Observers' Field Reports 181 



Within a day after leaving La Urbana, the strong wind of the dry season failed and the 

 remaining distance up the Orinoco and practically the whole of the long distance up the 

 Meta River to Orocue was covered by poling. As the boat was rather heavy and the 

 Meta soon began to rise with a strong current, due to the advance of the rainy season, 

 the travel was very difficult and slow, 12 or 15 miles being a good day's travel. The 

 breaking of a rope while hauling the boat up through rapids at Cariben near the mouth 

 of the Meta fortunately did not result in disaster. Toward the latter part of the traveling 

 to Orocu6, the question of food for the boatmen became serious, as the journey had 

 taken more time than had been expected, and there had been no opportunity of obtaining 

 additional provisions along the river, there being no inhabitants for about 300 miles below 

 Orocue\ However, a lighter canoe was secured at Orocue, enabling us to make the trip 

 of 180 miles to Barrigon between May 26 and June 7. 



The ride by mule from Barrigon to Villa Vicencia required 3 days, part of which 

 was very slow going through deep mud, swamps, lagoons, rivers, etc. The 3 days from 

 Villa Vicencia to Bogota, where we arrived June 18, was on a rough mountain trail (see 

 views 1 and 2 of Plate 6). At Bogota several days were required to obtain information 

 concerning practicable routes to the Amazon, and to attend to various other matters of 

 the expedition. At the time of leaving Bogota, the exact route to the Amazon had not 

 been selected, as more information was required before making a final decision. 



The trip by rail from Bogota to Girardot was made on June 30, leaving 2 days there 

 for reoccupation of station and diurnal-variation observations before catching the weekly 

 steamer on July 3 for Purificacion. Work was prevented on July 1 and 2 by an attack 

 of malaria, and as it seemed inadvisable to delay a week, the station at Girardot was not 

 reoccupied. On July 7 we rode to Neiva by mule from Purificacion. The magnetic 

 station of 1909 was reoccupied, and the route to Putumayo River via Caqueta River 

 decided upon. The trip by mule from Neiva to Florencia was made between July 10 

 and July 17. The travel from Purificacion to Guadalupe was through a hot, dry, dusty 

 valley; the remainder, between Guadalupe and Florencia, was wet mountain travel. 



A small canoe, 2 boatmen, and a servant were engaged at Florencia, and the trip 

 by river began July 20. The Rio Orteguaza was followed to the Rio Caqueta, which 

 was reached July 25. A more direct route from this point to the lower Putumayo is to 

 follow down the Caqueta 8 days to Las Delicias, make a 3-days' portage to the Rio 

 Igara-Parana, and follow this river to the Putumayo. This route, however, could not 

 be followed, as the Colombian boatmen feared the Peruvian soldiers at Las Delicias. 

 From the mouth of the Rio Orteguaza the Rio Caqueta was descended one-half day to 

 the mouth of the Rio Micaya, then this river was ascended 6 days to an Indian camp 

 from which there was a trail to the Putumayo. The 2 boatmen alone made such slow 

 progress up stream that all members of the party were compelled to help. Upon arrival, 

 July 31, the Indian camp was found deserted, and Indians to carry luggage could not be 

 found before August 12, when the portage began. The portage, even under the best 

 conditions, is a very poor trail. It was rendered much worse by heavy rains and the last 

 of the luggage did not reach the Putumayo until August 16. A canoe then carried us 

 down stream to La Reforma in 3 hours. 



As boatmen could not be secured from the scanty population along the river, a canoe 

 and a supply of provisions were purchased, and I started down river with one servant 

 on August 18. El Jubineto, the Peruvian outpost, was reached August 22, where an 

 escort of soldiers was kindly provided to accompany me to El Encanto, which we reached 

 August 27. A launch was then taken to the mouth of the Rio Igara-Parana, where 

 the canoe traveling was resumed as before for 17 days to the Amazon, which was reached 

 September 17. Stations were occupied along the entire route from Florencia to Santo 

 Antonio do lea at the mouth of the Putumayo, or Lja River. 



