it says much for the oxen of the Sierra Nevada and the Indians leading them that they did so without mishap. The mountains here present a greyish hue, due to the abundance on the grassy slopes of a plant with silvery foliage, known locally as Viru-vira. This plant is a Composite, and is in repute as being a medicinal plant of considerable merit.
Mamancanaca Valley.
The Mamancanaca valley is a very narrow one, and has no comparison with the Duriamenya valley, having a poor and stony soil. It is covered with scrub, Opan- tias, Agaves, Fureracas, Dodonca viscosa, shrubby So- lanceae, plants in fact characteristic of dry and arid lands. In the upper part of this valley we camped for the night, and being Xmas-eve and short of provisions we shot, with the consent of the owner, Juan Bautista. a young bullock to replenish our larder.
The Ascent.
On Xmas-day, my fever having abated, we started early for the snows, continuing our journey up the Mamançanaca valley for some distance, and then by way of the paramo of Jansabanaca to the peak known as Tayrona or Chundwa. My companions were Señor Garcia, Juan Bautista and his uncle and another Indian who travelled on foot. We rode as far as it was pos- sible, and then tethered our animals to the rocks, to con- Linue on foot. At this point we halted for a few minutes to take a little refreshment, and to admire the beautiful scenery, Here before us stood out the snow-capped peaks with their glistening slopes of frozen snow, crys- tal streams and cascades born of the melting snow. Below in the deep and distant valley on the right we saw the lakes of Janmeina, and noted cattle on its banks grazing in peaceful contentment. Janmeina is a chain of three lakes, and the picture from the snow-white peak down to the valley with the lakes, is one of unique and magnificent beauty and well worth a special visit of the artist. On walking to the other side of the ridge on which we stood we noticed also several picturesque lakes within closer view.
The upper part of the Sierra Nevada is exceedingly rocky, and the climb, though by no means difficult, was very arduous and trying. Climbing over huge boulders, rounding others too large to climb, and then crossing land slides composed of shale or fiaely broken rock, down which one might easily be carried hundreds of feet below, was the manner in which we made the final part of the ascent. At about 4 o'clock in the afternoon I reached the snow line, and shortly afterward the Indian who was carrying my instruments and camera, but Señor Garcia and the other two Indians, fatigued with the climb, returned to the point where we left the horses. I have no doubt that I should have been left alone to complete the latter part of the ascent, had not the Indian who accompanied me been charged with the responsibility of carrying my outfit. On reaching the top of the ridge at the snow line another panorama of
remarkable splendor met our view, another range of snow capped peaks and numerous little lakes situated at varying altitudes. More beautiful in grandeur ap peared this entrancing panorama before us than the peak on whose ridge we stood. A false step here and one would be carried down the glacier hundreds of feet to the abyss below. Having taken the temperatures we descended the mountain, as it would have been quite impossible at that late hour of the day to have climbed the highest point of the peak, being obliged to return to our base camp in the valley. Apart from the question of time I doubt whether it would have been possible to have reached the summit of this peak without climbing equipment. Hurrying on, therefore, as fast as the rocky road permitted, we duly regained the point where our horses had been left, and where the other members of our party were awaiting us, and continuing our journey we reached our base camp at 7.30 at night.
Flora of the Sierra Nevada.
It is
The splendor of the mountain scenery of this upper zone, the snow-capped peaks and ridges, the picturesque lakes and lagoons quaintly situated at varying elevations, cannot be denied. Regarding the Bora, however, of this region, as represented by the part traversed in this ex- cursion, the Sierra Nevada has disappointed me. possible that there are other parts of the Sierra Nevada where the flora is richer in the upper reaches, but of this I have no personal knowledge, except regarding the Santa Marta side where the forest flora extends to higher reaches. I have ascended the mountains of India and Africa, the Ruwenzori of Africa, for example, and can say that the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta bears no comparison with this African range, either in the variety of species or the beauty of the flowers. But the Ruwen- zori has a different climate, the upper reaches of that mountain are nearly always enveloped in fine mist and the vegetation drips with moisture: there being no dry season of considerable duration as in the case of the Sierra Nevada. The flora of this mountain cannot therefore, be expected to be so luxuriant. On the Andes near Bogotá, well within a range of a thousand feet one meets with three distinct species of Frailejón (Espeletia spp) affecting different altitudes. Here on the Sierra Nevada I did not see more than one species. and that affecting only the upper zone; this Frailejón. though of the arborescent type, is of a different species to those of the Bogotà region, and has white or straw colored flowers instead of yellow.
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The Descent.
On the 26th we left our camp at Mamancanaca and returning the same way as we ascended, we reached Circayuca at dusk. On the following day we proceeded on our journey to San Sebastian by another route. reaching there about mid-day. I had hoped to leave the same day for Valle Dupar, but unfortunately the tardy Indians did not provide oxen in time, nor did they ap pear till the evening of the following day.
San Sebastian to Valle Dupar Via El Talco. We left San Sebastian on the 29th, returning by way of El Mamon and El Tatco and the valley of Guatapuri to Valle Dupar. The first part of our journey fed us through interesting fertile lands, thence over the moun- tain known as El Mamon, the road reaching an alti- tude of 2,400 m, at its highest part. I was led to take this route in preference to the one via Puebloviejo, as it was said to be nearer and moreover enabled me to see a further part of this interesting mountain range. We were destined to camp the night at E Talco and this meant a descent from 2,400 metres to 750 over an awful track. E! Talco is merely a camp on the road, and has apparently received its name from the supposition
that tale is found in the locality. The mineral supposed to be tale is, however, mica, so the locality would be more appropriately named La Mica and not El Taico,
Guatapuri Valley.
The road from El Talco to Valle Dupar is along the Guatapuri valley and a very rough one, the greater part being exceedingly rocky or stony. noticed that efforts had been made to establish portreros in various parts of this valley, but the falling and decaying fences told the tale that success had not accompanied these efforts. The valley of Guatapuri from El Talco to Valle Dupar, is not, in my opinion, of any appreciable agricultural value.
THE SIERRA NEVADA.
I have no hesitation in stating that I consider the Sierra Nevada range the most valuable region of this Department. Firstly, for the reason that within its limits can be grown a variety of products; from tropical crops in the lowlands, sub-tropical and temperate crops in the intermediate parts, to crops peculiar to cold regions in the tipper zone. Secondly, because of the geographical position of the Sierra Nevada, being within easy reach of the most important markets of the West and of Europe. And lastly, because the Sierra Nevada should become the sanatorium of the Coast region, re- placing the wasted forces of the tropical worker. Is not the Sierra Nevada the lungs of the Department, the accumulator of the forces which should be utilized to re-establish health and vigor?
From a very hurried journey such as the one 1 have made, restricted to a relatively small area of this im- portant range, I do not feel justified in treating the agricultural possibilities of the Sierra Nevada as a whole. The observations which follow, it should there- fore be borne in mind, are framed from impressions made on this hurried trip, and are not the result of a detailed exploration of the range, such as I had de- sired to make and such as undoubtedly should be under- taken.
Wheat.
I had pictured the Sierra Nevada mountain, from what I had been told, a country of remarkable fertility and of Wonderful and extensive wheat-growing lands. The Sierra Nevada is not in this respect any such "El Dorado." There are in parts considerable expanses of fairly fertile lands, but there are equally large, if not larger areas of poor sterile lands. To describe the Sierra Nevada as a wheat-growing country, would be to display an ignorance of the wheat-producing lands of the world; for nowhere did I notice extensive areas where wheat could be grown and cultivated by modern methods such as would place the Sierra Nevada on a competing basis with wheat-producing countries. I do not say there is not land suitable for growing wheat, on the contrary, there are areas where wheat may be grown and grown at a profit for consumption in the
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country, lands without doubt superior to the lands above Bogotá devoted to that cereal. It is a matter of history that the early Spanish settlers grew wheat at or in the vicinity of Puebloviejo. 1 have there seen a mill stone, found in recent years, which was doubtless hewn centuries ago from the granite boulders by the Span- iards for milling wheat. It is now employed for hulling coffee in one of the animal-drawn contrivances at Puebloviejo. This mill stone might well find a place in the National Museum at Bogotá, as a record of the in- dustry of the early settlers, an industry which it is to he deplored has not been emulated locally in more recent times. One of the principal features that struck me in this journey was the abundance of water everywhere. The Sierra Nevada is wonderfully well watered with beautiful clear crystal streams, affording abundant water for irrigation and power.
Possible Crops.
The Sierra Nevada, as represented by the part I have traversed in this journey, is essentially the country for the colonist or man with small capital who is not afraid to work; for here is a country which is perfectly healthy and where the farmer's or planter's life is ideal. There are the lower zones adapted for cotton, cacao, sugar- cane, maize, etc. A little higher are lands suitable for coffee, ginger, citrus fruits, etc. Citrus growing should prove a new industry of great possibilities with suitable communication with the port at Santa Marta; for grape- fruit and oranges should find a ready market in Panama and the United States, as well as the aguacate and granadilla and probably other fruits peculiar to this country and little known to the outside world. At a still higher elevation, wheat, barley and cats might be grown in sufficient quantity to render the importation of these cereals from other countries no longer acces- sary. Is not the population of Santa Marta and the Coast generally importing potatoes from the United States, while here close at hand are suitable lands for the cultivation of that tuber, and indeed all classes of vegetables? With rapid communication with the Coast the cultivation of vegetables should indeed prove a
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