14 E. B. Williamson 



ten feet in width and had a maximum depth of three feet and a generally 

 firm mud bottom. Dragonflies were numerous in the varied habitats formed 

 by forest, stream, sun and shade, and such diverse things as Perithemis and 

 Metaleptobasis were found in numbers. This forest was rapidly being de- 

 stroyed to furnish fuel for the railroad. 



We were returning from our collecting about three p. m. and were 

 near the Magdalena about a kilometer above town, when we heard a river 

 boat chugging its way up stream. A hurried dash to the river's bank showed 

 us our boat in midstream, carrying away, as we knew, all our baggage and 

 supplies, while we stood in our wet clothes in a bamboo thicket on the 

 river's bank and marked her passing. We yelled and waved our nets but 

 attracted no attention. Fortunately J. W. thought of his revolver, and three 

 shots attracted the attention of the captain, who most obligingly ran into 

 shore and picked us up. From the other passengers, apparently as excited 

 and delighted as ourselves, we learned that the boat had discharged its cargo, 

 and, after whistling for us in vain for about an hour, had left Puerto Berrio 

 between two and three p. m. This incident is related for two purposes. — 

 to show the obliging friendliness of the captain in picking us up, and to 

 record an instance in Latin- American affairs, when, for the only time known, 

 events moved ahead of their schedule. The statement may be received in- 

 credulously by other travelers. 



Twelve to sixteen leagues below La Dorado the forest was not quite 

 so large as that below Puerto Berrio. The dirt banks were generally slop- 

 ing, instead of vertical and caving as they usually were up to El Banco 

 and some distance above it; and frequently the shores were rocky or gravelly 

 instead of sandy as below. Both above and below Puerto Berrio were a 

 few rock exposures. We arrived at La Dorado, 198 leagues above Bar- 

 ranquilla, on Februai*y i. Contrary to what one might have expected from 

 its commercial importance. La Dorado was a poor and insignificant town. 



The character of the country along the railroad between La Dorado 

 and Honda has changed greatly since Professor Bingham described it as a 

 dense tropical jungle. We found it to be almost continuous pasture. There 

 were two or three nice streams and some marshes within five miles of La 

 Dorado, but from that point on to Honda the country was almost worthless 

 to a dragonfly collector. We arrived at Honda about three p. m., February 2. 

 Enroute we had made up our minds not to stop there, as we had originally 

 planned to do. Observations and inquiries, which we made while the train 

 lay over at Honda for nearly two hours, strengthened our decision and we 

 entrained for Maraquita. There were small streams near kilometer post 37, 

 between posts 38 and 39, and between posts 43 and 44. From about kilo- 

 meter post 44 to Maraquita the country was a continuous flat pasture with 

 high rocky hills in the background. At Maraquita we found a small satis- 

 factory hotel, and Mr. A, G. Le Clercq, general manager of the railroad, to 

 whom we carried a letter of introduction, gave us valuable assistance and 

 advice in reaching desirable collecting grounds. The elevation at Maraquita 

 is about 457 metres. 



The San Juan River near Maraquita furnished the station and town 



