1825.] 
and a Malay encampment, which must 
have been lately inhabited. 
The parties in quest of water saw 
several kangaroos of the largest kind, 
but¢so shy, they could not get within 
shot of then. The peninsula abounds 
with parrots, ground doves, pigeons, 
pheasants, and many other descriptions 
of birds,of a beautiful plumage. 
The soil is a deep rich red loam, with 
every appearance of fertility. The trees 
are principally of the gum species, and 
grow to an amazing height, and would 
square from six inches to two or three 
feet, and are remarkably hard. 
Our stay here being so very short, 
we had but little opportunity of making 
observations, or penetrating any great 
distance into the country. 
(To be continued.) 
——s>——— 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
Sir: 
At page 171 of the March number 
of your very useful and entertain- 
ing miscellany, is a description of 
portable rope bridges in India. The 
description reminded me strongly of 
the mention of a hide rope bridge, by 
M. Mollien, in “Travels in the Repub- 
lic of Colombia,” who, proceeding to 
the town of La Plata, was delayed on 
the banks of the river, “,on account of 
the bridge of communication not being 
sufficiently commodious for the num- 
ber” of passengers. 
“ On each side of the river leather bands 
are made fast to stakes driven in the 
ground, and upon this ¢arabita (for thus 
they call this singular sort of a bridge) is 
placed a piece of wood, furnished with 
leather straps, by which the traveller is 
fastened, and, according to whatever side 
he wishes to go, is drawn across. The 
passage, at first, seems rather alarming, 
and one cannot, without shuddering, find 
one’s self suspended over an abyss by a 
few hide ropes, which are very liable to be 
injured by the rain, and, consequently, 
to break ; accidents, however, very seldom 
happen; animals are made to swim across.” 
The same traveller describes a na- 
tural bridge at Pandi, about two days 
journey from Santa Fé de Bogota, the 
eapital of New Granada, an arch- 
bishop’s see, with a university. This 
bridge is formed by a single stone, 
twenty feet broad, over a stream 363 
feet beneath. Among the enormous 
stones, which have rolled from the 
summits of the mountains, forming this 
bridge, one attracted particular atten- 
tion by its prodigious size, and which, 
Hide-Rope Bridges. 
125 
suspended like the key-stone of an 
arch, “ seems, every moment, threaten- 
ing to fall with hideous ruin. The in- 
habitants of the country believe these 
frightful gulphs to be the entrances to 
hell,” says M. Mollien, and “the illu- 
sion is the stronger from the greater 
part of living creatures avoiding the 
savage spot; the habitations of man are 
far removed from it, and all animals 
seem to dread the fearful noises that 
are there heard.” 
Previous to this, the traveller and 
his companions visited the famous fall 
of Tequendama; near to which their 
horses became useless, and leaving 
them fastened to trees, with the as- 
sistance of sticks, they descended the 
muddy paths, up which the woodcut- 
ters make their oxen drag the wood with 
which they supply the neighbourhood : 
the sensations, produced by the first 
view of this cascade, so dazzled our 
author, that he could scarcely see the 
objects around; and was wrapt in 
mute admiration at seeing the waters 
of the Bogota precipitate themselves, 
in a mass, resembling a falling ava- 
lanche from the top of Chimborazo, 
over solid rocks that seemed crushed be- 
neath their weight. Looking “ into the 
abyss, nothing was perceived but waves 
of foam continually swallowed up in an 
ocean of vapour. We were in asto- 
nishment, and yet only perceived one 
part of this imposing spectacle, on ac- 
count of the profound obscurity in 
which the haze enveloped us. We 
anxiously wished for a clear day. The 
waters of the river falling from the 
frozen heights of the Cordilleras into 
the foaming gulphs, hollowed out at 
their base, formed a thick fog, which, 
raised wp by the sun, whose face it ob- 
scured, inundated us on all sides. We 
waited with impatience for the moment 
when we could admire this wonder of 
nature which we had come so far to 
contemplate. It suddenly discovered 
itself, but only for a few instants. The 
clouds at length dissipating, we were 
enabled to take a rapid view,” &c. 
Perhaps, Sir, you will allow me to 
add that, whatever may be the interest 
excited and sustained by the original of 
M. Mollien’s work, the translator does 
not appear to have increased it, when 
clothing his observations in a new 
garb; yet this publication, and others 
on similar subjects, will probably be 
favourably regarded, as throwing a por- 
tion of new light on Colombian topo- 
eraphy and history: for M. Mollien 
combines 
