OVER THE ANDES TO BOGOTA 



as he is within reach of habitation, he 

 may be assured of shelter and a welcome 

 according to his deserts. 



So far as one's "limbs" are concerned, 

 there is a curious idea current that one is 

 in greater danger in little-traveled, remote 

 places than when at home, whereas ex- 

 actly the reverse is the case. On hearing 

 that I was about to visit Colombia an 

 accident insurance company in which I 

 held a policy notified me that they should 

 consider their risk canceled until I re- 

 turned, whereas during the entire trip I 

 ran fewer risks than were encountered in 

 motoring the length of New York City 

 the day of my return ! 



An American in the Cauca Valley who 

 attempted to drive a carriage rapidly over 

 a mule trail met with a wholly-to-be-ex- 

 pected disaster and broke his collar-bone ; 

 but the case was so rare that more than 

 a week passed before the local physicians 

 called in succeeded in discovering the 

 fracture. 



In traversing the Andes bits of trail are 

 occasionally encountered which you ob- 

 serve with greater satisfaction over your 

 mule's tail than between its ears, but in 

 the dry season, at least, such places are 

 much less dangerous than they appear to 

 be and, in any event, there is none on 

 our proposed route. 



It remains now to speak of the climatic 

 conditions one may expect to encounter 

 as they affect the health, comfort, and 

 transportation of the traveler. So far as 

 temperature is concerned, there is essen- 

 tially no variation through the year. Ob- 

 servations made at the estate of La 

 Manuelita, in the Cauca Valley, show a 

 difference of only six degrees in the aver- 

 age weekly temperature of the entire year. 



A RECORD OF FOUR HUNDRED INCHES OF 

 RAIN IN A YEAR 



Seasons, then, near the Equator are not 

 marked by changes in temperature, but 

 by the amount of rainfall. Generally 

 speaking, the year is divided into wet and 

 dry seasons, known respectively as in- 

 vierno (winter) and verano (summer), 

 though there is much variation as re- 

 gards the time and duration of these 

 seasons, particularly in mountainous re- 

 gions. 



There are also areas where it rarely, if 

 ever, rains, and others still where rain 



falls on practically every day in the year. 

 In the Pacific Coast region of Colombia 

 the wet season is continuous, and there is 

 a recorded rainfall at San Jose of 400.88 

 inches. So far as I know, this record has 

 not been exceeded in the Western Hemi- 

 sphere. 



However, we pass through this satu- 

 rated area by rail, and climatic conditions 

 (provided they do not annihilate road- 

 beds and bridges) do not concern us. As 

 for the rest of Colombia, we may visit 

 it any time between the end of December 

 and early May with the prospect of find- 

 ing favorable weather conditions. 



EQUIPMENT FOR THE TOUR 



A word now on equipment and we shall 

 be ready to embark. Both fall and sum- 

 mer clothing will be required, the former 

 for the Temperate, the latter for the 

 Tropical Zone. Personal effects, in which 

 I should include riding gear and rain- 

 coat, may be carried in a small fiber 

 "army" trunk measuring 31 inches in 

 length. 



This will form one-half a mule-load; 

 the other half will consist of a folding cot, 

 with two pairs of double blankets, a 

 cheese-cloth mosquito-bar, and enough of 

 one's heavier clothing, all in a large duf- 

 fle-bag, to balance the weight of the trunk. 

 One pack-mule will carry a small trunk 

 and two sleeping outfits, and thus serve 

 two travelers. 



It is advisable to take a saddle, saddle- 

 cloth, and saddle-bags. A small-sized 

 McClellan, fitted with crupper and breast 

 strap and with short girths, will be found 

 serviceable. A dozen would-be pur- 

 chasers will clamor for this outfit at your 

 journey's end. 



It is not necessary to take a supply of 

 food, but a spirit lamp with solid alcohol 

 in tins, bouillon cubes, tea, and a "tea- 

 ball" will insure your having the "mak- 

 ings" of a hot drink when it might not 

 be otherwise available and at a time when 

 it may be vastly comforting. A small 

 supply of quinine, a cathartic, some form 

 of antiseptic, and a package of pyr- 

 ethrum used dry as a flea powder and 

 burned as a smudge should mosquitoes be 

 troublesome, complete the more special 

 items of our outfit. 



In this day of rapidly fluctuating ex- 

 change and charges, one cannot speak 



