212 THE VOLCANOES OF TURBACO. 



ing in the atmosphere. As the soil of Turbaco was more 

 than nine hundred feet above the level of the ocean, 

 a delightful coolness prevailed, especially during the 

 night. 



The Indians of Turbaco, who accompanied the travel- 

 lers in their herbalizations, spoke of a marshy coun- 

 try, situated in a forest of palm trees, and called by the 

 Creoles the Little Volcanoes. They related that, accord- 

 ing to a tradition still existing among them, this spot had 

 formerly been in flames ; but that a very pious man, a 

 vicar of the village, had succeeded by his frequent asper- 

 sions of holy water in extinguishing the subterraneous 

 fire. They added, that, since this time, the fiery volcano 

 had become a water volcano. From their long residence 

 in the Spanish colonies, the travellers were familiar with 

 the strange and marvellous stories, which the natives 

 eagerly recited to fix the attention of travellers on the 

 phenomena of nature; though they knew, that these 

 stories were in general less indebted for their currency to 

 the superstition of the Indians, than to that of the 

 whites, the mulattoes, and the African slaves; and that 

 the reveries of a few individuals, who reasoned on the 

 progressive changes of the surface of the globe, gradu- 

 ally assumed the character of historical traditions. With* 

 out giving any credit to the existence of an extent of 

 country in a former state of ignition, they were conducted 

 by the Indians to the Volcanoes ; and this excursion 

 made them acquainted with phenomena, much more im- 

 portant than any they could have expected. 



The Volcanoes were situated to the east of the village 

 of Turbaco, in a thick forest, abounding with balsam of 

 Tolu trees. The ground rose gradually two hundred 



