ingly abundant in many parts of the tropical regions of this country and the nuts are available in very large quantities, a sack of the nuts have been forwarded to the Imperial Institute of London for examination to ascertain if they may be of commercial value as a source of oil. Should they prove to contain a good percentage of oil, and the crushing of the nuts presents no difficulty, a new and very important industry for Colombia should be developed. The fruits, I may mention, are readily eaten by cattle and the nuts passed through the nuts may therefore be collected in cattle corrals in large num- bers and at little cost.
Magangue.
Sugar Plantation on Cauca River. From Gamarra I proceeded on September 12th to Magangue. Here I called especially to arrange a visit to the sugar plantations of the Companhia Azucarera de Sucre de Central Bolivar, which are situated on the banks of the Cauca river; where. I was informed, had been installed a plaut capable of turning out 120 sacks of sugar, of 125 lbs. each, per day. On arriving at Magangue, however. 1 learned that, owing to the heavy rains, the plantations had been inundated for the past three months, and that the factory was consequently temporarily closed. As a journey there would have occupied 8 days, and under these circumstances be use- less, I decided to proceed to Barranquilla.
Magangue is a larger town than the majority along the Magdalena, having about 9,000 inhabitants. Its situ- ation is important, being the port for the sabanas of Bolivar consequently it is the scene of a good deal of traffic with cattle and trading generally. It being situ-
ated near the Cauca river contributes also to its im- portance. I proceeded to Barranquilla on the 15th, ar- riving there early on the following day.
General Impressions of the River Journey. The principal object of my visit to the various river ports along the Magdalena was to obtain an idea of the forest resources, and of the agricultural possibilities of the country generally. The exceptional heavy rains, however, and the consequent flooded state of the country, prevented me from carrying out the systematic work that I had hoped to have accomplished. In any case, little could have been done in the space of three weeks, and I came to the conclusion that, in order to make a general survey of the forest areas of the lower Magdalena of any value, at least a year would be neces sary. Such a survey would require a river steamer at one's disposal, as well as a motor or gasoline boat for ascending the affluents of the Magdalena; in addition a complement of at least fifty men would be requirel for opening lines through the forests for inspection. In my opinion, a careful survey of the Magdalena forests should be made. not only to map out those areas of most importance from a timber point of view, which of course should be worked on scientific lines, securing to the country a permanent supply of timber; but also for the purpose of mapping out those areas best adapte! for cattle farming, for sugar growing, cacao and other Such information should prove plantation industries. invaluable to the Government in aiding the systemali exploitation of the forest resources, as well as the agricultural development of one of the most accessible parts of Colombia.
DEPARTAMENTO DE MAGDALENA.
Santa Marta.
On September 20th I proceeded to Santa Marta and remained there till the 30th making arrangements for my journey through the Departamento. I had intended starting with mules from Santa Marta for the Sierra Nevada, Provinces of Valle Dupar and Padilla, and thence to Rio Hacha and Goajira. Not being able, how- ever, to make satisfactory arrangements for the hire of transport, I decided to proceed by sea to Rio Hacha and commence the journey overland from that town.
Santa Marta is the capital of the Departamento and the seat of the local Government. It possesses a fine deep bay which affords a safe anchorage and an excel- lent port, steamers being able to get alongside the rail- way wharf. The most important local industry is the growing of bananas for export, which has within recent years assumed an industry of the greatest importance. The banana plantations are served by the Santa Marta Railway which conveys the fruit to the port on the arrival of the fruit steamers. The bulk of the produce from the ports on the Magdalena river of this Departa- mento finds its way to Barranquilla and is exported from that port.
Rio Hacha.
On the evening of September 30th we left by sailing boat from Santa Marta for Rio Hacha, and arrived there in the afternoon of October 2nd. Rio Hacha is one of the oldest towns of Colombia, but owing to various fires little remains of the old Spanish buildings except the ruins of an old castle now being washed by the waves of the encroaching sea. It is the capital of the Province of Padilla, and is situated near the river Calancala, on the boundary between the Province and the peninsula of Goajira. There is no harbour, the sea
A Banana Plantation near Santa Marta
being an open roadstead and very shallow, not permit- ting even small sailing boats to anchor nearer the shore than about a kilometer. All exports and imports have therefore to be transported in cayucos or large dug-out The canoes from the shore to the boats or vice versa.
The Bay of Santa Marta
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Shipping Bananas at the Port of Santa Maria
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