206 



SOUTH AMEEICA— THE ANDES EEGIONS. 



with a part of his fleet in a vain attempt to capture the place. In 1815, during 

 the War of Independence, the " Heroic City " held out for four months against 

 over 8,000 Spaniards, who, on entering the town, found it almost abandoned by 

 the living and its streets choked with the dead. 



But Cartagena never recovered the prosperity for which it was indebted mainly 

 to Government monopolies. In the subsequent rivalry with its neighbours it has 

 been outstripped by Barranquilla, and its population is at present one-third less 



Fig. 81. — Caetagena and its Haeboxtes. 

 Scale 1 ; 220,000. 



7 5° 40' 



West oF Greenwich 



75°30' 



Depths. 



to 5 

 Fathoms. 



.■5 to 25 

 Fathoms. 



25 Fathoms 

 and upwards. 



„ 3? Miles. 



than during the last century. Besides the loss of its privileges, other causes have 

 contributed to its decadence. The islands being destitute of springs, the inhabi- 

 tants hate to depend on the rain-water husbanded in cisterns ; but a still more 

 serious drawback is the absence of easy access either by roads or canals Avith the 

 Magdalena. 



Cartagena possesses a group of extensive and perfectly safe harbours, formed 

 by a tongue of land projecting southwards in the direction of the elevated islet 



