482 



zuela, although the latter, being a northern pro- 

 longation of the Cordillera of Cundinamarca, is 

 immediately linked with the chain of the An- 

 des. The Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta is 

 contained within two divergent branches of the 

 Andes, that of Bogota, and that of the isthmus 

 of Panama. It rises abruptly like a fortified 

 castle, amidst the plains extending from the 

 gulph of Darien,by the mouth of theMagdalena, 

 to the lake of Maracaybo. I have stated above* 

 the ancient error of geographers, who have 

 considered this insulated groupe of mountains 

 covered with eternal snows, as the extremity of 

 the high Cordilleras of Chita and Pamplona. 

 The loftiest ridge of the Sierra Nevada de San- 

 ta Marta is only three or four leagues in length 

 in the direction from east to west ; it is bound- 

 ed (at nine leagues distance from the coast,) by 

 the meridians of the capes of San Diego and San 

 Augustin. The culminant points, called El Pi- 

 cacho and Horqueta are placed near the west- 

 ern border of the groupe ; they are entirely se- 

 parated from the peak of San Lorenzo, alike 



* Vol. vi, p. 396. 

 t According to the observations of M. Fidalgo (Tierra 

 firrne, hoja tercera, Madrid, 1817), the Horqueta is situated 

 lat. 10° 61', and long. 67° 29' Cad., in supposing S. Marta 

 68° long. Cad. ; it thence results, if with M. Oltmans, we 

 adopt 76° 29' Par. for the latter port, 75° 58' Par. for the 

 Horqueta. 



