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SANTA FE DE BOGOTA. 325 
and cinchone, to Santa Fe de Bogota the capital 
of New Grenada. This city stands in a beautiful 
valley surrounded by lofty mountains, and which 
would appear to have been at a former period the bed 
of a great lake. Here the travellers spent several 
months in exploring the mineralogical and botanical 
treasures of the country, the magnificent cataract 
of Tequendama, and the extensive collections of the 
celebrated Mutis. 
The elevated plain on which this metropolis is 
built, is 8727 feet above the level of the sea, and 
is consequently higher than the summit of St Ber- 
nard. The river of Funza, usually called Rio de 
Bogota, which drains the valley, has forced its way 
through the mountains to the south-west of Santa 
Fe, and near the farm of Tequendama rushes from 
the plain by a narrow outlet into a crevice, which 
descends towards the bed of the Rio Magdalena. 
Respecting this ravine, Gonzalo Ximenes de Que- 
sada, the conqueror of the country, found the fol- 
lowing tradition disseminated among the people :— 
In remote times the inhabitants of Bogota were bar- 
barians, living without religion, laws, or arts. An old 
Man on a certain occasion suddenly appeared among 
them, of a race unlike that of the natives, and hav- 
ing along bushy beard. He instructed them in the 
arts; but he brought with him a very malignant, 
although very beautiful woman, who thwarted all 
his benevolent enterprises. By her magical power 
she swelled the current of the Funza, and inun- 
dated the valley; so that most of the inhabitants per- 
ished, a few only having found refuge in the neigh- 
bouring mountains. The aged visiter then drove 
his consort from the earth, and she became the moon, 
