706 



The National Geographic Magazine 



visit Cartagena in order to see the city, 

 as it is one of the most interesting, his- 

 torically speaking, in all the Western 

 Hemisphere. No other city in North or 

 South America has such wonderful walls 

 as those constructed in Cartagena by the 

 Spaniards several centuries ago, at a cost 

 of two or three hundred millions of dol- 

 lars. They are still standing, in almost 

 as good condition as when constructed. 

 The journey up the river consumes from 

 six to ten days, according to the condition 

 of the river. Navigation stops at a town 

 called La Dorada, where a short railroad 

 carries the passenger to Honda. At 

 Honda it is possible to transfer to an up- 

 river, or smaller, steamer and proceed for 

 a two days' journey to a town called 

 Giradot, where begins the railroad that 

 will eventually reach Bogota. At the 

 present time this railroad reaches a point 

 where there must be a mule-back ride of 

 from seven to eight hours to Facatativa, 

 the railroad station on the plateau of Bo- 

 gota, which, after a run of thirty miles 

 across the savanna, lands one in the 

 capital. 



The more common route, however, is 

 that from Honda direct to Bogota, a dis- 

 tance of about eighty miles, or two and a 

 half days' traveling on mule back. It is 

 aot as difficult as it would seem, and is 

 interesting because of its novelty and the 

 beautiful scenery. Mules can always be 

 obtained in abundance to carry both pas- 

 sengers and baggage. Trunks and pack- 

 ages should not weigh altogether, for one 

 mule, more than two hundred and fifty 

 pounds, and should be arranged so that 

 no one piece would weigh more than one 

 hundred and twenty-five pounds. In this 

 way two pieces of baggage are carried 

 on one mule's back. Steamer trunks 

 should always be taken instead of large, 

 bulky ones. Heavy trunks and freight 

 must be shipped up the river, to be landed 

 at a point where they are carried by carts 

 to Bogota. Honda is approximately 600 

 miles tip the Magdalena River and Bo- 

 gota is practically a 700-mile journey, 

 requiring about two weeks' travel, from 

 the seacoast. Women make the journey 



almost as frequently and easily as men, 

 and there is no reason why American 

 women wishing to go to that part of the 

 world should not undertake the trip as 

 well as men. 



BOGOTA, THE CAPITAL OF COLOMBIA 



Bogota, the capital of Colombia, is one 

 of the most interesting cities in all Latin 

 America. With a population of 125,000 

 and beautifully located on the edge of 

 the plateau, in an excellent climate, it al- 

 ways proves an attractive place of resi- 

 dence. The social conditions are partic- 

 ularly pleasing. Nearly all the high- 

 class people with whom one comes in con- 

 tact live in beautiful homes, are well edu- 

 cated, have traveled abroad, and speak 

 French as fluently as they do Spanish. 

 There is a vigorous literary, artistic, and 

 musical element, which exercises a favor- 

 able influence on the refined progress of 

 the nation. There are excellent colleges 

 and general schools. The clubs are cen- 

 ters where the cleverer men of the capital 

 gather. There is opportunity for the en- 

 joyment of sports, especially in such 

 forms as tennis, polo, and riding horse- 

 back. Dinners and balls are given with 

 an elegance that would be a credit to 

 Washington or New York, while the 

 women dress with as much taste and re- 

 spect for the latest fashions as the women 

 of our home capital. It is not possible 

 for me to speak in too strong terms of the 

 charming hospitality and kindness of as- 

 sociation which I experienced during my 

 stay in Bogota as United States Minister. 



PRODUCTS OP COLOMBIAN SOIL 



Considering now some tangible facts 

 about the resources and possibilities of 

 the country, it is well to note the prin- 

 cipal products of Colombian soil. In the 

 so-called "hot country" we find coffee, 

 cocoa, sugar, tobacco, indigo, cacao, ba- 

 nanas, vanilla, corn, rice, beans, yucca, 

 oranges, lemons, pineapples, alligator 

 pears, and other tropical fruits growing 

 in splendid abundance. Then in the for- 

 ests are cedar and mahogany, dyewoods, 

 vegetable ivory, Peruvian bark, rubber 



