February. 1918 



C. U. C. P. ALUMNI JOURNAL 



21 



liMUi upon the east. Throughout much the greater portion of its course it is navi- 

 gable only for rafts, but toward its mouth there is a navigable portion which con- 

 stitutes a very important means of communication with the Magdalena River, into 

 whicli it flows about a hundred miles above the mouth of the latter. 



The Magdalena River is far more important, as a navigable stream, than all 

 the other rivers combined. Toward its mouth it is .several miles in width during 

 the rainy season. Unfortunately, ocean steamers cannot enter this river, because 

 of a large and shifting mud bar near its mouth. For this reason, passengers 

 landing at Porto Colombia, its nearest ocean port, have to travel about two hours 

 by train to the city of Barranquilla. where the custom house is located, and where 

 their baggage is examined. Barranquilla is not located directly upon the river 



MAGDALENA RIVER STEAMERS 



bank, where the ground is too low. and is subject to frequent inundations. It 

 lies a little to the west of the river, with which it is connected by an artificial canal. 

 The west bank of this canal has very extensive dockage, where a large number 

 of river steamers maintain their terminals. These steamers belong to a number 

 of different companies, but the latter have some sort of an understanding as to 

 their sailing days, so that there is not such a ruinous competition as would be 

 possible under other conditions. They are all stern-wheelers and of very light 

 draught, the largest of them drawing not more than three feet of water when 

 fully loaded. They burn wood altogether, and great delays in transit are caused 

 by the frequent and long stops required for taking on fuel. All along the river, 

 for hundreds of miles on both sides, are wood-choppers' camps where cord wood 

 is accumulated in piles as close to edge of the water as safety permits. The 

 steamer captains note all these supplies and when in need stop and barter with 



