On the following day I visited Aguadas, returning the 
same afternoon to Pacora. Here for the first time I saw 
something of the panama hat industry, the making of 
panama hats being the principal occupation in Aguada. 
It is, however, a domestic industry, people of both sexes 
and of all ages may be seen in their houses or at the 
doorways engaged in weaving these popular hats. They 
are made from the leaves of a palm (Carludovica spp.], 
which, gathered young, are cut into thin strips and 
bleached. This material is brought in to the local 
markets of Aguadas and Pacora and sold. The country 
people buy and take home sufficient for the number of 
hats they propose to make during the week, returning the 
next market day with the finished article for sale. 
Commercial travellers visit this region from the United 
States to purchase these hats ; there are as many as eight 
commercial grades made, from “ ordinarios ” ’ to “ imty 
finos.”'^ Their value had, however, gone down consider- 
ably owing to the European war. 
The town of Aguadas occupies a commanding position 
on one of the hills of the Cordillera Central, and lies 
much higher than Pacora, being 2,210 metres above 
sea-level. It has an average temperature of 18° C., but 
the climate is said to be humid and unhealthy. The soil 
is of an impermeable clayish nature, and less fertile than 
the lands we had previously passed through. The 
municipality is the second largest of the Department in 
number of intiabitants ; the town was founded in 1808. 
The municipality of Aguadas has two flour mills, an 
electric colTee Irillndora, a tannery, and forty-eight sugar- 
cane mills of different descriptions, which produce about 
373,600 kilos of pniiela, and 6,600 kilos of sugar. 
From Pacora through the Western Part of Caldas. 
From Pacora we proceeded to Marmato, the route 
jiassing through very hilly country, We noticed a 
considerable amount of oak or robic in the forests of the 
higher parts. As we left late from Pacora we were 
' Ordinary. - Very fine. 
obliged to camp the night at San Bartolo, a little 
village situated on the ridge of a hill overlooking 
Marmato on the other side of the Cauca river. We 
left San Bartolo early on the following morning, and 
commenced the descent to the Cauca river. It was a 
steep descent to the valley, and a steeper ascent on the 
other side of the river to gain the town of Marmato, and 
the road was the worst we had struck in Caldas. In the 
valley the climate is quite tropical. One of the chief 
features of the vegetation in the valley is the Ciiesco or 
Corozo palm, the kernels of which yield an oil resembling 
the palm oil of West Africa. We reached Marmato at 
abont 11 o’clock in the morning, and remained the rest 
of that day and the next as guests of the Manager of the 
Marmato Gold Mines, Mr. Norman L. Jenks. 
Marmato is probably the richest gold mine in the 
whole of Colombia. It was discovered in the 16th century 
by the Spaniards, and is now worked by the Colombian 
Mining and Exploration Company of London. It is 
situated at 1,560 metres above sea-level, and has an 
average temperature of about 22° C. There is very little 
activity in agriculture in the district, nearly all the popula- 
tion being miners. 
On the morning of November 12th we bid adieu to 
our hospitable host, and proceeded to Riosucio. After 
travelling for 10 kilometres we reached the town of 
Supia, which lies at 1,220 metres’ altitude. The average 
temperature here is 21° C. This municipality possesses 
gold and silver mines, and there are 242 sugar mills of 
different descriptions, principally wooden. Continuing 
our journey we reached Riosucio early in the afternoon, 
it being 15 kilometres distant from Supia. 
Riosucio is situated on the river of that name, and at 
the foot of a hill which lies 285 metres above the level 
of the square. It lies at an altitude of 1.810 metres, and 
has an average temperature of 19° C. The river Sucio is 
very rich in gold ; silver is also found in the district. 
The town possesses an electric plant, is well supplied 
with water, and is a very busy commercial centre. 
Fig. VIII. — A Gold Mine at Caldas, La Cascada, 
11 
