*74 



Travels and Adventures 



town, but now all that remains of its former greatness 

 are some two or three stone houses and two churches, 

 which neither climate nor revolution has been able to 

 affect. One of them, which I photographed, is a good 

 specimen of the early Spanish church in this country. 

 History says the origin of the riches of this town were 



OLD SPANISH CHURCH, SIMITI. 



the gold-mines of the vicinity, which yielded immense 

 wealth to their Spanish owners ; but when Spain lost 

 her power in Colombia many of these mines were 

 either lost or purposely filled up, and it is only lately 

 that efforts are being made to discover these rich 

 veins again. A large quantity of fine gold is annually 

 washed out of various creeks and rivers by the natives, 

 who use a flat wooden dish. The situation of this 

 town is excellent, placed as it is on the edg& of so 



