6 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 
dense forest cover. Suddenly there is 
thrown before his vision a whole world 
of mountains. As far as he can see in all 
directions save behind him, ridge piles 
upon ridge in never-ending series, until 
they fuse in one mighty crest which 
pierces the clouds with its snow-capped 
crown. This is the paramo of Santa 
Isabel. 
At this point we dismounted and led 
our horses along the narrow ridge, for 
they were not used to the mountains. 
We looked in vain for the jagged peaks 
that are so characteristic of our northern 
On the paramo of Santa Isabel—The ground is undermined with numerous small rivulets and 
the strange mullein-like frailejons grow everywhere even up to the edge of the snow, sometimes 
reaching a height of ten feet in sheltered places 
