BUENAVENTURA TO CALI 13 



city, and the settlement of Guanchito is located on the 

 river-bank. A little toy-like train makes frequent trips 

 back and forth between the two points because the puerto, 

 as Guanchito is commonly called, is of real importance. 

 Steamers and launches from Cartago take on and discharge 

 passengers and freight, and many rafts laden with green 

 plantains and produce arrive daily. The village presents 

 a scene of great activity during the morning hours; clusters 

 of ragged little booths, like mushrooms, have sprung up 

 during the hours of darkness where women, squatting under 

 the shambling shelters, cook sancocho over charcoal braziers; 

 files of peons hurry back and forth as they transfer the car- 

 goes from rafts and canoes to the waiting freight-cars; and 

 there is a great deal of good-natured raillery between the 

 slovenly mozos who liberally patronize the eating and drink- 

 ing places, and the stand-keepers who feign an air of coyness 

 withal. Gradually, as the sun mounts higher the crowds 

 grow thinner. Their morning's work over, the people either 

 depart via the waterway they had coirie, or take the train 

 back to Cali. 



An interesting ferry service is maintained at Guanchito. 

 A stout steel cable has been strung across the river, and 

 to a pulley running along it, two chains are fastened, their 

 other ends being tied to either end of the boat. The latter 

 is a huge, flat-bottomed affair, capable of holding many 

 people and horses. Before starting across, the up-stream 

 chain is shortened, so that the side of the boat presents a 

 sharp angle to the current, and the craft is speedily pushed 

 to the other side of the river. 



Extensive marshes border the Cauca, a short distance 

 above Guanchito. During the rainy season the water spreads 

 over many miles of land, and is very deep; but in the dry 

 season it recedes rapidly leaving a number of shallow and 

 well-defined marshes and ponds. Wildfowl gathers in great 

 numbers to spend the hottest months in these friendly 

 havens. There were ducks of a number of species, includ- 

 ing tree-ducks that make a shrill, whistling noise as they 



