MADE IN 
country are consequently trifling, and form 
— mo bar to general communication betwixt 
- the coast and interior. There is, therefore, 
an amalgamation of ideas, an homogenity, 
if we may use the term, in the mass of 
feeling and opinions on political subjects. 
The population is not only more enlight- 
ened, but, what is of more importance, 
more equally so. A different state of things 
. presents itself when we examine the centre 
and South. The main ridge of the Andes 
ascends rapidly from the frontier of Vene- 
zuela, and by its direction from North to 
South, places the population at a continu- 
ally increasing distance from the sea-ports 
ofthe Atlantic; while its superior eleva- 
tion producing a different climate and tem- 
perature, gives birth to new habits and a 
distinct nationality. To descend to the 
coast from these altitudes, is a matter both 
of risk and difficulty. The line betwixt the 
“ Llaneros” and “ Serranos” is strongly 
wn, and a separation of character evi- 
dent. The country from Cuenta to Bo- 
gotà, through Pamplona and Tunga, has 
a mean elevation of from eight to ten 
thousand feet, and temperature of about 
59 Fah. It is true that Bogota commu- 
i nicates with Europe, by the valley of the 
tss Magdalena ; but the length and inconve- 
ix nience of this channel of intercourse ren- 
s der it accessible but to few. Hence the 
2 e of opinions in New Grenada, 
Where the civilization of the superior class 
is out of proportion with that of the bulk 
of the peo ple. 
- The Quitenian Andes afford us another 
peur Allustration of this view of the 
Bien The following is the line of ele- 
Vations betwixt Quito and Chimborazo : 
E Feet. Mean temp. 
* Qnto...... 9,597 .... 59° Fah. 
Latacunga .. 10,285 .... 57° 
.. Ambato... E. 
Riobamba .. 9,377 .... 57° 
Guaranda .. 9,075 .... 58° 
The Toads, which descend to the coast 
: , are few, almost impassable, are 
to no sea-port of importance, ex- 
COLOMBIA. 113 
cept Guayaquil. Journeys thither, are 
undertaken with fear and hesitation; and 
the character of the Serranos is marked 
with all the traits of isolation resulting 
from the geography of the country. 
Next to the direct influence exercised 
by climate, on the frame of man, we may 
consider it, relatively to the facility it 
affords of nourishing him, and advancing 
his progress in civilization. The most 
important presents made, by the Old to 
the New World, are Cattle and Cerealia. 
The only domesticated quadruped known 
to the Indians was the Llama, which fur- 
nished, like the sheep, with thick wool, 
unwillingly descends, or is propagated in | 
the sultry lowlands. The horned cattle of 
Europe, on the contrary, have multiplied 
almost equally on the plains and on the 
paramos. On the farm of Antisana, for 
instance, at an decid of from twelve 
to sixteen thousand feet, there are no 
less than four thousand head. The herds, 
raised on the plains of Venezuela, as on 
the Pampas of Buenos Ayres, are, or were 
previous to the revolution, almost count- 
less. Two immense magazines of animal 
food are thus placed, at the two extremes 
of temperature, in situations uninterfered 
with by agricultural labour. The horse 
has been destined to figure in the political 
changes of the New World. The fear and 
respect with which he inspired the natives, 
at the period of the conquest, is well 
known: they have since multiplied prodi- 
giously in all parts of the country, but 
more especially in the plains of Venezuela. 
There, during the war of independence, 
Paez, and other guerilla chiefs, at the head 
of an irregular ca intained by 
cavalry, and main 
the cattle, defied the efforts of the Spanish 
. infantry, and kept alive the embers of the 
revolution. 
The best kind of horses are those that 
are bred in the lowlands, and brought to 
the mountains, at about four years old, 
where they acquire hardihood by the in- 
fluence of a colder climate; 
hoofs, accustomed only to soft pasiunii 
are hardened on a stony soil. 
The breed of p like that of Llamas, 2 
4 
and their — 
