280 RIO MAGDALENA SANTA FE DE BOGOTA. 



break its violence. Its waters, thus arrested, flow 

 gently into the plains of the provinces of Santa 

 Martha and Carthagena, which they fertilize and 

 refresh by their evaporation. Three very distinct 

 temperatures reign on the Magdalena. The sea- 

 breezes blow from its mouth as far as Monpox; 

 from this town to Morales not a breath of air tem- 

 pers the heat of the atmosphere, and man would 

 become a victim to its power, but for the abundant 

 dews which fall during the night ; from Morales as 

 far as the sources of the Magdalena, the south wind 

 moderates the heat of the day, and forms the third 

 temperature. These land-breezes cause the naviga- 

 tion of the Magdalena to be rarely fatal to Euro- 

 peans."* But, according to the same author, multi- 

 tudes of animals of various species continually harass 

 the traveller. He cannot bathe on account of the 

 caymans, and if he venture on shore he is in dan- 

 ger of being bitten by serpents. 



The voyage up this river, which lasted thirty-five 

 days, was not performed without hazard and incon- 

 venience. Humboldt sketched a chart of it, while 

 his friend was busily occupied in examining the 

 rich and beautiful vegetation of its banks. Disem- 

 barking at Honda, they proceeded on mules by dan- 

 gerous paths, through forests of oaks, melastomae, 

 and cinchonae, to Santa Fe de Bogota, the capital 

 of New-Grenada. This city stands in a beautiful 

 valley surrounded by lofty mountains, and which 

 would appear to have been at a former period the bed 

 of a great lake. Here the travellers spent several 

 months in exploring the mineralogical and botanical 

 treasures of the country, the magnificent cataract 

 of Tequendama, and the extensive collections of the 

 celebrated Mutis. 



The elevated plain on which this metropolis is 

 built is 8727 feet above the level of the sea, and, 



* Mollien's Travels in Colombia. 



