that of Mercy. One house of preachers, one hospital of Capuchins. Two nunne- ries, one of Conception, the other of Carmelites, One house for the education of young women, and three hermitages, St. Maurice, the Trinity, and La Divina Pastora. "The churches in Caracas are generally well built. That which surpasses all the others is the church of Alta Gracia, built by the free men of co- lour, the structure of which would do honour to the first cities of France. ?? Dejtons, 84) NOTES ON COLOMBIA. No convents have been founded in this country for eighty years, and those already built are daily losing their inmates. According to the provisions of a law passed by the new government, so soon as the number of religionists is reduced to a certain point, the buildings are taken for the use of. the state on a certain composition with the order. The market which is held every, day in the great square, presents a very busy and interesting scene. The market people rise so very early, that they are enabled to come some miles with their produce, and attend a mass before sun-rise. The churches are open before day-light, to afford an opportunity to persons of every class to witness the rites of their religion ; and masses are celebrated every hour from that time till 10 or 11 o'clock. The throng at market is greatest about sun-rise, that those who attend may escape, as much as pos- sible, the heat of the day. As there are no booths, stalls, or permanent shelter of any kind, the mar- ket people arrange themselves, without much regu- larity, in lanes wide enough to permit the pur- chasers to pass through, having their commodities exposed immediately before them. They are for the most part, women of colour, of all the interme- diate shades, produced by European, African, and Indian blood, and are the servants or slaves of those who cultivate farms in the neighbourhood ; or petty cultivators, who till a small patch of ground on their own account. A little awning of cloth or palm leaves is erected by most of them, to shade COSTUME. $5 part of the body ; thus sheltered, they squat upon the stone pavement, and with the most untiring pa- tience await the demand of customers. They dis- play in their little traffic much aeuteness, polite- ness, grace, and amenity of manner, altogether re- moved from the coarse effrontery of the same class of women in other countries. The harsh gutteral of the Billingsgate virago, is replaced by the lan- guid, lisping liquid, of the complaisant Senora. Their dress, which is uniform through the whole of the tierras calientes, consists of a short under garment of coarse cotton, cut very low around the bust, and exposing the shoulder blades behind, with merely a connecting strap over the shoulders, embroidered around the neck an inch deep, with blue cotton, or worsted, after the manner of our sailors' shirt collars. Over this is a petticoat of ca- lico, or dark blue cotton stuff, very fully plaited all round, tied with a band closely above the hips. A man's straw hat, and a mantilla of blue cloth, or a shawl, or scarf of muslin, carelessly thrown over the head and shoulders, complete their covering, as they are almost always barefooted. They are not, however, equally sparing in point or ornament No woman, however destitute, is without a row of beads, and its pendant cross ; many wear pieces of coin suspended with the cross, which is mostly of gold or silver. Some, whose feet have never known the restraint of a shoe, are tricked out with rich gold ear-rings, necklaces, bracelets, and brilliant combs ; but the hair is most generally confined by a string, and adorned with flowers. 86 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. The dress of the men, of the same class, consists of a pair of trowsers, or else of drawers reaching only to the knee, a shirt, and straw hat Each man also possesses a blanket, or a dried hide called poncho, having a slit cut in its centre, through which the head is thrust, serving as a " bed by night," a covering all the day ; and which, in time of need, enables the owner to dispense, without any outward show of impropriety, with the other two articles of his wardrobe. To these is added a macheta, a long knife, or short sword, the invaria- ble appendage to a Spanish thigh. The articles sold in market, are the numerous delicious fruits of the tropics, and many of the temperate latitudes; among which are oranges and lemons of various kiuds, plantains and bananas, ex- cellent on account of their wholesomeness and agree- able flavour; a fruit called by the English sour-sop, haddocks, pomegranates, alligator- pears, the deli- cious chUimoyaSf grapes, figs, apples, peaches, plums, apricots, &c. water and musk-melons, tama- rinds, guavas, pineapples, and many others. The vegetables are, the potatoe, good, but small, beets, parsnips, carrots, cabbage, fine cauliflowers, lettuce, squashes, yams, artichokes, turnips, the sweet po- tatoe, and a yellow root called apio. The top of the apio is precisely, in appearance, taste, and smell, like our celery, but the root, which is. eaten boiled, is very different, having the appearance of a sweet potatoe. You find, also, fresh beef and pork, separated from the bone and cut into chunks ; came seca, PROVISIONS. 87 (dried beef,) cut in long strips ; this is sometimes prepared with a little salt, or is slightly smoked, and is by no means inviting. The mutton, though small, is excellent; some fish, but no veal, is brought to market. Hog's lard, called manteca,* wrapped in plantain leaves, is sold in great abun- dance, and, as well as garlic and onions, is used excessively in cooking. Fowls, turkeys, partridges, pigeons, duck, geese, and abundance of eggs, are met with, but no butter; the little used by foreign- ers iti Caracas, being imported. Indian corn in grain, and prepared in various ways, is also sold, as well as sugar, brown and white, the juice of the cane, and houey. You also find a mixture of mu- cilage and molasses, called papelon, which is much relished by the lower classes of people, and eaten by them like cheese; fermented with water, it yields the intoxicating drink guarapo. Bread, made of maize, is called arepa; while that formed into large disks, eighteen inches in diameter and about a fourth of an inch thick, made from the ma- nioc root, is called casava. This is as little relished by a North American, as the arepq,? or corn bread, is by a European. In addition to the foregoing, and many other ar- * To obviate the ill effects of this excessive use of hog's lard, the lower classes have great faith in an external appli- cation of the same substance. It is smeared upon a patch of black silk, and stuck on the temples, to draw the grease from the system. It is the sovereign'st thing on earth for the head- ache. 88 NOTES ON COLOMBIA, tides of food, the small manufactures of the coun- try are to be met with. These consist of tobacco, made into segars; excellent, large, well propor- tioned earthenware vases, to contain water; cook- ing utensils made of the same clay, which has the property of standing the fire so well as to super- cede, almost entirely, the use of iron for this pur- pose; vessels of various forms and sizes, and spoons and ladles, neatly made of calabash or some beautiful hard wood ; coarse cottons, mats, straw hats, strings of beads, baskets, coffee bags, &c, ropes, twine, pouches, harness for bat mules, and a kind of shoes or sandals called paragaters, made of the fibre of the leaf of the Agave Americana, or flowering aloe. This plant, which is found grow- ing in almost every part of Colombia, affords a strong, durable fibre, from three to five feet long. It is admirably adapted for making cables, ropes, twine, or coarse cloth ; and such is its abundance, that sufficient quantities could be obtained to con- stitute a very important article of commerce, were Its durable qualities, which have been tested by ex- periment, more, generally known and justly ap- preciated. The prepared fibre of this plant is called Co quise. The sandals formed of it, although not so much worn in Caracas as in the interior, consti- tute an important article in the infant manufactures of the country, from the number of hands employed to supply the daily consumption. They are worn in Caracas by mechanics, house servants, and MANUFACTURES. »y muleteers ; but in the mountains of the interior, by all classes of persons, excepting only the priests, from the Alcalde and his lady, (and generally with- out stockings,) to the lowest individual. The price is usually twenty-five cents a pair. To make these sandals, the fibre is first formed into a braid nearly half an inch wide, which is tightly coiled and stitched together to form the sole. A fore part is then woven to contain the point of the foot, with merely a band behind to secure the sandal to the heel. The pulp of the leaves of which this fibre is made, is a very good substitute for soap ; and the porous wood of the stem, when dried, forms an ex- cellent strap for sharpening cutting instruments, on account of the fine grit it contains. The pita, a fibre obtained from a tree called ma~ richi, possesses an advantage over the coquise, in its greater length, being ten or twelve feet long, and in its finer texture and silky lustre. This is likewise very strong, aud is used in sewing leather boots and shoes. With proper preparation, beautiful silky cloth, and canvass of great durability, might be made of this fibre. The medium of small exchanges, consisting of the 4th, 8th, 16th, and 32d parts of a dollar, is chiefly of clipped coin, of every variety of form and size, called maconquina. It passes freely at its nominal value, although intrinsically less, by one-third. For larger sums, dollars and doubloons are used $ the 90 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. latter, however, with reference to the former, vary in price. " Society does not present very animated and varied pleasures ; but that feeling of comfort is ex- perienced in domestic life, which leads to uniform cheerfulness and cordiality, united with politeness of manners. There exist at Caracas, as in every place where a great change in the ideas is prepar- ing, two races of men, (we might say two distinct generations,) one, of which but a small number re- mains, preserves a strong attachment for ancient customs, simplicity of manners, and moderation in their desires. They live only in the images of the past. America appears to them a property conquer ed by their ancestors. Abhorring what is called the enlightened state of the age, they carefully preserve hereditary prejudices as a part of their patrimony, The other class, less occupied even by the present than by the future, have a propensity, often ill- judged, for new habits and ideas. When this ten- dency is allied to the love of solid instruction, re- strained and guided by a strong and enlightened reason, its effects become beneficial to society. I know at Caracas, among the second generation, se- veral men, equally distinguished for their taste for study, the mildness of their manners, and the ele- vation of their sentiments. I have also known men, who, disdaining all that is excellent in the charac- ter, the literature, and the arts of the Spaniards, have lost their national individuality, without hav- ing acquired from their connexions with foreigners, SOCIETY. 91 my just ideas of the real basis of happiness and social order." Humb. Per. *Yar. These remarks, written in iSO% plainly indicate, that If, de Humboldt is as close an observer in the political as in the natural world. Since that time, the elements of convulsion have exploded; and. after desolating the country for twelve years, are nearly exhausted by the excess of their own violence. The repose which is about to succeed, will be doubly sweet from the horror of the conflict The rising tem- ple of liberty will be the more durable, more highly prized, and better defended, as its foundation has been laid at a greater expense of anxiety, toil, and blood. It cannot be denied, how much soever it may be regretted by the friends of social order and civil liberty, that the less worthy members of the class which M. de Humboldt designates as being of the "'second generation, " are but too. numerous: but this is neither to be wondered at nor avoided. We rarelv have anv sood meted out to us without some countervailing evil. In the present instance, a free government is established, founded upon the rights of man, and acknowledged to be adapted to the full development of his faculties, both physical and moral: instead of one avowedly constituted ex- preaei§ to curb and benumb those faculties, as the only means of perpetuating subjection to the parent state: in other words, we have, (I fear not the imputation of republican cant.) liberty for oppres- sion. The attendant evil is the temporary exalta- i of men calculated neither to adorn nor im- 9S NOTES ON COLOMBIA. prove society; but, on the contrary, prone to injure it by their example, rendered more baneful by the influence of the rank and consideration which they enjoy. But this evil, as has been said, is only tem- porary, while the benefit is permanent. The qua- lifications of a daring soldier, ready to do or die, are not always united with those required to form a good peaceable citizen. In war, hearts and hands are most in request; those who possess them must rule the ascendaut; in peace, other requisites are necessary. Consideration will be obtained by those possessing qualifications adapted to the actual state of society. After a few years of peace, the rough unlettered soldier must yield his place to the intel- ligent and cultivated citizen. The novi homines, therefore, who have nothing to recommend them but their fondness for irregularity and strife, will soon lose their influence; and, as the storm they have directed subsides, will sink into oblivion and con- tempt The same causes which have increased this class, have thinned the other, " who live only in the images of the past." Notwithstanding the prejudices and antipathy, a republican may be supposed to have imbibed against a man who hugs his chain and glo- ries in his bondage, it is impossible to see a real old hidalgo, wrapped in his scarlet embroidered cloak, furtively issuing from his obscure residence, without experiencing a regret at his altered state. Stripped of his honours and office, but too proud to work, he exists on a pittance, too small for an SOCIETY. 93 Anchorite, most probably derived from the labour of an attached slave, who prefers toiling for his an- cient master to receiving the freedom within his reach ; proving, by this single trait, both his own worth and that of the man he serves. Without suffering an audible complaint to pass his lips, with no care but to conceal the bitterness of his misery from the upstarts around him, he uniformly preserves his philosophic gravity, the perfect de- cency of his ancient and rather worn costume, and the majestic dignity of his step. He thus drags out a long life, in solitude and poverty, suspected and despised, devoted to religion, offering prayers for his beloved Ferdinand, and sustained alone by a contemplation of the height from which he has fallen, with but a feeble ray of hope of ever ascend- ing it, to illumine his dark despair. The title Don is no longer given to any one in Colombia — listed, an abreviation of your grace, is frequently used in addressing servants. The European dress is worn by the gentlemen of Caracas, the French fashions being preferred. The only modification, is the almost constant ad- dition of a cloak, without sleeves or cape, put on most frequently, to conceal any want of proprete^ in the under dress, when called out suddenly, than on account of the climate. The priests wear the garb of their respective orders, each being distin- guished by the colour or shape. It is, most gene- rally, a cassock of black silk, though the Carme- lites wear white, or rather yellow, and the Fran- 94 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. ciscans grey ; with a large felt hat resembling those of our Quakers. The men generally are rather under the common size, have sallow complexions, black hair and eyes, and well-turned limbs. In most of the large towns, foreign merchants are established, principally English, French, and Germans. The stores, furnished with many arti- cles of European luxury, occupy the principal streets, and are so arranged as to make the best display of the wares. The retail stores are kept by the Creoles, in which are to be found the cheaper articles of foreign dry-goods, and the fabrics of the country. A lower order of shops, kept also by the natives of the country, contain aguardiente, a distilled liquor from grain, chicha and guarapo, drinks resembling cider and small beer, made of fermented maize and papelon. Chicha is met with at almost every house on the road, affording a very pleasant beverage to the exhausted traveller. Ma- ny articles of grocery are sold in these shops, as well as prepared meats, sausages, fruits and vege- tables, bread, tobacco, and generally such a hete- rogeneous assortment, as is to be found in our coun= try stores. On account of the heat of the middle of the day, the morning is appropriated to business. About sun-rise, and even before, the churches are visited by the more devout, marketing and other business attended to in the street, till breakfast; engage- ments within-doors, then occupy the principal siesta. yd I part -of the inhabitants, till dinner, after which the siesta follows. At this period of the day, the streets are deserted and the shops closed, no living being is to be seen, except some prying, indefatiga- ble, curious foreigner, whose reliance on the " vi- gour of his muscle," and confidence in the. strength of his undebilitated northern constitution, prompts, him to brave the influence of a vertical sun. This practice of foreigners has given rise to a saying among the Creoles, more characterized by truth than courtesy, that none but dogs and Englishmen walk the streets at mid-day ; intending to include all foreigners by that term. This indiscriminate application may be accounted for, from the circum- stance of the English having been the first who came to the country in any numbers; they were principally merchants and officers of the army. Scattered in every quarter, their influence has not been idly employed. Constantly referring every thing to England, as the standard of perfection, ex- tolling her power and riches, giving the name English to all goods, whether manufactured in France, Germany, or the East; they have produced a belief among the uninformed Creoles, that every thing not Spanish, must be English ; consequently, on finding a person who speaks Spanish imper- fectly, (which they consider a great mark of igno- rance,) they set him down, at once, as an English- man. The people of Caracas pay much attention to the external forms of religion. The fetes connected 96 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. • with religion are extremely numerous, attended with expense, pomp, and the waste of much time ? amounting, it is said, to one hundred and forty days, exclusive of Sundays ; so that, including the Sabbath, more than half the year is lost to in- dustry. These religious ceremonies, with balls and mu- sic, of which the Colombians are passionately fond ? constitute the public amusements. A theatre, capable of containing about eight hun- dred persons, is open on days of fete, and crowded to excess, notwithstanding the indifference of the performance. The old theatre, destroyed by the earthquake, was capable of containing fifteen or eighteen hundred persons. In the present tempo- rary building, the boxes are divided in the usual manner; they are filled with family parties, who are obliged to bring with them, chairs or seats of some kind, as this convenience is not provided. The pit has neither roof nor floor; the price of ad- mission is twenty-five cents ; the police consisting of six or seven soldiers being stationed about the house with muskets, under charge of an officer. The declamation is pompous, the action mecha- nical, utterly devoid of grace or nature. During the performance, a buffoon holds possession of the stage, who endeavours to make the " interest cen- tre in himself,' 7 by coarse wit, grimace, and the as- tonishing pliability of the features of his chapeau. Tennis-courts and billiard-rooms are frequented by those in search of amusement. Gramine; con- NOBLES. 97 sumes much time, is the passion of all classes, and may justly be considered the most hurtful vice the Coiombians possess, their redeeming virtues being sobriety and temperance. There are but two hotels in Caracas, one kept by a Frenchman, the other by a Creole of one of the Islands. They are frequented almost exclu- sively by foreigners, particularly the English offi- cers in the Colombian service, by whom, the first mentioned house was established. The economical, temperate, and domestic habits of the Spaniard, render a noisy hotel extremely unpleasant ; nothing but necessity could prompt him to make one his re- sidence. There are six or eight English merchants in Caracas, as many French and other foreigners es- tablished, and but two American houses, those of Dr. Forsyth, of Virginia, who does much Ameri- can commission, business, and enjoys the respect of the citizens, and confidence of the government ; and Dr. Litchfield, of Baltimore, more recently es- tablished. The latter gentleman has married a lady of Caracas, and is universally respected and es- teemed for his many excellent qualities. Some of the ancient nobles still adorn the society of Caracas, possessing more worthy marks of dis- tinction than a riband can confer, in the love and confidence of their fellow citizens, the reward of their disinterested devotion to the cause of their country. The Count Tovar, elected to the first Constituent Assembly, introduced the vote for the 13 98 NOTES ON COLOMBIA* abolition of titles of nobility ; and the Marques del Toro was one of the first *to relinquish his title at the commencement of the revolution. The latter is one of the oldest general officers of the Republic,, but lives at present in philosophical retirement at the little village of Antimano, a few leagues from the city. This gentleman has spent a princely for- tune in his country's service. He still possesses a splendid competency, and if he regrets the diminu- tion of his fortune, it is only because it circum- scribes his ability to extend the hospitality of his roof, to all who may stand in need of it. An idea of the princely extent of the Marques del Toro ? s es- tablishment before the revolution cannot be better conveyed, than by the fact of his possessing a thou- sand gentle horses atone time; nor of his unbounded hospitality, than by the mention of a famous enter- tainment he gave to a numerous company, which lasted twenty days, the expense of each day being estimated at one thousand dollars. The Marques is always addressed in society by his title ; this courtesy is, no doubt, extended to him the more willingly, in consideration of the un- reservedness with which he came forward and re- nounced his pretensions to superiority. Nor is this little trait without its moral : it evinces a sedate- ness on the part of the republicans in the hour of triumph, and an indifference to trifles, which do not effect the essence of equality ; and shows that the revolution has been conducted in a spirit es- sentially different from that, which prompts men in LADIES. a9 their blind zeal to strike at every thing exalted, or noble, for no other purpose than to reduce all to their own common level. The influence of the same feeling has withheld their hands from defac- ing monuments of art, because a crown or coronet may have been stamped upon the stone. This fa- rouche republicanism is rather ultra ; prudery is no more a mark of honesty in politicians than in women. The Ladies of Caracas are rarely to be seen in the street, except very early in the morning on their way to church. They go in family parties, attended by female servants carrying carpets to kneel upon. As there are no pews or benches in the churches, and as the ceremonies are witnessed on the knees, the tasteful little rug is an indispensable part of the delicate devotee's church equipage ; for, inde- pendently of the extreme painfulness of the pos- ture, when continued any length of time, the damp- ness of the cold marble or brick pavement would be likely to prove injurious to the health without them. The dress worn on these occasions is not very becoming : it consists of a black veil and pet- ticoat. This dress was originally required to be of the same stuff', very cheap, for all classes, to re- mind the rich of the equality of all ranks in the presence of the Creator. It has become very ex- pensive, however, being made of the richest silks, velvets, and laces. There is, also, much rivalry in regard to this dress ; those who can ill afford it un- dergoing every privation and sacrifice to equal the 100 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. splendour of those in more affluent circumstances* A mass is usually celebrated before sunrise, to ena- ble those to attend whose occupations or want of decent clothes forbid them entering the church at a later hour. One is also said every hour during the morning, so that each has an opportunity of wit- nessing this essential ceremony every day. It may be owing to this frequent repetition of exercises, that so few are to be found engaged in their devotions at any one time. Masses are frequently said, in very populous towns, to not more than six or eight women. The men are much less assiduous ; those of a more liberal education, and who enjoy the highest offices and consideration, content them- selves with attending once a week. The ladies appear to much greater advantage at home, or at a dinner or evening entertainment, when dressed in the European mode. Their com- plexions, not as brilliant as those of more northern climates, are still sufficiently clear to be highly pleasing. Their hair is generally dark, and their sparkling eyes, of clear liquid black. Owing to the unsettled state of affairs during an exterminating war of twelve years, and the want of foreign mas- ters, the rising generation are generally deficient in acquirements. Some, however, are to be found who speak a little English, and a greater number, pos- sessing a knowledge of French, united with the most amiable and fascinating manners, and other female accomplishments. Dancing, music, religion, and attention to the SERVANTS. 101 toilet, constitute the employment of their lives. Their education is altogether feminine ; aud if they yield to ladies of other couutries in the culture of the understanding, they excel in those soft blan- dishments which are more particularly their pro- vince. In some houses the servants have no beds, nor do they appear to have any fixed place for sleeping ; but lie down upon the earthen or brick floors, upon a mat or blanket. You not unfrequently stumble over them at night in the galleries or paved courts. In waiting on table, they hold long conversations with their masters and mistresses, laugh without restraint at the good things se id, and do not hesi- tate to put in their cuchara, (spoon,) even when the conversation is between a stranger aud the host. One of the greatest annoyances to be met with in Caracas, is from intruders, which should never be allowed to gain admittance to polite society ; they are extremely numerous, and owing to the inter- stices in the tile-floors, it is impossible to extirpate them. To avoid the attacks of these unpleasant animals, the ladies coil their feet under them, plac- ing them upon the chair or sofa. The facility with which they dispose of their inferior limbs is alto- gether surprising, and argues a flexibility, which probably may be attributed to the climate. The public balls are very splendid, the dresses of the ladies very tasteful aud costly, consisting of rich laces, gold and silver embroidery, artificial flowers, and jewels in great profusion. The com- 10& * NOTES ON COLOMBIA* pany assemble between 9 and 40 o'clock. The music is fine, and in a very peculiar style. The figures of the dances are somewhat like the English contra-dances, but much more intricate; elegant waltzing being substituted for the awkward racing 6t down the middle and up again," of the English dance. These are alternated with the circular waltz, in which the Colombians display much grace, and a perfect knowledge of time. At the entertainment given on St. Simon's day, the gentlemen carried the refreshments to the ladies on waiters, no ser- vants being allowed to enter the room. In this de- licate attention, the devoted gallantry of the Spa- niard is conspicuous. The supper consisted of every variety of confectionary, in making which the Creoles eminently excel ; and the decorations were in the most sumptuous style, and so disposed as to have an allusion to the occasion. The wines were excellent; rich cordials, Madeira, muscadel, and the inspiring champaign flowed in abundance ; yet our English vice of excess on these occasions is never indulged in by the Colombians. CHAPTER VI. GENERAL DESCRIPTIONS — CITIES, TOWNS, AND VILLAGES — CHURCHES PRIVATE HOUSES. AS the cities, towns, and villages of Colombia, as well as the public and private buildings, are con- structed upon a uniform plan, it may be well to at- tempt a general description. Any modifications in the particular construction of each, can subse- quently be noticed as they present themselves. The cities, towns, and villages. — The streets are almost invariably straight, cross each other at right angles, and, for the most part, in the cardinal points, forming blocks or squares of from three to five hundred feet a side. They.are from twenty to twenty-five feet broad, and, except in the smaller villages, neatly paved with rounded stones, having the slope to the centre, through which a limpid stream flows in most instances, serving for house- hold purposes, and giving an air of neatness and freshness to the streets. These, when paved, are kept exceedingly clean ; not, however, from being frequently swept, but on account of an excellent po- lice regulation, which forbids any thing offensive being thrown into them, which the stream is not ca pable of conveying away. The fronts of the houses, as well as the streets, are kept in excellent order : but the enclosures in the rear present a disgusting 104 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. mass of filth, the collection of years, which would prove injurious to public health in so hot a climate, were it not for the extreme dryness of the air, and the exertions of a race of scavengers, whose vora- cious and indiscriminate appetite prompts them to the most offensive food. These animals, called get- lipazos, are of the vulture kind, resembling in ap- pearance a mixture of the northern crow and the buzzard. A tacit convention has been entered in- to between these bipeds and those of a species not having the advantage of plumage, yielding protec- tion for services. They are therefore never molested, become very tame, and are seen at all times perch- ed upon the roof tops. The uniform course in founding a town, appears to have been, to lay out a square of from three to five hundred feet, which is called the plaza. One side is appropriated for the church; that opposite for the cabildo; and, if a garrison town, a third side is occupied by barracks for the troops. Thus it is seen, that the three orders sit in the high places : occupying the three sides of the political as well as of the municipal square, their connexion and reli- ance upon each other for support and countenance, are apparent. The power, secured by this disposi tion and union, was capable of withstanding for three centuries, all encroachments attempted by the fourth side, which, as occupied by them, may be termed that of the people. In many villages^ the square only is built upon, In some instances, it is not even completely en- CHURCHES. 105 closed ; but, however small the town, a dispropor- tionately large church is always found. As the village increases, the sides of the square are pro- longed, and insensibly grow into streets. When the augmentation of population requires, or the zeal of religion prompts it, another church is built, and another plaza laid out, usually taking the name of the church, to distinguish it from the original, or plaza-major. The new square becomes the centre of the little community in its immediate vicinity, and of the municipal divisions into quarters or wards. This continues till the town assumes the appearance of a city, when, like Caracas and Bo- gota, it may enumerate its six or eight plazas. The square in the villages and smaller towns is a green plat, having generally a stream of water running through it. Here the mules, horses, asses, or oxen of the market people graze, under the eye of their owners, while engaged in their petty traffic. When grown to more importance, the plaza is gra- duated and paved, and beautiful fountains of sculp- tured stone supply the place of the running stream. The plaza, besides serving for reviews of troops, religious processions, executions, entertainments, bull-fights, and other public spectacles, is the mar- ket-place. The lower rooms of the private houses enclosing it, are mostly occupied as pulquerias, or grocery stores, at which the market people are sup- plied with the articles they may wish to purchase, after selling their produce. Churches. In every town or village, however 14 i06 - NOTES ON COLOMBIA. small, and even at the large haciendas, (planta- tions,) there is an immense church. Those of the poorer villages are constructed of thick mud walls, having thatched roofs with projecting eaves, which reach nearly to the ground ; giving to those build- ings more the appearance of a cattle-shed, or huge hay-stack, than a temple dedicated to the service of religion. A continuation of the roof to the front, upheld by posts, forms a pent-house protection from the sun and rain; under the shelter of which, the gossips are seen in little knots, engaged in friendly chat, previously to entering the church. Sometimes the whole front is open; and, in one instance, at Santa-Ana, rendered famous by the meeting of Bolivar and Morillo, no part of the large enclosure is roofed, except that immediately over the altar. In churches of this description, images and pictures from the village chisel and pencil, are to be met with; as well as engraved portraits of some noted women of Europe, baptized and knelt to, as the Virgin Mary, represented in the costume and head dress of the age of Queen Elizabeth. The altars are extremely uncouth, bedaubed with red, blue, and yellow paint, and covered with strips of copper and tin-foil ; the floors of clay. In some conspi- cuous part, a wax, or wood- work image of the patron saint, is seated on a gaudy throne, dressed in flimsy finery, supplied from the scanty wardrobes of the d%vout dames of the place. In the church of Santa- Ana, which is principally in view, the can- dlesticks of the altar are of common clay,, neither s \ 5 ' i \ | Garden HOUSES. 107 burnt nor glazed ; this, however, is a temple of the poorest description. All the churches in the coun- try are built upon the same general plan, differing but in unimportant details ; in the materials, from the wattling of canes* plastered with mud, to the rammed clay walls, and those constructed of beau- tiful stone ; and in the richness of the decorations ; all of which circumstances depending upon the greater or less wealth of the community, the churches of every class may be considered as forming an in- termediate chain, between the humble temple of Santa- Ana and the magnificent cathedral of Bogota. Houses are generally built but one story high, to guard as much as possible against the effects of earthquakes. Some of the more splendid build- ings of Caracas and Valencia, however, are of two 'stories. After passing Pamplona, that mode of construction becomes common in the better order of houses, and continues to the capital. That the regularity observable in all the towns is the result of instructions from Madrid, appears highly probable. There is but a single plan ; after seeing one town, nothing new must be expected from viewing any other. One would also be inclined to suppose, that the Council of the Indies did not think the construction of private houses beneath their attention, or without the control of their au- thority; for, it can scarcely be supposed, that the emigrants would so closely follow in the footsteps of their forefathers, as to build their houses on nearly the same plan, in every variety of climate. \ ^ I I x / 108 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. unless some restraint had been imposed upon them* To describe one, therefore, is to give an idea of all. The materials vary according to the climate or elevation, aud the facility of procuring them, from the common cane, of which the houses on the Mag- dalena are constructed, to the more durable ones of stone, or brick either burut or merely baken in the sun, and mortar. But by far the most common material, (and this applies to very excellent houses, as well as to the most indifferent,) is the soil taken indiscriminately from the vicinity of the spot se- lected for the building, which is mixed with a little lime, straw, and water. This compound is called tapia. A large bed of this moistened earth being pre- pared, a form or mould of planks about five feet" long, three feet high, and twenty-two inches thick, held together with clamps and wedges, and with- out top or bottom, is placed upon a part of the line traced out for the structure. The earth is then thrown into the form by men, provided with small sacks made of raw hides; while two others who stand inside the mould beat it down with rammers till it becomes compact ; more is ad^ed till the form is filled. The wedges and clamps are then taken off, aud the planks of the mould removed, leaving a mass of rammed earth of the shape and dimen- sions of the form, resembling a large unburnt brick placed upon its edge. This operation is con- tinued, taking care to let the lower course become HOUSES. 109 somewhat hardened in the sun before a second is superadded, as well as to break the joints, to* in crease the strength, till the walls are raised to the requisite height. It may easily be imagined, that walls constructed in this way are neither f very ac- curate in plumb nor direction ; they are strong enough, however, and when plastered, sufficiently durable in a climate not invaded by frost, and en- joying a temperature ranging but a few degrees in the most temperate part of the scale. These walls plastered and whitewashed on the out as well as the inside, look, at a little distance, nearly as well as if they were built of marble. The carpentry, although of the best materials, from the many valuable woods afforded by the country, is roughly put together, exceedingly heavy, evincing much want of skill in the work- men. It is only in the better order of houses that the wood-work is painted ; in the more splendid, there is some gilding. The houses in the towns are all covered with curved tiles of earthenware, about sixteen inches long and six broad ; two rows are first placed, the concave side upwards, the joint being covered with a third row reversed. Those in the small villages are thatched with straw, or more frequently with rushes or palm leaves, the eaves, in every instance, projecting three or four feet. Although the houses vary in their details, the following is the general plan of construction. The house in view in the description, is oue of the better order, of two stories, and situated on a plaza, 110 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. The front on the square, 68 feet ; depth, 140 feet The body of the building is in the form of a hollow square, enclosing a neatly paved court, incliniug gently to the centre, where a drain is sunk to carry off the rain from the roofs. These, on the side buildings, slope inwards ; half of those of the front and rear buildings inclining, one to the street, the other to a second square. This second square is en- closed in front by the rear building of the first square, and on one side by the kitchen, the other two sides being completed by mud walls fifteen feet high. This square is also paved, and has its drain. Extending backwards are two other squares, enclosed by high mud walls, the first containing offices, and serving as the receptacle of filth from the kitchen, the last appropriated as a garden ; the whole depth of the plat being two hundred and twenty-six feet, divided as follows : The front building, thirty-six feet, (the side buildings being but fourteen ;) the square court, forty feet ; the rear building, twenty-four feet; second court, forty feet; third enclosure, thirty-six feet; garden, fifty feet. The only entrance to this structure, which ap- pears to have been built upon the principle that every man's house is his castle, is by a great door, calculated to admit a horseman with ease; it be- ing the custom for visiters to ride into the house, dismounting in the court, at the foot of the stairs. The front rooms on the ground floor, are rented for stores, or grocery shops ; they have each a door HOUSES. Ill opening into the street, but no window, and are not connected with the house. The side rooms of the basement story, are roughly finished, and serve to store forage ; the rear of the same story being the stable, and the space under the kitchen serving for the same purpose. Thus it is seen, that no part of the lower story is occupied by the family. The entrance is neatly paved, and secured at night by two doors or gates, which remain open during the day — one being the street door, the other, situated at the extremity of the passage, formed by the end of the shop. After passing the second door, you turn to the right, and face the foot of the staircase, which is at the oppo- site extremity of the building. On passing to this, you have a view of the paved court and galle- ries overhanging it, on the left hand, through three well-proportioned arches, as well as of the stables beyond, furnished with a corresponding number of arches ; serving to diminish, in some degree, the ex- tremely heavy appearance of the structure, caused by the enormously thick walls, and the small num- ber and diminutive size of the doors and windows. It is in this passage you leave your horse, shelter- ed from the sun or rain, and continuing onwards, mount the staircase, which leads to a spacious en-, try or hall, having three arches opening into the gallery of the court on one side, the entrance to the sitting room being on the other. •The court on the second story is surrounded by a gallery, covered by a continuation of the roof sup- 118 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. ported on pillars. This gallery, about five feet wide, furnished with balustrades, serves to commu- nicate with the different rooms, which all open into it, as well as with the passage leading through the rear building to the kitchen, also on the second story, and furnished, in like manner, with its gal- lery of communication, looking into its proper square. From the hall, at the head of the stairs, you pass to the sitting-room. This room communicates with the balcony by a glazed folding door. On the right is the chamber of state, appropriated for stran- gers, having one window in front. To the left is a large folding door, opening into the dining-room, which has two glazed windows extending to the floor, opening like folding doors, and conducting also to the balcony, which commands a view of the street and plaza. These three rooms may be thrown into one, thus affording accommodation for the largest private entertainment, being sixty-eight feet in length. Adjoining the dining-room, are those of the butler, which communicate wiih the gallery leading to the kitchen. Opposite, are chambers, and in the rear, over the stable, a large ball or sup- per room. All the rooms and galleries are floored with square tiles or bricks, which, when not put together with great nicety, become uneven, and frequently sink under the tread, and serve as hiding places for swarms of fleas. These pavements are the moFe to be reprobated, as they conceal the beautiful wood HOUSES* 118 aipon wbich they are laid. This wood, which re- sembles an inferior kind of mahogany, is the cedar of the country, and would furnish an excellent ma- terial for floors. The motive for adhering to the tile pavements cannot be imagined, as they must be more expensive than wood ; and no fires are to be apprehended, the kitchen being the only apartment endangered by this cause. The kitchens are furnished with a range of small furnaces of brick- work, ten inches square, elevated as high as the breast, and extending along one side of the apartment. Each furnace is intended to cook but one dish at a time, the fire being made with a handful of charcoal, or a small faggot. A large flue, under which the cook stands while engaged in her business, semes to carry off the smoke through its aperture ; but there are no chimnies rising above the roof. Ceilings are very rare, as even in the best houses the rafters of the roof are exposed to view, as well as the stretchers, laid across to brace the walls. The windows are without shutters, and are not glazed, except in a few houses, in the cold climates ; sashes and weights are not used, but the glass frames open on hinges, like folding doors. As the walls of the houses are very thick, embrasures are cut nearly through them, and seats are formed un- der the windows, in the thickness of the wall. All the windows are secured with bars of iron or wood ; those in front project ten or twelve inches into the 10 114 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. street, something like bulk-windows, enabling one to project the head beyond the line of houses, and thus command a view up and down the street. These grated windows have altogether a very disagreeable appearance, suggesting the idea of confinement and restraint ; for which purpose they were doubtless introduced in a former age, by the suspicious jealousy of the Spaniards, in order to render more difficult the stolen interviews between the gallant cabalhro and his lovely enamorata, made faithless by the injurious want of confidence and the unmanly usage of her lord. Manners are now changed, yet the ancient usage is kept up. From the disproportionate number of women in this country, jealousy is transferred to the sex most alive to its impression, and least able to guard against its cause, or withstand its blasting effects. The window-frames, balustrades, and doors, are the only wood-work exposed to view; the latter are handsomely panelled and painted, or curiously carved ; the two former generally remain unpaint- ed. In the warm climates, a small insect destroys the carpenter- work of the houses, by reducing the wood to powder. The house just described is built of bricks baked in the sun, upon a foundation of stone, rising a few inches above the ground, to guard against moisture. When built on any of the public squares, the houses, if of two stories, are uniformly furnished with a bal- cony, affording an opportunity of seeing to advan- tage the religious processions, bull-fights, and other shows which take place in them. CHAPTER VIL JOURNEY DEPARTURE PROM CARACAS SAN-PEDRO VIC- TORIA SAN-MATEO BOLIVAR SUGAR PLANTATION MARACAV VALENCIA LAKE TACARIGUA PEASANTRY AGUAS CALIENTES. November 12th. Through the good offices of our attentive host, Dr. Forsyth, having completed our purchases — of camp equipage, blankets, hammocks, and oil-cloth cloaks ; tea, sugar, chocolate, and a keg of crackers; four excellent mules, which cost from one hundred and thirty, to one hundred and seventy dollars apiece, saddles, bridles, &c. — and being provided with two servants, a negro, Peter, from one of the islands, who spoke French, Eng- lish, and Spanish, and a Creole of Caracas, Manuel, •who spoke only his native tongue — we reduced our baggage to the smallest compass, hired three mules for its transportation as far as Valencia, with two others for the servants, and set out at ten o'clock this morning, escorted by our kind Caracanian friends, on our journey to Bogota. We stopped about noon at a miserable venta, or muleteer's baiting place, at Las-Ajuntas, the meeting of San-Pedro and Macarao, too small rivers, which form the Guayra, nine miles from town, to take some refreshment. We could scarcely credit the assertion of Dr. Forsyth, that the dis- gusting fare now presented, and the miserable hovel 116 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. which sheltered us, would prove highly acceptable before we got to our journey's end. We felt in- clined to attribute the friendly remonstrances, now urgently repeated, against our undertaking the journey, to a polite expression of concern for our welfare, an over estimate of the difficulties, and an under valuation of our capability of enduring fa- tigue. We took leave of our friends in high confidence,, and began to ascend the group of mountains called Higuerote, which separates the valley of Caracas from that of Aragua, by the mountain Buenavista. This mountain richly deserves its name; it com- mands a fine view of Caracas, from an elevation above the sea, determined by Humboldt, of five thousand three hundred and thirty-six feet. The descent to San-Pedro is about one thousand nine hundred and eighteen feet, which leaves three thou- sand four hundred and eighteen feet for the eleva- tion of that village. We arrived in the evening at San-Pedro, twelve miles, making for our first day's journey twenty - one miles. The mountain road, which affords some of the most extensive views, resembles that from La Guayra to Caracas, in its being formed in a trench, and in its perpetual windings ; but it is not paved. In ascending, I found some asbestos, but had neither time nor implements to dig out a good spe- cimen. At San-Pedro, the vacant house assigned as ta VICTORIA. 117 hang our hammocks in for the night, was half a mile from the pulqueria. As it was dark by the time the baggage and mules were taken care of., we found some difficulty in groping the way to our repast. We at length sat down to some goose and garlic, eggs, bread, bacon, and a bottle of claret, in a small box partitioned off from the public room, filled with carousing muleteers. After a cheerful supper, we retraced the way to our villa, in the outskirts of the town, hung our hammocks, and, after a contest of some duration between the novelty of our situation, suspended from rafters in the form of the letter U, the attacks of flees, and our fatigue, tired nature at length succeeded in obtain- ing her sweet restorer. We arose early next morning, and had an op- portunity of seeing the little irregular town of San= Pedro, noted for its manufacture of excellent cot- ton hammocks. November 13th. Set out early — crossed the mountain Coquisas by a steep, narrow, ditch- like road, which, in time of rains, becomes the channel of torrents; its perpendicular sides exposing strata of slate, micacious schistus, and indurated clay. Stopped during the heat of the day, for two hours* at the house of the Alcalde of the little village Consejo, and arrived in the evening at Victoria, twenty-five miles. Here we took up our quarters for the night, at the house of Major M'Farland, a foreign officer in. the Colombian service, for whom we had letters. The Major was absent on duty, but his house- 118 NOTES ON COLOMBIA, keeper provided a repast of eggs, fowls, bread? rice, inilk and chocolate, for a few reals. Victoria is in 10° 13' 35" north latitude, on the margin of the small river Calenchas, which contri- butes to the river Aragua. It is situated, therefore, in the basin of the Lake of Valencia, called the Valley of Aragua, into which that river empties it- self. The cultivated land in the neighbourhood of Victoria, at an elevation above the sea of only one thousand nine hundred feet, presents the rare spec- tacle of the sugar cane, the coffee tree, the banana, and the cotton and indigo shrubs, growing in per- fection in the same fields with farinaceous grain, of an excellent quality. The wheat, sown in Decem- ber, is harvested in seventy -five days, and yields sixteen for one ; the mean return in France, of the same grain, being, according to Lavoisier, but six to one. Yet, notwithstanding this superiority in fruitfulness over one of the best grain countries of Europe, it is found much more advantageous to cultivate the sugar cane. Cacao was chiefly culti- vated in this valley previously to 1772? when it be- gan to yield to indigo; but this was found to im- poverish the land to such a degree, that cacao was again resorted to, in conjunction with cotton and coffee. The indigo is now cultivated in the exten= sive plains of Varinas and Cucuta. November i^th. Setting out early, we stopped to breakfast at San-Mateo, the hacienda of the Li- berator, situated in the environs of the town of the same name, and in the far-famed valley of Aragua, We carried letters from Madam C*** ? to the gen- BOLIVAR. 119 tleman who rents the plantation of the President; for three or four thousand dollars a year. It for- merly yielded a princely revenue ; but having been twice ravaged and destroyed by the. royalists, it now only furnishes the above named sum, upon which its disinterested owner has contrived to sup- port himself and family, without drawing upon the scantily supplied treasury of his country. The president, Simon Bolivar, descended from European parents, was born in Caracas. He inhe- rited the rank of Marques, but never assumed the title. His age, in 18S3, was about forty-two years : but the fatigues and hardships to which he has been exposed, during twelve years, give him the appearance of being more advanced. He received a good education, has had the advantage of visiting Europe, and on his return, resided a short time in Charleston, S. C. Possessing ei a frame of adamant and a soul of fire," he is alike impassible to the effects of mental or bodily exertions. Born in, and accustomed to, the mildest and most equable climate in the world, he has repeatedly crossed the ever- frozen Andes, the grave of so many of his companions ; in one short day experiencing the extremes of the pole and equator, without appearing to be sensible of the vicissitudes he was undergoing. At one time, holding the des- tinies of nations in the grasp of his dictatorial power, at another, a "vagabond"* in the islands, on * As he expresses himself in his imperfect English. 120 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. the point of falling a victim to the assassin's knife,, he is still the same ; the same thoughts engross his mind, the same energies are employed for his country's emancipation ; to the accomplishment of which, he has devoted his life and fortune. The victor of a hundred battles, he has not grown confident by success, but possesses the rare faculty of being a Fabius or a Murat, as circum- stances require the most timid caution, or the most daring intrepidity. That Bolivar is ambitious, cannot be denied ; but his ambition has no view to himself, nor is it confined exclusively to his own country. He spilt his latest blood in the cause of Peru, and Buenos Ayres has acknowledged his efficient aid. The minister of the government over which he presides was withdrawn from Mexico, when a faction usurped the rights of the people ; and he has frequently been heard to say that he never would sheath his sword, till every hostile Spaniard was driven from the soil of America ; disdaining that timid policy, which suf- fers legitimates to succour each other, while it with- holds the hand of assistance from expiring repub- lics. During the darkest periods of the revolution, he never suffered himself for a moment to doubt of the republic. Whether we view him at the head of his victorious troops, hailed as the Liberator of his country ; or follow him in his exiles, pledging his own fortune and credit for his country's benefit, he is alike worthy of admiration. BOLIVAR. 181 In disinterestedness he is not surpassed. Twice his patrimonial estates have been laid waste by fire and sword ; yet he lives upon the wreck without fourthening his country. The command he pos- sesses over himself is not the least worthy of com- mendation. When entrusted by the congress of Cucuta with the supreme command, and ordered to carry his troops to relieve Carthagena, he had the power to chastise his refractory inferior. But no feelings of jealousy or wounded pride were attend- ed to. He with some difficulty obliged his troops to co-operate with his rival, and rather than create dissension, removed himself from the scene of con- tention. It is customary to compare Bolivar with Wash- ington. If the Liberator crown his work, by a termination as brilliant as his career has been thus far, History will draw the parallel, and she may find many points of argreement, although the de- velopment of the character of each has been influ- enced by the different scenes, in which they have been called upon to act. The same disinterestedness, perseverance, devo- tion, and love of true glory, are to be found in each. Washington had a people formed to his hands, ac- customed to self-government ; whose minds were vigorous and free; whose consciences were un- warped by religious prejudices, and unshackled by priestly tyrants. Bolivar had to war with ancient aud deep-rooted prejudices; to encounter ignorance, disunion, treachery, and the ambition of contending 16 „• 122, NOTES ON COLOMBIA., chiefs, separated by a wide extent of country, un= known to, and distrustful of each other. The courage of one was passive, that of the other active. One regretted all his life the necessity which impelled him to sacrifice a single man to the usages of war; the other, convinced of the unavoid- ableness of the measure, ordered a regiment to exe- cution, and dismissed the matter for ever from his thoughts. The first was obliged to govern himself by public opinion, which was competent to decide upon his acts : the second controls and forces opi- nion, and fearlessly assumes the responsibility of his deeds, trusting that the motive and the end will prove his justification. The aim of one was to se- cure ascendancy over the understanding ; that of the other, to move the passions, to excite enthusiasm^ and govern by the prestige of his name. The mansion-house of the President is situated on a commanding hill, a short distance from the road ; but being in a ruinous state, we were enter- tained with a profusion of good things, in apartments fitted up in the sugar manufactory. During our stay, we had an opportunity of witnessing the pro- cess, by which the juice of the cane, expressed by means of iron rollers, turned by a water power, is converted, by boiling and filtration, into white sugar. " The cane common to the islands was made use of on the Spanish Main, previously to the year 179S. About this time, that from Otaiti was sub- stituted, on account of its many advantages ; it ripens in twelve months, whereas that from the SUGAR PLANTATION. 1S8 islands required sixteen; it is double the size, much higher, and yields more juice. The sugar, however, contained much less saccharine quality than that afforded by the canes of the islands. The cane of Otaiti has in its turn given place to that formerly cultivated. The consumers of Europe were not slow to discover, that an increase in bulk did not furnish a corresponding increase in the principle which they sought; a diminution of price was the result." " When the cane is cut to extract its juice, about a foot of the top is cut off and planted, to form a new crop; these cuttings are arranged in rows about three or six feet apart, according to the soil, laid horizontally in a small trench about six inches deep, covered entirely with earth, or placed obliquely, so as to expose four or five inches above ground. The latter method is called planting en canon, and is resorted to in marshy ground, from an apprehen- sion of the cane's rotting. Irrigation is necessary and much resorted' to." " The cane will furnish five crops, each succes- sive cutting, however, yields less than the preced- ing, after which it must be replanted. The cane as soon as cut is brought to the mill, consisting of three rollers, moved by water or other power, the juice immediately on being expressed, is conveyed in troughs to a large boiler, whence it is ladled to a fourth and fifth, and after being scummed fre- quently is left to granulate and cleanse itself of impurities, in conical earthen vessels. Alkali is 124 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. used in the first cauldron, to form a combination with the acid, this produces a strong ebullition and rising of scum, which is removed as soon as formed."* While at San-Mateo, I clambered up the emi- nence to examine the mansion-house. It was com- pletely dilapidated, the shade-trees cut down, ter- races and porticos in ruins, and the garden spot covered with weeds. But a fine view is presented from the piazza of the plantation, which extends about two miles, to the village of San-Mateo, and is traversed by a winding rivulet of limpid water. We proceeded on our journey and arrived in the evening at Maracay, passing on the route the vil- lage Turinero. On arriving at the pretty village of Maracay, we rode into the plaza, aud while ad- miring the fine, well constructed, stone church, in doubt which way to turn our steps to find a shelter; the Alcalde came up and relieved us from embar- rassment, by billetting us in a comfortable house, kept by a widow lady. We dismounted in the square court, secured the baggage, and gave the usual directions to procure forage for the mules. The stalks of young Indian corn, and the unground grain, constitute the food of these animals. Five or six women, the inmates of our lodging house, were amusingly inquisitive : the relationship of those composing the party, their ages, whether they were married or single, the object of their * Depons. MARACAY. 125 journey, and a thousand questions, were put with the greatest volubility. We hung our hammocks in the principal room, and took a luxurious swing, While preparations were going on for our supper, which consisted of a fowl, eggs, bread, and choco- late. The next morning, on sending the Creole servant to inquire the amount of our fare, he brought for answer, that there was nothing to pay, as we had been sent by the government. The towns and villages are governed by Coun- cils and Alcaldes, appointed for one year. There are two in each village ; the second being the Al- calde of the preceding year. The chief carries the baton of justice; it is usually a handsome cane, having a silver or golden head. As he never stirs out of his house without this distinguishing mark of authority, strangers find no difficulty as to whom to address on business. It is the duty of the Alcalde to regulate, with the assistance of the Council, the affairs of the town — to publish laws — answer requisitions for men, arms, or contributions — make the necessary pre- parations for the celebration of anniversaries — fur- nish rations, quarters, and mules, for troops pass- ing through his village — and to take care of the public beasts, and furnish them, on proper applica- tion, to travellers, soldiers, or for the use of the post. From the circumstance of the Alcalde's house being always in the same relative situation in the plaza, it would appear that it is furnished by the 1^6 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. public. There is, besides, in almost all the towns, a confiscated house, appropriated for the accommo- dation of officers and other travellers ; frequently, however, it is unoccupied, and without furniture, merely affording a shelter and rings by which to sling your hammock. In other instances, it con- tains some articles of furniture, and is occupied by a poor family, who, for this advantage, take care of the house, and provide the traveller with the ne- cessaries he may require. November 15. Set out very early this morning ; passed the village of San-Joaquin, the fort Cabra- ra, at the head of the beatiful Lake of Valencia, and rode for many miles on its border, refreshed by the sight of its fruitful banks, and the groups of islands reflected upon its tranquil surface. Our route continued through finely cultivated hacien- das, some of them enclosed by hedges of lime- trees, extending along the road for miles. We rode through the villages Gruacara and Guaro, and ar- rived in the evening at Valencia, a distance of thirty-five miles, one of our longest journeys ; hav- ing traversed, over mountainous roads, the distance of a hundred and one miles in four days. We presented our letters at the house of Seiior Penal ver, one of the Senators of the republic, and were kindly received and entertained by his sister, who did the honours of the house, till the owner re- turned from his plantation, a few leagues from town. November 16. We had intended to remain in VALENCIA. 127 Valencia but a day or two, but unavoidable circum- stances detained our party till the twenty-eighth of this month. A desire to see General Paez, expected in a few days from Caracas, and whom we had met on the mountain Coquisas, though without recog- nising him, would have been a strong motive for a few days delay, even if the state of our mules had not rendered it absolutely necessary. The weather had been extremely A. M., and arrived at Agua Obispos at 7? P- M., a distance of thirty-six miles. This was the most distressing day's journey of the whole route. We encountered precipitous roads, rendered really dan- gerous by the effect of a violent rain, on a clayey soil. At the top of the mountain, we were chilled with cold. In descending, some of the party had to dismount at a place, where, in making the at- tempt, my mule, sagaciously placing her hoofs to sustain her, slid several yards, overturning the muleteer in her passage, and landed me sprawling in the slimy mud, at the foot of the bank. To- wards evening, the sergeant being some considera- ble distance on before — Manuel in the rear with the baggage- — we were detained some time in reco- vering Peter's mule, which had thrown him and run away. Chilled, drenched, and hungry, we ar- AGUA OBISPOS, 109 rived at night, after a dangerous descent of three or four miles, on a slippery road, scarcely discerni- ble, at a miserable hut at Obispos. It contained but one public room, already occupied by twenty travel- lers, deterred from crossing the mountain by the bad weather ; and so crowded, that the hammocks touched each other. Here we were furnished with some spirits by a mulatto captain, who was very polite, and used his authority to procure us suffi- cient room to swing our hammocks. This relief came very opportunely, as we were faint and com- pletely exhausted with fatigue. Our baggage did not arrive till next morning, so that we were constrain- ed to pass a cold and uncomfortable night in our wet clothes. The travellers pursued their journey next day, and left us in possession of the hut, where we remained to recover the baggage and re- cruit our exhausted strength. Agua Obispos, situated in a rugged valley, sur- rounded by enormous mountains, can scarcely be called a village; the eight or twelve straggling houses being within the circuit of a mile. The in- mates of the house we occupied, were a fat, hearty looking old dame, and her three daughters. On the evening of our arrival, we received no attention from the family; all was confusion; each person being engaged around the fire, made in one corner of the cook-shed, preparing his mess. We partook of that prepared for the captain by his servant ; it being impossible, at that late hour, to procure any thing, and the old lady insisting she had nothing in the house. 160 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. The next morning, finding we were disposed to pay for what we wanted, she opened her stores, and supplied us with eggs, bread, vegetables, and chocolate, prepared at the moment from the kernel, slightly roasted, and reduced to a paste between two stones. Our excellent forager, the sergeant, soon added his purchase of fowls to our stock of provant, and had succeeded likewise in procuring green corn-stalks for our famished mules. As I sat on a stone drying my clothes near the fire, a young man came in, and was treated with the best the house afforded. Having satisfied his voracious appetite, the women produced their purses; and, after counting and recounting their reals, and giving repeated instructions, off set the pedler for Tocuyo, to purchase for the family their little arti- cles of dress and finery. In the course of the morning, a sprightly woman paid the family a visit; she was shaking with the ague, which, however, did not prevent her from talking incessantly. She addressed her conversa- tion to me, and continued for half an hour, without its ever entering her head, that probably very little of what she was uttering with such volubility was understood. She threw out many hints at a travel- ler, who was about to depart without paying for what he had eaten, contrasting the custom of the natives in this respect, with that of the English. While proceeding in this attack upon the generosity of the codger, who sat silently munching his mess, she threw frequent significant glances at me, to be- AGUA OBISPOS. 161 speak my approbation, for painting my countrymen in so favourable a point of view. Finding she was carrying the joke too far, I merely shook my head, in reply to one of her inquiring glances ; when, perceiving it was disagreeable to me, she imme- diately desisted, and appeared somewhat discon- certed. These people, man, woman, and child, all talk well. Those of the lower class, although they ap- pear to take pleasure in performing the most menial services for persons of a genteel appearance, do not think it necessary to receive any encouragement to address you ; but, on all occasions, enter into con- versation with the greatest ease and confidence, yet still without the least appearance of impertinence or disrespect. The kind and confiding intercourse between masters and servants in this country, satis- fied me of the justness of the remark; that slaves fiud in Spaniards the most indulgent masters. At Obispos, I had an opportunity of witnessing the whole process of preparing Indian corn for food. A quantity placed in an earthen jar, is steeped in hot water over night, to soften the grain and render the separation of the husk easy. In a corner of the cook-house, stands the apparatus in possession of every family. It consists of a stone, somewhat concave, supported in an inclined position, at a con- venient height, by two forked sticks driven into the ground ; and a smaller stone, sufficiently large to be grasped by both hands, which is used to bray the 16U NOTES ON COLOMBIA. grain, very much in the manner that painters grind their colours. The jar containing the grain is placed on one side, and one of water on the other, and the operator stands at the most elevated end of the stone. A, portion of the grain is placed upon it, and bruised into a paste by means of the smaller one, water be- ing dipped occasionally from the jar with the hand, to prevent the paste from adhering to the stones. When sufficiently ground, it is patted into a lump, and placed on one corner of the stone ; and another handful is submitted to the same operation. The maize prepared in this manner is called boyo. Many seem contented with a small cake in its raw state, washed down with a glass of water, for a breakfast. It is, however, more frequently made into flat cakes and fried in the favourite manteca, or simply baked before the fire, like our hoe-cake. This method of preparation is exceedingly tedi- ous, and much of the nutritive quality of the grain must necessarily be lost, by the washing it under- goes while brayed between the two stones, leaving behind little more than the insoluble portion. These details will serve to give an idea of the simple structure of society in this country — where each family, insulated and depending upon itself, is employed in operations which could be so much better and more quickly performed, by a judicious division of labour. December Ifttli. Left Obispos at 8, A. M. Stop- ped in the woods to cook and sling hammocks, in SANTA-ANA. 163 the middle of the day, and arrived at Garache at 2, P. M. — fourteen miles. This is a small, dull look- ing village, situated in a narrow valley, surround- ed by high hills; found good quarters in the govern- ment house, on the plaza, opposite the church. The descent into the valley was somewhat difficult, a slight rain having rendered the tenacious, oily clay very slippery. December 17th. Left Garache at 7? A. M. Ar- rived at Santa- Ana at noon — twenty miles. This is a miserable village of twenty huts, built upon a ridge. It is rendered famous, by the signing of the convention for an armistice by Bolivar and Morillo. The house in which the rival generals had been lodged, was pointed out to us. Two chambers, opening in opposite directions into a centre room, were assigned to them for repose, after the business of the meeting and the festivities on the occasion had ceased. But Bolivar wishing to apply this first opportunity of communication with his distin- guished adversary to the best advautage, had his camp bed moved into the centre room, and inviting Morillo to do the same, the whole night was con- sumed in conversation. On taking leave next morn- ing, Morillo was heard to say, that whatever might be the termination of the armistice, he never would again be found opposed in arms to his friend. In this he kept his word ; shortly after, he embarked for Spain, and has been since, under the title of Count of Carthagena, a prominent actor in the con- vulsions, which have torn the mother country and 164 NOTES ON COLOMBIA, ended in restoring Ferdinand to his legitimate rights, and making the Peninsula a province of France. The results of the convention of Santa-Ana were highly advantageous to the Colombians. Bo- livar was enabled to collect his scattered forces, too weak at the period of the armistice, to cope with the enemy. He then gave the stipulated notice for the recommencement of hostilities, and gained a complete victory over a well appointed army. December iSth. Left Santa- Ana at 7? A. M. ; arrived at Truxillo — twenty-one miles, at 4, P. M. resting two hours on the road. Thus, having remained one day at Tocuyo, and another at Agua Obispos, we have traversed, in seven riding days, from Barquisemeto, one hundred and sixty-three miles ; which distance is one mile more than that from Valencia to Barquisemeto, and occupied the same length of time. The latter stage, however, was infinitely more arduous and disa- greeable than the former, on account of the badness of the roads and the height of the mountains, en- veloped by chilling mists : from which, you descend into stifling vallies, so H profound," narrow, and destitute of trees, that your situation is little better than that of being placed in an oven, or the focus of a concave mirror. Truxillo, in 8° 40' north latitude, was founded by Diego Garcia de Paredes, in 1556 ; but the site was abandoned, owing to an insurrection of the In- dians, and was permanently established in 1570, TRUXILLO. ibD This town contains at present between one and two thousand inhabitants ; it is very injudiciously built in a narrow ravine, surrounded on all sides, except a narrow gorge, by hills too steep for cultivation, and about one thousand five hundred feet high. It consists of but one street, which is well paved, and has a considerable inclination. There are some very good houses, some in ruins from the earth- quake of 1812, and a few covered with thatch. I was struck at finding some huts, inhabited by poor people, constructed from the rubbish and with- in the walls of some stately buildings, bearing the heraldic impress of their former noble masters, over the tottering gateways. Nothing could give a more lively idea of the misery, impoverishment, and depopulation, caused by the earthquake, than a comparison of the squalid appearance of the pre- sent inmates of these walls, with that of those, whom the imagination would people them with, prior to that catastrophe. The town contains three churches. A suburb, separated by a deep ravine and creek, has forty or fifty thatched houses. The space occupied by the buildings is about twelve hundred yards in length, and four hundred in breadth. Truxillo, at present, is the head-quarters of a military division ; half a battalion, principally re- cruits, are quartered in the plaza, and are engaged in the drill the greater part of the day. The prox- imity of Morales, now at the head of lake Mara- caibo, has given an impulse to the exertions of the military. 166 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. We were furnished with excellent quarters In the house of a lady, who was absent at her planta- tion in Varinas, it being in charge of a poor wi- dow, who occupied it with her family of small children during the temporary absence of the mis- tress. This woman was useful to us in furnishing our meals, and in providing our little store of cho- colate, rice, &c. for the road. She, as well as her children, was always industriously employed, and extremely anxious to serve us. We derived much amusement in conversing with the little family, and in getting the children to sing, dance, or read for us. The mother sometimes joined in the song : she had a peculiarly plaintive tone of voice, which had something truly affecting in it. On the evening of our arrival, about twenty ladies and gentlemen came in a body, to pay us a visit. As it was late, and we were retiring to rest, their curiosity was disappointed. The next day, we re- ceived many visits from the ladies and gentlemen of the place ; among the rest, from the Military Commandant, who had assigned us quarters in consequence of the letters from Colonel Manreky. We applied to him for mules, which he agreed to furnish, but at more than double the customary price. We remained four days at Truxillo, in expecta tion of procuring mules at a less ruinous expense : but the commandant excused himself by represent- ing, that all the animals maintained for the service of travellers, were kept in readiness for the public TRUXILLO. 167 service, as, owing to the proximity of the enemy, it was not known at what moment they might be re- quired. A note, however, addressed to General Clementi, at his head-quarters, Betioque, produced the desired effect, in instructions to the commandant. I here first remarked the use the people make of the expressed juice of tobacco, called chimoo. It is usually contained in a snuff-box, and is taken by dipping the finger into the liquor, and applying it to the mouth. It is highly prized, and much used by the women. The goitre, cases of which I had noticed in many of the towns on the route, is here very prevalent. The day before we left Truxillo, the lady in, whose house we were quartered returned from her plantation. The perfect unconcern she evinced on finding us in possession of her mansion, showed that such intrusions were not unfrequent; and her polite expressions conveyed the idea, that they were far from being unacceptable. This may convey some idea of the state of society ; for, in a more ad- vanced stage of refinement, nothing can be imagined, more revolting to the feelings of a family, than thus to have its privacy invaded, and to be habitually subject to the innumerable inconveniences, conse- quent upon the indiscriminate admission of stran- gers. CHAPTER IX. LEAVE TRUXILLO FARM-HOUSE — VALERIA— MENDOZA— TIMOTHES — FIESTA OF INDEPENDENCE PARAMO— ME- RIDA. December 23d. We left Truxillo at noon. On our way through the suburb, we found our widow and her little family, drawn up in front of her thatched cot, to which she had returned on the ar- rival of the mistress of the house we had occupied ; and as we passed, in the fulness of her gratitude, she overwhelmed us with benedictions and wishes for a good journey, with extravagant gesticulations. We proceeded fifteen miles, to a house on the road, where we found good pasturage for our mules. We were shown into the best room, which is invariably appropriated for the purpose of hospitable enter- tainment. It is generally stripped of furniture, ex- cept the indispensable table and chairs, or benches ; but this is rendered necessary, in consequence of the indiscriminate admission of travellers. At first I felt a reluctance to enter houses, which our guide represented as not public ; but the necessity of the case, and the welcome of the owners, soon reassured me, and I became satisfied we were following the custom of the country. After the reception by the host, he usually retires to his private apartments; his hospitality cannot, of course, extend to further entertainment. FARM-HOUSE. 169 You proceed immediately to sling your ham- mocks, bring in tbe baggage, saddles, &c. If you have a sumpter mule, you bave access to tbe cook- house, and its utensils, for tbe purpose of preparing your food, as well as tbe use of tbe necessary fur- niture for setting the table. If without provisions, you may be frequently disappointed in procuring a supply of tbe host; for they all live, literally, from hand to mouth, and rarely have any tbing to spare; or, if they chance to have a superabundance, they, from habit, invariably say, no hay nada en la casa, (there is nothing in the house;) until, by talking the matter over, and testing your answers by their often exercised acuteness, they form their conclu- sions as to your intention of paying for what you may receive. When satisfied of your honourable intentions, they freely supply your wants at liberal prices. These people, naturally of the most amiable dis- positions, have grown deceitful and close, by the abuses and shameful exactions practised upon them, duriug the war, by friends as well as enemies. A soldier, of whatever rank, exacts from the peace- able citizen, whatever he may require for his neces- sities or enjoyments, enters all houses on the road, without the least ceremony, calls for what be wants in the tone of a master, and levies mules, horses, and men, to conduct his baggage, without giving the least compensation. A foreign colonel in the Colombian service, who had travelled from Caracas to Bogota, was heard to say, that the journey had 170 NOTES ON COLOMBIA, not cost him one cent, as he made it a practice to eat with the Padres and ride the Alcalde's horses. Another officer boasted, that he had pressed horses for the public service, and afterwards sold them for his own use, and pretended to justify the act, by the want of punctuality in the government. These were both considered good officers, and no doubt had been honourable men. That their consciences hung so loosely about them, must be attributed to the ef- fect of example ; for where men will thus publicly boast of their dishonesty, they must have been in the habit of associating with those, who applauded and took part in their disgraceful irregularities. They pretend, that necessity compels them to shift for themselves, and that if a man were to confine himself to the dictates of honesty, he would always remain embarrassed, and be considered meanly of by the inhabitants themselves. But these men, who rob private individuals under the pretext of necessity, and the alleged inability of the govern- ment to pay its creditors, in one night, will gamble away sums, which would support them for a year. December %Mh. Left the farm-house on the road, at 8, A. M. and after a very pleasant ride of two hours, over the Sabana Larga, a rich but unculti- vated plain, arrived at Valeria — thirteen miles; a small village of twenty houses, and a thatched church. This village doubtless owes its foundation to the proximity of a famous cacao and coffee estate, called La Hacienda de Plata. It is situated at the southern extremity of the sa- VALERIA. 17i vanna, and must formerly have been an extremely rich plantation, judging from the fine spacious man- sion and out-houses, its costly enclosures of ram- med clay, covered with tiles, and the extensive range of noble shade-trees, planted to shield the more delicate coffee and cacao trees from the direct influence of the sun, and to prevent the moisture of the soil from being evaporated too rapidly. Yet now, all wears the appearance of dilapidation., The enclosure in some places is overturned ; thus opening the way to further destruction from the cat- tle of the neighbouring plain. The numerous houses are out of repair, and some of the fine shade- trees, stripped of their leaves and bark, rear their blanched trunks, and spread their useless branches, giving to the scene a double appearance of deso- lation. This is said to be a confiscated estate of some de- voted royalist. The neglect and ruinous condition may be attributed to the impolicy of government, in renting these estates to persons whose only ob- ject is to enrich themselves during their brief pos- session, which will only continue, till the commis- sion appointed for that purpose assign them to their new masters. Another cause may be, the desertion of the slaves formerly attached to the soil ; allured to take arms in defence of the country, by the pro- mise of freedom after five years service. This neglect of agriculture is one of the disad- vantages of the revolution ; yet, however, deplora- ble such desolation may appear, the restoration of 178 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. one slave to bis rights as a man is an ample equi- valent. The Hacienda de Plata is not a solitary instance ; there are many estates which have yielded from twenty, to forty thousand dollars a year, now com- pletely waste and unprofitable. We changed our mules at Valeria, and set out about % P. M. in a shower of rain, being spurred to this movement by a report that some of Morales'* parties were hourly expected, and arrived in the evening, somewhat after dark, at Mendoza — twelve miles. At this place we put up, for the first time, at the priest's house, having been little satisfied with that assigned us by the second Alcalde, who officiated in the absence of his chief, absent at his own house about one league distant. On riding to the Padre's door, we perceived, from the sound of musical in- struments, that some entertainment was in prepa- ration. We found, upon entering, a number of villagers, and apparently all the boys, assembled. It was Christmas-eve. The Padre, after assign- ing us seats at one end of the room, walked up and down with an air of complacency. Shortly, com- * An action was fought on the Saba. a Larga a few days after we traversed it. Morales arrived at Mendoza on the 4th of January. By this gentleman's famous proclamation, which Captain Spence protested against with much spirit; all foreign- ers who should dare to land on any of his Catholic Majesty's possessions in America, without his gracious leave, were sub- jected to the inconvenience of three years labour on his forti- fications. MENDOZA. 1/3 menced an overture on a harp, violin, three or four banjos, and some wind instruments. Then, four boys, standing up, recited in a strange voice and with the most imperturbable gravity, a religious dia- logue in verse. Each having recited in turn, they changed places several times, striding in the diago- nal of the room, strumming at the same time upon their banjos. A comic dialogue was then recited, which produced much glee, and was followed by music and the dispersion of the corps ; leaving us to a funcion we relished much better at the mo- ment, the discussion of some potatoe and onion soup, chocolate and eggs. Mendoza contains about thirty houses, mostly thatched, arranged around the square, and has a church, covered with the same material, resembling a huge hay-stack. A new one, however, of stone, was nearly completed. The night was spent in serenades, throwing crackers, and discharging fire-arms. Next morn- ing, Christmas-day, the service of the church was attended with unusual ceremonies. The musicians of the preceding evening constituted the choir, and the Padre's servant, stationed at the church door with a burning brand, sent up rockets at intervals. Owing to the Alcalde's living so far from the village, we were apprehensive of being delayed ; but notice having been sent to him the preceding evening, he came to town by eight o'clock, bringing with him our mules and jpeones, men who have charge of, and walk with, the mules. 174 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. December 25th, Every person being employed in religious duties, we were unable to set out till ten o'clock. We arrived at Timothes, an Indian village — 24} miles, at eight, P. M. The inhabi- tants had retired to rest. We were some time in find- ing the Alcalde's house ; when at last we had suc- ceeded, he was either absent or unwilling to open his door. This was the only time we discovered any thing like a disposition of unwillingness to re- ceive us, and we attributed it to the lateness of the hour. Failing to gain admission to the Alcalde's, like other Christians in distress, we looked for re- lief to the church. We knocked, and the door was opened unto us by the Padre, not, however, with- out rather a silly question, considering our move- ments were subject to the ever- procrastinating Al- caldes, and impeded by the natural difficulties of the route, as to the cause of our late arrival. We turned into our hammocks without supper, and passed the night uncomfortably, on account of the cold. By a law of Colombia, the S5th, &6th, and S7th days of December, are set aside as national festivals. The first day is that of independence ; the second, the anniversary of the union and the constitution ; and the third, is in commemoration of victories, and is consecrated to those who have fallen in arms for the republic. The ceremonies of each day conform to the objects celebrated. Although we were anxious to set out early, we were soon satisfied that it was in vain to attempt to FIESTA OF INDEPENDENCE, iJ5 move till after the fiesta; at the risk of being rated by our next host, on account of our late arrival. After mass, all the men who could beg, borrow, or steal a horse, assembled in the plaza, the Padre and the Alcaldes at their head. They rode to the church door, and received the national flag, and two others, those of Venezuela and Cundinamarca, the former governments, which now constitute the con- solidated republic. The flags were carried through the village by the Padre and Alcaldes, followed by the cavalcade, and accompanied by the harsh music of the Indian pipe and two drums. The banners were then deposited in the church; the cavaliers divided themselves into two equal parties, headed by the priest and the chief Alcalde, and taking their stations at two corners of the plaza, on the same side, commenced racing diagonally across the square. As soon as one of the party started, an opponent from the other set off at full speed ; the aim of the sport being to pass in advance of the ad- verse horseman, not altogether unlike a prisoner's base, on horseback. This continued without inter- ruption for a length of time ; as those who had cross- ed the square in the contest of speed, "kept the mill a-going," by returning along the sides, to the place of starting. Afterwards, they performed evo- lutions similar to the military manoeuvres of our circus. In every city, town, and village throughout the country, similar sports, varied by the taste and wealth of the community, are carried on. We were 176 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. unfortunate in being in the poorest villages during the celebrations. At Bogota, they were attended with much parade and expense. In that city there were four parties, representing the four quarters of the globe. Some of the dresses of the Asiatics are said to have cost upwards of one thousand dollars. Independently of the coursing, and many other ceremonies ; feats of agility and address, such as running at the ring with the lance, and striking off the heads of images with the sabre, were introduced. A representative of America gained the palm of course, which produced no little exultation. December 26th. The ceremonies of Timothes pre- vented us from leaving that village till four, P. M. We got to La Puerta, a poor village of twenty-five huts, a little after seven — twelve miles. December 27th. Left La Puerta at seven, A. M. crossed a very high mountain, called a jpai'amo. Upon the top, we encountered a very strong, pierc- ing, cold wind; but enjoyed a most extensive, though cheerless prospect. For, no bustling town or smiling village, no human habitation, human being, or the trace of one, except the nearly obli- terated foot-path, and the innumerable rude crosses, placed upon the summit, by devout and weary tra- vellers, are here, to press the conviction that you are not alone in the world. In crossing the paramo, the wind, so strong at intervals as to oppose considerable resistance to your progress, and great inconvenience to the eyes, meeting with no obstacles, passes silently on, and PARAMO. 177 produces an undefinable uneasiness, lest the invisi- ble, inaudible agent, increasing in force, should sweep you from the face of the earth. The stupen- dous masses, their height and distance, sink you into insignificance. Convinced of the utter power- lessness of man, estranged from society, you draw near your companions, to yield or receive support; and, impressed with an awful, concentrated feeling of humiliation and pure devotion, you silently ac- celerate your pace, anxious to regain the fruitful, secure, contracted valley, and its teeming popula- tion ; that you may, on that narrow stage, recover your lost importance, and vaunt in safety the power of the lords of creation. The only growth upon these dreary heights is a sort of gigantic mullen, about the size of a man, and not unlike one in appearance at a little distance. There are no trees to obstruct the view ; you look down on mountains, piled one upon another, in the wildest confusion ; and are enabled to trace the direction of the various ridges, and the winding courses of the mountain rivers, reflecting a silvery streak from the depth of the vallies, with as much precision, as the delineations on a topographical map. Having crossed the Paramo, we got to the next village, Mucuchies — fifteen miles, by one o'clock. It is a considerable place, but no other way remark- able than in containing a very large church. The Alcalde was absent, but had left directions for our accommodations. We had the choice of his own 178 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. house or one near it, which was vacant; we accept- ed of the latter, to give less inconvenience to the family. Supper and breakfast were furnished from the Alcalde's house. As the weather was cold, we resigned our hammocks and slept upon bed- steads, formed of rough wooden frames, covered with a dry hide, stretched tightly across and con- fined with tacks. These are the only bedsteads found on the road. After leaving the town next morning, we met the Alcalde, who accosted us po- litely, and inquired, whether we had been satisfied with our reception and entertainment. December 28th. Left Mucuchies at nine, A. M. and arrived at the city of Merida — twenty-eight miles, at six P. M. passing through the villages Mucuraba and Fabay. Merida, founded in 1558 by Juan Rodrigo Sua- rez, in 8° 10' north latitude, and 3° 10' 30" east longitude from Washington, is beautifully situated on an elevated plain, about four hundred feet above the small rivers Mucujun, Albaregas, and Chama, which wash its base on three sides. But these rivers, as they are called, are not navigable ; ac- cording as the season is wet or dry, they are either bubbling brooks, or impetuous torrents. The city contains from eight, to ten thousand in- habitants. It was formerly one of the most wealthy and elegant in the country, but was totally destroy- ed by the earthquake of 181&. A large portion is still in ruins, many of the former inhabitants remain- ing buried under the rubbish of the houses. The MERIDA. 179 remains of a bishop were recovered, a short time before our arrival, and inhumed. Near the city there is a deep crevice, formed by the same con- vulsion, which overturned the buildings. The lots, in the outskirts of the town, are en- closed for the cultivation of barley and Indian corn, for forage. These enclosures being of rammed clay, brown, and generally high, give a gloomy appear- ance to its approach. The streets, crossing at right angles, straight, well paved, and clean, are furnish- ed with streams of limpid water. The most striking object is the beautiful appear- ance of the neighbouring mountains, the summits of which are cap't with perpetual snow, called the Nevada of Merida. The highest peak is 15,201 feet above the sea. After passing through the low, warm vallies, and suffering from the excessive heat, it is absolutely refreshing to gaze upon this stu- pendous summit of dazzling brilliancy. The sight of this snowy dome recalls the recol- lection of my native land, whose ample bosom is probably at this time covered with a sheet of equal purity; but my countrymen are not permitted, while invigorated by its presence, to gather the golden orange, or inhale the balmy breath of spring. Here, too, I am reminded of the time of the year. Such is the force of association and habit, that al- though I know, and my lips utter it is December, still, I seem to want the internal conviction that this is the case ; and every thing around conspiring to aid the delusion, I shortly relapse into the habitual 180 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. belief that I am enjoying the delightful season of summer. A slight uneasy feeling is thus produced, by the constant necessity of resorting to a mental effort to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion, which is no sooner attained, than destroyed by the impres- sions of surrounding objects. Those who have been annoyed, on visiting a strange place, at finding that the sun rises in the west; or he who, after taking a nap in a stage coach, perceives the confident and stub- born driver is bent upon whirling him in an oppo- site direction to that of his journey, will be able to comprehend this sensation. There are boiling springs on the mountains of Merida, and a silver mine near the city, but it is not worked at present. Formerly, copper and silver were found on the coast of Caracas, but these mines have been lost. The only method now employed in Colombia to procure the precious metals is by washings. We were furnished with excellent quarters, and received visits from the Military governor, the In- tendent of the province, the chief ecclesiastic, a number of priests, and the principal inhabitants. At night the weather was uncomfortably cold, although the mercury stood at 69°. My sleeping apartment was furnished with a very pretty shrine, neatly and tastefully decorated with the figures of the Virgin and Infant, in wax, and adorned with fresh flowers ; most probably by the hands of our fair hostess— the witness of her secret and daily de~ votions. MERIDA, 181 To judge from appearances, the shrine to which her husband was most devoted must have been the cock-pit ; for the inner-court of his house was lined with those models of the " gallant soldier and fine gentleman/' each tied by one leg, in training for the field of death or victory. The Colombians are very fond of this sport, which occasions the loss of much time and money. This vice of the people was fos- tered by the late government, on account of the re- venue, which the tax on game-cocks yielded to the state. December 29th. "We remained in Merida this day, as our baggage had not arrived. It came up about the middle of the day with our Creole servant, in whose charge it was placed. He made some awkward excuses for his long delay, said he had been ill-treated and confined. It appeared, how- ever, that he had been guilty of some misconduct, and his sword had been taken from him at Fabay. He was told he should not accompany us further, unless he recovered his sword, and we set out the next day without him. CHAPTER X. "LEAVE MERIDA — SAN-JUAN — MILITARY ESCORT— BRIDGE MOUNTAINS DANGEROUS ROAD EST ANQUES— CACAO TREE BESOIN DE SOCIETE BAILADORES TOBACCO MONOPOLIES — LA GRIT A — PARAMO — TARIBA— CUCUTA. December 30th. Left the city of Merida at 1, P. M. Arrived at Egedo — ten miles, at 4|. This is a long village, of one street, containing upwards of a hundred houses, covered with tiles, and sur- rounded by fine gardens and fruit trees. Oranges and apples were growing by the side of each other, and excellent blackberries are found along the road. From the fruits growing in the open air, this must be about the temperature of our spring, yet we ex- perienced an uncomfortable degree of cold. Quar- tered at the Alcalde's. December 31st. Left Egedo at 8, A. M. Arrived at San-Juan, a scattering village — 12 miles, at noon. In the evening, our Creole servant rejoined us ; he had succeeded in recovering his sword, and was punished for his frolic by a long march, which was of service to him. On leaving Merida, we had been furnished with a letter to the commandant of San-Juan, by the commandant of the Department, an intelligent and well informed Italian. This letter contained an order, to furnish the party with an escort, if, on our SAN-JUAN. 18S arrival at San-Juan, the officer stationed at that place, should think it necessary to our safety. In consequence, we were furnished with an officer mounted, and twenty men on foot. 1823. January 1st. We left San -Juan at 4 o'clock, A. M. On leaving the town, we were hail- ed by the different parties on duty, and at a little distance, found the escort on the road, where they had been stationed, with their arms in their hands, to be ready at any hour we chose to set forward. By the light of a clear moon, we had an oppor- tunity of observing distinctly the curious cavalcade. The soldiers marched in single file, preceded by the officer; the road, or rather mountain pass, not admitting a more extended front. Then followed our own party, led, as was invariably the case, by our guide, in full costume; with spurs upon his bare heel, sword and cross belt, carabine attached to his saddle, and lance with its little flag, supported by a socket in the stirrup, swinging from the right arm by a loop — presenting a great resemblance to a Cos- sack. The baggage with its conductors, and a small guard brought up the rear. The inequalities of the road, sometimes of so steep an ascent, and at others descending so abrupt- ly, that a perpendicular position could not be main- tained in the saddle, afforded a good opportunity of seeing each individual of the party. The officer, possessing an animated countenance, black hair, large whiskers and mustachios, with a quick, pene- trating eye, was mounted on a sorry horse, not as 18dfc NOTES ON COLOMBIA. large as our mules. His caparison, an indifferent saddle, having small sticks suspended at each end by a cord, for stirrups, and a halter of rope, for a bridle. The horse was furnished by the Alcalde, whose business it is to answer requisitions of this kind, for the public service ; each town being pro- vided with twenty or more mules and horses be- longing to the government. As they are the pro- perty of no one, no care is taken of them ; they are ridden on all occasions, overladen, and most cruelly treated. The backs of all are shockingly galled, some, perfectly raw the whole extent of the pack- saddle ; nor does this exempt them from their labo- rious service upon roads, of which, one who has not travelled in this country, can form no concep- tion. These patient and much abused animals, are seen with broken limbs ; some so knock-kneed, that by repeatedly striking one against the other, the flesh is worn from the bone ; and others, with their hoofs turned inward, hobbling on their fetlock joints, yet performing the service of sound animals, They are kept toiling on till they fall down dead in the road, with the load upon their backs. We passed the carcases of many, and sometimes saw them yielding their last breath. The officer, whose long legs nearly scraped the ground, sauntered along, without ever deigning to guide his steed, even in the most dangerous passes. Frequently, to rest himself, he rode as if on a side- saddle, or with both feet crossed over the pommel, the halter resting on the animal's neck ; thus giv~ MILITARY ESCORT. 185 ing a striking example of indifference to scenes of danger, acquired by those habituated to them. In the course of the day, he, in a good natured way, remarked his sorry equipment, saying, you see how the officers of Colombia are obliged to travel. Af- ter being an hour on the road, he was compelled to dismount at a long and steep hill, his jaded horse being no longer able to stagger under its burthen. The soldiers, for the most part barefooted, clam- bered over the stony footpath with astonishing acti- vity. With the exception of a military cap, they re- sembled the common people in their dress, having their blankets, with a slit cut in the centre, thrown over their uniforms and belts. They carried their muskets at will, and each picked his own path. I par- ticularly observed, that they scrupulously avoided getting their feet wet in crossing the mountain streams we encountered at every step ; frequently going a considerable distance around to avoid the water. No doubt, experience had taught them the injurious ef- fects of alternate wetting and exposure to the sun. From the nature of the road, the soldiers were able to out- travel those who were mounted ; for al- though the latter had the advantage in going up hill, the former could descend with so much more facility, that it gave them the superiority. The caution of the mule in descending, appears at first rather over- acted, and is apt to exhaust the travel- ler's patience, and give rise to a contention between the rider and the ridden, which the former soon inds, it is perfectly useless to continue. These sa- 186 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. gacious animals know their business perfectly well ; in descending, their step is about six inches, and under these circumstances, the most cogent argu- ments of the whip and heel produce not the slight- est impression on the most spirited mule. Shortly after sunrise we wound down a steep hill to a river, over which was a bridge. The officer, beating the flanks of his horse with his long dangling legs, sprung ahead to a projecting part in the turn of the road, overhanging the bridge, and gave a shrill signal; which, after a brief inter- val of expectation, was answered by a small picquet guard, stationed at the pass. The small river, which when first seen from the height, might be compared to a riband, proved to be about eighty or ninety feet broad, deep and ra- pid. The bridge, formed of one arch, is thrown between two rocks, in the narrowest part. The method of construction is to lay a cradling of logs, covered with stones, in such a manner that each superior log shall project beyond the one upon which it rests. In this way, as the abutments increase in height, they advance likewise towards the centre of the stream, in the form of an irregular arch ; and when they approach within reach, are connected by long beams. No reliance for support is placed on the key stone principle; the bridge con- sisting of two levers, the weight of the stones and rubbish counteracting that of the passenger. Bridges of this description are from three to six feet wide, covered with reeds and earth, but without railings. MOUNTAINS. 187 It was not considered safe for more than one horse- man to pass at the same time. On other occasions, it was necessary to dismount, and prove the strength of the bridge by driving a mule across. The officer, satisfied by inquiries that the enemy had not been at the bridge, sat himself down with his men, to breakfast. This consisted of a chunk of came seca, (dried beef,) and bread, washed down with a little aguardiente. While devouring his rough fare, he remarked, holding up and offer- ing me a piece of his dried beef, esta es la gallina de los officiates de Colombia, (this is our officer's fowl.) In a few minutes he and his party were on the march again ; but as we delayed some time, they got a mile or two in advance. The road continued along the course of the river, at first through a plain of cactus trees ; afterwards, on the side of the mountain, the rapid river foam- ing at our feet. The military escort, the apprehen- sion of the Spaniards, the nature of the road, and the sublimity of the scenery, all combined to ren- der this day's ride by far the most interesting of our journey. The bridle path, formed on the side of the mountain, followed the direction which op- posed the least difficulties. At first it was not much elevated above the river, but in the course of two hours' ride, we found our ascent had been consi- derable, and that probably, we were one thousand two hundred feet above the torrent. The path was extremely narrow ; on one side, the almost perpen- dicular mountain, on the other, a frightful pre- cipice. 188 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. Wrapped in admiration at the grandeur of the scene, we rode on in silence. At one time, my at- tention was drawn to some trees across the river, which had the appearance of men, with the sugges- tion that they were Spaniards. We continued our ride for a long time, without seeing our escort ; at length we began to think it had taken a different road; but shortly after, found their concealment was owing to the nature of the path. As the sides of the mountain were furrowed with immense ra- vines, formed by torrents, the road instead of de- scending, continued on nearly the same level, re- tiring into the mountain to the bottom of the recess. It so happened for a time, that when we were on a projecting part of the road, the escort was in one of these indentations ; and when, at last, we caught a view of the soldiers at a distance, they appeared like rats creeping on the roof of a house. In one place the path was not more than ten inches wide, having been narrowed by a little rill ; in others, it had been entirely washed away, and some travellers, who preceded us, had made the gap passable, by means of some brush-wood, co- vered with earth. The usual width, however, was from eighteen inches to four feet. Our guide did not fail to draw our attention, oc- casionally, to the most dangerous places, with some remark about the unpleasantness of a false step, and the risk of being drowned, on getting to the bot- tom. But the nature of the landing place would have been of little importance, after a fall of a thou- DANGEROUS ROAD,' 189 sand feet. In the course of the day, the Creole's horse, actually blundered oft* the road ; but he was dexterous enough to throw himself from the saddle, without quitting his hold of the bridle. This hap- pened in one of the indentations, where the way was comparatively safe, had it taken place on the more steep projections of the mountain, the horse would -inevitably have been dashed to pieces, and hurled into the torrent below ; as it was, there was considerable difficulty in getting him upon the road. Mules are much more surefooted than horses. In situations in which it behoves them to be on their guard, I never knew one to stumble, or trip ; they plant the hoof with the utmost precision, and sa- tisfy themselves of a good footing, before trusting their weight upon the step. On leaving this perilous road, you descend a rocky spur of the mountain, very abruptly, by a nar- row way, hewn through the rocks. This pass is very famous ; a few men could defend it against a bat- talion. Here the officer waited for our coming up, when we proceeded together to Estanques — twenty miles, where we arrived at 10, A. M., and obtained quarters in the overseer's house. Estanques is a fine hacienda, owned by some gen- tlemen of Bogota. It is situated in a narrow valley, traversed by a creek, which is so remarkably ser- pentine that we crossed it twenty or thirty times in the course of an hour. The coffee and cacao plants are protected by majestic shade-trees, which give to the cultivated part the appearance of a venerable forest. 490 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. 66 The cacao, or chocolate tree, is a native of Spa- nish America, about as large as a small-sized apple- tree, seldom exceeding seven inches in diameter, and is extremely beautiful when laden with its fruit, which are dispersed on short stalks over the stem, and around the larger branches, resembling citrons, from their yellow colour and warty appear- ance. The leaves are alternate, stalked, drooping, about a foot long, and three inches broad, elliptic- oblong, pointed, slightly wavy, entire, and very smooth on both sides ; with one mid-rib, and many transverse ones, connected by innumerable veins. The petals of the flower are yellow, the calyx of a light rose-colour, and the flowers themselves are small and placed on tufts on the sides of the branches, with single foot-stalks, about an inch long* " Its fruit is red, or a mixture of red and yellow, and about three inches in diameter, with a fleshy rind, half an inch thick ; the pulp is whitish and of the consistence of butter, containing the seeds of which chocolate is made; there are generally twen- ty-five seeds in each fruit, and when freshly gather- ed, are of a flesh-colour. Each tree yields about two or three pounds of fruit annually, and comes to maturity the fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh year after planting from the seed; it also bears flowers or fruit all the year round, the usual seasons for gathering being June and December." A race of clear water, supplied from the more elevated bed of the creek, after turning a mill, is conducted through the plantation and employed in ESTANQUES. 191 irrigating the grounds. The hydraulic works of this country, principally for the purposes of irriga- tion, and the supply of towns, although not con- ducted with much skill, are really surprising from their extensiveness, considering the scanty popula- tion. In many places, the water is conducted for miles, along the sides of precipitous and arid moun- tains, its channel frequently cut in the solid rock, for the purpose of fertilizing a single plantation, and consequently at the expense of its proprietor. But these stupendous works cease to astonish, when the enormous revenues of the plantations are considered. The village consists of the mansion-house, at present occupied by the overseer, and the huts of the slaves, who are almost all females ; the men, probably, having joined the army. It also contains a large church, but has no resident priest; the ser- vice being occasionally performed by one from a neighbouring town. On our arrival, we perceived it was a holy-day. The slaves, a mixture of the African and Indian races, called Zambos, were collected before the overseer's house. They were neatly dressed ex- actly in the same manner ; for there is no variation in the costume of slaves, or servants. Each indi- vidual received her straw hat full of cacao or cho- colate nuts, and retired to her respective lodge The whole was conducted with the most sober propriety; there was no talking or giggling, as might have been expected from an assemblage of women 198 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. of this class. The Indian temperament appeared to predominate, as was evident from their placid cast of countenance, and taciturnity. The group of about fifty or sixty evidently consisted of three genera- tions; you could distinguish the grandmothers, whose locks were slightly silvered; the more de- cided forms of the mothers ; and the daughters, by their elegance of proportions. There was a family likeness observable in them all. They were tall, well formed, graceful in their movements, unfetter- ed by dress ; and if it had not been for the labour they were compelled to undergo, some would have afforded exquisite models for the sculptor. To define the animal man, has long been a diffi- culty with philosophers. Their definitions have been as various as unsatisfactory. The " bipes im- plumis" held its ground till Diogenes played off his rude joke. Then we had the " laughing ani- mal," till the confounded monkey, perpetually gal- ling our kibes, grinned at our errour. Balaam's ani- mal stepped in to deprive us of another peculiarity. The " lying animal," suggested by the race of tra- vellers, and a host of others, succeeded. And now we must fain put up with the homely French defi- nition " bi-main" till some two-fisted animal shall square off, prepare to argue the matter in a scientific set-to, and drive us from the ring. But the defini- tion I have at present to do with, is that given by the wily Persian, from which he endeavoured to deduce, that the French were men par excellence, by characterising them as " sociable animals. '" BBSOIN DE S0C1ETE. 193 This distinction is possessed by the Colombian-, in an eminent degree. High and low, rich and poor, are alike unable to dispense with society. For this reason, the whole population is collected into towns and villages. In passing from one to another, you invariably cross a desert, and step at once from the haunts of wild beasts, to those of men. The evils of this besoin de societe are immense : their effects upon industry, morals, agriculture, and population extremely injurious. Idleness, gossip- ping, vice, disease, obsequiousness, and a depen- dency upon the exertions of others, are the inevit- able consequences. An intrepid, vigorous, indepen- dent, and industrious population, is only to be found in the woods and fields. The same fondness for society, induces the wealthy planter to take up his residence in a city. where, surrounded by numerous servants, lost to productive labour, he follows the bent of his incli- nations, to the entire neglect of his own interests, as well as those of his dependants. His plantation in the mean time, left at the disposal of ignorant, nesjlisent. and dishonest overseers, is but half cul- 3 .... tivated; and thus, while undermining his own fortune, he assists in the impoverishment of his countrv. January 2d. Left Estanques at 6. A. M. arrived at Bailadores — twenty-six miles, at 2, P. If. resting an hour on the road, which we found extremely bad. The escort accompanied us as far as this place. On arriving, we found the village nearly deserted. 25 194 NOTES ON COLOMBIA, containing only a few old women who had nothing to lose. The Spaniards had been in possession of it some time previous to our arrival. Many of the houses in the plaza were still barricaded, and had loopholes for musketry, to assist in the defence of the place. Its present abandonment was owing to Morales' advance into the country, from the lake of Maracaibo, near the head of which we now were. The Alcalde informed us, that the enemy were in possession of La Grita, our next stage, and show- ed us his orders to prevent any communication with that city. Thus we were detained in this miserable, half-ruined Indian village, under the con- stant apprehension of an attack, and experiencing the greatest difficulty, to obtain provisions for our- selves, and forage for the mules. To add to our embarrassment, the Alcalde was unable to furnish fresh mules. We required six, which, in addition to our own four, were absolutely necessary for ourselves, baggage, and servants. Finding we could not get a relay, we determined to keep those we had. These were driven into the court of the house we occupied, and kept in readi- ness for immediate flight. Had it been proper for persons in our situation, we might have made a Benderian resistance. Besides the officer and his detachment, we had the Carabobo sergeant, two ser- vants, the two old and two new peones ; all furnish- ed with arras of one description or another, and shut up in a strong, thick walled house, and enclosed court-yard. But as this was out of the question. . BAILADORES. 195 except in self- defence, we relied for safety on the fleetness of our mules. The country in the neighbourhood of this place is noted for the excellence of its tobacco. We saw some, cultivated iu small patches, in and near the village. This article is the only one of the numer- ous royal monopolies, continued by the present go- vernment; but it is to be hoped merely as a tempo- rary expedient, and not as a permanent financial resource. Under the former government, lands were allotted in the most favourable districts for its cultivation, to those who made application. The whole of the crop was deposited in the king's store- houses, and paid for by a public officer, at a certain rate according to its quality. The exigencies of the Colombians — the fact of there being numerous public storehouses, and a class of persons educated for this branch of admi- nistration, distributed throughout the country — the existence of the system — and the acquiescence of the people, accustomed to this mode of deriving a revenue — furnish an excuse to the republicans for its continuance. But surely the lessons of expe- rience will not be long disregarded by the present enlightened rulers. Perhaps no principle is more firmly established, than that every branch of indus- try thrives best, and ultimately most effectually benefits the government, by first administering to the ease and comfort of the citizen, for whose wel- fare the government is instituted, when left unre stricted to individual enterprise. 196 NOTES ON COLUMBIA. The prohibition by the mother country, which rendered it criminal for any person in Spanish America to cultivate the vine or olive, except for table use, lest it should injure the trade of Spain in those commodities, differs not in essence from the monopoly now censured. It may be expected then, that this last remnant of royal oppression will soon be removed; and that every citizen, entering upon the full enjoyment of his rights, may be per- mitted, without incurring the penalties Of crime, to employ that species of cultivation on his own land, which his intelligence points out as most conducive to his interest. Indigo is also cultivated here. The plant, as I saw it from the road, is not unlike the potato. The crop is cut in three months, and the dye produced by fermentation. It is then dried and packed in skins, in quantities convenient for transportation by mules — the seroons of commerce. After being detained one day, we were allowed to proceed. January Qih. Left Bailadores at nine, A. M. Ar- rived at half past eleven at a town of the same name — seven miles. Here we were provided with refresh- ments by the civil authorities, and succeeded in changing some of our mules. This town is inha- bited by Creoles, and contains many houses cover- ed with tiles. Left Bailadores proper, at three, P. M., intend- ing to put up at the last house on the hither side of a mountain we were to cross on the morrow. We got to it at four o'clock— six miles. MONOPOLIES. 197 The road to this house is gradually ascending, and is bordered by well enclosed fields of grain, in a high state of cultivation, which is unusual, the tillage being generally attended to in a slovenly manner. Instead of small irregular patches on the sides of the hills, fenced in by brushwood, which is used for fuel, after the harvest ; we here see a whole valley waving with the ripening grain, and divided into fields by good enclosures. The [tra- ductions are those of a temperate climate. The usual enclosures for fields, are stone or rammed clay walls, cane fences, and hedges. For a few days past, I have remarked a kind, which perhaps is peculiar to this country. Quadrilateral pyramidal pits, about three feet at the base, and as many deep, are sunk in two rows, in such a man- ner, that the ridges formed by two adjoining holes in one row, shall be opposite the centre of the bases of those in the other row; in other words, a line of wolf- pits, presenting angular ridges, which cattle find it very difficult to cross. We had ascended so high, that we found the night extremely cold. The deep blue of the sky, and at night the brilliant stars and constellations, many of which are only visible in the southern he- misphere, fixed our attention. The beautiful con- stellation of the cross was particularly attractive, and shone conspicuous, as if placed as a sign, for the adoration of the nations beneath the sphere of its influence. January 5th. Left the last house at nine, A. M. 198 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. and arrived at La Grita — seventeen miles, at halt past two, P. M. passing through the " desert of wild briars." La Grita, called a city, is a town of the third class in this country, as large as Wilmington, De- laware, though built in a more compact form. We found it nearly deserted ; the advance of the Spa- niards being about a league distant. The Juez- jpotitico, who assigned us our quarters, appeared to be in the greatest trepidation. While speaking to us, at every noise, he would start and listen. He told us his mules were kept constantly saddled, and that he slept in the mountains every night. This excessive apprehension, we were told, was pro- duced by the circumstance of his having been a short time before in the hands of his enemies, who had exacted half his fortune for his ransom. It was also said that he had escaped on these terms, as a favour, through the interest of his brother-in- law, an officer of the royal army. After having been perpetually haunted by Mo- rales, since leaving Truxillo, we were now actually at the advanced posts. The town was occupied by the garrison only ; patroles paraded the streets all night, and in the morning the houses were search- ed by a guard, lest the enemy should have been introduced during the night. The commanding officer, Colonel Gomes, a mu- latto, brought his officers to pay us a visit. After presenting them individually, by name, he asked our opinion as to their beauty. They were good LA GRITA. 199 looking it is true, but the Colonel seemed to attach rather an undue importance to ^n adventitious ad- vantage not altogether indispensable in a soldier. He made a display of his English, by counting on his fingers as far as five, and assured us of his in- tention to attack the enemy next morning at day- break, which information made me quit my ham- mock at a very early hour, that I might be present as an amateur; but he did not keep his promise. Our facetious friend, the Colonel, furnished us with an escort, commanded by a Captain, and we took a circuitous mountain path to avoid the Spaniards,, who had interrupted the main route. January 6th. Left La Grita at 9f, A. M. ac- companied by an escort, and taking a by-road, ar- rived at the post-house El Cobre — eighteen miles, at 3|, P. M. This is a miserable hut, established f*or the convenience of the men who carry the mail, as a stopping place, previous to crossing the para- mo. It consisted of but one room, infested with vermin, and not large enough to contain the party. We experienced much difficulty in procuring pro- visions, and as no forage was to be had, the mules were turned loose upon the barren heath. January 7th. Left El Cobre, at 9, A.- M. crossed the paramo called Lumbador, and arrived at the first house— twenty miles, at 3, P. M. On the top of the mountain we enjoyed an exten- sive, dreary prospect, but were considerably incom- moded by the wind. In descending we met the advance guard of the troops coming from Cundina- marca to check Morales. 300 KOTES ON COLOMBIA. January 8th. Left the first house at 9, A. M, and got to Tariba — twelve miles, at noon. This village is situated in an extensive valley. On the road this day, we encountered a long, straggling column of infantry and cavalry, com- manded by the Captain-general Urdaneta. The troops had halted, fires were kindled, and messes preparing along the side of the road. This lively scene was marked by that cheerful alacrity, and that abundance of fruitful expedient, so character- istic of the soldier and his life. The men looked miserably, on account of the want of uniformity in their dress, many being recruits, and their long and rapid march. There were some boys, scarcely fifteen years old, mostly blacks. We found the General about the centre of the column, on horseback, sur- rounded by his staff, in which were some English- men. He inquired the news of Morales, gave us that of the capital, and invited us to partake of his frugal breakfast, provided at a small hut on the road-side, but we excused ourselves, and pursued our route. These troops were entirely unencumbered with baggage; unless we except a number of women, who brought up the rear, on foot, or mounted in every variety of way. They appeared, however, to be no embarrassment to the column. One Ama- zon had yielded her burro to her husband, who was sick, and was trudging by his side, carrying his knapsack, belts, and musket, in high glee. January nth. Left Tariba in the morning, rode TARIBA. 201 through San-Cristoval — four miles, to Capacho, sixteen — making twenty miles for this day's jour- ney. This is a miserable village. January iOth. After leaving Capacho, crossed some very elevated hills ; from the summit of the last, we had a remarkably extensive view of a fine valley, surrounded by mountains, embracing San- Antonio and San-Rosario de Cucuta, eighteen miles from our last stage. These are the border towns of Venezuela and Cundinamarca. When first seen from the heights, they suggested the idea of two harrows lying in a field ; nothing be- ing discernible at this distance but the rectangular direction of the streets, crossing each other like bars. The towns are about two miles apart, separated by the river, or rather creek, Tachira, the boundary of two departments of the present government, and the division line between the late Vice-royalty of New Granada and the Captain-generalship of Ca- racas. They may be compared, in point of size, to Frankford, Penn. though built in a square. San-Rosario, the residence of the first congress, is by far the finest town ; it contains an elegant, large stone church. Previously to crossing the division line and en- tering the kingdom, (as it is still called,) we were careful to exchange our silver, as the coin of Ve- nezuela is not current in Cundinamarca. We had no sooner passed the small stream than we found we were in a new country. The contrast S6 ' S0# NOTES ON COLOMBIA. remarked by all travellers, on stepping across the creek which separates Spain from Portugal, cannot be more decided, than that observable, in wading scarcely ankle deep, through the less known Ta- chira. This marked difference is attributable to the jealous policy of the Spanish government. All commerce was interdicted between the Vice-royal- ties of America, in order to favour that with the mother country ; and the people of the separate go- vernments were kept in a state of ignorance, as to the very existence of each other, that by thus dividing them, they might be more readily kept in subjec- tion. We now find better houses, a more improved cultivation, more industry, and patriarchal simpli- city of manners, less vice and immorality, and a less mixture of different races. The mass of the population is composed of Indians, remarkable for their robust forms, and the mildness of their dispo sitions. Nothing can be more dissimilar than these In- dians, and those who rove in our forests ; they are as unlike as the climates in which they live. The short, thickset stature, and brawny limbs of one. are opposed to the stately form and delicate propor tions of the other. Instead of unconciliating pride, the attachment to an independent savage life, and the stern virtues of the forest ; you here meet with gentleness of disposition, obsequiousness, a fond- ness for society, and the milder virtues of the peace- ful hamlet. We remained the eleventh, twelfth, and thir- CUCUTA. S03 teenth, in Kosario, all the montures having been put in requisition by the officers of the army. On Sunday evening we went to see the people amusing themselves in the plaza. They were dancing on the ground, most of them being bare- footed, though some of the men wore paragaters. A ring was formed, two or three played the part of candlesticks, and one, who appeared to be master of ceremonies, repressed the pranks of the boys, by the fear his long whip inspired. Two guitars, and a dry calabash filled with pebbles, to divide the time, constituted the orchestra. A woman dressed in the usual habit, having her straw hat placed knowingly on one side, glided like a duck, in the figure of an 8, taking such mincing, yet rapid steps, that she appeared to skim over the surface of the ground. The man performed many outre steps with the most imperturbable gravity, not moving much from one spot, yet dancing towards his partner, at each turn she made, as if to attract her attention. As one couple glided out of the ring, another supplied its place, the monotonous music continuing without the least intermission. The utmost decorum and order prevailed. We remain- ed half an hour, saw a number dance precisely in the same manner, and left them enjoying their amusement with unabated pleasure. I here had a chill, succeeded by a slight fever, which I attributed to exposure to the sun, and fre- quent bathing in the heat of the day. It was my constant practice, on halting for the day after our 20* NOTES ON COLOMBIA* short journey, to ramble about the country in search of novelties, and enjoy, if I could encounter a stream, the luxury of a bath. One night during our stay, Dr. M**#, an Eng- lishman, and a Creole Colonel, were quartered in the same house with us ; they were on their way from Bogota, to join General Urdaneta. The doc- tor was singularly equipped, with a large powder- horn slung across his shoulders, which seemed to be a useless appendage to a non-combatant. As soon as he dismounted, however, he invited us to drink, and we perceived that his horn was filled with gin, to charge himself instead of his pistols. On the 13th, a battalion of about seven hundred men passed through the town. At night we were awakened by an alarm of "the enemy is coming," shouted through the streets by some horsemen at full speed — but as we were non-combatants, it was no concern of ours, except so far as related to the reparation of the king's fortifications. ■ CHAPTER XL LEAVE CUCUTA HACIENDA PAMPLONA CHITAGA RE- LIGIOUS PROCESSION— CAPITANE JO STTATA SUSACON-— SANTA-ROSA PAYPA TUNJA ARRIVAL AT BOGOTA, January l^th. We were unable to leave Rosario de Cucuta, till the afternoon of this day, when we proceeded ten miles to a hacienda. Here we were treated rather cavalierly, being told to sling our hammocks in the corridor. The overseer refused to sell any provisions or forage. He called the ser- geant, who had been sent to him, a servant, which indignity the soldier very properly resented ; he showed his passport, put on the man of importance, talked of his being directed by the government to conduct the party through the country, and hinted that his superiors should be made acquainted with his conduct ; this, with a little more blustering, pro- duced the happiest effect. The overseer, who farm- ed the hacienda on account of the government, said he had been mistaken in his guests, was very sorry, and after many excuses, opened his best room and provided supper and breakfast. January 15th. From the hacienda, we proceeded twenty-two miles, to a post-house. In the evening Peter was missing ; but the next morning made his appearance. He had been drunk, had fallen with his mule, and injured it so much as to render it un- fit for present use. He was punished by being ZOO NOTES ON COLOMBIA. made to walk off his debauch. Here, also, one of the baggage mules giving out, our guide, the. ser- geant, pressed one to supply its place. This he hiH< been obliged to do on other occasions. To give an idea of the tone assumed by the military, this sergeant would occasionally talk in the harshest manner to the Alcaldes of the smaller villages, giv- ing his orders in the most peremptory manner, and threatening, in his military language, to report them to their superiors, if they hesitated to obey. And on the road, his uniform of the grenadiers, his cara- bine and lance, commanded the most abject rever- ences from the passengers of the class of cultivators, without his deigning to reply to their courtesy, ex- cept by a careless nod, or some specimen of guard- room wit at their expense. The assumption of power of this, to us, invaluable man, was no doubt warranted by the custom of the country, and its exertion was absolutely necessary to enable us to prosecute our journey. But that a whole country should be put under requisition to forward the views of persons travelling under the circumstances we were, and subject to the very brief authority of a sergeant of grenadiers, speaks very little for the freedom of the people. But such abuses are, per- haps, inseparable from a state of war, in a country occupied by the enemy. I am only astonished at the quiet submission with which these burthens are borne. January 16th. Left the post-house at 7> A. M. passed through the miserable village of Chopo— PAMPLONA. 207 twelve miles, and in the evening arrived at Pam- plona, twelve — twenty-four miles. The view of the city of Pamplona from the hills which surround it is extremely beautiful. As we approached, a heavy shower overtook us, and we rode up to the military commandant's house, completely drenched. We accepted his offer of shelter and refreshments, till quarters should be assigned to us. Our billet was upon the administrator of the customs, an officer I did not expect to find, some thousand feet above the sea, upon one of the spurs of the Andes. These ypuertos sicos, as they are called, impose a very in- convenient clog upon industry. A toll is exacted at them, upon goods transported from one district to another. Pamplona, built in a narrow valley, is in 6° 30' north latitude, and 5° 19' 30" east longitude from Washington, at an elevation of 8016 feet above the sea— mean temperature 61°, Fahr. We were detained here three days for want of mules. General Urdaneta, it was said, had been forced to retreat, and all the mules were employed to convey the hospital to a place of greater security. A battalion of infantry garrisoned the town. The troops were diligently engaged, the greater part of the day, exercising in the plaza, skirmishing in the streets, and upon the neighbouring heights. One evening a large herd of horses were driven into the plaza, while the troops were engaged in their firings; they immediately huddled together, and following a leader galloped in a circle, as long as the firing continued. S08 NOTES ON COLOMBIA, The ladies of the custom-house, both young and! old, were incessant smokers. This custom is pre- valent throughout the whole country, except in the first society of Caracas and Valencia. Owing to education, it requires an effort, to pay a lady that attention and respect which her station in society and character deserve, while she is indulging in a practice which we are accustomed to associate with the very lowest of the sex. January 20th. Left Pamplona at noon, stopped for the night one league beyond Cacota, a small, thatched village— fourteen miles. January 2ist. Our halting place to day was at the thatched village Chitaga, over a paramo — fifteen miles, where we arrived at noon. We found the people engaged in religious ceremonies in honour of the Saint, the patroness of the village. Her saintship was carried around the square on a plat- form, preceded by musicians and rocket throwers, and followed by the Padre and the villagers. The crowd knelt devoutly as she passed : after making the circuit of the plaza, she was reconducted to her throne in the church, and was obliged to surrender a part of the jewels and finery, lent her for the oc- casion. The afternoon was spent in the national and manly amusement of the bull-fight. While gazing on this spectacle, my attention was attract- ed by a scuffle between an old man, who from his antique dress, appeared to belong to another age and country, and a young spark, mounted on a fine horse, who had particularly distinguished himself CHITAGA. £09 in the sports of the day. The old gentleman, with a vigour I did not suppose him capable of exerting, held the spirited horse, foaming from his violent exercise, by the bridle ; while the callant endea- voured to disengage himself by spurring his steed. I was not a little surprised to find myself appealed to by the patriarch, with the demand to lend my authority for the recovery of his horse. On referring him to the Alcalde as the proper person, he said that his horse had been procured under the pretence of the public service, for the convenience of su merced, (my grace;) but on coming to the village he found that they were killing his horse, in run- ning after bulls. The caballero finding himself de- tected, dismounted and returned the noble animal to its venerable owner. In the evening the Padre, who had shown him- self a fearless horseman in the sports, paid us a visit, with some of his friends. He was a young and very handsome man; his complexion was so very brilliant that I suspected he was rouged, his shirt trimmed with lace; in short, as great a cox- comb as I ever met with in any profession, not ex- cepting the military. Among other impertinences, this fellow, to give an idea of his acquirements as a linguist, turned to a servant who had just entered the room, and addressed to him, in English, an outrageously profane and vulgar sentence. I don't know whether the fool understood precisely the im- port of what he uttered, but he seemed to think it %7 210 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. something vastly clever — it was, perhaps, a mere act of imitation. January 22d. Left Chitaga, at 7? A. M. arrived at Cerreto — twenty-seven miles, at 4, P. M. In some wet places, the road, by the continual tread of the mules in the same spot, is crossed by ridges, called harros. These cuneiform ditches, running at right angles to the road, extend for miles; they are mostly filled with water, and are about two feet deep. From their depth, the mule is only able to step from the bottom of one, to the top of the next ridge, then throwing its weight on the advanced leg, it slides to the bottom of the second ; at each plunge, throwing the mud and water over the rider's head. A nimble mule will sometimes walk, for some distance, upon the angular ridges, stepping with much precision from one to the other. But as the clay is very slippery, the animal cannot always sustain itself upon the bars, but will plunge occa- sionally to the bottom of the ditch ; the effort which follows to regain a footing, is very apt to dismount the rider. Two or three of our party were thrown into the mud, by the floundering of the mules. Cerreto is a tolerably large, thatched village, built on irregular ground. We were caught in the rain as we came in sight of it. The Alcalde was very attentive, and furnished mules without delay. The thatched church is built upon a mound, hav- ing a flight of very numerous steps leading to the door. January %Zd. Left Cerreto at 10, A. M. arrived CAPITANEJO. 311 at Enciso — fifteen miles, at 3, P. M. passing the village of Concepcion. January 24*th. From Enciso, the road is very narrow and steep, passing over many spurs of the^ mountains, and along the courses of some tor- rents, to Capitanejo — twenty-two miles, at which place we arrived at 2, P. M. This is a thriving village, well watered, built on sloping ground, which extends from the mountain to a small river of the same name. Here is a per- manent bridge, having stone abutments ; the river is rapid and deep, though of but little breadth. The valley is rich in spots, which are cultivated ; but in others it is an arid barren, the soil having been covered by the gravel washed from the sides of the mountain. The cultivators oppose a barrier of brushwood to prevent this evil. Some of the streets are paved, and most of them have a limpid stream running through them. The plaza contains a very good church ; before its door is a splendid palm upwards of eighty feet high, perfectly straight, without branches, and surmounted by its beautiful umbrella-formed top. January 25th. Left Capitanejo at 9, A. M. ar- rived at Suata-— fifteen miles, at 5, P. M. stopping three hours on the road. Suata is a very comfortable tiled town, built on very uneven ground. Found the Alcalde ready to receive us in the plaza. We were furnished with quarters in the government house, well furnished with mats, sofas, pictures, chairs, &c. luxuries, with which we had not been lately acquainted &12 NOTES ON COLOMBIA, But the greatest comfort was the glazed windows —we had now entered the tierrafria. This house was of two stories, and most of those surrounding the plaza were of the same height. Being so comfortably situated, we rested one day. which we devoted to the improvement of our per- sonal appearance. My bushy head of hair, unshaved beard, and face, from alternate exposure to sun, rain, and the cutting winds of the paramos, as red as scarlet, presented a frightful appearance. I con sidered it fortunate that I had not been indulged with its reflection for a week past. We instituted a general search for niguas. I found three nests in my elbow, in a wound I had received in that part, by a fall on the brick floor from my hammock at Barquisemeto, and could not conceive the reason it would not heal. Our factotum, the sergeant, suc- ceeded in extracting them. The sacks containing the nits, were each as large as a pea; they were completely extirpated by filling the holes with hot ashes, and the wounds shortly after healed. This hatching insects in one's living flesh, pro duces a feeling of horror, that may readily be con- ceived. As no attention to cleanliness can shield you from the attacks of these animals, it is neces- sary to keep a constant watch for, and have them extracted by a skilful hand, without rupturing the sacks containing the animal ; as otherwise they are reproduced. If suffered to get a permanent lodge- ment, the most disgusting deformity, contractions of the muscles, incurable ulcers, and a total wasting of the soft parts, inevitably ensue. SUATA. 213 Having occasionally met with much difficulty in obtaining provisions, I directed Manuel to procure a supply of dried beef, to carry with us. He pur- chased a piece about four feet square, and an inch thick, dissected from the ribs of the animal. On loading the mules, a hide was invariably placed over the trunks, to protect them from the rain. My surprise was excited, at seeing our dried beef strapped on over the hide; and on my remonstrating against such an exposure to the sun, rain, and dust, was made to comprehend, that the meat would spoil, unless exposed to the sun. Although our robe of beef was not very inviting to the eye, we removed that objection by diminishing it a vue d'Geil. January %7th. Left Suata at half past seven, ar- rived at Susacon — nine miles, at half past ten, A. Mo At this place the church bells were rung, and the inhabitants came out to meet us, with the Alcaldes at their head. We were conducted to a house, and serv- ed by the Alcalde and his wife at breakfast, con- sisting of a variety of dulces, meat, cheese, bread and butter. The latter we found a very great ra- rity, not having met with any since leaving the hospitable roof of Mr. Penalver, at Valencia. The Alcalde's lady dealt it out in equal proportions with the bread ; it proved excellent with the addition of a little salt. The usual mode of making butter in this coun- try, is by shaking the cream in a bottle. How these ignorant, amiable, and much abused people, would S14 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. stare, if told, that in a district of country in the state of New York, not larger than one of their over- grown estates, more butter is churned by dogs in a week, than is consumed by them in a year. Yet this statement I believe to be substantially true with regard to Orange county. We left Susacon at 1 o'clock the same day. Ar- rived at Satiba— twelve miles, at 5, P. M. Here we were met by the principal inhabitants on horse- back, headed by the vicar, about a mile and a half from the town ; and were greeted on entering the plaza, by the vivas of the assembled villagers, with compliments to the sister Republic of the North. On dismounting at the good ecclesiastics' house,, we found he had expected us the day before ; a ta- ble decorated with flowers, and covered with a snow-white cloth, was loaded with dukes, pastry, wines, and liqueurs. A few of the vicar's friends sat down with us and drank patriotic toasts. In the evening a splendid dinner was served, and next morning an excellent breakfast. Our host took a seat at the table, but declined eating at first, having intended to celebrate mass that morning; but at length, in compliment to his guests, he partook of the meal, and thus rendered himself incompetent to officiate for the day ; much to the dissatisfaction, no doubt, of some two or three old ladies of the vil- lage. The vicar made a display of a compass and dial suited to any latitude, made in London, a time piece, his watch, some maps and books, and a SANTA-ROSA. 215 carved figure in wood. But he gratified us much more by showing us three Lamas from Peru. They resemble a camel in size and shape, except that they have no hump, with the head, face, and fleece of a sheep, and a beautiful, clear black eye. They were remarkably docile, and would place their long necks over your shoulder with the appearance of affection. In Peru they are used as beasts of bur- then, the load being six arobas — one hundred and fifty pounds. January 28th. Left Satiba at 9 ? A. M. the inha- bitants escorting us out of town ; stopped at Serin- za — twenty-eight miles. January 2Qth. Rode into Santa-Rosa — twelve miles, at noon ; received the same demonstrations of welcome, were conducted to the curate's, padre Olquin. Here we found the same preparation of dulces, wine, and a good dinner, at which, four or five priests assisted. Our host wore the decoration of the military order of Libertadores of Cundina- marca, bestowed upon him by Bolivar for his pub- lic services. Although the revolution was retarded by the in- fluence of the clergy — attached to a form of govern- ment analogous to their hierarchy — and was at times on the point of being defeated by their ana- themas against the republicans, and their ascribing the disastrous earthquake to a manifestation of the Divine wrath ; yet there were many ecclesiastics who rose above the prejudices of education, and found in the benefit of their country an ample com 216 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. pensation for the loss of personal privileges. In stances have not been wanting of great devotion to the cause of the country in the priests; some of whom have led the armies of the republic to vic- tory, and sealed the cause with their blood. Preparations were making for a bull-fight in the plaza, by fencing in the avenues leading to it. We heard that the President was hourly expected to arrive at Bogota, and being desirous to witness his entre, we hurried on, notwithstanding the pressing invitations of our kind hosts, to witness thv fiesta, and arrived atPaypa — twenty miles, at 5, P. M. — thirty-two miles. Paypa is a comfortable village. A few miles from the town, we were overtaken by a gentleman, who entered into conversation. On arriving, he conducted us to the house of the priest, a canon. Our road companion turned out to be Padre Ma- lendez, who accompanied us in our next day's ride. The good old canon seemed to live very comfort- ably, had an excellent house, was surrounded by a family of nieces, and possessed a tolerably large library, with many other good things of this life. We were well entertained and comfortably lodged. On waking next morning at sun rise, I was some- what surprised at finding a fresh bouquet of flowers on my pillow — placed there, no doubt, by some laughing, black-eyed, guardian angel. January 30th. Left Paypa at 9, A. M. Arrived at Tunja — twenty miles, at 3, P. M. Tunja is in 5° 5' north latitude, and 3° 59' 30" east TUNJA 217 longitude from Washington, at an absolute eleva- tion of 9522 feet, enjoying a mean temperature of 56.6% Fahr. This is a fine, well built town, but does not seem to be in a flourishing condition at present. It con- tains a large church, one or two convents, and the government saltpetre works. Near this place it was that Bochica, the great legislator of the Muys- cas, the nation of Indians composing the kingdom of Cundinamarca, disappeared, after remaining on the earth for the space of two thousand years. We had been accompanied toTunja by Melendez, a very kind and intelligent man, of the regular order of Franciscans. We were comfortably quartered in the house of the superintendent of the government saltpetre works, established in this town, and very well entertained. Received visits in the evening from some half a dozen smoking young ladies, who were much amused by Melendez's account of our various sects, which he provokingly enumerated on his fingers, to the amount of twenty or thirty ; mention- ing some of the most generally known, and charac- terising them as so many distinct religions. The girls were highly tickled at the idea of the priests having wives. The good zealous Padre became rather warm in his ridicule of the Padres casados, (married priests.) It was only because I had not a ready command of Spanish, that I did not retort upon him, that we gave our priests one wife, to re- move all excuse for their interfering with those of the whole parish. 28 S18 NOTES ON COLOMBIA, Next morning, Melendez took me to see his con vent. I found it a very large stone quadrangle, capable of lodging a hundred priests ; though the present inmates did not amount to more than twen- ty-five. My conductor first ushered, me into a large room, appropriated as a school for the children of the town. The walls were decorated with portraits of some dignitaries of the church, as well as those of the President and Vice-President of the republic, and covered with paintings of the heathen divini- ties. He desired me to put on my hat, saying these are only dioses falsos. We then went over every part of the vast building, passed through the organ loft, containing seats for forty or fifty musicians*, and ascended to the roof and belfry, from which we had a fine view of the city. The chapel and galle- ries were hung with well executed pictures, on re ligious subjects. My friend led me to his cell, con- sisting of a small bed-room, a sitting-room, and closet for books. After smoking a segar, which it is the Spanish custom to offer on entering a room, Melendez conducted me to the apartments of the principal of the convent, Jose Antonio Chavis. I found him in a cabinet, filled with books, instru- ments, paintings, and other works of art. It was the study of a wealthy, philosophic gentleman. I was surprised to find the superior of a convent a young man, about twenty-eight years of age. He united the most prepossessing countenance, in which beamed the mildest and the most estimable of the Christian virtues, to the most engaging and fasci- CONVENT. 319 nating manners. His sallow complexion, and de- licate frame, marked the close student. Perhaps the absence of robust health was owing to the rigor- ous discipline of his order. Its effects, however, were not so great on his constitution, as to render his appearance disagreeable, as is sometimes the case; on the contrary, his mortifications served but to give more animation to an expressive set of fea- tures, the index of a highly cultivated mind. The appearance of his fine head was improved by the tonsure. On entering, he met me cordially, enclosed my hand between his, asked after my health and the incidents of our journey, and inquired my opi- nion with regard to the country we had passed through. He offered segars, and a liquor made from coffee, a cordial which was new to me. On ascertaining that I was a North American, he hand- ed me a small volume, containing the constitution and some state papers of the United States, in Spa- nish. The work was of an old date, and contained the first census, which, with his consent, I correct- ed to the present number of inhabitants. In the course of conversation, he asked, with much naivete, whether, if he should go to the United States, he could obtain a passport to travel through the coun- try; and seemed much pleased, when I replied, that with us no such thing as a passport was known; each person assuming the right to travel when and whither he pleased, without the government's taking the least concern in the busiuess. I took leave of this ecclesiastic with regret ; never had I 2&0 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. seen a person who impressed me so favourably, on so short an acquaintance. January 31sf. Rode to-day to Hata Vieja— thirty miles. We had now entered the valley in which the city of Bogota is built, and looked for- ward with satisfaction to the termination of our wearisome journey. February 1st. This day's journey was to Cho- conta — twenty-four miles. February 2d. Rode through Caxita to a village within five miles of the capital, passing the exten- sive plantation of the Yice-president, Santander. This princely domain, extending for miles along the road, is enclosed with an excellent stone wall. It is, at present, chiefly used as a grazing farm, and is stocked with fine herds of black cattle. A small river winds through the grounds, across which some fine bridges are thrown. Over the gateway of the principal entrance is the following singular inscrip- tion:^ — La Hacienda de los amigos de General Santander. — Does his Excellency believe in friend- ship? February 3d. Entered Bogota in the morning- five miles. Having left Caracas on the 12th of November, and arrived at Bogota on the 3d of February, we had been eighty-four days on the road ; but, as we made but fifty-two journeys, the average day's ride is nearly twenty miles, a distance by no means small, considering the difficulties of the road, the dilatoriness of the mule-drivers, procrastinations of ITINERARY. SSI Alcaldes, and the delays caused by the necessity of repeatedly adjusting the baggage, as the cords which confine it to the pack-saddles become slack. k . Recapitulation of Distances and Stages from Caracas. 1822. Nov. 12. To Antimano 5 — Ajuntas4 — Mountain Buena- vista, San-Pedro 12 miles 21 13. Mountain Coquisas, Consejo, Victoria 25 14. San-Mateo Turinero, Maracay 20 1 5. San-Joaquin, Fort Cabrara, Guacara, Guaro, Valencia -. - - - 35 101 28. Tocuyito 8— Carabobo 12 - - - 20 29. Chirgua, Mountain Hermanas, Tinaquillo 20 30. Las Palmas, Tinaco 20 Dec. 1. San-Carlos 12 — San -Jose 3 - - - 15 2. Camaruco, Caramacate 30 3. Mountain Altar, Cuyisita 25 4. Cabudara 26 — Barquisemeto 6 - - 32 10. Cerros Blancos 6 — Quibor 24 - - 30 11. Tocuyo 24 13. Humaracara-bajo - - - - 18 14. Pena, Agua Obispos - ... 36 16. Carache ------ 14 . 1 7. Santa- Ana - - - - - 20 18. Truxillo ------ 21 » 23. To a house on the Sabana Larga - 15 24. Valeria 13 — Mendoza 12 - - - 25 25. Timothes ------ 24 26. LaPuerta 12 27. Mucuchies, over a paramo, very cold - 15 28. Mucuraba, Fabay, Mebjda - - 28 — 119 Carried over - * - - - 545 16~; 162 %%% NOTES ON COLOMBIA. Brought over - 545 Dec. 30. ToEgedo ..... miles 10 31. San-Juan ------ 12 1823. Jan. 1. Hacienda de Estanques 20 2. Bailadores, an Indian village - - 26 4. Bailadores proper 7 — Last House 6 13 5. La Grita ------ 17 6. Post House, El Cobre - - - 18 7. The first house over the Paramo Lumbador 20 8. Tariba - 12 9. San-Cristoval 4— Capacho 16 - - 20 10. San-Antonia de Cucuta 17 — San-Bo sario 118 14. A Hacienda ----- 10 15. Post House ----- 22 16. Chopo 12— Pamplona 12 - - - 24 242 20. One league beyond Cacota, - - 14 21. Chitaga, over a Paramo - - - 15 22. Cerreto ------ 27 23. Concepcion, Enciso - - - - 15 24. Capitanejo - - - - - 22 25. Suata ------ 15 27. Susacon 9— Satiba 12 - 21 28. Serinza - - - - - - 28 29. Santa-Rosa 12 — Paypa 20 - -. . ■ - 32 30. Tunja --..-- - 20 209 31. Hata Vieja - 30 Feb. 1. Choconta - - # '"- - - - 24 2. Caxita, and a small village five miles from Bogota ------ 25 3. Bogota - - 5 84 Miles 1080 ty%m t/M ~&^ CHAPTER XIL VALLEY OP BOGOTA — CITY — CATHEDRAL — CONVENT SAN- FRANCISCO PRIVATE HOUSES BOLIVAR'S QUINT A — DIN- NER PARTIES TEQUENDAMA RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES. THE Muyscas, who formerly occupied the val- ley of Bogota, enclosed by the Paramo of Chingasa, through which the Funza rolls, and the Zipaquira mountains, containing hills of salt, were among the most numerous and civilized of the nations found in this part of America. They defended them- selves with great obstinacy against the Spaniards^ who experienced great difficulty in reducing them to subjection. Their traditions pretend to great antiquity; the most remarkable part of which, was the mysterious appearance of Bochica, son of the Sun, who presented himself among them ? while they were in dispute, relative to the election of a king. He was a white man, clothed in flowing garments, with a venerable beard. After listening to the contending parties, he pointed out Huncahua to the choice of the people. His kingdom was called Cundinamarca, and its ruler had the title of zaque, analogous to that of inca among the Peruvians. Bochica remained on the earth two thousand years, when he disappeared mysteriously at Iraca near Hunca, founded by the first zaque of Cundina- marca, and afterwards called by the Spaniards Tunja. He instructed and civilized the inhabi- AC » of 3, dyr/r, //r Y y„y„Y ,/ ' ' //, . -ty,,,//,,. 224 NOTES ON COLOMBIA* tants, worked miracles, instituted the calendar of the Muyscas, regulated their festivals, and divided their day and night into four parts. His week con- sisted of three days, the common year of twenty- moons ; but that of the priests, by which the festivals were regulated, of thirty-seven. Twenty of these great years formed a cycle. When Quesada, who founded the city, arrived at Bogota, he found that the Muyscas had made great advances towards civilization. The zaque was ab- solute ; his people carried him about in a sort of palanquin, attended by guards and courtiers; whilst flowers were strewed along the ground, over which he was to pass. They never approached him but with an averted face, as if they imagined that he was a divinity, in whose countenance they dare not look. These people subsisted chiefly by agriculture, were clothed in cotton garments, and lived in regu- lar society. Crimes were punished by judges, ap- pointed to watch over them, and they possessed in- dividual property, on which taxes were levied, for the support of government. They had temples, altars, priests and sacrifices ; but their religion, which consisted in the adoration of the sun, moon, Bo- chica, his descendants, and the evil deities, was in termixed with barbarous and bloody ceremonies, At the end of every fifteen years they sacrificed a boy, who had been previously educated in the temple of the sun at Sagamozo. The priests at- tended the victim to the sacrifice, and were masked VALLEY OP BOGOTA. 225 like the Egyptian priests. One represented Bochica, who is the Osiris or the Mithras of Bogota ; to this person they assigned three heads, because, as is also the case with the Trimurtiof the Hindoos, he united three persons in one divinity. Another personated the monster Fomagata, the symbol of evil, hav- ing but one eye, four ears, and a long tail. This Fomagata, whose name signifies fire, or a boiling, melted mass, was looked upon as the evil spirit.— From Humboldt's Vues des Cordilleres. Bogota, the present political capital of Colombia, and former residence of the Vice-roy of New Gra- nada, was founded in 1538, by Don Gonzalo Ximines de Quezada. It is situated in 4° 36' 30" north latitude, and 2° 47" east longitude from Washington, at an elevation of 8721 feet above the level of the sea, in a fruitful valley about sixty miles long, and twenty broad, traversed by small rivers, and encompassed by mountains, some of which are covered with perpetual snow. Its population, (in 1823,) about 22,000. Mean temperature, 57.71°, Fahr.,* the range of the thermometer being but a few degrees. Rains are frequent from February to June. The climate is disagreeably chilly, on account of its ele- vation, and the clouds almost continually hovering over the city, and resting on the hills, close to which the city is injudiciously built. Owing to the con- formation of this ridge of hills, and the direction of * Mutis. 29 S26 NOTES ON COLOMBIA3 the prevalent winds, the mists of the valley are driven along its sides, in eudeavouring to escape, and are condensed into torrents of rain, which fall over the city almost every afternoon during the wet season. The climate ten miles off, in the centre of the valley, is comparatively dry. The precipitous heights immediately in rear of the city, enveloped in perpetual mists, are crowned by two religious houses, Monteserrate and Guada- loupe, called hermitages. They are fast going to decay, and are nearly abandoned, having at present but three or four inmates; though formerly, so great was the desire to gain admission to houses of this description, that in some of them, three thousand dollars were exacted for the privilege. The revo- lution has given a new inclination to the minds of the people. They begin to perceive, that the em- ployments and duties of society are as agreeable, and quite as useful, as counting beads, and living in a perpetual fog. The plan of the city is regular ; the streets, about twenty-five feet broad, are well paved, cross each, other at right angles, and are supplied with running water. Three streams, descending from the moun- tain, traverse the city ; over these, are eight excel- lent stone bridges. The principal houses, and par- ticularly those of the calle real, are of two stories, built in the usual manner of rammed earth, or sun- dried bricks, plastered and whitewashed, and pro- vided with balconies projecting over the street. The side walks of the main street are flagged, and CATHEDRAL OF BOGOTA. 2&J the houses lining it are uniformly painjted with an ornamental border, running at the height of about four feet from the pavement. There are six or eight well built stone churches, besides the cathedral ; eight or nine convents ; the palace of government, a library, mint, colleges, hospitals, six or seven stone sculptured fountains, supplied by an aqueduct, and other public struc- tures. The Cathedral of Bogota, with the custom-house, occupies the east side of the plaza-major. This edifice was planned by a monk, and constructed by a mason of the country, neither of whom had ever seen a building of the kind. The material is a cream-coloured stone, very neatly hewn. The front of the cathedral is two hundred feet; the building is elevated upon a smoothly flagged terrace, thirty feet broad, extending along the front. This terrace is ascended by ten or twelve steps, and affords an agreeable walk ; having a view of the government house opposite, the courts of justice and barracks on one side, shops on the other, and beneath, a finely sculptured fountain, and the busy scene of the market. The front has three immense entrances, the centre one arched, and about twenty feet high. The doors in imitation of bronze, studded with gilt-headed bolts, open into their respective aisles. Large pilasters, the bases of which are six or eight feet high, occupy the front. On each side are two moderately high towers, containing the belfries, terminated by £28 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. cupolas. The depth of the building is three nun dred feet ; one side, extending along a street the whole length of the square, presents nothing but a wall, having one door and a number of small win- dows. The roof is surmounted by a dome, serving to throw light upon the high altar. The interior is neatly paved with square bricks, and divided into three aisles, by two rows of columns, of great beauty, which support the vaulted roof. The aisles lead, one to the wardrobe, the other to an interior chapel and the apartments of the priests. The nave, near the door, is interrupted by a clumsy choir, extending between the rows of columns, thus intercepting a view of the altar from the square. On passing around this heavy structure, you are in front of the high altar, placed in a semi-cylindrical alcove, brilliantly lighted by the windows of the dome. The altar is somewhat elevated, and is as rich as paintings, sculpture, gilding, silks, velvets, and jewels can make it. Along the sides of the church, are arched recesses, in which there ace shrines or smaller altars, six on each side, all very rich and beautiful. The walls are hung with some large, well executed, scriptural pieces. The columns of the interior are of the Ionic order, about fortv feet high, of mason work, but so beautifully plas- tered as to imitate the polish of fine marble; the capitals are richly gilt. Attached to two of these columns, near the high altar, are two pulpits, ex- quisitely wrought, which have the appearance of being made of massive gold, richly embossed. The CONVENT SAN-FRANCISCO. 229 whole appearance is that of a light, well propor- tioned building. It presents a striking contrast to the generality of churches in this country, which are overloaded with incongruous ornament; as if the intention of the architect had been to bewilder the beholder, by presenting to his attention a con= fused mass of objects. The greatest objection to the interior of this build- ing is the misplaced choir. It is very clumsily made of a dark wood, interrupts the nave, and destroys the effect of the columns by being built against them. The front does not produce the effect which might be expected from a building of such magni- tude. This may be owing to the crowded orna- ments, and its being so much cut up into small com- partments and niches, by the pilasters and arches; as well as to the variety of minarets, placed upon the roof, which give to the building the appearance of an eastern temple. The Palace of Government occupies the oppo- site side of the square. It consists of a centre building, raised about half a story above the wings, which correspond in appearance. The balconies of the wings are furnished with Venetian blinds. In the centre is a fine, lofty, arched entrance. The Vice-president has apartments in this building. The offices of the different departments of govern- ment and the Vice-president's guard occupy the remainder. Tlie Convent of San-Francisco occupies two squares, or three hundred feet by six hundred, the S3G NOTES ON COLOMBIA. second square, however, is separated from the first by a street, and is merely enclosed as a garden ; so that the space actually built upon is but three hun- dred feet square. The side of the church extends the whole length of the plaza bearing its name, and has two large arched doors, and many windows, square and circular, arranged without the smallest regard to symmetry. The front is very narrow, and is entirely taken up by an immense arched en- trance, reaching to the roof. On the left of the entrance is a stone tower, four stories high, having galleries with iron railings at the second and fourth stories ; the whole surmounted by a steeple. The buildings for the accommodation of the monks are arranged round two courts, the church forming one side of that in front. As these buildings have their doors and windows looking into the interior courts, the exterior presents nothing but a dead wall. The communication to the numerous apartments is by galleries. Each court is neatly paved, and has a fountain in the centre. The galleries are covered with portraits of priests, and some large and beau- tiful paintings by the old masters. The interior of the church is very much loaded with ornaments. The whole of the back part, sur- rounding the high altar, is covered with paintings in richly gilt frames ; the principal object presented to the eye being gold leaf. The sides are decorated with shrines, and are very much lumbered up with saints and images. The choir, in a gallery oppo- site the altar, contains a very good organ; this dis PRIVATE HOUSES. S8i tribution is much better than that of placing it in the nave, the great fault of the Cathedrals, both of Ca- racas and Bogota. The other churches, convents, and public build- ings are not worthy of particular description. A few of the private houses have glazed win- dows, and most of the tiled floors are covered with matting, made of a kind of grass, which grows on the borders of the Magdalena. The only fire-places in the city are in the bishop's palace, and in that of the government. A short time after one of these comfortable fixtures had been erected, the occupant of the house died. The good people attributed his death to the fire-place. This confirmed them in their attachment to the good old way, and no one has since had the hardihood to adopt the dangerous in- novation. At the head of many of the stairways, are to be found, drawings on the walls, of a gigantic pilgrim fording a river with an infant on his shoulders. This delineation is said to represent San-Cristoval, probably the patron saint of the city. The environs of the city are studded with quintas, or country seats, of the more wealthy inhabitants. Bolivar's quinta is situated in the gorge of the ra- vine formed by the mountain torrent, which descends between the atrial churches, Monteserrate and Gau- daloupe. The ground it occupies is of little extent, and very irregular. The pavilion is of one story, having piazzas on all its sides. The gardens are in miserable taste, being cut up into small parterres ; %2,% NOTES ON COLOMBIA. the flowers are arranged in little beds formed ol bricks, in the letters of the President's name, and principal victories. The beautiful varieties of pinks are taught to utter the names, Boyaca, Carabobo, and Libertador — a ridiculous piece of flattery, which the President must cordially despise. The grounds are abundantly supplied by a rivulet, fall- ing in little cascades from one terrace to another, which, in its devious course, fills two or three ma- son work receptacles, embosomed in foliage, con- structed for the convenience of bathing. Through the interest of Dr. Grual, secretary of state, we procured excellent quarters in the hous& of Mr. Elbers, a German merchant, established at Santa-Martha, then on some business in the capital. At his sumptuously furnished table, we had an op- portunity of meeting the principal inhabitants of the city, the heads of the different departments, and other officers of government, both civil and military. Affairs in Quito, newly attached to the republic, as yet scarcely tranquillized, and the growing storm in Peru, induced the President to ask permission of congress to leave the territory of Colombia, that he might assist in the emancipation of a sister state, and by acting offensively against the most numerous and efficient Spanish army in America, more effec- tually secure the safety of the republic. His intended visit to the capital was indefinitely postponed. Congress made some ineffectual attempts at a meeting, but were unable to form a quorum in the senate, till after our departure on the fifth of April. CARNIVAL. 233 During our stay in the capital, we received every mark of attention, kindness and respect. A day or two before the commencement of the quaresma, we were invited by Madam C * * * to visit her quinta, about two miles from the city. We called on her about 11 o'clock in the morning, and accompanied a large party on foot, to the scene of festivity. The party were full of gaiety, frolic and fun: the lord of misrule held uncontrolled sway. Scarcely had we reached the suburbs, before the pranks of the gentlemen began to show themselves. They were all provided with red and black paint, and phials of different coloured liquids, with which they, be- smeared and stained the ladies faces and clothes. We found the party at the quinta already engaged in dancing. On entering the room, the assembled guests with boisterous mirth inflicted their welcome, by smearing the faces of the new comers, till not a particle of the skin could be seen. Colonel T**, who arrived soon after, was immediately surrounded by ten or twelve ladies, and in one minute, his face, cravat, and waistcoat, displayed all the colours of the rainbow. As he stood in the midst of these painted squaws, he was not a bad representative of a Tuscarora. For a moment there was a struggle between his dignity and politeness; but recollecting the old adage, he suffered himself to be carried along by the whims of the day, and played his part in this grotesque farce with great good nature. Not so the secretary of war, who arrived shortly after, The chief justice, in attempting to smear his faee ? 30 ^34 NOTES ON COLOMBIA* was accidentally scratched by the secretary, in de- fending himself. As this did not occur before the ladies, but in the court-yard, whither they had re- treated, we feared some unpleasant consequences from their warmth. Their good sense and good nature, however, soon returned; but the minister kept his face and dignity unsoiled by a single blotch. Our next arrival was the fair Bernadina, she, as has been said of a distinguished French lady, is both une jolie femme et une belle femme. Her figure is finely rounded, and beautifully propor- tioned, her countenance languishing, and sprightly by turns. Although I had never seen her before, she addressed me in the most playful manner, with a request to uncork a Cologne bottle, filled with some red liquid ; which, I no sooner had the sim- plicity to accomplish, than she sprinkled me with its contents from head to foot, for my pains. She entered the room, in a ball dress. In a moment the roses and lilies of her beautiful face, and neck, (giving the usual latitude to the term,) gave place to red, blue, and green, laid on not very delicately by twenty brawny hands. I regretted this disfigu- ration exceedingly ; for not having had a hand in the affair, I was in no way indemnified for the loss my eyes sustained, by the metamorphosis. The belle was by no means idle during the ceremony of her introduction ; she dispensed the liquid from her Cologne bottle, without stint, and as she had been roguish enough to use some pungent mixture, the caballeros were obliged to scamper off, to save their CARNIVAL. 235 eyes. At length, after many entreaties, por amor de DioSf she was allowed to prepare for the dance by confining her Chinese feet, in a lighter pair of slippers. In the evening the company were per- mitted to wash their hands and faces, and then sat down to dinner. The Vice-president came in at the desert, and joined in the dance after dinner — - about 9 o'clock we returned to town. I cannot say, I was much pleased with this Saturnalia, my re- spect for the amiable actresses was too great to al- low me to enjoy it. The ladies of Bogota are very assiduous in their attendance at mass. There are some, who, during the quaresma, shut themselves up in the convents, where they undergo very severe penance. Among the modes of mortification, hair-cloth and the lash are not unfrequently used. Whenever they appear abroad, it is in the church dress, consisting of a black petticoat, blue cloth mantilla, covering part of the face, the arms and bust, and a felt hat having a semi-spherical crown and broad brim. The ser- vants are only to be distinguished, by the coarser material of their garments, and in being without shoes. The Indian girls, who visit the city to at- tend the market, wear instead of a petticoat, a rec- tangular piece of cloth, simply strapped around the waist, and are mostly bare-headed. Among other civilities, we received invitations to dine with the English mess ; with Colonels Barron- Nuevo, and Paris, and several times at Colonel T**'s. At an entertainment by the latter gentle- S36 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. man., on the SSd of February, I was much pleased with the Bishop of Bogota, who was among the guests. On being asked for a toast, he gave a pa- triotic sentiment, and would not drink, till his glass had been placed between miniature flags of the United States and Colombia, with which the table was decorated. The dinner given by Colonels Barron-Nuevo and Paris, was very sumptuous and gay. A gen- tleman they called Perez was the soul of the party. After the champaign had circulated for some time, he required the guests to take their glasses in their hands, and place their elbows on the table. He then gave the President, and rang the changes on the subject he had chosen, in the happiest manner, applying to him fifty encomiastic epithets, touching his character or feats of arms, the company at each compliment taking a sip of wine. The gentleman, who had afforded us so much amusement, is at present engaged in endeavouring to drain the Lake Guatavita, situated to the north of Bogota, on the Zipaquira mountains, at an ab- solute elevation of 894<6 feet. This lake was used by the aborigines for purposes connected with the religious ceremonies of ablution. The remains of a stairway are still to be seen, by which the In- dians descended to the water. Near it is the drain, commenced shortly after the conquest, in order to recover the treasures, which were said to have been thrown into the lake, as soon as Quesada appeared on the plain of Bogota. LAKE GUATAVITA. S&7 It is with the same view that the excavations are now carrying oil, A small golden image, said to have been found in this lake, was presented to Golo- nel T**, by a foreign gentleman residing in the capital. On the 15th of March, a party of gentlemen and ladies set out on horseback, to visit the famous falls of Tequendama. We left the city in the afternoon, and stopped for the night at a small village, at the house of the curate. We proceeded next morning on our way to the fall, which is about five leagues from Bogota. After descending by some bad roads, we were compelled to dismount and leave the horses with the servants. We now groped our way for half an hour through the dense foliage ; our in- experienced guide not being able to take us direct- ly to the spot. We passed several small shafts, which had been explored for coal. At length one of the gentlemen directed us by his voice to the place, our expectations raised to the highest pitch. The Salto de Tequendama does not yield to any known cascade, taking into consideration its height and the volume of water. It is characterised by Humboldt, as the most picturesque scene to be found in the Andes. The tradition of theJMuy seas, the abo- riginal natives who occupied this part of the country, relates, that their great legislator Bochica, came upon the earth, accompanied by his wife, Chia, for the pur- pose of instructing his people in agriculture and the useful arts ;■ but he was constantlv thwarted in his NOTES ON COLOMBIA. benevolent designs by the mischievous disposi- tion of his wife. She caused the rivers to swell and overflow the valley of Bogota. In the deluge, all the inhabitants, except a few who succeeded in gain- ing the mountains, perished. Bochica, exasperated at his wife, drove her from the earth, when she be- came the moon. He then, with a stroke of his arm, opened a passage for the waters, and thus formed the fall of Tequendama, by which means the plain was drained. " This Indian fable unites a number of traits to be found scattered through the religious traditions of many of the people of the old continent. The per- sonification of the good and bad principles are re- cognised in Bochica and his wife, Chia. The re- mote period, when the moon did not exist, recalls the pretentious to antiquity of the Arcadians. The queen of the night is represented as a malignant be- ing, which increases the humidity of the earth; whilst Bochica, son of the sun, dries the soil, assists agriculture, and became the benefactor of the Muys- cas, as the first Inca was of the Peruvians.' 7 ". Travellers who have viewed the imposing situa- tion of the great cascade of Tequendama, are not surprised, that a rude people should have attribut- ed a miraculous origin to these rocks, which seem to have been fashioned by the hand of man ; to this narrow abyss, into which the river, uniting all the streams of the valley of Bogota, is precipitated ; to that iris, resplendent with the most beautiful co- lours, changing its form at each moment; to that TEQUENDAMA. 239 column of vapour which ascends like a dense cloudy visible at the distance of fifteen niiles." — Hum- boldt, Vnes des Cordilleres. The perpendicular height of the fall, is five hun- dred and seventy-four feet, as determined by Hum- boldt, probably barometrically. I cannot convey an idea of the effect this sight had on me better than by the fact, that on my return, I expressed a sur- prise, that so considerable a body of water should fall from so great a height, without producing any noise ; when I was assured, there was a continued and deafening roar. This proves that the objects presented to the eye, so completely engrossed my mind, that I had no leisure to attend to the less lively impressions, made upon another sense. The volume of water may be estimated by sup- posing it to furnish a transverse section of about thirty feet square. The river Bogota or Funza, after meandering over the elevated plain of the city ? precipitates itself into one of those profound vallies, so common in this mountainous country. The chasm, which has the appearance of having been made by an earthquake, is bounded on each side by perpendicu- lar walls, six or seven hundred feet high, and about three hundred feet apart. These walls are prolong- ed in a straight line in the direction of the stream, about five hundred yards from the fall, presenting the appearance of having been worn from the ex- treme point to its present depth, by the action of the water. The stream, which a short distance above the fall, preserves a breadth of fifty yards, flows with &40 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. rapidity, and on arriving at the brink, falls in a sheet about forty feet across, upon a ledge of rocks, depressed about twenty feet, and eight or ten broad. This first pitch produces considerable foaming, the water, then, very much broken into particles, re- sembling a dense mist, or flakes of snow descend- ing with great velocity, is precipitated into the yawn- ing abyss. The surface presented to view, is by no means smooth or well defined, its irregularity being owing to small masses of water receiving an increased im- pulse, and jutting beyond the, main body. The narrow glen is occasionally so filled with vapour, as completely to conceal the rocks below. This adds to the effect, by removing any definite limit to the depth. The collection and dispersion of the mist, also gives variety to the scene. When cleared off by the current of air, which is upwards, the stream below is seen diminished by distance, to a small rivulet, winding its course between the projecting promontories, majestically rearing their heads, encircled by clouds of vapour, which render more luxuriant the enormous trees and verdant fo- liage, crowning their summits. We viewed the fall, only from the top, being as- sured that to arrive at the bottom, required a toil- some effort of several hours, by a circuitous route. No doubt the appearance from below would have been more imposing. The productions around us, were those of the temperate zone, but a glance of the eye, to the bottom of the abyss, revealed in all their luxuriance, those of the equinoctial regions. RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES, £41 The rocks just above the falls, are at an elevation above the sea, of 8094 feet. The Funza, from this point, till it joins the Magdalena, descends more than 6890 feet, which gives an average of 153 feet a mile. From this it would appear, that the head of navigation of the Magdalena, is about 1804 feet above its mouth. Assuming 700 miles as the navi- gable length of the Magdalena, which is not far from the truth, its mean descent is found to be about one foot eight and a half inches in a mile. The quaresma and the rainy season, rendered the city rather dull. c The last week of the fast, however, was enlivened by religious and military processions. Sculptured figures as large as life, re- presenting the events of the history, and persecutions of our Saviour, were carried through the streets, on platforms, from one church to another, followed by the priests, civil and military officers, and principal inhabitants bearing wax candles. One day as I was standing in the crowd, at the door of a church, in expectation of seeing the fun- don, one of the chief officers of government, who was going to play his part in the ceremony, asked me what we plain republicans thought of those vanities. On my observing — you speak to the eyes, we to the ears; one method of conveying religious sentiments to the understanding, is to be preferred to another, according to circumstances. i( Yes," he replied, " but our ceremonies take up too much time, and are too expensive ; however, we must submit, we are not yet strong enough to do without all this." 31 S4$ NOTES ON COLOMBIA. After accompanying the procession a short distance up the main street, a slight shower induced him to step out of the ranks, and take shelter in a friend'g house. When with him, a day or two after, he pro- duced the candle, which, he said, he had purloined from the priests. A few days before the commencement of these processions, the streets, through which they were to pass, were carefully cleaned, and the houses whitewashed. For this purpose, each of the sca- vengers, was provided with a sack, made of raw hide, about as large as a schoolboy's satchel. This was filled, by means of the hands, and carried on the shoulder, to one of the streams, which traverse the city; the dirty water trickling down the man's back, at every step. The person who should in- troduce a wheel-barrow, would deserve the freedom of the city. The implement for whitewashing, is simply a piece of rag, tied on the end of a stick ; the rag is dipped in the lime and flapped against the wall. This plan is worthy the attention of those who are so anxious to find out employment for the poor ; for, by means of it, with the utmost assiduity, one person cannot besmear more than a few square yards in a day ; whereas, by our lavish expenditure of employment, a month's labour, is swallowed up in a few hours. CHAPTER XIII. TOURNEY DEPARTURE PROM BOGOTA PACATATIVA VIL- LETA GUADUAS COLONEL ACOSTA HONDA. April Qth. After spending two months in the capital, we laicLin a provision of chocolate, rice, and some hams, and making a tent of check, to sleep in, on the borders of the Magdalena — we set out this morning, on our way, by the river Magdalena, to Carthagena. The Creole servant continued attached to our party, and our faithful sergeant was to accompany us as far as Honda, to carry back the mules. We travelled to-day., by % P. M. to Facatativa, six leagues. The road is excellent ; and is divided, every half league, by stones, upon which, besides the distance from the capital, the elevation above the sea is marked. The country is rich, well cul- tivated, and covered with large herds of cattle. Part of the road is paved with large stones. We crossed five or six good stone bridges, and passed two small villages. April Jih. Left Facatativa at 8, A. M. and arrived at Villeta, five leagues, at4§, P. M. ; passing over Mount Trigo. On the summit, we found stuck on the road side, innumerable crosses of every variety of proportion and size, made of limbs of trees, small twigs, or pieces of cane. These crosses are planted by the muleteers, and other devout passengers. \ 241 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. most probably with a prayer for the safe passage of the mountain, or a thanksgiving at having passed it in safety. The descent is now exceedingly rapid, and the road intolerably bad — forded a small river four feet deep. We met on the road, first the wheels, and after- wards the body of a gig ; the former carried by four ■ men, with a relief of the same number, the latter by eight, with a relief, in all twenty-four men. The necessity of so many porters may convey some idea of the road. In many places, we observed that pas sages had been cut through the woods; the narrow sunken road, not being of sufficient width to allow the gig to pass. We afterwards understood that a wealthy merchant of Bogota had imported this vehi- cle, which was intended for Bolivar. At Villeta, I greeted my friends, the lizards, with great satisfaction, as they gave an earnest that we were entering a warm climate. At Bogota I had never felt comfortably warm, except when taking exercise ; and as there are no fires, I have fre quently gone to bed to get rid of the disagreeable chilliness. We now, also, found some of the tro pical plants. At this place I first saw a case of the leprosy, that most disgusting of all disorders. The doors of the house at which we stopped were finely wrought in pannel work, the material a beautiful hard wood ; although the house itself was built of canes, the interstices being filled with mud and chopped straw, and plastered with lime. The walls were decorated with prints of the prodigal VILLETA. 245 son. The most common material, however, for doors in houses of this description, is a frame of wood co- vered with an undressed hide. 1 April 8th. Left Villeta at 9, A. M. arrived at Guaduas — four leagues, at 1, P. M. Parts of the road very steep — enjoyed some fine views. We presented letters from our friends in Bogota to Colonel Acosta, who entertained us very hospi- tably. This gentleman is the Juez-politico of the village of Guaduas, and proprietor of thirty leagues square of mountainous, but fruitful land. He is a well informed, agreeable man, of patriarchal sim- plicity of manners. In one end of his large house, he keeps a store, containing some foreign fabrics, and the little manufactures of his tenants ; princi- pally consisting of straw hats, which are manufac- tured in almost every house of the village, sandals, baskets, and wooden vessels. He attends to this little shop himself. While sitting with him here, I had an opportunity of witnessing the kind interest he took, as a magistrate and landlord, in the affairs of his clients and tenants ; as well as their respect- ful, yet confiding bearing in his presence. These tenants pay from six to eight, aud ten dollars per anuum, for as much land as they choose to cultivate. We saw some of them, who came to barter with their patron, dispose of their manufactures, obtain a small loan, ask alms or advice. They were all kindly received, listened to with patience, and dis- missed contented. April 9th. We were well pleased to be detained £46 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. to-day, for want of baggage-mules, enjoying in a delightful climate, the agreeable society of our kind host, and that of his next door neighbour, the Curate, in the midst of a smiling, industrious, contented population. The Curate paid the United States many compliments, spoke of Washington, Franklin, and Jefferson, and drew a parallel between our in- stitutions and those of Colombia. He extolled our schools, industry, and manufactures, the facilities of communication by means of steam- boats and coaches, the thriving state of agriculture, and the lightness of the taxes. Colonel Acosta would con- template these glowing pictures with a feeling of incredulity and delight, mingled with the regrets of a patriot, at not seeing the same advantages enjoy- ed by his own countrymen. The transition to the causes of the inferiority, and the cruel, mistaken policy of the mother country, was natural. After commenting on these with bitterness, his mortifica- tion and chagrin gave way, before the cheering an- ticipations of the future. Colonel Acosta exchanged my saddle, of the European form, for one of the country, having a high cantle and pommel, which was so formed as to afford a very convenient writing desk, the stir- rups being in the shape of a shoe, and made of brass ; as also my bridle for one, the bit of which weighed several pounds. The absolute height of Gruaduas is 3772 feet — its mean temperature 67.5°, Fahr., ten degrees higher than that of Bogota. The descent from the GUADUAS. 247 capital to Guaduas is 4949 feet. The distance be- ing forty- five miles, the average declivity is one hundred and ten feet a mile. This, however, gives no idea of the abruptness of the road, which passes over the mountains Sargento and Trigo. April 10th. Took leave of our amiable friend Colonel Acosta, at 8, A. M. and arrived at Honda — seven leagues, at 3, P. M. The road to-day, descending rapidly the whole way, was very muddy, full of rocks, and in some places dangerous. We were obliged to dismount once or twice. The distance from Bogota to Honda, the head of navigation of theMagdalena, is twenty-two leagues, which occupied us four days. It is over these roads, of which it is impossible to convey a correct idea, that merchandise intended for the capital must pass, after having been brought up the Magdalena in large canoes of ten or twelve tons' burthen, called champans, by a tedious and extremely laborious navigation, against the stream, of ninety days. It is gratifying to anticipate what a change may, and probably will be effected in a few years, by the con- struction of a good road, and the introduction of Fulton's immortal invention. One steam-boat, with incredibly less manual labour, and fewer hands than are now required to tow and paddle up one champan, would, in twelve days, furnish the capital with a greater quantity of goods, than it receives by the present conveyances in a whole year. Yet, speak to the generality of people on this subject, they reply with a feeling of pride, that their ri- g4i8 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. ver is too rapid for steam navigation ; the good old way, by means of champans, is best—and cite, with complacency, an ineffectual attempt, (which con- firms their opinion,) made by one of our steam ferry-boats, of little power, which was unable to stem the current, although it does not average three miles an hour.* We crossed the Magdalena, which is here about one hundred yards wide, in a small canoe, with feelings of apprehension and disgust, on finding, as we were about to step in, that it was crowded with lepers. We presented our letters from Colonel Acosta, to Seiior Diego, a merchant of Honda, who con- ducted us to a large vacant house, in which we were to reside, until he could provide us a passage. He sent a table, and some chairs, a vase to contain wa- ter, and a woman to cook. We purchased kitchen utensils of earthenware, and provisions. In half an hour, our menage was complete, and we suspended ourselves, in patient expectation of the departure of the first champan. This did not take place till the 17th ; so that we continued tenants of our large, dilapidated mansion, seven days. The sergeant was sent back with our mules, with assurances of our safe arrival, and comfortable situation. Our good landlord Diego paid us a visit every * The river Meta, which empties into the Orinoco, (the Ohio and Mississippi of South America,) is navigable to with- in forty -five miles of the capital. These noble streams present another fine theatre for navigation by steam-boats. HONDA. £49 morning, to give us the news, and inquire our wants. He procured our rice, chocolate, and bread, for the voyage. One day, he brought the appaling intelli- gence, that our evil genius, Morales, was in pos- session of the river, above Mompos, and wished to know whether we would defer our voyage; but we gave him to understand, that our wish was to em- bark on board the first champan, whether Monsieur Tonson had possession of the river or not. Honda, situated in 5° 16' north latitude, and 4° 19' 15" east longitude from Washington, is a very ancient town, built immediately on the shore of the Magdalena ; the houses are mostly of stone, those on the water's edge being very high and battle- mented, presenting the appearance, on this side, of a fortification. Two creeks empty into the river ; one of very clear water, excellent for bathing, above, the other deep and rapid, below the town. Over the latter, there had formerly been an excellent stone bridge ; but the centre pier was thrown down, carrying with it part of the arches, about thirty years ago, by an earthquake, which destroyed many of the houses. The breach is filled up by a wooden structure, which inclines to one side, and * seems very insecure. We found the climate of Honda oppressively hot; though this may have been owing to the sudden transition from the colder one of Bogota. Half the inhabitants of the town are afflicted with the leprosy, and many with the goitre. The body of the negro boatman, who ferried us over the Magdalena, was 33 S50 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. half white, the effect of the leprosy ; yet he plied his paddle with vigour, and seemed robust. The usual appearance presented by those who suffer under this disorder, is that of livid and white blotches on the elbows, knuckles, and other ex- posed parts of the body. CHAPTER XIV. NAVIGATION OF THE JVIAGDALENA. •April 17th. We sent our baggage, tent, with its poles and pins, sa'ddles, provisions, and cooking utensils, down to the landing this morning; and after taking leave of the attentive old Diego, who refused any compensation for his house, or the trouble he had been at, rode a mile and a half to our champan, which had received its cargo, and was ready to push off. These canoes, somewhat resembling a Durham- boat, very strongly built of several large pieces of timber, are forty or fifty feet long, six or eight feet wide, and from ten to twelve tons burthen. The centre part, containing the cargo, is covered with poles bent in a semicircular form, reaching from one gunwale to the other, thatched, and made imper- vious to the weather, with palm leaves. A space at each end, of about five or six feet, under this shelter, is left unoccupied by the cargo, for the ac- commodation of passengers. In this little nook, with packages of tobacco en- veloped in raw hides, for our floor and beds, cover- ed with a canopy of palm leaves, decorated with festoons of dried beef and fish, and bouquets of gar- lic, we nestled ourselves, to commence the tedious navigation of the Masdalena. £52 NOTES ON COLOMBIA* The crew, consisting of a patron and nine hands* ourselves and servant, with two other passengers,, made the number of persons ou board amount to fifteen. The stern was furnished with a place for cooking, made of bricks. On the top of the cham- pan we tied our hen-coop ; and clusters of plantains intended for the crew, lined the whole side. We pushed off at 11 f, A. M. eight of the boat men paddling furiously, chanting in chorus, and keeping the time, by striking the side of the champan with their paddles. At 12, passed a beautiful sugar-loaf mountain, directly in the course of the river, apparently blocking the passage — * 1S|, banks of moderate height, basaltic looking walls. At 1|, passed the first house, a neat cot- tage, surrounded by plantains ; opposite, a conical hill — river, one hundred and fifty yards wide — no appearance of cultivation. A ridge of moun tains, running at right angles to the river, terminates at the shore. At If, a small rapid river, emptying into the Magdalen a, drove the champan with violence to- wards a bluff, opposite. It required the utmost ex- ertions of the eight paddles to prevent our going ashore. In this conflict, the side of the canoe was turned to the current, and the stern driven foremost, down the stream. After passing the rapid, the cham- pan was* easily turned to its proper position. At %, P. M. landed at a house owned by some fishermen ; found the people employed in curing and drying a spotted fish, resembling our catfish. MAGDALENA. £53 and four or five feet long. Slung our hammocks under some trees, ou the bank of the river, and en- joyed a fine breeze ; procured some fine pine-apples, guavas, and cocoa-nuts ; dined, and got on board at 4|. At 5, passed a small island ; came in sight of another ridge of mountains terminating at the river ; both shores covered with wood ; no cultivation. At 5.10, a sand bank — high rocky clifts turn the river to the west, nearly at right angles. Fine prospect opened — country of little elevation, bounded by mountains in the distance — at 5|, another sand bank — saw the first cayman, lying like a log, in the sun. Shortly after, saw a large collection on the borders of a small creek ; on approaching, they plunged, one after the other, under the water. Although these mammoth reptiles are called gene- rally through the country, caymans or alligators, the kind found in this river, as also in the Orinoco and its tributaries, is the true crocodile, similar to that of the Nile. One found by M. Bonpland, on the shores of the Apure, measured twenty-four feet in length. Those of the Magdalena, which we saw, were from two feet, to twelve or fifteen. They re- semble a huge lizard. Took our station on the top of the champan, to see these monsters, and enjoy the scenery. At 6, passed a fine cleared spot, about a mile square ; lofty forests enclose it on the sides, and rear ; in front, a wall about ten feet high, rises with a small slope from the river, presenting the appearance of and immense quay. This is a beautiful situation &54» NOTES ON COLOMBIA. for a farm. At 6|, a small island — high mountains on the right bank, clear of wood. Gathered some beans from trees overhanging the water, which were about fourteen inches long, containing twenty-two black seeds, covered with a cotton-like substance, saturated with a sweet juice. Met the mail-boat, a very small canoe, propelled by two men with pad- dles, a third, steering. At 7|> stopped for the night, at a hut, on the right bank, after having navigated but six hours. JLipril 18th. After a night made uncomfortable by heat and moschetos, we embarked at 6|, in a dense fog; passed an island about half a mile long; one channel being filled with huge trees — 71? a wooded island, half a mile long; river sometimes swells to a mile in width. At 8|, the small village Guarumo, of fifteen or twenty huts, built in a grove of cocoa-palm trees, on the right bank, opposite an island, two miles long ; at its lower extremity, a small island. At a quarter before nine, stopped at some houses on the left bank. After breakfasting, started at 10f, at 13J, a beautiful circular island, crowned with a tuft of trees. The shores of the river, about eight feet high, covered with a strong growth of timber. At 12.20, a small river, one hundred yards wide, on the right bank — water clear and black, forming a contrast with that of the Magdalena, which is very muddy — 12|, passed Buenavista, a small, thatched village, of twelve houses and a church, in a clear spot, of about eight acres, on the left bank. Ou the right, an island, one mile and a half long— MAGDALENA. 255 at its lower extremity, on the left bank, the river Amie flows into the Magdalena, by two mouths— the shores, about eight feet high. Just below the Amie, an island, one mile long. At 1, an island in the centre, half a mile long ; at its lower end, on the right bank, a fine navigable creek. The river one mile wide ; snags and sawyers, and much floating wood ; one or more alligators constantly in sight. At 1|, the river narrows suddenly to half a mile — the water of a dark colour, resembling coffee grounds ; current very rapid ; an island on the left bank, half a mile long ; If, a low, sandy island, one-fourth of a mile long. At 1.40, passed the Rio Claro, a fine creek, the mouth nearly obscured by the luxuriant growth ; it contributes much water to the Magda- lena; 1.50, two islands — that on the left bank, cover- ed with fine timber. The centre channel through which we passed, is but two hundred yards wide. At S|, came to a fine large island, a mile broad ■ — 3, another, one mile and a half long — 3§, a low sandy island, half a mile. Remarkable fine echo ; the first repeat is soon heard, the second, after a long interval, and much more distinct than the first — 3.40, a small island, one hundred yards long, on the left bank — country low, and well wooded — at a considerable distance ahead, two ridges of moun- tains. At 4.50, passed the river Cocorna, on the left bank, about fifty yards wide, its mouth filled with sunken trees — an island and sand bar, oppo- site. A very long island terminates here. Find- ing our kennel below growing intolerable, on 256 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. account of the heat, and the villanous compounds, exhaled in every variety of combination, by the agency of a vertical sun ; we converted our tent into an awning, and contrived to stretch it on the top of the champan. Having now a shelter from the di- rect rays of the sun, we had a fine opportunity, from an elevated situation, of admiring the scenery, with the advantage of a free circulation of air. At 5£, an island on the left bank, one mile long. Hear a loud and disagreeable roar, not unlike that of the lion, said to be produced by a species of red monkeys. The extraordinary powers of voice of these animals, are attributed by the Baron Cu- vier, to a large guttural cavity, with which they are provided. At 5^, the river swells to a great width; the islands are so numerous that it is impossible to particularize them. At 7? stopped for the night, at the village San-Jose de Nare. Nare is built immediately on the river; it con- tains, according to the statement of the governor, about three hundred souls. The houses are built of canes and thatched. We remained for the night at the governor's house, a one- story building with a clay floor. We found his excellency feeding his mules at the door. The importance which he seem- ed to attach to the examination of our passport, and the preparations he made for endorsing it, gave me much amusement. From his sapient look, one would have supposed, that he was about to sign a treaty, or that the weight of the department of the MAGDALENA. S57 interior rested upon his wrinkled brow; but his manner of performing this official act, beggars de- scription. He commenced by writing Nare at the bottom of the sheet, then turning over continued, Abi 19 de 1823 Pase el Com te Granada adding a flourish, which, if it were possible to have it engraved, would assuredly gain the prize offered by the bank of England. Most of the inhabitants are blacks or casts ; the Alcalde being a man of colour. His costume, when I saw him settling a dispute between two women in the street, consisted of a pair of sandals, trowsers-, and shirt, with a red sash tied around his waist, the baton of office in his hand. The boys, previously to entering the schoolhouse, knelt down at the door, to repeat their prayers to the master. These urchins were of all colours, but were uniformly dressed in pantaloons, with a Madras handkerchief tied over the shoulders, like a shawl, in place of a shirt. There is a low island opposite Nare — the river upwards of a mile wide. April l$th. At noon pushed off, after idling away the pleasantest part of the day. The whole village flocked to the bank, and with loud voices and much gesticulation, took leave of the crew, who chanted the boatman's song with increased vigour. The patron and pilot exchanged farewells with those on shore, making use of all the smart and witty sayings they were masters of. A dios co- rn S58 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. madre, a dios compadre, a dios hombre, with a plen- tiful interlarding of oaths, were bandied backward and forward, till we had got out of hearing. Just below the town, the river Nare flows into the Mag- dalena; it is about one hundred yards wide. The immense size of the plantains, which lined the top of the champan, attracted my attention. The clusters are purchased along the shores of the upper ]V:agdalena for a medio real, (six and a quarter cents.) *The ordinary sized bunches had thirty-four plantains on them ; biit upon the largest there were forty- two. Each plantain was from ten to twelve inches long, and from six to eight in circumference. A man may subsist upon two a day; so that, at the above rate, existence could be supported in this country, at a daily expense of about three mills. Few, however, if any, are reduced to so low a diet. The plantain is the substitute for bread, it may be eaten either raw or boiled, or fried in lard ; with chocolate it forms an excellent meal. A vegetable called yuca is also extremely cheap and nutritive; fifty pounds cost but six and a fourth cents. It is excellent in soup. At 1S|, passed a strait called La Angostura, about four hundred yards wide; current very rapid, the banks high. At 4.30, stopped at San-Francisco de Guarapata, a negro village of twelve huts. The whole space of ground cleared for the use of the village, does not exceed four acres ; immediately beyond this is the unreclaimed wilderness. This applies to all the towns and villages on the Mag- MAGDALENA. 359 dalena, and to most of those in Colombia, in a somewhat less degree. A few steps take you from a close- built town and dense population to impene- trable forests. Left Gruarapata at 4*| ; at 6, stopped for the night on a sand bar, which did not afford dry landing — slept on board the champan, and were much annoy- ed by the heat and clouds of moschetos. During the day, we passed eight islands more than a mile, and twelve less than half a mile long, only two houses besides the town, and five champans ascending the river — the banks low, subject to in- undations, and covered with wood. April 20th. Pushed off at 5f, A. M.— at 7 J, passed San-Bartoleme, a village of ten or twelve huts: just below, on the left bank, the river Regla empties its waters. At 7h tue river, more than a mile broad, is divided into two channels, by a large island ; we took that on the left bank, about two hun- dred yards wide. At 9, stopped at a house to break- fast; found here large tortoise-shells; from their number, it would appear that these animals consti- tute a principal article of food. Near the house is a small patch of cacao and plantains, separated by no enclosure from the tangled thicket, which sur- rounds it. Eight or ten dogs, all wounded in se- veral places, are the guardians of this solitary hut; their numerous scars showed they had been often and desperately engaged with the animals of the forest. Left our breakfast house at 10 §. At 1.40 passed the river Garare on the right bank-— at 0, &60 NOTES ON COLOMBIA, the Opone, a very small river, on the same side— a range of mountains in the distance. The whole of this day extremely hot. Met the mail boat for Bogota. A large conical straw hat completed the costume of the men employed in paddling this canoe. The exposure of the naked body to a vertical sun, to swarms of insects, and the exhalations of unbounded marshes, choked with the rankest vegetation ; and, under these circum- stances, to undergo for twenty-four, or thirty-six hours, the excessive bodily exertion of propelling a boat against a rapid current, shows, in a very striking point of view, the happy constitution of man, which thus adapts itself to, or fortifies itself against impressions, that otherwise would inevita- bly prove fatal. We passed to-day, eighteen large, and forty-four small islands, only two houses, and not a single champan; the country but little elevated, and co- vertd with wood. At6|, stopped on a small sandy island for the night, and went to sleep under our tent on the roof of the canoe. April 21st. Were startled from our sleep by vivid lightning, and before the tent could be struck, and the mats and bedclothes carried below, we were com- pletely drenched with rain. At 5|, A. M. set off in the rain— at 9, a small river on the right bank— i.S|, a small river on the left, called Simitar. The whole of this morning, we heard the disa- greeable howling of the large monkeys. Saw numerous Hocks of chattering paroquitos, or small MAGDALEN A. 26 £ parrots, some penguins, and another aquatic bird, resembling a crane. At l&f , arrived at San-Pablo, a village of forty rude huts ; within twenty yards of the skirts of the village, the forest remains as nature formed it — not the least sign of cultivation. The inhabitants live principally on a kind of large catfish, like that found in the Mississippi. Left San-Pablo at 4|, the weather clear. At 6, stopped for the night at a sand-bar, elevated but a few inches above the level of the water. Imme- diately on landing, fires were kindled for cooking, and the tents were pitched upon the sand. We found two huts made of boughs, which were occu- pied by fishermen, who make a temporary resi- dence of the bar, during the fishing season. The beauty of the hard sand, the diminutive size and little elevation of the bar, the fires, huts, and tents, the groups of half naked Indians, the clear moon-light, and delightful serenity of the air, con- spired to render the scene, as we enjoyed it from the roof of the champan, under our green mos- cheto nets, extremely striking and agreeable. I was much pleased at witnessing the harmony and affection subsisting among the crew, and their good humoured playfulness. Our little society must now have amounted to more than twenty, Indians, Ne- groes, and Zambos. The latter are a fine race of men ; they are not so robust as the Indians, but have more activity, both of mind and body. In order to test their strength and agility, I in- duced them to jump, by setting the example; but 2b% NOTES ON COLOMBIA. they did not excel at this exercise, most probably for want of practice. My bath in the evening was rendered uncomfortable, owing to the extreme tur- bidness of the water, and a fear of the caymans, which are seen constantly on the shores of the river, the islands, and sand-bars. We met to-day, three champans, passed four isolated houses, and eight larger and twenty-five smaller islands. The banks still low, subject to inundation, and covered with wood. April 22d. Slept well last night in the open air, but awoke this morning with a most distress- ing pain on the crown of the head, which continued almost all day. This I attributed to the intense heat of the sun upon my head, but imperfectly shielded, by an unlined straw hat ; and the partial bath, I had taken the preceding evening, without wetting my head, owing to my apprehension of the caymans. Embarked at 5|, A. M., cloudy and cool. Shortly after, were hailed by a man from the shore, who inquired, whether we were taking tobacco to Mo- rales. A little below, saw the Colombian flag dis- played, which we scarcely knew whether to con- sider a good or a bad omen. At lOf, the river ex- pands to about three miles in breadth, innumerable small wooded islands are sprinkled over its surface, in every direction, rendering the navigation difficult to the most experienced pilot — a stranger would in- evitably be lost in this labyrinth of different chan- nels. At 13f stopped at Barillo, a village of thirty MAGDALENA. 268 cane huts, on the right bank — the inhabitants, In- dians, Negroes, and Zambos. At If, pushed off after taking in wood and water. At 6, the small river Nebreja, on the right bank — 7> stopped to cook on a sandy island, infested by moschetos. At 8|, em- barked, and proceeded all night. Our patron was stimulated to this exertion, by the fear that Morales might have some small parties holding possession of the river, and in the hope of eluding their vigi- lance, by this nocturnal movement. This arrange- ment was extremely agreeably to us, as the incon- venience of our confined situation, and the heat of the sun, directly in our zenith at noon, had be- come insufferable. To-day we met twochampans, and passed ten de- tached houses. The islands were so numerous, that it was impossible to count them. The banks still low and wooded — mountains in the distance. April 23d. At 3, A. M. we were driven from the tent, on the top of the champan, by the rain. At 1.4*5, passed Hamione, a small village on the left bank — about two miles lower down, a larger one called Blanco. This village is somewhat ele- vated, as well as the country below it, affording for the first time, a view of the land near the river. At 2, passed the river Lobo, on the left bank. This evening, after a most gorgeous sunset, we were gra- tified by the singing of a bird, at regular intervals, of perhaps a minute ; but what was our surprise, on recognising in its song, the first seven notes of the well-known air of the " Rose tree." The tone was 264 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. that of the high notes of the flute, and might under other circumstances have been mistaken for that in- strument. We drifted down stream all night. April 2&th. After a rainy night, we came in sight of Mompos early in the morning, and were boarded by a large canoe, mounting two or three swivels — exhibited our passports, and were allowed to pro- ceed. A few minutes after, a small canoe, laden with fish, fruits, and dulces, having some women on board, came along side, to traffic their provisions for tobacco. After their small commercial exchanges were effected, one of another kind succeeded, con- sisting of boatmen's wit and good humoured railery, which continued till we were out of hearing. Mompos, in 9° 19' north latitude, and 2° 44' 30" east longitude from Washington, dignified withTthe name of city, is built on the left bank, immediately on the river. The wall which runs along the front street, is built in the water, of excellent masonry, about twelve feet high; its top handsomely finished off with a coping of hewn stone. From the river, this wall has the appearance of a battery. It extends along nearly the whole front of the town, about half a mile, forming a delightful walk. The houses are well built, tastefully painted, and have a very clean and comfortable appearance. One of the churches fronts the river, having its little square extending to the water wall. When the river is full, the front street is covered with about two feet of water. The present height of the street above the river is about ten feet 5 there MAGDALENA. 265 are convenient stone steps leading to its surface., These steps are continually crowded by girls, each having an earthen vase on her head, shoulder, or hip, to procure water for domestic uses. These groups have often reminded me of some scriptural pieces, representing a similar scene. It seems as if the ancient dress, and the very shape of the vase ? had been retained. It would appear strange for an antiquary to seek for models of antiquity in this new country ; yet so little change has taken place since its first settlement, that many articles and customs introduced from Spain three hundred years ago, have not undergone the slightest modification. The houses in particular are evidently of Moorish construction. The depth of the town is about two hundred and fifty yards. The houses would bear a favourable comparison with those of Caracas. Many are fur- nished with green Venetian blinds, which afford a pleasing contrast to the white walls. The gardens are planted with fine tall palms, and beautiful plan- tains. I was informed the place contained twelve or fourteen churches, a number quite dispropor- tioned to its size. Immediately adjoining the enclosures of the rear houses, of this compactly built town, you find a thicket in precisely the same state, as when the first settler established himself. Remained at Mompos the 25th. A house on the levee was offered to us; but not liking it, we ac- cepted that assigned us by the Alcalde. Presented our letters to the administrator of the customs; and 34) g66 NOTES ON COLOMBIA, received every politeness from him, with offers of service. April 26th, On embarking to-day at noon, found we had left our fellow passengers, and taken on board a lady and her son, who were going to Oarthagena. We recognised in our new passenger, the person who had made an offer of the house, She- accepted a seat under our tent, or awning, on the top of the champan, and beguiled the time by her talent for conversation. She made inquiries after persons we had known, and recently seen in Bogota, and related many anecdotes of them, and the parts they had taken in the revolution, After the frost of ceremony had melted away, she men- tioned with great good humour, that our Creole servant, to whom she had addressed herself, on our landing, had endeavoured to pass himself upon her as a North American, and persisted in answer- ing " yes," and " I don't understand," to all her inquiries. This lady had been married just before the revo- lution, at the age of thirteen, through the influence and authority of her parents, and much against her own inclination; as she was unwilling to leave school, and surrender her baby-house, dolls, and childish plays, for the dignified demeanour, and the duties of a wife. She explained the precipitation of her parents by saying, that it was considered an honour to form an alliance with a native of old Spain; and that to avoid the chance of her electing an American for a husband, which would have dis- MAGDALENA. S67 graced the family, one was provided for her before she had any idea of making a selection for herself. She prided herself, that her husband was a good American at heart, though born in Spain. On learning we were North Americans, she said she had assisted at a celebration of our national festival on board a small steam-boat, owned by an American. She represented the entertainment as having been very agreeable, and did not conceal that most of the gentlemen, and some of the ladies, herself among the number, had done such complete honour to the day, that they were obliged to remain all night on board the boat. At 13f, passed a small village — 3|, stopped to cook — 5| the small village San-Fernando, some- what retired from the river, on the right bank. At 7? Santa- Ana, a small village on the same bank. The country below Mompos continues low and flat, and being clear of wood, wears the appearance of cultivation. This, however, is not the case, except in a few small patches, covered with plan- tains. The banks on both sides, present the most enchanting sites for houses and farms. A short time after steam-boats shall have been established on this majestic river, these waste lands will be covered with plantains, coffee, rice, cotton, cacao, indigo, tobacco, and maize ; the tiresome uniformity of the shores will be relieved by handsome villas, and the busy hum of civilization succeed to the dis- agreeable howling of the wild monkey. la the evening, saw innumerable, brilliant jack- &6S NOTES ON COLOMBIA. o-lanthorns moving in every direction. We con- tinned our downward course all night, being carried by the current. Although it was cool when we retired to rest, it became so oppressively hot during the night, that it was impossible to sleep. Jlpril 27th. Was startled out of my sleep this morning, by the sting of some animal ; on taking off my jacket to discover the assailant, I received an- other puncture in the arm. I found it to be a scor- pion, about four inches long. The two minute punctures were scarcely discernible; but around each, the inflammation extended so rapidly, that its progress could be distinctly marked. Before I could procure a lime, the juice of which is consider- ed the best remedy, the discoloration had extended over the whole arm. As I had associated the idea of horror with the sting of these reptiles, I was a good deal alarmed ; but I soon found that scorpions were only terrible in poetry. The inconvenience was very inconsiderable. At 8|, passed San-Brano, a small thatched village built on a bluff point, on the left bank. At 9|, a handsome village called Plata, on the same side. — > At IS. 10, passed Teneriffe, a town partly in ruins, on the right bank — 3|, a village of seventeen huts, on left bank— 5|, a village of eight huts, on the right. The country to-day low ; trees along the bank, but no forests ; detached houses more numerous. The Sierra de Santa-Marta covered with snow in the distance. The breadth of the river, since leaving MAGDALENA. 269 Mompos, does not vary much from a mile — islands less numerous. At 9|, P. M. arrived at Barancas, the termina- tion of our tedious and uncomfortable navigation. This was the eleventh day from our leaving Honda, the head of navigation, and the twenty-second from Bogota. But as we had been detained one day in Guaduas, six in Honda, one in Mompos, and had taken four days in the journey from Bogota to Honda, which can be conveniently performed in three ; it results, that the whole route from the capi- tal to Barancas, may easily be made in thirteen days. The distance from the latter place by land to Carthagena is twenty-three leagues, which re- quires two days more, in all fifteen days. Allowing the same length of time for the navigation to the United States from Carthagena, we should receive advices from the capital of Colombia, even by the present tardy modes of communication, in thirty days. But, when the road to Honda shall have beeu improved, that distance may be accomplished in one day. Steam-boats will reach Barancas in four days ; and on the sixth, the traveller may arrive at Carthagena. A steam navigation of ten days to the United States, will bring us advices from Bogota in sixteen days. We landed from our champan at Barancas about 10 o'clock, on a fine moonlight night — the tempe- rature of the air delightful. We were detained some considerable time in the plaza, sitting upon our bag %fO NOTES ON COLOMBIA. gage, and surrounded by the crew, who had brought pur effects from the boat, waiting for the arrival of the Alcalde. A house had been assigned us, but it was unoccupied, and the key could not be found. At length, the Alcalde's appearance put us in pos- session of our lodging. In a few minutes our ham- mocks, (a luxury we had not enjoyed for some time,) were suspended from the rafters. The Alcalde pro- mised to provide mules or horses at sunrise, which, with these gentlemen, is equivalent to about 10 o'clock; and, after a delightful bath, I retired to my hammock with a better prospect of enjoying a comfortable sleep than had been afforded me for a fortnight. CHAPTER XV, .TOURNEY TO CARTHAGENA — LEAVE BARANCAS — AMATIS— = TURBACO ITINERARY ARRIVAL CARTHAGENA. THE lady of Mompos continued with our party. She, as well as her negro servant woman, cut a very singular figure, when prepared for the road. She did not use a saddle, but between two trunks strapped upon the horse's back, some bundles and a pillow were placed, and upon these she sat like a tailor. Besides the trunks, there were baskets and some articles of furniture ; and a utensil, which^ above all others, I supposed a lady would have dispensed with, on such an occasion, tied by its handle, hung dangling at the horse's flanks. But, such is their French indifference to these matters,, that our fair traveller even drew my attention to her indispensable, with an expression of apprehension, lest it should get broken by the jolting of the horse. April 28th. Left Barancas at 9, A. M.— arrived at Amatis at 5, P. M.-— eleven leagues, resting one hour at dinner. Amatis, a large village, was destroyed last year by fire ; it is now nearly rebuilt. The houses are constructed of canes, covered with rushes. The dividing partitions of the interior do not extend to the roof, but only as high as the eaves, leaving a %72 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. large space formed by the pitch of the roof, for the circulation of air. The road is level, and winds through a forest of large and beautiful cotton-wood trees. The vines bearing the vanilla bean were pointed out to us. April 29th. Left Amatis, at 6|" . At half a league from the town, forded a creek ; on reaching the op- posite side, a demand of one real for each mule, was made. As this demand of toll for permission to ford a river, appeared somewhat unreasonable, I he- sitated to comply ; till the mule conductor and our companion informed me, that it was an established revenue of Carthagena, for the purpose of keeping a water communication from Barancas to that city open, by means of the canal we were then crossing. As Carthagena is not at the embouchure of the Magdalena, this communication, will, at no distant day, be rendered practicable for boats, which will save the twenty-three leagues land carriage from Barancas to the city. The ground is very favour- able; a few thousand dollars, by following the course which nature has traced, would complete the work. On making inquiries afterwards, at Carthagena, I understood that a navigable canal had formerly existed between that city and the Magdalena; though for many years it has ceased to be useful, for want of the necessary attention to its repair. This work is said to have been found by the earliest European settlers, and is attributed to the Indians, or some former occupants of the soil. At 12|, entered the village Alhone — six leagues, TURBACO. 273 and at £§, arrived in the rain, at Turbaco — two leagues further, where we stopped for the night. While seeking shelter under the porch of an unoc- cupied house, till the Alcalde could be found, we received a polite invitation, to occupy an excellent mansion, belonging to a gentleman of Carthagena, We found these quarters excellent, and the house- keeper very attentive to our comfort. This town, the summer retreat of the wealthy in- habitants of Carthagena, is celebrated for its health- ful and pleasant climate ; its elevation above the sea, is about 1000 feet. A mile to the east of Turbaco, are situated small mounds, from which water and air are discharged, called los volcancitos. According to the Indian tra- dition, these mounds formerly gave out flames, but were converted, by the efficacy of some holy water sprinkled on them, by a pious priest, into volcanes de agua. They consist of eighteen or twenty cones, about twenty feet high, having an opening at the apex, filled with water, from which azotic gas is discharged with considerable noise, at intervals of half a minute. During the early part of the revolution, this town was destroyed by the orders of the patriot General Castillo, whose plan of defence was to create a de- sert around his post. While blockaded in the city, Bolivar was sent by the congress, with some troops to relieve the place, and assume the command. Castillo refused to acknowledge his authority, or receive him into the city ; upon which, the President 35 &74 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. with characteristic disinterestedness, placed his troops at Castillo's disposal, and embarked for the Islands, to procure supplies of arms and munitions. Carthagena, after undergoing all the horrors of a siege and bombardment, surrendered at discretion, and its ill-fated commander was executed by the Spaniards. April 30th. Left Turbaco at 4, A. M. and stop- ped at a house a little without the walls of Cartha- gena, at 8, A. M.— four leagues. Here we left our riding mules, and procured a calesa, a clumsy ve- hicle drawn by one horse, to make our entrance into the town. The driver, a large negro, straddled his diminutive pony, and in a few minutes, brought us to the residence of William D. Robinson, Esq. who had given us a polite invitation to remain with him, during our stay in Carthagena. We were detained in this city, waiting for a ves- sel, till the 7th of June, when we embarked on board a small schooner of ninety tons, and after an unpleasant passage, arrived in New York on the 4 £ O A si 4) 3 5*3 «° d> CO ^e£ 2 S en " |-| -£ 4) 5 5 o ._- t. d cS "' _, o *C ti- S'l - en 4> Articles subject to specific "c •ag W 'S rates of duty- From the United o O o States or Europe. y *5 o O S ** 'R £ o a ° o ft fH CO to Iron in bars, and other Q fj forms, not manufactured $2 01 quintal c o a Iron manufactured, except S CO ^3 those articles declared d o V o free - 6 00 do. o JO Liquors, in bottles 3 00 dozen CO .5 e§ Pork, salted - 3 00 quintal «4S *d 1) smoked 2 50 do. 4) c +3 Powder ... 8 00 do. .a 4) o _C I Rappee - - - - 50 a bottle j Spirits from sugar-cane, a e .2 and its compounds 3 00 arroba .2 &" 1 Spirits from grapes, roots, s T3 a fruits, grain, and other 4> S o substances, in bottles 2 50 dozen '3 "d Do. not in bottles 2 00 arroba 3 4) Salt .... 1 00 quintal *d CO o Snuff .... 50 a bottle a '3 Tallow, unmanufactured 2 00 quintal "3 O 4) manufactured 5 00 do. P* CO Vinegar, in bottles 1 00 dozen CO paign ... 3 00 dozen n3 ja 41 ■d Madeira, not in bottles - 2 25 arroba u •d o -d Wine, red, in bottles 62£ dozen CO 4) not in bottles 75 arroba CD *J ^3 Wine, Malaga, Muscatel, -Q o -t-> and all wines embraced O 4-> £4 CO under the description of CO 0) a " Vino Generoso," in s tj- B bottles ... 1 50 dozen 4> "cS o 4) Do. not in bottles 1 25 arroba e3 Wine, Canary, and all other u H3 PU wines embraced under 4> P. c the description of " Vino V C 4) 4) Seco," in bottles 1 25 dozen > > 6^ cents, each ton over twenty ) On the entry of the vessel into port, the proper officer shall receive from the master or supercargo, the register, and on the sailing of the vessel, is to redeliver it to him, if the tonnage duty has been paid. Whenever a consul, or commercial agent of the Nation, to which the vessel be- longs, resides in the port, then the officer, after having re- ceived the register, and after having ascertained the ton- nage of the vessel, shall pass over the register to the Con- sul or Commercial Agent, upon his receipt, and under- taking that the duty shall be paid within ten days after the entry of the vessel. Pilotage, Light, and other Port Duties. The following charges are paid under this head: A general harbor fee on National vessels 6 dollars* Foreign vessels - - - = 12 Anchorage duty. National vessels - - - - 12 Foreign vessels - - - - 16 Beacon and Light duty. National vessels 4 Foreign =,=,„_ q Pilotage, ( where necessary.) National vessels 8 Foreign vessels . - - - - 14 In the river Guayaquil, National vessels pay a pilotage of eight, and Foreign vessels sixteen dollars, from Arena to Apuna, and the same from Apuna up to the port of Guayaquil. In the river Orinoco, the pilotage is ten dol- lars for each foot the vessel draws, from the mouth of the river to the port of Angostura, upon National or Foreign vessels. 394) NOTES ON COLOMBIA, Transit duty. There is to be paid upon all goods passing over the Isth- mus of Panama, from the one ocean to the other, a duty of two per cent, to be calculated on the value of the invoice, which is to be delivered, certified, and sworn to, as is pro- vided in the importation law. Ships' Papers and National Character of Mariners, All vessels built in Colombia, and owned by citizens thereof; or built elsewhere, and acquired by purchase or lawful capture, whereof the master and three-fourths of the mariners are Colombian citizens, are deemed by law, Co- lombian vessels. In the treaty with the United States, it is agreed that if either nation shall be engaged in war, the vessels of the other shall be furnished with sea-letters or passports, expressing the name, property, and bulk of the ship, and the name and place of habitation of the master, and when the vessels are laden, they shall also have certi- ficates containing the several particulars of the cargo, and the place whence the ship sailed. Any one who shall serve for six months on board any Colombian vessel, may obtain letters of naturalization by taking the oath of allegiance to the republic. Coasting Trade. The trade from one port to another, in Colombia, is pro- hibited to all foreign vessels. Colonial Trade* Colombia having no colonies, no observation is necessary under this head. The Island of Margarita is an integral part of the republic, and is regarded as such in all the commer- cial and political regulations of the country. APPENDIX. 295 Comparative Footing of National and Foreign ships, and of the Trade with Different Countries. WITH THE UNITED STATES. To ascertain the effect of the foregoing regulations on the commerce and navigation of the United States, it is ne- cessary to consider them in connexion with the treaty be- tween the two countries, concluded at Bogota, on the 3d of October, 1824, and with the decree of the 30th of Ja- nuary, 1826, issued in pursuance of the treaty, abolishing the discriminating duties in certain cases. The articles of the treaty on this subject are — " Article 2d. The United States of America, and the " Republic of Colombia, desiring to live in peace and " harmony with all the other nations of the earth, by " means of a policy, frank -and equally friendly with all, " engage, mutually, not to grant any particular favour to " other nations, in respect of commerce and navigation, " which shall not immediately become common to the " other party, who shall enjoy the same freely, if the con- " cession was freely made, or on allowing the same com- " pensation, if the concession was conditional. " Art. 3d. The citizens of the United States may fre- " quent the coasts and countries of the Republic of Colom- " bia, and reside and trade there, in all sorts of produce, " manufactures, and merchandise, and shall pay no other " or greater duties, charges, or fees whatsoever, than the " most favoured nation is or shall be obliged to pay ; and " they shall enjoy all the rights, privileges, and exemptions " in navigation and commerce, which the most favoured " nation does or shall enjoy." The effect of these articles was to ensure to the com- merce and navigation of the United States, at all times, the footing of the most favoured nation; and, of course, that footing is to be ascertained from the concessions which Co- 396 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. lombia may make, from time to time, to other nations. On. the 18th of April, 1825, a treaty of commerce and navi- gation was concluded between Colombia and Great Britain, which placed British commerce, as to certain purposes, on the footing of the commerce of the native, and contained the following provisions: "The same duties shall be paid on the importation into " the territories of Colombia, of any article, the growth, " produce, or manufacture, of his Britannic Majesty's do- " minions, whether such importation be in Colombian or " British vessels." "The same duties shall be paid, and the same bounties " and drawbacks allowed, on the exportation of articles the "growth, produce, or manufacture, of Colombia, to his " Britannic Majesty's dominions, whether such exportation "be in Colombian or British vessels." "No other or higher duties on account of tonnage, light " or harbour dues, pilotage, damage in case of shipwreck, " or any other local charges, shall be imposed in any of the " ports of Colombia on British vessels, than those payable "in the same ports, on Colombian vessels." These stipulations gave the United States a right, under their treaty, to have their commerce placed in the same situation, and, in consequence of their demand through their minister, the decree was issued by the Republic of Colombia, of which the following is an extract : " It being obligatory on Colombia not to grant any par- " ticular favours to other nations, in respect to commerce- "and navigation, which shall not be made common to the "United States." " It is, therefore, decreed, That there shall be paid the " same duties on the importation in the territories of Co- "lombia, of any article, the growth, produce, or manufac- " ture, of the United States, and of the territories subject "to the United States, and there shall be paid the same APPENDIX. 297 " duties, and allowed the same discount and bounties on "the exportation of any article, the growth, produce, or " manufacture, of Colombia, for the United States, whether " such importation or exportation be made in vessels of the "United States or Colombian vessels. u The vessels of the United States, which may enter the "ports of Colombia, shall pay no other or higher tonnage " dutie6, light duties, harbour charges, or other local charges, "than shall be paid on Colombian vessels in the same "ports." RECAPITULATION. From the laws and treaty, it appears that all articles, the growth, produce, or manufacture of the United States, imported into Colombia, pay the same duties, whether the importation be in United States or Colombian vessels; and, of course, that the duties payable are such as are declared in the first column of the first and second tables, when the importation is made direct from the United States, and, in the second column, when it is made through the Colonies. Under the present law, there is no difference in the amount of the export duty, whether the exportation be in national or foreign vessels, but, when the exportation is in vessels of the United states, for ports of the United States, this equality in the duty is farther protected and ensured by the treaty and decree. In the case of an exportation to any other country, the equality of the duty depends on the continuance of the law. If ever discounts or bounties should be granted on the exportation of any Colombian articles, the vessels of the United States will be, as to these privileges, on the footing of national vessels. The tonnage, light, and all other port duties, are the same on United States and Colombian vessels. In all other cases, the laws imposing discriminating 38 298 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. duties, apply to the vessels of the United States, as to other foreign vessels. The privileges enjoyed as above by the commerce and navigation of the United States, will continue until the 27th day of May, 1837, unless the treaty between Great Britain and Colombia should be sooner altered or annulled. There is no limitation on the face of that treaty. The following general provisions for the security and ex- tension of commerce are contained in the treaty between the United States and Colombia. All merchants, commanders of ships, and other persons, may manage, themselves, their own business in the ports and places of each country, as well with respect to the sale and consignment of their goods, by wholesale or retail, as with respect to their loading, unloading, and sending off their ships. The citizens of neither country, nor their vessels, nor cargoes, are liable to any embargo, unless sufficient indem- nity be made to them for the detention. Free ships make free goods, except with regard to arti- cles of contraband. The property of the citizens of the one country, found on board the vessels of an enemy of the other, is lawful prize. The trade to an enemy's port is free, unless it is block- aded, and " those places only are besieged or blockaded, which are actually attacked by a belligerent force capable of preventing the entry of the neutral;" and a vessel sail- ing to such port may be turned away, " but shall not be de- tained, nor shall any part of her cargo, if not contraband, be confiscated, unless, after warning, of such blockade/rom the commanding officer of the blockading forces, she shall again attempt to enter." The principle that " the flag shall cover the property," is not recognized by Colombia with any nation but the United States; of course the vessels of no other nation hav- APPENDIX. 299 ing Spanish property on board, are free from search and detention by Colombian privateers. Great Britain. The commerce of Colombia with Great Britain, is in all respects, regarding the amount and payment of duties, whether of import, export, tonnage or port duties, on the same footing on which the commerce of the United States is. Other European Nations. Colombia having no treaties of commerce with any other European nation, her commerce with them is governed by the rules applying to foreign vessels. Jlmerican Nations. Colombia has treaties of commerce only with Chili, Peru, and Guatemala. It is provided in them, " that the vessels and productions of each of the contracting parties shall pay no other duties of importation, exportation, tonnage, or an- chorage, than are or may be established in the ports of each other, for national vessels or productions." The effect of this article is a general abrogation of all discriminating du- ties in the commerce with those countries. In considering the right of the United States to have her commerce put on the same footing, it must be remembered that those trea- ties beside commercial regulations, have also articles which make them treaties of alliance ; how far these articles are to be considered as the equivalent for the commercial con- cessions, is a subject submitted. Colombian Ports. The ports open by law to foreign commerce, are, in the Atlantic — Pampatar and Juangriego, Riohacha, in the Island of Marga- Santa-Martha, rita, Garthagena, 300 NOTES ON COLOMBIA. Cumana, Chagres, Barcelona, Porto Bello, Laguayra, Old Guayana and St. Thomas Porto Cavello, de Angostura in the Ori- Coro, noco. Maracaibo, In the Pacific. Guayaquil, Buenaventura, and Esmeraldas, Panama. All which is respectfully submitted. R. C. ANDERSON, J. To the Secretary op State. Bogota, May 1st, 1826. APPENDIX. 301 *S S3 .S3 ■g 03 £ p£3 ^ on 41 (3 jej M wiS 03 J-H s- on 0) 03 CO J3 S3 +3 o 6J0* 3 ? 2 S sB ^ c#3 ■< 03 J .a VUM 'SO O 03 O Ph 5s g H PS •siTTnrr 1 £tOKOOCMViO>ViOC I '3Oi»00HCOCS'flO)H00Ol00 T3O>Ol"OCTlO(Nrt b. 0"3'^ , i-».»0-<#>-l-*-'1«tO OOiIOCTi«3V50*OOOOOCOtP rHr-li-lr-ICNT-lT-li-l VIY3 II 1 1 1 1 1 £111111 1 1 1 1 5 to * ft 1 Ol CM C?> O CM iCTl I CO CO 10 V) r}" CO 00 rH CM .£" L 'saaijj fi CNH rH HCMHNCNH 00 CN •ooiaxi ©coooooooooo*o otooooooo»oooo> :2O»OC>CMr-|iOCMtO»OtO00'># (MrtH CM r-l CO CM Ol 00 CTi 00 ■aaiaoQ jSCMOl CNC0t^C0 B'*co»r)coc?ico-^T-(^-iai"#o ^KKOOOiHOiOKno^CO HWMCO*OnNiOC»Hrt O 0> to CN ■<* >o CO •iwaoHvjii js 1 1 1 1 1 I 1 S 1 1 1 1 T-l Plan January February March April May June July August September October November December &o PS •S H "Sb p £ to T3 A M 4) ■w 03 5-c _Q 43 -° V3 O &C 1-1 -i.S s -o £^ s -^ . U O S) fli ^ I APPENDIX C. Prices of some of the Productions of Colombia. Petayno bark, (quina,) first quality, 10 arrobas, or 250 lbs. (mule load,) in the mountains, - - - $ 32. Do. do. at Honda, - $50. Fusagasuga bark, 2d quality, do. do. - $ 20. Copper, (fundido,) at the mines of Moniquira, Province of Socorro, 25 cts. lb. $24 a quintal. Gold dust from Choco, 1st quality, $200 per lb. Platinum, (crude,) do. from $ 4 tp 6 per lb. Camima oil, in San-Pablo, on the banks of the Magda- lena, $10 per stone bottle. Balm of Tolu, in Mompos, at $ 3 per lb. Ipecacuanha, in San-Pablo, $ 1 per lb. Vanilla in the steppes of San-Martin, at $ 3 per lb. Otter (Nutria) skins, from San-Martin. Dragon's-blood, in Honda, $ 1 per lb. Tobacco, the best in Varinas, the neighbourhood of Bai- ladores, and at Guaduas on the Magdalena, the price from $ 1 1 to 3 per quintal, according to the mode in which it is cured, and the quality. But this article is a government monopoly. Mules for burthen, $50; for the saddle, from $150 to 300. Horned cattle, in the plains, $2— are frequently killed for the hides and tallow. Hides, in the plains, $1.20. Cacao of Caracas, better than that of the islands. Coffee do. Blandin's enjoys the highest reputation. Sugar. APPENDIX. 303 Indigo, the best in Guatemala. Salt, in great quantities in the neighbourhood of Valen- cia. A mountain of salt at Zipaquira, five leagues from Bogota. Among other valuable productions are — Cotton, planted every year, or every two or three years. By the present mode of cleaning it in Colombia, one per- son can only separate 25 lbs. from its seed in a day. Cochineal, Brazil and Nicaragua woods, fustic, iron- wood, used for nuts to express the juice from the cane ; beautiful woods for. cabinet work, viz. chacaranday, cedar, black, yellow, and red ebony; mahogany, not so good as that of St. Domingo; rose-wood, and abundance of ship- timber. Gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, pearls. Gum guaiacum in the province of Caracas, resins, bal- sams, oils; medicinal plants, as sassafras, liquorice, squills, storax, cassia, guyac, aloes, quina, ginger, and sarsaparilla, in great abundance. Vegetable wax, from Velez, in the province of Socorro, and on the Rio Negro, in Antioquia, at $12 per quintal. This wax is obtained from the seed of a species of laurel. The fruit is greenish-yellow, about the size of a small olive; when boiled it yields a green, wax-like substance, which may be bleached. Candles, made of this wax, are very generally used in the country churches. The plant grows on very high lands, in a temperature from 67° to 77°, Fahr. Pita and Coquisse, hemp-like fibres obtained from the Marichi tree, and Agave Americana, destined, at some future day, if I am not mistaken, to constitute one of the staples of Colombia. V-