Todd-Carriker: Birds of Santa Marta Region, Colombia. 13 



Population and Resources. 



With the exception of parts of the encircling lowlands, the whole 

 region is very sparsely populated. Santa Marta, the capital city, is 

 exceeded in size only by Cienaga, the two being connected by a rail- 

 way, which continues on to Fundacion, with several towns and settle- 

 ments along its course. Rio Hacha is the most important town on the 

 north coast, and is the gateway to the Rio Rancheria-Rio Cesar Valley, 

 where are located numerous towns and villages. The principal oc- 

 cupation of the inhabitants is agriculture and cattle-raising, commerce 

 being in a backward state. The chief products are coffee, sugar-cane, 

 cacao, plantains, bananas, etc. A few plantations have been opened 

 up on the north and west slopes of the San Lorenzo and Horqueta, but 

 for the most part the cultivated districts are confined to the lower 

 levels. 



Most of the elevated interior region (all in fact except the San 

 Lorenzo and its connecting ridge) is included in the " Territorio Na- 

 cional de la Nevada," an Indian reservation under a separate ad- 

 ministration from the rest of the State. Its inhabitants are mostly 

 Indians of the Arhuaco tribe, whose villages are scattered here and 

 there on both slopes of the mountain, and can be reached only by fol- 

 lowing narrow and difficult trails through the forest. One such trail 

 enters the Sierra Nevada at Dibulla, ascending the Rio Ancha to its 

 head and crossing over the Paramo de Chiruqua, to the east of the 

 Snow Peaks, and thence descending the south slope to Valle de Upar by 

 way of San Jose and Atanquez. Another trail ascends from the town 

 of Rio Frio (on the railway) and follows the river up to the paramos, 

 crossing the latter and descending the north slope to the village of 

 Palomina, and thence eastward to Santa Rosa and Pueblo Viejo. 



A third trail follows along the southern spur of the main range, 

 going by way of San Sebastian and Aduriameina, and eventually reach- 

 ing the Snow Peaks from that side. With the exception of the latter 

 trail (in part), of that from Dibulla to San Miguel, and that from 

 Valle de Upar to San Jose, these trails are impassable for horses and 

 mules, and even the exceptions in question are so bad that only very 

 small loads can be carried by pack-animals. There is absolutely no 

 other means of penetrating the Sierra Nevada to the higher altitudes 

 except by these trails. 



