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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Photograph by Frank M. Chapman 



the market-place; at cartago 



The town of Cartago was founded in 1540, at a site distant 15 miles from the present one. 

 Here begins the ride over the Quindio Trail to the Magdalena Valley. 



bility we discovered that most birds are 

 as closely restricted to their respective 

 zones as if they were confined to them 

 by actual barriers. Under favorable con- 

 ditions I have seen these zones, or life 

 strata, so sharply defined that a five min- 

 utes' walk has completely changed the 

 character of the bird-life by which I was 

 surrounded. 



The first 3,000 feet of our ascent from 

 Caldas was made over bare, sunburned 

 hills, but at an elevation of 5,000 feet 

 above sea-level we got beyond the 

 ''shadow" of the outlying westerly ridge 

 and entered the lower border of the Cloud 

 Zone. 



At once the grassy slopes gave way to 

 even more luxuriant forests than those 

 of the lowlands. New birds appeared. 

 We had left the Tropical Zone behind us 

 and entered the Cloud or Subtropical 

 Zone which, we subsequently discovered, 

 extends up the mountain sides to an ele- 

 vation of from 9,000 to 9,500 feet. 



A TRAVELER ALWAYS CARRIES HIS OWN 

 SLEEPING OUTFIT 



Our first experience as uninvited, un- 

 announced guests in a Colombian home 

 was typical of many subsequent ones. 

 Rancho El Tigre is a modest establishment, 



but whatever it possessed in the way of 

 food and sleeping quarters was with over- 

 flowing cordiality placed at our disposal. 



A traveler in Colombia always carries 

 his own sleeping outfit. All he requires, 

 therefore, is a corner in which to place it. 

 My pneumatic mattress greatly excited 

 the curiosity of our hosts at El Tigre, and 

 a judicious description of its value as a 

 tester of one's lung-power so stimulated 

 ambition to exhibit blowing ability that I 

 had no difficulty in getting it inflated. A 

 similar plan was used to advantage at 

 high altitudes where lung-power is at a 

 premium. 



At El Tigre we tasted and enjoyed our 

 first chicha, the national drink made of 

 fermented corn. But chicha we later 

 learned, like pulque of Mexico, varies 

 greatly in character. A home-made brew 

 with a history which will bear publicity 

 is usually palatable and refreshing, but 

 chicha of the stalls and shops is an able 

 advocate of prohibition among the dis- 

 criminating. 



Free from the distracting influences of 

 fiestas and circuses, we made an early 

 start after a restful night at El Tigre, 

 and at 10 the next morning reached the 

 summit of the San Antonio pass, whence 

 we had our first and long-anticipated view 



