138 IN THE WILDS OF SOUTH AMERICA 



sentment, although it may not strike; but a third may con- 

 sider himself fortunate, indeed, if he does not draw the full 

 measure of the reptile's fury. 



The exploration at Alto Bonito yielded such rich returns 

 that we regretted the necessity of leaving; but a field-nat- 

 uralist's time is not unlimited, and presently we found our- 

 selves riding across the parched Antioquian desert, en route 

 to MedeUin. 



The work at Alto Bonito provided the last link in the 

 chain of facts regarding the forestation of northwestern 

 Antioquia, and also throws some fight on the extension of 

 the mountain ranges. For information on the latter sub- 

 ject we were compelled to rely largely on data furnished by 

 Senor Cspinas, director of the School of Mines, Medellin; 

 Sen or Ernesto White, an engineer who has made surveys 

 in the region, and the reports of Indians. 



The Western Cordillera terminates in the Cerro Aguila, 

 just below 9°, near the Golfo de Uruba, and is less than one 

 thousand feet high. The range breaks down, gradually, 

 north of the Paramillo. In latitude 7^° the highest peak 

 is known as Alto Esmeralda, four thousand feet high; and 

 the Abibi, a few miles farther north, reaches an altitude 

 of only three thousand six hundred feet. 



A trail recently built (by Senor White) from Turbo on 

 the Gulf of Uruba to Montana on the Rio Sinu crosses 

 the very country about which we knew least; the elevation 

 of its highest point is eight hundred feet, and every mile 

 of the way was cut through heavy virgin forest. 



