﻿878 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  E. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  containing 
  raw, 
  unspun 
  cotton 
  are 
  often 
  suspended 
  from 
  hooks. 
  

   Other 
  furnishings 
  depend 
  on 
  the 
  religious 
  importance 
  of 
  the 
  place, 
  the 
  

   number 
  of 
  novices 
  in 
  attendance, 
  and 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  ceremonial 
  activity. 
  

  

  ENGINEERING 
  WORKS 
  

  

  Bridges. 
  — 
  The 
  principal 
  engineering 
  achievement 
  of 
  the 
  mountain 
  

   tribes 
  is 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  substantial 
  foot 
  bridges 
  over 
  the 
  larger, 
  

   swift-flowing 
  streams 
  (pi. 
  179, 
  top). 
  A 
  bridge 
  is 
  built 
  by 
  placing 
  a 
  

   large 
  log 
  across 
  the 
  stream 
  at 
  a 
  point 
  where 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  supported 
  well 
  

   above 
  high-water 
  mark 
  by 
  large 
  rocks, 
  often 
  supplemented 
  by, 
  or 
  

   even 
  supported 
  above, 
  abutments 
  made 
  from 
  numerous 
  poles 
  firmly 
  

   imbedded 
  in 
  heaps 
  of 
  stones 
  and 
  propping 
  up 
  both 
  the 
  approaches 
  

   and 
  the 
  main 
  span 
  of 
  the 
  bridge. 
  Railings 
  are 
  formed 
  by 
  placing 
  

   uprights 
  at 
  both 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  log 
  where 
  it 
  rests 
  on 
  supports. 
  Poles 
  

   running 
  parallel 
  to 
  the 
  floor 
  of 
  the 
  bridge 
  are 
  lashed 
  to 
  these 
  uprights. 
  

   Forked 
  poles 
  are 
  hooked 
  over 
  these 
  railings 
  several 
  inches 
  apart 
  and 
  

   the 
  other 
  ends 
  tied 
  firmly 
  with 
  vines 
  to 
  the 
  underside 
  of 
  the 
  log 
  that 
  

   forms 
  the 
  floor 
  of 
  the 
  structure. 
  The 
  result 
  is 
  a 
  narrow 
  foot 
  bridge 
  

   with 
  V-shaped 
  sides 
  2 
  to 
  3 
  feet 
  (0.6 
  to 
  0.9 
  m.) 
  high. 
  (See 
  pi. 
  179, 
  top, 
  

   and 
  Bolinder, 
  1925, 
  pi. 
  70.) 
  

  

  At 
  least 
  10 
  of 
  these 
  bridges 
  were 
  in 
  use 
  near 
  the 
  villages 
  of 
  San 
  

   Miguel, 
  Mocotama, 
  San 
  Francisco, 
  and 
  San 
  Jose 
  in 
  1941, 
  and 
  several 
  

   of 
  nearly 
  identical 
  construction 
  were 
  seen 
  on 
  the 
  Rio 
  Guatapuri 
  and 
  

   the 
  Rio 
  Donachui. 
  The 
  bridges 
  are 
  constructed 
  by 
  all 
  available 
  males 
  

   attached 
  to 
  the 
  nearby 
  village 
  and 
  involve 
  considerable 
  outlay 
  of 
  time, 
  

   energy, 
  and 
  skill. 
  They 
  make 
  possible, 
  however, 
  free 
  passage 
  during 
  

   the 
  rainy 
  season 
  to 
  the 
  cultivations 
  and 
  temples 
  on 
  both 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  

   river, 
  an 
  important 
  consideration 
  to 
  the 
  Cdgaba, 
  who 
  do 
  not 
  live 
  more 
  

   than 
  several 
  weeks 
  at 
  a 
  time 
  at 
  any 
  one 
  garden 
  plot. 
  

  

  Trails. 
  — 
  The 
  trails 
  that 
  connect 
  the 
  various 
  settlements, 
  temples, 
  

   and 
  scattered 
  family 
  dwellings 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  those 
  that 
  lead 
  to 
  the 
  non- 
  

   Indian 
  towns 
  in 
  the 
  lowlands 
  are 
  constructed 
  and 
  maintained 
  by 
  the 
  

   Indians. 
  But, 
  adapted 
  to 
  the 
  Indian 
  type 
  of 
  travel, 
  which 
  is 
  on 
  foot, 
  

   these 
  trails 
  indicate 
  no 
  great 
  engineering 
  skill. 
  At 
  places, 
  ancient 
  

   stone 
  flagging 
  or 
  pavement 
  is 
  evident, 
  but 
  the 
  mountain 
  people 
  today 
  

   have 
  no 
  knowledge 
  of 
  this 
  type 
  of 
  construction. 
  The 
  Cdgaba, 
  however, 
  

   claim 
  that 
  long 
  ago 
  they 
  were 
  road 
  builders 
  for 
  the 
  Tairona, 
  but 
  there 
  

   is 
  no 
  other 
  evidence 
  on 
  this 
  point. 
  

  

  Stone 
  structures. 
  — 
  A 
  stairway 
  of 
  monolithic 
  blocks 
  of 
  stone 
  leading 
  

   up 
  to 
  the 
  savanna 
  on 
  which 
  San 
  Miguel 
  is 
  located 
  has 
  puzzled 
  travelers. 
  

   There 
  is 
  no 
  indication 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  the 
  construction, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  

   doubtful 
  that 
  the 
  short-statured 
  Cdgaba 
  would 
  have 
  built 
  a 
  stairway 
  

   with 
  such 
  widely 
  separated 
  steps. 
  

  

  Abandoned 
  stone 
  terraces 
  are 
  common 
  in 
  Cdgaba 
  territory 
  and 
  occur 
  

   elsewhere 
  in 
  the 
  mountains. 
  Those 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  both 
  

  

  