Journeij through Colombia and Ecuador. 301 



mostly negroes from the West Indies^ with a few Chinese. Its 

 nnhealthiness is due to the pestilential swamps which sur- 

 round the town at the back. The railway^ which has taken 

 over 20 years to build, comes to an end at a spot in the 

 woods 26 miles inland, called San Jose, at the foot of the 

 outlying mountains, where a few sheds and miserable huts 

 have sprung up. From this place the journey inland has to 

 be continued on horses for the remaining three days to Cali. 

 The road runs along the sides of beautiful narrow valleys, 

 through gorges, and over forest-covered mountains. The 

 scenery everywhere is indeed wonderful ; but what makes this 

 one of the most interesting journeys I have ever taken, is 

 the surprising number of birds to be seen everywhere. 

 Nowhere else in South America have I seen examples of so 

 many species in so short a distance. When the summit of 

 the Western Andes was reached, a marvellous view suddenly 

 burst upon us. A broad, flat, fertile valley lay below us, 

 backed up far away in the distance by the snow-peaks of the 

 Central Andes, while the Cauca River, winding about like a 

 long silver ribbon, lay before us. Thousands of feet below 

 nestled the picturesque town of Cali, with its even rows 

 of red-tiled roofs shining in the suu. The road down is 

 steep, winding, and wearisome, and the distance very 

 deceptive. The eastern side of the mountains is remarkably 

 burnt up and barren, compared with the damp, luxuriant 

 forests which clothe the western slopes to the summit. About 

 2000 feet above Cali we noticed hundreds of Swallow- tailed 

 Kites [Elanoides furcatus) circling about in the air, and very 

 pretty they looked as they flew. We stopped only a few 

 days in Cali, and were occupied during that time in finding 

 horses and arranging for our journey south to Popayan. 



May is the best month for travelling in this part of Colombia; 

 we found the beginning of April too early, as the roads, at all 

 times bad, were then in most parts all but impassable, while 

 the rivers were swollen and dangerous to cross. So, instead 

 of taking five days for the journey to Popayan, we took nearlv 

 ten. The whole country between Cali and Popayan is given 

 up to ranching, and that which is not grazing-land is under 



