﻿Vol.2] 
  HIGHLAND 
  TRIBES, 
  S. 
  COLOMBIA 
  — 
  HERNANDEZ 
  DE 
  ALBA 
  917 
  

  

  this 
  study 
  is 
  delimited 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  by 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Patia 
  River 
  

   and 
  by 
  the 
  Cuembi, 
  Nambi, 
  and 
  Cuaiquer 
  Rivers, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  by 
  

   the 
  divide 
  between 
  the 
  rivers 
  running 
  to 
  the 
  Pacific 
  Ocean 
  and 
  those 
  

   flowing 
  eastward 
  into 
  the 
  Caqueta 
  and 
  Putumayo 
  Rivers. 
  

  

  All 
  this 
  region 
  is 
  cool 
  to 
  temperate 
  throughout 
  the 
  3 
  r 
  ear, 
  the 
  extremes 
  

   being 
  at 
  Tiiquerres, 
  which 
  lies 
  at 
  3,104 
  m. 
  (9,433 
  feet) 
  elevation 
  and 
  

   has 
  a 
  mean 
  temperature 
  of 
  11° 
  C, 
  and 
  Ancuya 
  at 
  1,358 
  m. 
  (4,380 
  

   feet) 
  with 
  a 
  mean 
  temperature 
  of 
  21° 
  C. 
  The 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   population 
  lives 
  between 
  2,890 
  m. 
  (about 
  9,470 
  feet) 
  with 
  12° 
  C, 
  as 
  

   at 
  Ipiales, 
  and 
  2,020 
  m. 
  (about 
  6,630 
  feet) 
  with 
  18° 
  C, 
  as 
  at 
  Buesaco. 
  

  

  Farther 
  north, 
  the 
  Cordillera 
  Central 
  forms 
  a 
  great 
  mountain 
  mass 
  

   at 
  the 
  sources 
  of 
  the 
  Cauca 
  and 
  Magdalena 
  Rivers, 
  the 
  latter 
  delimit- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  Cordillera 
  Oriental, 
  which 
  extends 
  toward 
  the 
  northeast, 
  enter- 
  

   ing 
  Venezuela 
  and 
  stopping 
  at 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  Coast. 
  In 
  the 
  Depart- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  Cauca, 
  the 
  native 
  peoples 
  occupied 
  the 
  altiplanos 
  and 
  the 
  

   mountain 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  central 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  Andes 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  Cordil- 
  

   lera 
  Central 
  and 
  Cordillera 
  Oriental. 
  Some 
  of 
  the 
  mountains 
  are 
  

   snow-capped, 
  like 
  Coconucos 
  (4,800 
  m.; 
  15,746 
  feet) 
  and 
  such 
  vol- 
  

   canoes 
  as 
  Purace 
  (4,908 
  m.; 
  16,102 
  feet) 
  and 
  Sotara 
  (4,580 
  m.; 
  15,026 
  

   feet). 
  There 
  are 
  high 
  paramos, 
  swept 
  by 
  icy 
  winds, 
  where 
  only 
  the 
  

   frailej6n 
  (Espeletia 
  hartwegiana) 
  and 
  certain 
  grasses 
  grow. 
  Below 
  

   these 
  heights, 
  the 
  topography 
  is 
  hilly 
  and 
  grandiose, 
  with 
  a 
  succession 
  

   of 
  hills, 
  terraces, 
  altiplanos, 
  ravines, 
  canons, 
  and 
  valleys. 
  

  

  Some 
  tribes, 
  like 
  the 
  Coconuco 
  and 
  Moguex, 
  live 
  in 
  the 
  cold 
  moun- 
  

   tain 
  spurs 
  toward 
  the 
  Cauca 
  River; 
  others, 
  like 
  the 
  Pdez 
  and 
  Guanaca, 
  

   in 
  the 
  high 
  paramos 
  with 
  a 
  climate 
  like 
  that 
  at 
  Moras 
  (3,670 
  m.; 
  

   12,040 
  feet), 
  Guanacas 
  (3,518 
  to 
  3,750 
  m.; 
  11,541 
  to 
  12,303 
  feet), 
  Las 
  

   Delicias, 
  and 
  other 
  places 
  to 
  the 
  east. 
  The 
  Popayanense 
  occupy 
  the 
  

   temperate 
  Valley 
  of 
  Puben. 
  The 
  Pijao 
  lived 
  in 
  the 
  last 
  mountains 
  

   of 
  the 
  Cordillera 
  Central 
  toward 
  the 
  Magdalena 
  River, 
  which, 
  like 
  

   the 
  valley 
  of 
  this 
  river, 
  is 
  low 
  and 
  warm, 
  and 
  extended 
  to 
  the 
  Cauca 
  

   Valley 
  in 
  the 
  neighborhood 
  of 
  Buga. 
  

  

  The 
  country 
  inhabited 
  by 
  the 
  Popayanense 
  at 
  the 
  Conquest 
  has 
  an 
  

   altitude 
  of 
  1,760 
  m. 
  (5,775 
  ffc.) 
  and 
  a 
  mean 
  temperature 
  of 
  18° 
  C; 
  the 
  

   Pdez 
  in 
  Tierradentro, 
  1,650 
  to 
  2,620 
  m. 
  (5,774 
  to 
  8,595 
  ft.) 
  and 
  13 
  to 
  

   17° 
  C. 
  ; 
  the 
  Moguex, 
  2,521 
  m. 
  (8,270 
  ft.) 
  and 
  14° 
  C. 
  at 
  Silvia; 
  the 
  Anda- 
  

   qui 
  in 
  the 
  region 
  of 
  San 
  Agustin, 
  1,695 
  m. 
  (5,561 
  ft.) 
  and 
  18° 
  C; 
  the 
  

   Yalcon 
  and 
  Timand, 
  1,100 
  m. 
  (3,608 
  ft.) 
  and 
  24° 
  C; 
  and 
  the 
  Pijao, 
  873 
  

   m. 
  (2,864 
  ft.) 
  and 
  25° 
  C. 
  at 
  Carnicerias, 
  and 
  1,700 
  m. 
  (5,577 
  ft.) 
  and 
  

   18° 
  Cat 
  Pijao 
  (Caldas). 
  

  

  Such 
  differences 
  in 
  climate 
  with 
  the 
  consequent 
  differences 
  in 
  flora 
  

   and 
  fauna 
  contributed 
  to 
  the 
  variations 
  in 
  economy 
  and 
  culture. 
  The 
  

   high 
  peaks 
  of 
  the 
  Cordilleras 
  and 
  the 
  deep 
  rivers 
  were 
  frontiers 
  between 
  

   the 
  tribes, 
  clearly 
  separating 
  them 
  from 
  one 
  another— 
  the 
  Moguex 
  

  

  