182 



BAD ROADS « 



quita, rolled with precipitate fury the broad 

 Magdalena, dashing in its rapid course 

 against the numerous rocks that innpede its 

 current above the town of Honda. The 

 pleasure, however, received from the differ- 

 ent views that open at every moment as you 

 ascend, is much decreased by the shocking 

 road on which you are obliged to travel, 

 being every moment in danger of your life, 

 should the mule make a false step. I can 

 scarcely call it a road ; it is more like a pas- 

 sage made by a mountain torrent ; for you 

 have every moment to climb rocks, many of 

 which the mule can hardly reach with her 

 fore-feet, and we were particularly unfortu- 

 nate, for a great deal of rain had fallen, 

 which had not only made this bad road un- 

 commonly slippery, but occasionally obliged 

 us to contend against a torrent of water 

 pouring down from it. At a turn of the road 

 we met with a fine pellucid stream, under an 

 overhanging shade of rocks and trees, where 



