460 



NEW GRENADA. 



American confederacy It extends from lat. 2° S. to 12^ N, being 980 miles in length, from 

 north to south, with an area of 380,000 square miles, and 1,700,000 inhabitants. 



2. Mountains. The country is traversed by several chains of the Andes, the basis of 

 which, as in the mountainous chains of Mexico, are elevated plains or table-lands, which are 

 from 6,000 to 9,500 feet above the level of the sea. Near the southern frontier in the vicinity 

 of Popayan, the great chain of the Andes diverges into 3 principal chains ; the eastern sepa- 

 rates the valley of the Magdalena from the head streams of the Orinoco, and, running in a 

 northeasterly direction to the east of Bogota and Pampelona, passes into Venezuela ; the cen- 

 tral chain, called the Quindiu mountains, lies north and south between the Magdalena and the 

 Cauca, attaining in some places an elevation of about 18,000 feet ; the western or Choco 

 chain passes in a northwesterly direction, into the isthmus of Panama, where it is connected 

 with the great mountainous system, that traverses North America. The valleys between these 

 chains, form the great plateau of New Grenada, upon which the population is chiefly concen- 

 tred. Near the northern coast is the Sierra of Santa Martha, some of the summits of which 

 rise to the height of above 19,000 feet. 



3. Rivers. The Magdalena rises at the point where the several chains above described 

 separate, and flows north into the Caribbean sea, which it enters by several mouths, after a 

 course of 900 miles. It receives numerous tributaries, of which the Cauca is the principal. 

 These rivers are navigable for steam vessels. The head branches of the Amazon water the 

 southeastern part of the country. The Guaviare and Meta, tributaries of the Orinoco, and 

 the Mgro and Caqueta, tributaries of the Amazon, are large rivers rising in the eastern chain 

 of the Andes. 



4. Bays. The gulf of Darien and the bay of Panama in the north are separated by the 

 narrow strip of land called the isthmus of Panama or Darien. 



5. Climate and Soil. The description already given of the chmate of Mexico applies in a 

 great measure to that of this country. The low country on the coast is hot and unhealthy, but 

 the traveler, on ascending the table-land, enters a region of perpetual spring. So rapid is the 

 transition, that the eye can at once embrace plains covered with the oaks, elms, cereal grasses, 

 and other plants of the temperate zone, look down upon the tropical regions of the palms, the 

 bananas, and the sugar-cane, and behold above him mountains, over which broods an eternal 

 winter. The soil is extremely fertile, and produces in great richness and abundance, the va- 

 ried vegetation of its difl'erent climates. 



6. Minerals. Rich mines of silver are found in the mountains, but have been little worked ; 

 the gold vv^ashings in the mountains of Choco, in which platina also occurs, furnish about 20,000 

 marcs of gold, of the value of nearly $ 3,000,000 a year. Precious stones of different kinds 

 abound. The emerald mines of Muzo, near Bogota, and those of Somondoco in the depart- 

 ment of Boyaca, have furnished great quantities of emeralds. 



7. J^atural Curiosities. The cataract of Tequendama near Bogota, presents an assemblage 

 of all that is picturesque. The river of Bogota, which, just above the fall, is 144 yards in 

 breadth, is contracted, at a crevice in the rock, to a width of 12 yards, and is poured by 2 de- 

 scents down a depth of 574 feet, into an almost fathomless abyss. The waters as they beat 

 against the rocks beneath, rise up sometimes in columns, sometimes in myriads of fleecy and 

 fantastic shapes, like those formed by fire-works. The immense clouds of vapor, when illu- 

 minated by the sun, form beautiful rainbows. The plain above the fall is covered whh .the 

 grains of temperate regions, while at its foot grow the palms and sugar-cane of the tropics. 

 The natural bridge of Icononzo, is a natural arch of stone, 50 feet long and 40 wide, stretch- 

 ing over a deep chasm, through which rolls a torrent forming 2 beautiful cascades. The height 

 of the bridge above the stream is 318 feet. Sixty-four feot below this bridge is a second, 

 composed of 3 enormous masses of rock, which have fallen so as to support each other. The 

 cavern below is haunted by thousands of nocturnal birds. At the village of Turbaco near 

 Carthagena, there is a singular group of air-volcanoes, consisting of conical hillocks from 20 to 

 25 feet high, on the summit of which a e cavities filled with water ; from these issue bubbles 

 of gas, which often project the water to a considerable height, while a constant succession of 

 explosions is heard under ground. 



" TOLITICAL GEOGRAPHY. 



i. Divisions ; Government. New Grenada comprises the territories of the former Spanish 



