TOPOGRAPHY OF COLOMBIA. 181 



able to plunder the shrines and carry off their gold statuettes without fear of 

 further disturbance. 



Timana, north-east of San Agustin, but at a much lower elevation (3,500 feet), 

 is surrounded by extensive plantations. This was the first Spanish settlement 

 in the district ; but its founder, unable to defend the place, fell into the hands of 

 an Indian princess. La Plata, another town, so named from its long profitably 

 worked silver-mines, was also destroyed by the Pijaos Indians, and had to be 

 rebuilt on another site, all trace of the mines having disappeared. Till recently 

 over 3,000 families of Timana, Naraiijal, and neighbouring districts derived a 

 comfortable income from plaiting nacuma straw hats ; but the fashion has 

 changed, and other local industries have also been partly driven from the market 

 by imported goods. 



Neira, capital of the old state and present department of Tolima, lies at an 

 altitude of 1,540 feet on the right bank of the Magdalena, at the head of the 

 fluvial navigation for boats and even occasionally for steamers. Founded in 1550 

 at the confluence of the Rio Neiva, whence it takes its name, it was destroyed, 

 like Timana and La Plata, by the Pijaos ; but it was rebuilt by the Spaniards 

 15 miles lower down on the well-chosen site which it at present occupies over 

 against the three sparkling crests of Huila. One of the most frequented high- 

 ways in Colombia runs from Neiva round the southern foot of this group and over 

 the Guanacas Pass down to Popayan. 



Neiva, which yields a much-esteemed cacao, is surrounded by plantations, and 

 the lower slopes of the eastern hills have also been cleared of their forests to 

 make place for the cultivation of guinea-grass {panicum maximum). Till lately 

 the forests of the neighbouring cordillera produced large quantities of cinchona. 

 The settlement of Colombia, some 60 miles north of Neiva, was even founded for 

 this industry, which, however, is now much decayed; nevertheless, some fresh plan- 

 tations have recently been made to replace the recklessly destroyed cinchona trees. 

 Aipe and Natagaima, so named from extinct local Indian tribes, are followed 

 by PuriJicacio)i and Guamo along the left bank of the Magdalena. Between the 

 last two the mainstream is joined by the copious Rio Soldano, in whose basin lie 

 the market-towns of Ortega and Chaparral. Below the confluence Espinal 

 occupies a favourable position near the left bank of the Magdalena, some 12 miles 

 above the Flandes or Girardot bend. 



Fusagasuga. which takes its name from the affluent on which it stands, lies at 

 an altitude of nearly 5,900 feet, at the entrance of a pass leading over the Suma 

 Paz Cordillera, down to the Humadea valley and the eastern plains. This was 

 the route followed in the inverse direction by Fredemann in 1537, when he pene- 

 trated from the llanos to the uplands of Cundinamarca. Fusagasuga, the centre 

 of extensive coffee plantations, is much frequented by orchid- seekers, naturalists, 

 and antiquarians. Some huge erratic sandstone boulders at Chinauta and 

 Anacuta are inscribed with exceedingly intricate characters, which have not yet 

 been deciphered. 



About 18 miles to the north-west lies the village of Paiidi, also noted for its 



