184 



SOUTH AMEEICA— THE ANDES BEGIONS. 



road north-westwards to Villda, which is still cut off by two rugged passes and 

 two upland valleys from the Magdalena over against Honda. 



In 1847 the engineer Poncet undertook the construction of a good road which 

 was to follow the normal north-westerly direction to Suhaehoque, whence a some- 

 what gently inclined though tortuous route leads to the Magdalena at the Rio 

 Negro confluence, 125 miles from Bogota ; thus would have been avoided the ascent 



Fig. 69. — BosoTA AND ITS Approaches. 

 Scale 1 : 1,200,000. 



Railways 



completed. projected. 



Roads. 



. 15 MUes. 



of the steep intervening Cordilleras, as well as the dangerous rapids at Honda, 

 liut the ravages of the prevalent marsh fevers, followed by civil wars, arrested the 

 progress of the works, which, however, have recently been resumed. Meanwhile 

 a more direct route was projected from Bogota westwards to the Magdalena at 

 Cambao, midway between Ambalema and Honda. But in this direction the only 

 road hitherto opened is a mere bridle-path, while all the other routes become 



