nevado. These form a back-ground to the town, all of them clothed with fine timber or brush-wood. The intermediate flat is interspersed with numerous rosas, or quintas, were fruits and vegetables are grown to supply the market; but, as they belong chiefly to poor people, few of them are in any kind of order. On ascending the head-land which protects the harbour from northerly winds, on the one side is a highly picturesque and panoramic view of the town and bay; on the other, a great extent of ocean, with the bold coast of Terra Firma stretching to windward. We used very much to enjoy the breezes on this spot, it being many degrees cooler than the town. Within a league of the city, are some natural saltpits, from which salt is obtained in sufficient quantities to render it capable of being made an important article of trade. Silver, also, is said to have been found in the vicinity, and a mine of lead has been discovered under the citadel. Some particles of this, or some other metal, are sometimes found mixed with the fine sand of the beach. At the village of Ocana, 220 miles S. of Santa Marta, copper ores are found; but the mines in this province are either of little importance, or have hitherto received very inadequate attention. From the port of Santa Marta, it is a distance of seven or eight leagues along the coast to the Cienega (the lake),* near which is the Indian village of Pueblo Viejo, whence there is a water-communication, through a succession of lakes and canals, to the villages of Barranquilla and Solidad. These two places, situated on navigable canals communicating *The lagoon, or cienega, of Santa Marta, has a communication with the sea by a channel sometimes navigable for canoes. These lagoons are navigated by canoes, and are so shallow, that, though drawing only two feet water, the canoes sometimes ground. with the Magdalena, are depôts for goods brought from Santa Marta to be conveyed up the river. Solidad is a place of considerable extent, built of sundried clay, containing nearly 2,000 inhabitants. The exports consist chiefly of cotton, which is exchanged for Osnaburg shirting, Russia duck, hard-ware, &c. The heat is almost intolerable by day. Here, on the 3d of April, Captain Cochrane embarked for Honda. There is a tolerable road, mostly through thick palm forests, from Barranquilla to Barranca ; but, beyond the latter place, there is no tolerable route by land.* VOYAGE UP THE MAGDALENA. : The only craft employed on the Magdalena, are piraguas and champans. The former are, in general, employed by travellers who have not much baggage, and by the government-couriers they are merely trees hollowed out with an axe. A piragua from sixteen to twenty varas in length, costs 200 dollars Those which are engaged at Barranca or at Santa Marta, do not ascend higher than Monpox, a distance of forty-six leagues and a half from the former town, which occupies from three to five days; and more than twenty are required to go from Monpox to Honda. It is not at all uncommon, indeed, we are told, after the rainy season, to be delayed from fifty to sixty days in navigating from the Santa Marta to Honda, owing to the violence of the current; whereas, in descending the river, the post generally reaches the coast in seven days. Champans, which are employed in the conveyance of merchandise, are flat-bottomed boats, about *The route from Barranquilla to Barranca is given by Col Hall. The distance is twenty-five leagues and a half. At three leagues from Barranquilla, the road separates to Cartagena, distant thirty-four leagues. The next five leagues are over a level tract, which is subject to inundation in winter. the size of the fruit-boats used on the Seine, covered in with bamboos to preserve the cargoes from rain: this roof serves also as a deck for the bogas, or boatmen, on which they place themselves to push along the boat with their poles. A champan usually carries a hundred loads (cargas = 10 arrobas, or 250 lb), the freight of which, from Monpox to Honda, is nine or ten dollars per load. Down the river, the freight is only a dollar and a half. The crew of a champan consists of twenty-four bogas, at the rate of 20 dollars each, besides their "keep" and the hire of the boat, which is about four dollars a day. These bogas are represented as the very refuse of the population, —a mixture of individuals of every colour, who have retained nothing but the vices of their respective castes, and who, when dissatisfied with their passenger, had been known to abandon him on the shore, and take to the woods. This tedious, expensive, and inconvenient mode of navigation will be soon superseded, should it be found practicable to realise the project of establishing steam vessels on the Magdalena. This wonderful invention is probably destined to accelerate, to an incalculable degree, the cultivation and civilisation both of the provinces of the Cordillera, and those of the vast plains of the Orinoco.* The navigation will not only be less tedious and precarious, but the inconveniences will be not a little alleviated by the comforts which will, by this means, be placed within the reach of the European traveller. The following is the equipment for * The English, M. Mollien says, have entreated a license for ten years, to establish steam-boats both on the Orinoco and the Sulia. The Orinoco presents the double advantage of having a wide and deep stream, and of discharging its waters into the Atlantic. "Who knows," exclaims this Traveller, "if even the Orinoco shall not one day be the only means of commucation between the ocean and the cordillera ?" The navigation of the Atrato is also likely to prove of high importance. the voyage recommended by Captain Cochrane:—a small portable bedstead, with a toldo or covering of strong linen, to keep out the mosquitoes and sandflies, price, at Solidad, fifteen dollars; pillows, sheets, and blankets should be brought from Europe; two or three dresses of Holland sheeting, with footing of the same material, instead of stockings; shoes of strong Holland, with leather soles, and a pair of English shooting-shoes for landing in the mud; two broad-brimmed straw hats; a saddle with holsters; a sword, a dirk, and a pair of pocket pistols; two good mats,—one to lie on in the canoe, the other fitted to the sacking of the bed, to prevent the mosquitoes from penetrating it at night; cooking utensils-e. g. a large copper chocolate-pot, a copper vessel for making soup, ditto for stews, ditto for frying eggs, two blocktin plates, three dishes, two tin cups for drinking, and a small tin measure for serving out spirits to the bogas, who will not work well without a dram every morning of the anise of the country, of which a jar or two must be provided; item, knives, forks, spoons, and small duck table-clothes; item, "all wine, tea, coffee, chocolate, sugar, salt, dried beef, hams, tongues, live fowls, eggs, biscuits, torcino, or cured pork-fat, for frying eggs, and plantains and dried salt meat for the bogas." Some of these articles, our French Traveller, who had explored the shores of the Senegal, does not appear to have found indispensably necessary; but Captain Cochrane is writing for Eng lishmen, who, as well as the bogas, must eat. 66 Our ordinary repast," he says, "consisted of bread, soup, fried eggs, and sausages. At each place, for a quarterdollar, we procured a female cook, which relieved us from all trouble on that score." Ten leagues is reckoned, in ascending the river, a "good day's journey." At noon on the eighth day, the city of Monpox appeared in sight pleasantly situ ated on the left bank of the river. At a distance, the white houses with their red roofs have a neat and clean appearance; but, on a nearer approach, this is exchanged for the general distressed look of Spanish cities. The town is above a mile in length; the streets are of a good breadth, crossing each other at right angles, and some are even furnished with foot-ways. The only decent-looking houses, however, are in the centre of the place, the rest being mere sheds. The population is about 10,000 souls.* “It formerly contained 18,000; but the miseries of an exterminating civil war have reduced the inhabitants to the present number." The country surrounding the city is entirely in a state of nature. Captain Cochrane could not discover a cultivated spot near the place. All is rich and luxuriant, but not through the labour of man. The chief exports are corn, hides, and Brazil-wood, in return for which are taken European commodities. Pamplona and Cuenta transmit some tobacco, sugar, and chocolate, to this entrepot; Antioquia sends her gold, and Bogota, the produce of the Upper Magdalena. Were the expenses attending the transmission of merchandise lessened, this place would most probably recover, in a very short time, its commercial importance. It is, at present, the grand rendezvous of the bogas, whose numbers on the banks of the river amount to nearly 10,000. This part of the population, it will be of no small advantage to the place to disperse, should steamboats be introduced. But nothing can make Monpox a desirable residence. "The climate,” says M. Mollien, is burning, the thermometer ranging from 25° to 30° (of Reaumur);† the inhabitants consequently * Including the neighbouring villages, the Author of Letters from Colombia says, it is estimated at 15,000. + Captain Cochrane says, "the thermometer in the shade was, on the average, at 96°," |