64 BvUetin American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXXVI, 



"January 16, we reached Buritica. Immediately after leaving Antio- 

 quia, a mere ledge of a trail begins the ascent of the Coast Range, and 

 while the safety of the two pack animals caused a good deal of anxiety, 

 it was nevertheless a relief to escape from the intolerable heat of the low 

 country. The altitude of Buritica is 6200 feet. 



" On account of the jaded condition of the animals, we spent the morn- 

 ing of January 17, at Buritica; we took advantage of this time to divide the 

 equipment, leaving such material as we expected to use on our subsequent 

 visit to the Rio Sucio. Leaving at noon, we reached a small settlement 

 known as Tabocal, altitude 5400 feet, at 5 P. M. We could now no longer 

 see the Cauca, our view having been shut off by a ridge of mountains sev- 

 eral thousand feet in height which rises out of the valley between the ridge 

 we were on and the river. A slight change was perceptible in the character 

 of the country; extensive areas covered with low brush dotted the other- 

 wise barren landscape, though far apart; and on the extreme tops of both 

 ranges a thin fringe of green could be distinctly seen. 



" Beyond Tabocal the country is extremely broken, there being frequent 

 rises and descents of 2000 feet; and several separate mountains, not con- 

 nected with the main ranges, stand here and there like huge monuments, 

 rising from a basal elevation of 3000 feet to 8000 or 9000 feet, which natur- 

 ally magnifies their already impressive proportions. 



" Late in the afternoon of the 18th, we reached an altitude of 8000 feet 

 and entered a fine strip of forest, the first we had seen since leaving Medellin; 

 this is the beginning of the forested zone, which examination showed to be 

 at an equal height on both the Central and Western Ranges, and to con- 

 tinue to the tops, which appear to rise to an altitude of 9000 feet or more. 

 The night was spent at an Indian hut called La Meseta, altitude 7900 feet, 

 just below the forest belt, and situated in the midst of an extensive strip of 

 maize. 



" Peque, the end of the journey by mule, was reached at noon on the 19th. 

 After leaving La Meseta the trail goes down abruptly; the town has an 

 altitude of only 5000 feet. 



" Peque boasts of about fifty decaying mud huts and its population is 

 mostly of Indian descent, including some pure-blooded Indians; one of the 

 latter, Julian David, received us most cordially and rendered us every pos- 

 sible assistance in securing the porters for the ascent of the Paramillo. 



"Some of the country surrounding Peque once doubtless bore a light 

 forest growth, with heavier forest in the ravines; but by far the greater 

 part is naturally bare or covered with a dense growth of brush. I was told 

 that at the time of the Spanish Invasion, 40,000 Indians inhabited this 

 region; and as there are several mountain streams supplying an abundance 



