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LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
 
 PRINCETON. N. J. 
 
 Presented by 
 
 IDr. Webster El. IBrowru 
 
 '.BSfc 
 
 Division . 
 
 Section 
 
t 
 
 A V E L LETTER 
 0 N 
 
 COLOMBIA . 
 
 S. A ♦ 
 
 / 
 
 By Dr. Webster E. Browning 
 Educational Secretary 
 
 •> 
 
 January 16th, 1923. Thru March 16th, 19^3. 
 
 issued By 
 
 COMMITTEE OB COOPERATION 
 IN LATIN AMERICA 
 26 Madison Ave., 
 
 New York 
 
 / 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
♦ i'UREWCRD* 
 
 This letter was written during a trip of over two 
 months through the Eepubiic of Colombia, to my wife. 
 
 Some friends who have read it have suggested a wider 
 circulation, since it treats of unusual experiences in 
 a very interesting but little-known country. It may 
 also serve to demonstrate, incidentally, that the trav¬ 
 el experiences of a deputation visiting the work of this 
 or that mission are not all joy-riding, although they 
 do include the inestimable privilege of meeting and know¬ 
 ing intimately the men and women who are out on the ad¬ 
 vance lines of foreign mission work. 
 
 It is in the hope, particularly, of interesting 
 others in that work that this somewhat intimate account 
 of a wonderfully inspiring journey among the hospitable 
 and likable people cf Colombia is now sent to you, witn. 
 the warm regard of 
 
 The Writer 
 
 New York City, 
 
 June 1, 1923. 
 
 1 
 
On the fegdalena River, en route for 
 arl points Souths January 16,1933. 
 
 The Elder unto the Elect Laly and her Children* 
 
 Once again I find myse. 
 
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 ooard one cf the so-called express “boats on 
 
 ts muddy waters toward the points 
 at and mys t e c i ou s hint er- 
 
 returning frcn a gatner- 
 annual general meeting of 
 the visit of the deputa- 
 W, Reginalu Wneeler, my 
 
 Baroer ; with two children, Harlan and Soflora, returning to Medellin; three 
 young ladies, yes,’even four- who a.re either returning to their work or are new 
 and going up the river for the first time. These are Miss Retta McMillan, 
 Principal of the Girls’ School in Bogota; Miss Doolittle, Medellin; Miss 
 Russell, who goes to work with Miss McMillan, and Miss Parker, who gees to 
 Medellin to work with Miss Doolittle, These last named are new and will put in 
 the most of their time during the present year in the study of the language. 
 
 We are on board the "Ayacndho", which is one of several boats belonging to 
 a new line that has entered into competitition with the older lines and which 
 gives a reduced rate equal to about fifty per cent of the old one. It is not 
 equal to the "Mauretania," in luxury and the convenience of its service, but is 
 a good deal better than the boats that I travelled in on this same river four 
 years ago and is not at all bad, especially for a short journey. The weather 
 is warm, of course, but not unbearably so, and we can always find a place which 
 is swept by the breezes. The boat is open from one' end to the other, so that 
 there is no lack of circulation of what air is moving. 
 
 Tne hour set for our departure from Barranquilla was eight p.m., yesterday, 
 but we did not get away until about half after three this morning. The company 
 gives nothing in the state-rooms, so that the passenger must come on board pro¬ 
 vided with cot, sheets, towels, etc., or else do without tziese necessities. My 
 observation leads me to believe that the majority of the Colombian passengers 
 list these articles under the head of "luxuries," and so dispense with them 
 while en board. The rest of us, cursed by the toils of civilization, have brought 
 the full list and have made ourselves as comfortable as possible. I nave a room 
 to myself and a comfortable cot. I was going to buy the whole outfit, just for 
 the trip, but the friends in Barranquilla loaned me bedding, towels, etc,, so 
 that I am provided with all necessary. There was a bedstead in my room, wit a 
 no mattress but with wire springs. This I had removed and my cot is comfortable,- 
 at least when one boat is not in motion. When we are moving, it begins a kind 
 cf war dance and keeps it up all the time! 
 
 To go back a little, - we had a good despedida in Barranquilla. Every one 
 has been most considerate of our welfare while we were in that city, and the 
 whole evangelical community seemed to be at the boat last nignt to bid us fare¬ 
 well. On Sunday afternoon three of the young ladies whom I had met in New York 
 at the time cf the Conference of Outgoing Missionaries, in 1930, - Misses Doodittle, 
 McMillan and Tompkins,- invited me to the Girls’ School to have tea with them 
 I suggested taking Mr, Wheeler with me, but they said that it was a "family affair" 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 and. that no outsiders were wanted. So I went up., not knowing what it was all 
 a" out, but ready to absorb the cup that cheers but inebriates not. There were 
 just the four of us present, and when we went into the tea-room I found a Long 
 roll at my place. On opening it I discovered a beautiful cane, made of the fame as 
 palm of Colombia, used especially for this purpose, and the knob formed from a 
 capua nut, - the ivory from which buttons are made, - the whole a very beautiful 
 thing. They explained that I had been like a father to them,-dcesn l t that make 
 one feel young, especially since no one of these young ladies is under thirty- 
 both in the above-mentL^ned Or if erer.ee in New York City and here on the field, so 
 tnat they wanted me to have something on which to lean when the evil days come, 
 tne keepers of the house shall tremble, and the grasshopper come to be a burden! 
 
 I shall always appreciate this gift very much. 
 
 Some of the missionary men looked after the buying of tickets and the putting 
 on board of the luggage, so that all we had to do was to step into the coach at 
 tne &6or of the school and step out on the docks. The ship is new and clean, as 
 cleanliness goes in these lands, and the first meal, the only one served so far, 
 
 was not bad. Mr. Wheeled and I are to be on board for about four days, a nuro 
 lomo de mula j to Buearamanga, up in the hills of the Department of Santander. The 
 mule which I am to bestride does not know what is coming to him and is, today, in¬ 
 nocently travelling down the mountain side to meet his fate in the port, Several 
 of tne mission said they had a great desire to see u Dr. Browning on a mule! n Well, 
 it may be some one will be ungenerous enough, to take a snap of me in tnat undig¬ 
 nified position. If so, I will satisfy my family, at least, in that particular, 
 
 The river at this point is not wide, but pours its tawny flood seaward between 
 high banks that are covered with a dense tropical vegetation. There are groups of 
 little huts scattered along the bank, now and then, at which our boat stops. The 
 whole population turns out to gaze on us, - men, women and children, most of the 
 latter up to eight or ten years of agd clad only in the hot reeking atmosphere, 
 cat, seemingly, with no sense of shame. It is a case of primitive man, but a lit¬ 
 tle removed from the simian population that swings and jabbers in the nearby forests, 
 and the whole human group probably looks with pity on the representatives of their 
 race who are compelled to wear clothing, - yea, evan stiff collars! in the midst of 
 such heat. Floating islands of vegetation go swinging by on our larboard and on 
 our starboard, and the whole surface of the river is dotted with branches of trees, 
 shrubs, flowers and sticks of wood that have broken from the forests and are now 
 c.i their way to the briny deep. Water-lilies and hyacinths seem to be especially 
 .lorrerous and- show up beautifully on the gently moving stream. The water is per¬ 
 fect ly still, like a lake of silver, - or burnished copper, since it is so dark,- 
 breken only by the prow of our boat and the receding waves that reach the bank on 
 either side. The boat burns wood, but it is soon to be converted into an oil-burner; 
 i-.ke most of its fellows on the river, which will obviate the necessity of tying up 
 t; load on fuel, at all hours of the day and the night, 
 
 Wednesday afternoon, January 17, 1925 
 
 Two days have passed since I wrote you, - rather, I was writing you yesterday 
 morning and it is now late in the afternoon, - and we are still ploughing along in 
 the muddy waters of the Magdalena, Tne hours seem to come and go without my get¬ 
 ting much done, for it is too hot to allow one to show any energy, and we are more 
 oi less reacting from the stra.in of the long and tiresome meeting in B&rranquilla. 
 
 Mr, Wheeler has been laid up with a touch of malaria, but is going around and seems 
 oetter. The mosquitoes are both robust and numerous and seem to be unusually vora¬ 
 cious. Tney get into my room, in spite of the netting, and other passengers report 
 the same. One of the young ladies loaned me a bottle of evil-smelling stuff to rub 
 on my ankles, - which seem to be tne special goal of about one million of the bichoo 
 and it worked wonders, I have a higher opinion of the intelligence of the mosquito 
 than I had before, for it is surely malodorous! 
 

 
 
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 Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2019 with funding from 
 Princeton Theological-Seminary Library 
 
 https://archive.org/details/travelletteroncoOObrow 
 
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 We have desavuno at seven in the morning, breakfast at 11:50, and dinner 
 ab'TLC 6:00 p.m- In the afternoon, about half past three, the ladies serve c^a to 
 our own crowd., and cool drinks are also passed around by the boat y.ocrgle* C.-.e 
 they calk "arena”, and I judge it to be a preparation ox oatmeal with a little mill, 
 Jt is noc bad, but one hesitates to drink any water on the boat that is not boiled, 
 and this evidently is not. The food is not bad, although pretty greasy, and we will 
 geo along air right for the few days we are to be on board. I only wish that we 
 could go right on to Bucaramanga in this way, without bothering the mule! 
 
 As I sit in my room I can see the little houses that line the bank go by, 
 each surrounded; just along here, by a grove of banana trees or situated back of 
 a cluster of bending coccanut 'palms. The panorama is altogether tropical and the 
 heat goes well with the view. We stop occasionally to take on wood and thus lose 
 a good deal of time. We are announced to b.ekir. Bucaramanga for Sunday night, but 
 it may be Tuesday before we make it. Such is ]ife on the Magdalena and far away 
 from one’s wife! As I think I have remarked on another occasion, this would be a 
 splendid locality in which to establish a factory of suede gloves, - the supply of 
 undressed kid seems inexhaustible! Up to eight or ten years, clothing seems to be 
 considered superfluous, although I believe there is more of it than I saw four years 
 ago. This I found to be especially true in Barranquilla, where it is the unusual 
 thing to see an undressed youngster, whereas, four years ago, the contrary was true. 
 
 The river is very high just now, so that no sand-bars are visible and, in 
 consequence, we have seen but few ca.ymanes. Now and then one of these saurians 
 may be sighted, stretched out on the bank, but they are few, so far. Fafcther up 
 they will be more plentiful, I am told. I bought some ammunition for my ^atling 
 gun and will have some fun shooting at them, when they become more plentiful. For¬ 
 merly, anyone who wished might ^et up on the deck and fire away at them. But I 
 believe that an American accidentally killed a passenger one day, so that, now, 
 one has to get the permission of the captain before beginning a fusillade. 
 
 Today I have been talking with a Judge who lives in Medellin and who seems 
 to be somewhat liberally minded. He had a good deal to do with getting through 
 a civil marriage ceremony and was excommunicated therefor. He is a Catholic, 
 however, but libera] in his attitude toward Protestantism. He wants me to give a 
 lecture in the "Universidad de Anti " and I will see how we can arrange the 
 
 matter when we get to Medellin. Tnis is one of the best universities of Colombia 
 and I will be glad to add it to they string of institutions in which I have lecture! 
 
 I have presumptions against writing more than a page a day, so will now have 
 to close and go to something else. 
 
 January 19th, 1S23. 
 
 I am sitting in my room, in front of the door that opens on to the narrow 
 passage that runs the entire length of the boat, and can look out on the stretch 
 of forest and the high mountains in the background, while on the nearby sandbars 
 numberless alligators are stretched out sunning themselves. I occasionally inter¬ 
 rupt my writing to get up and shoot at these saurians, but so far I have hit but 
 one of them, so far as I could tell. Tnis big fellow shook his hind leg at me 
 and rolled over into the river, but kept up a commotion after ne disappeared from 
 view, so we decided he had been hit. I would not shoot at any ether animal, but 
 have no sympathy for tnese ugly brutes. I bought a box of cartridges in Barran¬ 
 quilla and they are about gone. You know the alligator gets his dentistry done 
 free of charge. He lies with his jaws open and a little bird picks his teeth to 
 get food that may have stuck in the hollow ones. He never hurts this bird. 
 
 The river here is pretty low and we have seen several steamers that were stuck 
 on the sandbars that now appear on every side. One was quite high out of the 
 water and the men were lightening her by carrying the freight to barges; the other 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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we passed in the night. She is the mail "boat , from up the river, and was 
 all lighted up,-with no place to go] Y : e are not crowing much, for we may 
 also get stuc.it some place. We are already two days "behind our schedule, so 
 that we will not get into Puerto Wilches, where I leave the boat, until 
 tomorrow morning, when we should have got in yesterday morning. However, I 
 am praying that we may not get in 'to the port tonight, for I do not want to 
 have to spend the night there. If we get in early tomorrow morning, we ought 
 to catch the train that runs up to u Kiiometro 27”, the end of the line. They 
 have been working on this line for forty years and have built these seventeen 
 milesi Good work! At that rate, how long 'will they be in completing the 
 wnole line to hue a ramng a? Work it ant by alegbra! The distance is about 
 150 miles. 
 
 You may have noticed that I wrote that "I" leave the boat. Such is the 
 fact. Mr, Wheeler has come down with what seems to be malaria and I am to 
 make the trip to Bucaramanga alone,-that is, with Mr. Williams, who lives 
 there, and Mr. Barber, who is a member of the Executive Committee. This 
 is not at all to our liking, but seems to be the best thing to do, under the 
 circumstances. 
 
 Should we arrive early tomorrow morning, then, we will take the train 
 out to the end of the line and spend the night there. We carry all our ovixi 
 supplies, so that all we will lock for is a roof under which we can sleep, 
 in case of rain. We have food, mosquito tents, etc-, all provided by Mr. 
 
 Williams who is looking after the expedition. Then there are three days on 
 mule-back, if ail goes well. The first two days are through the tropical 
 forest, where there are boa constrictors and such other pleasant dwellers 
 of tne jungle; but the last day is across the hixls of land that is some¬ 
 what higher and should be cooler. We will probably stay two days in Bucaramanga, 
 or possibly only one, and then return by the same route to the river, where I 
 will hope to catch a boat without too much delay-* Mr. Wheeler now plans to 
 go on a little farther to Barranca Bermeja, where there is a large colony of 
 Americans, who are interested in oil, and go to their hospital for a few days. 
 Then, if he is able, he wi.li go on to Medellin and wait for me thejpe- I will 
 be about two weeks behind him, I expect, unless I happen to make undsually 
 good connections. 
 
 The mosquitoes have been getting in their vv*ork on my ankles and hands, and 
 I have been making liberal use of iodine to kill the poison. I have seen able 
 to see but few, yet these few seem to belong to a peculiarly lusty and vor¬ 
 acious breed, with a strong thirst for blood. I suspect that my bed, too, 
 has other occupants, but have not been able to prove it. Yesterday, ratner, 
 the night before, ty couch ripped from Ban to Beersheba, so that I had to geo 
 another. This pleased the friends who seem to think it a joke and blame it 
 on my averbupcis,. However, I maintain that the cloth was rotten and that it 
 might have ripped with any one else? But I should worry. None of these 
 things move me and so long as I can side step the malaria I shall not worry 
 over trifles like the ripping up ox a cot. 
 
 I have been trying to work a little, these days but it is difficult. 
 
 The heat is petty bad and at night there are exactly seventeen million bugs 
 and other insects that flock into the rooms where there is a light and make 
 work impossible. 
 
 The other people on board, of our crowd, seem to be pretty well, with 
 the exception of Mr. Lee who suffers from asthma. How aprer,this is not serious 
 and he recovers when he reaches the high lands of Bogota. 
 
 I think that I have already written that the four young ladies arranged 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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for the deputation to ?>t with them, so that we have a nice little table for 
 six, with Ivir e Wheeler at one end and I at the other. The young ladies do all 
 they cm to make the meal pleasant, bring little extras, etc., so that the 
 eating is a pleasant interruption to the usual tasks of the day. The Allans 
 have another’ taol e* with Mr* e*nd Mrs. Lee, while the Barbers, who are four* 
 nave another, wi th Im , Williams with, them- in Colombia potatoes are supplanted 
 by bananas, which, a rr serv-d in i'll so-ts of ways, The usual stunt is to 
 serve then like Saratoga clips, with the meat course. Bat I don’t care for 
 them under any gn: se, so pass them up- as a rule. Cackleberries seem to be 
 abundant and X subsist, principally, on this fruit, I do not think I shall 
 ever be able to look a good old hen in the eye, again, after eating so many 
 and so much of her hard-won product! 
 
 This, then, will be my last appearance for some two weeks, since I will 
 have to leave my typewriter in the port and pick it up on my return from 
 Buca.raxn.anga. Then I hope to have much to say unto thee, which I hope will 
 prove interesting, The difficulty and dangers' of these trips are always 
 over-estimated, so that I am not worrying about it, but expect to have a grand 
 old time. If the boa constrictor constricts me,-well, then I won’t finish 
 this letter, that’s all, and you’ll have to get the details from another. 
 
 But, there 1 s no danger of that,-only I ! d like to meet one, just to see what 
 he is like! 
 
 Bucaramarga, Colombia, 
 
 January 25th, 1923, 
 
 My last was from on board the "AyacuchoS written the afternoon before we 
 got into Puerto Wilches, That night, we got within sight of the lights of the 
 port, but had to tie up until morning because of the low water and the many 
 
 sand bars. This was a good thing for us, since it would have been much more 
 
 disagreeable on...shore. As it was, we • had a good night on the steamer and 
 early the next morning left it in the port and prepared for the trip inland, 
 
 I was sorry to leave the crowd on the boat, and they all seemed to be sorry 
 
 to have me start off for the interior, without them. However, it had to be 
 done and Mr, Williams, Mr, Barber and I took our belongings, such as we ex¬ 
 pected to need on the trip, and got ashore about six o’clock. We were told 
 that the little train for the interior would be going out at about one, and 
 it came puffing in about ten, We got everything ready and the.i bought some 
 tackle and went fishing on the banks of the Magdalena, We caought nothing, 
 altncugh others on the bank were pulling whoppers out, all the time, with 
 what seemed to be the same apparatus. However, it soon got too hot and we 
 went into a poor little so-called hotel where we sat in the shade and finally 
 
 had a good breakfast* the old lady having killed a chicken in our honor, and 
 influenced by the prospect of good pay, and then tried to take a nap, This 
 was not successful, but, about three o’clock, the little train pulled out 
 dor "Kilometre 2?" with us on board. 
 
 The ride for these 17 miles is very fine, right through the dense tropical 
 jungle, and terminates among a few huts where the workmen stay and where there 
 are more donkeys than human bipeds. We climbed a hill to the posad a where we 
 were to spend the night and found that, fortunately, we left some of the mos¬ 
 quitoes behind, although not all. Here we met two other travellers who had 
 just come in over the trail we were to take the following morning. One of 
 them is a Yale man, of the class of ’’94, and has a son in Princeton, The other 
 ^as been in Montevideo and knows, especially, the Cement people. They were in 
 Colombia on oil business and both were fine men,-Todd and MacGregor by name, the 
 first a Presbyterian and the other a Baptist, 
 

 
 
 
 
 
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Early the next day we were ready to start off,into the jungle. The mule 
 tnat was pointed out to me as the one I was to ride, did not lock to be much 
 larger than a jack-rabbit, and I had visiohsn of going into Bucaramanga carry¬ 
 ing her. However, we looked each other in the eye, saluted each other in the 
 rkime of old Missouri, from which we both had sprung, and I found that she was 
 equal to the task of carrying me up hl#L3. and down, over swaying bridges and 
 across planks that cross chasms.in which countain streams go brawling along 
 many feet below, and she finally pilanted me in this city in all safety, evident¬ 
 ly more ready to begin the return trip than I would have been. The trail leads 
 through the forests in which monkeys hang to the overhanging boughs of the 
 trees and shriek out their opinion of the passing traveller*-judging from their 
 tone this opinion was rot favorable;-serpents, great and small, writhe their 
 way through the morass and jungle; birds of all kinds flask from tree to tree, 
 their plumage vying with the mult-colored foliage of the undergrowth; and humans 
 and mules come and go in an endless procession, the latter carrying burdens of 
 ail kinds, the commerce of the great Department of Santander that in this 
 manner only finds its way ro or from the sea. 
 
 At night we reached Puerto Santos, on the Lebrija river, said to be one of 
 the most unhealthful places on Earth and evidently well worthy of the sinister 
 reputation. We had dinner in a dirty, dark back room of a dirtier little store, 
 and then went Ovex + 5.0 the room where we were to sleep. This was merely a 
 large vacant room in a store-house, so that, we had to arrange our cots, put up 
 mosquito netting, etc., and then we turned in as soon as possible. !• “Mosquitoes 
 hummed in chorus about my cot, but few of them succeeded in penetrating the 
 screen and getting at me; men just outside coughed 8.11 night, showing that they 
 had malaria; aogs howled in chorus, one cursing another who was across the 
 gulch and some distance away; shots were fired down among the men who were .. 
 sleeping in a shed among the mules; and, all together, we had a bully night of 
 it and were in good fettle to set out at daylight on the following morning 
 for the next stop. 
 
 The road on the second day was much worse than on the first, but led throug 
 much the same kind of forest and scenery. The monkeys still expressed their 
 opinion of us from the neighboring trees, but were careful to keep out of sight, 
 and we saw the usual number of parrots and other birds peculiar to the tropics. 
 Rather early in the afternoon we reached a very confortabie farm-house, whose 
 owners were educated in the States,-one in Cornell,- and who had introduced 
 some comparatively modern i aeas of sanitation, etc.,- and decided to spend the 
 night. We had a good clean room and the food was not at all bad, so that we 
 had a good night 1 s rest. This farm is one of a number which this same family 
 owns in tnis Department, and is small,- consisting, of only 750.000 acres, 
 
 The third day we were off before it was entirely light and at orce began 
 to climb up into the hills. We climbed for a long time, then went down again, 
 and kept this up practically all day. It was hard on iqy mule, but I did not 
 mind it, "Better posadas appeared along the way and we frequently bought kola, 
 lemonade, etc., ail of it made and bottled in the country but pretty good. 
 
 About one o'clock we galiopgd into Bucaramanga and up to the "Chari** E, 
 Williams Missionary Home” 1 , occupied by our missionary in charge cf the station, 
 the Rev. Charles 3, Williams, and family. They are no relation to the main who 
 gave the money for the home, although of the same name. It is one of the most 
 beautiful homes that I have seen in South America, and is most tastefully fur¬ 
 nished and arranged, 
 
 Mrs, Williams met us at the door, with Margaret, their only little girl, 
 while Kewell, the boy, had met us, with a number of other boys from the church, 
 some miles out and accompanied us into the town. It was mighty fine to get 
 

 
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 aovm off tne upper deck of the mule and be welcomed into this nice little home# 
 and I still feel as though I would like to stop my wanderings right here and 
 cast anchor. If my family we re herel might do so. 
 
 Bucaramanga is a city of about 25,000 .inhabitants, with as many more in 
 the suburbs, and is the most important city in this Eastern region of the 
 republic. From here the trail leads on into Venezuela, and we had thought, 
 for a time, of following it, and also on and up over the high range of mount¬ 
 ains to Bogota. Of this last part, later. 
 
 We have two missionary residences here, the one occupied by the Williams 
 and the other by a young couple w ho have just gone home. The Williams also 
 go on furlough about tne first of August, so that the work here will be left 
 alone for some time# unless arrangements can be made to send a substitute. 
 
 Both houses u-re very comfortable and are well situated, out in the edge of 
 the tovmi The Williams’ home is surrounded by roses and other flowering plants 
 and shrubs, and there are papaya and other fruit trees in the garden at the 
 rear. There is a chapel built on at the rear, also, and they have had meetings 
 here the past two nights, with some 350 people present. There is no oiganized 
 church, as yet, but one can be organized at any time, when the workers return 
 from their furloughs. 
 
 Yesterday we took an automobile and drove all over the town. It is just 
 one of these overgrown rambling country towns, attracti vz looking in many ways, 
 but away behind in everything. X have no idea what is going on in the world, 
 since I have seen no newspaper worth name since we left Panama; but there are 
 rumors here that France has invaded Germany and that Russia is mobilizing its 
 army to help Germany repel the invasion, etc. If all this is true, no doubt 
 you are having some real news where you are and I may get out to civilization 
 again to find the whole world at war. 
 
 Now, as to the trail to Bogota. I expected, as I think I wrote you, to 
 return to Puerto Wiiches and go on up the river to Medellin, and from there 
 to Bogota. But I found a telegram here from Mr, Wheeler, stating that he had 
 decided to go direct to Bogota and asking me to meet him at Beien, You may 
 be able to find this place on the map. It is out to the south of Bucaramanga# 
 four days’ ride on mile-back, at the point where the trail to Bogota ends and 
 travellers continue in an auto. He asked me to meet him at Beien on January 
 30th, which means that I will have to leave here on Saturday morning, the 27th, 
 and ride tie four days up over the mountains in order to get there on the day 
 set. However, that is the time it would take me to get back down the river to 
 Puerto Wiiches, so that it is all the same to me, and I will be going through 
 new country and a country that is not so unhealthy as is that along the trail 
 we rode on coming up* 
 
 We expect to leave the home, here, bn Saturday morning, at daybreak, and, 
 
 with, all the family, ride to the end of the automobile road, about twelve 
 
 miles out of the city. From there the family will return and Mr. Williams and 
 I will go on our way, alone, Mr. Barber, who came up with me, will return 
 from there fro Puerto Wiiches and so to Medellin, where we hope to meet some 
 time later, if all goes well. 
 
 Since we get into cold country on this trip, I have had to buy me some 
 heavy underclothing, for I left all that sort of thing in my trunk in 
 Barranquilla or in a valise I sent on to Bogota with Mr. Wheeler. 
 
 Beien is more than half way down from Bogota, but it is travelled in one 
 
 day in auto. I will go back with Mr* Wheeler and Mr, Allan, so that the real 
 
 journey will be finished when we get to Beien, on the 30th. 
 

 
 
 
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 I gave orders in Barranquilla to send mail to Medellin, but I am hoping 
 that Mr, Wheeler has advised the people of the change and that letters will 
 be waiting for me in Bogota.* when I arrive. If not., e ntonces haova cue e sperar 
 hast a Medellin, Tal e_e .la vld.-:t en la i ep ana Colombia! 
 
 I think you know who the Williams are. He was a class-mate of Mr, McLean, 
 of Chile, in McCormick, and she is a writer on missionary topics, especially 
 the book 'Unto the Least in Col arbia’", She has just given us gn autographed 
 copy of; the hook which I will take along with me They have dene a good work 
 here, but are leaving on their furlough about August first, He seems to know 
 everyone in town and everyone seems to respect hum very much. It is a liberal 
 community, but there is stixl a very fanatical group, especially of the priests, 
 and the evangelical work is steadily attacked from the pulpits of the city. 
 
 This does not, do it any &arm. but, as is generally the case, seems to help along. 
 
 L have taken a number of good pictures along the way, but can not have 
 them developed until I reach Bogota, There are many things of interest, of 
 course, but there is not time to stop and snap them all <■ However, I expect to 
 take out a much better selection chan I did before, and I look forward to show¬ 
 ing them all to my family, when I get it? membra direct a gathered together 
 once more. The mountain views are wonderful, but it is useless to take them 
 for they do net come out at all well,*, since there is no background and, be¬ 
 sides, everything is so reduced that it loses its value as a picture, I wish 
 that 1 could get, coo, the wonderrul colors ox the tropical forest, but this 
 is impossible and. the picture, in consequence, loses much, Mrs, Williams has 
 a number of good scenes along .the way and here in town and I am getting copies 
 of some of her films. 
 
 Naturally, I wonder what you are all doing these days, We sure are a 
 scattered family at present, but there is always the hope of getting together 
 again, some time in the dim end misty future. I shall send a separate letter, 
 or note from here, just to let you know that I am alive and well, but will keep 
 on pegging away at this Colombia .letter until it is finished and then send it 
 all in at the same time. You will enjoy reading it all at once, I think, 
 rather than in sections. 
 
 For the present, I shall have to stop and go do something else, and my next 
 addition toithis letter will probably be written in Bogota, At that time I will 
 tell you of the long trail that winds up before me, and I hope that I may be 
 able to tell you that it was a good ride and that everything went off as we.- 
 now hope that it may go. 
 
 Bogota, February 2, 1923. 
 
 As you will note, I have climbed the mountains since last I wrote on this 
 letter, and am now in the classic city of Bogota, which the Colombians wistfully 
 call the ’’Athens of South America’’ 1 . I am trying out a new Underwood which Mr. 
 Lee has bought for his own use, and find the keyboard somewhat different from 
 my own, so that I shall make a lot of mistakes. However, that will not matter, 
 since I am aafely here, and I shall now try to begin where I left off and bring 
 my letter up to date. 
 
 My last was written from Bucaram^nga, just as I was on the point of start¬ 
 ing on the ride to Belen, so that I shall go back to that time and relate vfoat 
 I have been doing since. 
 

 
 
 
 
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We had to get the trip organized, hunt up males, a muleteer, etc,, and do 
 seme "buying of provisions, all of which took a day or so. But, on the morning 
 of January 27th, we were ready. We were up early and about eight o 1 clock took 
 an auto to Cuestas, Pie de Cuestas is the full name,-where we expected our 
 mules to be waiting for us. This ride is about 15 miles, and, of course, was 
 not hard nor unpleasant, Mrs, Williams and Newell, the son of about 14 years, 
 and Margaret, abcut 10, went with us, and the hoy continued all the way to 
 Bogota, We passed the mules on the way, so had to wait a while, but, by ten 
 o*clock, we were in the saddle and started off on the ride. The rest of the 
 day we travelled along a fairly well-kept road and it was not difficult going. 
 
 I had the same mule that had brought me up from Wilches and was glad of it, 
 although the mule did not seem to share my satisfaction, 
 
 Just at right we reached Los Santos; just on the edge of a deep chasm which 
 we were to cross the following day. Here we spent the night in a little hotel, 
 and slept pretty well, all things considered. In the hotel, just to show how 
 Americans have penetrated to the remote corners of the Earth, in years gone by, I 
 noticed am old man sitting by the door who looked like an Englishtoan or an 
 American, He proved to be an American, in Colombia and in this out-of-the-way- . 
 place sirte 1864, a member of the McCormick family of Chicago, He has almost 
 forgotten his mother tongue, but seemed to be proud, still, of being an American. 
 He is a cousin, I take it, of Cyrus McCormick, and said he had heart that Cyrus 
 had invented some kind of a reaper and had made seme money! 
 
 The following morning we were up early and started on what is the hardest 
 day of work that I have ever done, I think; although all I had to do was to sit 
 on the hurricane deck of the mule and allow her to carry me along. The gorge* 
 or chasm, already referred to, is something like cur Royal Gorge, in Arizona* 
 about a mile deep, but one has to ride three miles down the almost perpendicular 
 sides to get to the bottom, I.t was still dark when we started out, and we wound 
 down and down the trail for about two hours, before reacning "'El Jordan"', the 
 little village at the bottom, situated right on the Sogamoso river which goes 
 roaring along in its bed on its way to the Magdalena and thence to the Caribbean 
 Sea. 
 
 When w© reached the bottom, I rode on, while Mr, Williams was paying the 
 toll-bridge, and took the wrong turn in the road, with the result that L bon^ ; 
 tinued for a half hour up the river befq/re finding out my mistake. The others, 
 meanwhile* had begun the climb* believing me far ahead. It was a wild part 
 of the country* alorg the river* and I was recalled to my senses by hearing a 
 shot ring out near at hand, the bullet clipped the leaves above me* and to see 
 
 some people near by scatter for shelter. I do not suppose that the sho\t was 
 
 aimed at me* but the people looked at me as though I was responsible* and I 
 lost no time in turning my mule abcut and returning to the little town. The 
 others had got a long start of. me, but I caught up with them just as they were 
 nearing the top,-much to their surprise since they thought me ahead of them. 
 
 We rode on until .about half after seven o’clock, when we reached the town of 
 Mogotes and found a very comfortable hotel in which we spent the night. The 
 crossing of the gorge was the hardest part of the ride of the day, but it was 
 worth the trouble and work, for it was a great sight, I doubt if the Royal 
 
 Gorge is any more beautiful and sublime. But this gorge will be rarely visited, 
 
 for it is far off the beaten track of travellers and few they be who have to 
 cross it, I am, however, glad to be one of the few,-now that it is oyer. 
 
 I noted that all along the trail we met hundreds of men and many women, 
 all of them trudging along with their mules or alone* This is the great high¬ 
 way to Venezuela, from Bogota* so that may travellers follow it. The hundreds 
 of mules are loaded down with coffee, wool, salt, and other products of the 
 

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 region or from on beyond, and one might suppose it a dangerous trail to follow. 
 Some so consider it, I found.the people cheerful and so far as I could see 
 utterly harmless, There are stories, ?f course, of robberies ana butcheries by 
 the way, but by professional highwaymen who do not appear except as the oppor¬ 
 tunity seems to suit them, Further East, on the high plateaus that border on 
 '.'enesuela, there are many such attachs and I would not care to travel in that 
 region, 
 
 \yhile standing in the balcony of the hotel, in Mogotes, the morning we were 
 leaving, I noted, for the firs; time, what I have since seen several times,-the 
 attention given by the people on the street to the mass in process in the church* 
 At the sound of a bell, which no doubt advises that the Host is being exposed 
 for the adoration ox the faithful, every man in the plaza doffed his hat and 
 stood "ht attention 11 until another signal was given by the bell and all moved on, 
 
 I afterward saw it in other places along the way, and, today, even here in 
 "Bogota, The Roman Catholic Church has great power over the masses, yet it is 
 the grip of a dead hand. All thinking men are falling away from it and a priest 
 can not travel in comfort on these roads because of the abuse and vituperation 
 that are hurled at him* 
 
 We left Mogotes a little late, on the morning of January 29th, since one 
 of the mules had cast a shoe and we had to hunt up a smith who would shoe her, 
 However, we made out destination that night,-Onzaga, distant about ten leagues 
 from Mogotea, It was interesting to notice the vague idea the people along the 
 trail have of distances, When nearing a town we would ask different people and, 
 possibly within five minutes, receive from a half-dozen individuals as many re¬ 
 plies, ranging from "a quarter of a league" to "five leagues". We simply had 
 to keep going until we reached the place, and be satisfied with that, Fortunate¬ 
 ly, Mr, Williams had been over the road once, several years ago, so that he re- 
 membered s omsthing of it, 
 
 I ought to say, too, that he did all the work of the party. All I had to 
 do was to get on and off my mule at the proper time* He attended to the meals, 
 to making and unmaking our beds, to packing everything up and getting it on or 
 off the pack-mules, etc. We always ordered meals at the little hotels or 
 "posadas" 1 , but supplemented with other canned food that we brought along. We 
 had oxford sausages; tinned fruit, of several kirds; bottled water; biscuits of 
 several kinds; butter; cheese, £tc« etc, We lived well, although we were some¬ 
 times too tired to eat. 
 
 We spent the night at Onzaga, and were up and in the saddle by five o'clock 
 the following morning, ready for the last and the hardest day of the trip, whicn 
 was to bring us to Helen by night* We rode thirteen hours that day and reached 
 our destination about six thirty, pretty well sired out but happy to have come 
 through safely. We could have done the ride in much less time, but the muleteer, 
 who drove our two pack-mules, insisted that we stay with him, since he was afraid 
 of what he called the "pillos"' of the region, Still, I did not notice any one 
 that seemed dangerous, but he knows the region and was a better judge than we, 
 
 I carried my revolver in plain sight about my waist, with a full supply of cart¬ 
 ridges also in sight, and this may have helped in the seeming courtesy with which 
 I was treated, I often rode through a hundred or more males with their drivers, 
 all milling around in some corner of the trail or about a road-side drinking 
 place, hat no oho offered to molest me. True., I often noticed the look of 
 respect which they bestowed on my "'artillery' 1 , but do not know that this pro¬ 
 tected me, Mr. Williams, at least, thought it well to show it! 
 
 The trail on this last day led up over what they call a "paramo" 1 , or high 
 plateau, where there are few inhabitants, and where storms sweep over the region 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
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 with unrestrained force. It is always cold, of course, but we were fortunate 
 in having sunshine almost all the day. It rained behind us and in front of us 
 and on one side, but the rain di.d not "come nigh"'us, for which we were thank¬ 
 ful, We probably reached an altitude of nearly 12,000 feet, although there is 
 no way of telling, exactly, since there are no maps of the locality with the 
 altitudes marked, 
 
 We rode up to she "Tandama Hotel"’ in Bolen, about half past six, and were 
 getting cur mules attended to when somone said, ’'An automobile has just arrived!"' 
 We went to the front door and saw Messrs, Wheeler and Allan crawling cut of 
 their machine* We had beaten them to the rendevous by about fifteen mirrutes,- 
 which was close connection, considering the distance they and we had travelled* 
 They had come about the same distance as we, although they had covered it in 
 one day and we had taken fodr* 
 
 That night we all spent together in the little hotel, but I did not sleep 
 much, I woke in the night With a.high fever, but by getting rid of most of the 
 bed clothing I managed to cool off. The following day, too,. I had fever, but 
 it was simply from fatigue, rather than any infection. It was a "hard tri^ u 
 we had taken, and Mr, Allan was doubtful about cur making it in the four days, 
 
 Mr, Wheeler, loyal to me, was betting on our doing so and he was not disappoint¬ 
 ed. But, although mighty glad to have been over the route once, I do hot care 
 to consider travelling it again,-at least until anatomy feels a little more 
 rested. I think that I rather surprised some of these younger men by taking 
 the trip and doing it in record time* I notice that no one of them is anxious 
 to undertake it! 
 
 We left Belen on Wednesday morning, January 31, in the same automobile 
 that the others had come in, the day before, and took two days to reach Bogota* 
 
 We stopped along the way at a number of places, just to see them and to lock 
 over possibilities of opening work, and spent the night in a lititilb'town called 
 Duitama, During the day we had turned off the main road to visit another town 
 called Sogamoso, which is liberal and is calling for Protestant workers. All 
 this country lies in a valley, or valleys, which are well cultivated, and the 
 road is, as a rule, very fine. It was built by my old friend. President Pafael 
 Reyes, whom I met on the trip South after the Panama Congress, who is said to 
 have done work to cover his private looting. But it is the best road in Col¬ 
 ombia and the people, who drovehim out, should give him credit for this one 
 piece of work, at least, 
 
 1/Ve had lunch about midday of the last day at Tunja, the most fanatical 
 town in Colombia, and visited some of the old churches. In this town of about 
 10,000 there are S churches, 7 chapels, 1 seminary with 200 students, 2 con¬ 
 vents for men and three for women, 5 church schools for boys and 10 for girls, 
 Pretty well supplied, no _es cierto ? 
 
 About the midule of the afternoon we came to "Puente de Boyaca"', where 
 Bolivar fought the great battle that gave him all Nueva Grande and completely 
 broke the power of the royalists. There is a huge stone shaft erected near 
 tne old bridge, and a small park is maintained about it, I am glad to have 
 seen this region, I have followed "El Liberthdor 1 " about South America a good 
 deal, I have been in the room in which he was born in Caracas; in the room 
 wnere he met San Martin, in Guayaquil; in the room where no died, m San. Marta, 
 Colombia;; and have stood by his mausoleum in the Pantheon of Caracas, The 
 oat tie of Boyaca was the greatest military triumph of his life and I am glad to 
 * iaVe been at the place hnd..feo.have taken .some views of the shafo »eoc, l e was 
 a great man, the greatest this part of South America has produced, and both 
 

- 12 - 
 
 Col OKibi a and Venezuela do well in honoring his memory* I do not think that 
 he was as great as San Martin* especially in moral character, but I do not 
 dare to say much along that line while in this region. Of him, one might 
 say, as John Quincy Adams said of Aaron Burr:-"His life, take it altogether, 
 was such as in any country of sound morals his friends would be desirous of 
 burying in profound oblivion"'. 
 
 Yet, on the ether hand another writer has ppoken of him as "bold and 
 fortunate as Ale.-a.ader., a patroit like Hannibal, brave and clement like Caesar, 
 a great. Captain and a profound statesman like Napoleon, honorable as Washing¬ 
 ton, a sublime poet and a versatile orator, such was Bolivar, who united in 
 his own mind all the vast multiplicity of the elements of genius, His glory will 
 shine in the heaven of history, but as a heavenly body, whose radiance is ever 
 increasing"! 
 
 Still another writer has said: **the dominant traits in the character of 
 Bolivar are ambition, vanity, thirst for absolute undivided power and profound 
 dissimulation. Many of his generals have done more than he has to free the 
 country from the Spainards," 
 
 As one nears the city of Bogota, coming in on the automobile road, one 
 nct.ix.e-s the signs of a great city, There are many well-kept quintas with 
 beautiful homes along the road, and the fields are well tilled, There are 
 electric lights also, which are lacking further out, and, when one enters 1 
 tne city, one can see that it is comparatively well paved, especially along 
 the central streets,- a la latina americana l- and that the streets are well 
 lighted ahd have the usual stores and public buildings, 
 
 We drove straight to the Colegio Americano, where we are stopping, and 
 were scon sitting at the dinner that has been delayed for us far beyond the 
 usual hour. Mr. and Mrs. Lee were here to receive us, also Mrs, Allan, and 
 we were made to feel very much at home. We have a room together, with two 
 good beds. Mine is a wide one and I sure do get in some good sleep in it, 
 making up for the time I lost in the narrow short cots that w.e used along the 
 trail and the hard beds of the little hotels, 
 
 .Yesterday morning,-it is now Saturday, February 3rd,- we went over to 
 the Girls 1 ’ School for breakfast® Misses McMiliin and .Russel had sent us a 
 nice bouquet of flowers and an invitation to come over to breakfast the 
 following morning,-both of which we accepted! So we went about half past 
 eight and had a whopping good breakfast. Then we went out to towh to get 
 some things and to leave films to be developed. We each left about a dozen 
 rolls and we think w r e will have some good pictures, well worth writing home: 
 about. When I get to the coast again I will try to send them on to you, to¬ 
 gether with some others that I left in Barranquilla. 
 
 All day yesterday we were wprkirg here in our rooms on our Reports, We 
 are each writing travel letters, which will be copied and s~nt out to people 
 whom we hope to interest in Colombia. I have put your name on the list, so' 
 that you will be getting copies, some time# they will afterward be published 
 in a book, the Report of our trip to these countries. Between times, as you 
 will note, I write a page or two on this letter. Now that it is about up to 
 date, I can leave and go to other things. By the airplane that leaves here 
 in a day or so I will send a short not’e, so that you may not be so long with¬ 
 out word from me. This airplane makes weekly trij-s to and from Bogota, Rather, 
 it cones only , to Girardot, at the end of the river,-since it is a hydroplane 
 and can not get far from the water,-and the mails are brought up &nd down the 
 

-Efc- 
 
 "by train. But this saves at least a week between here and. the coast* .This is 
 quite a lift. We are balking some of taking a part of the trip down in the 
 plane, but I do not think that I will dc so. It is too costly and I do not 
 like to do any stunts, this far from home, Mr. Wheeler is anxious to do some¬ 
 thing of the kind, but I guess that I am a little conservative. Maybe I am 
 getting old! Just now it is early in the day and we must go over to the Girld* 
 School again for breakfast^ Co that l will stop now and add something later, 
 
 We have a full week planned for Logon a* and expect to leave here on the 1/Bth 
 for Girardot £n& l.isde.J tin, A month from new we Aiould be through with Col¬ 
 ombia: and almost ready to embark for Venezuela, A month or so in that country, 
 ana then we start for Mew York! 
 
 February 10th, 1923. 
 
 Considerable water has flowed under the bridge sinoe I wrote the above lines 
 and I will now try to get this letter up to date ,and this will be the last I 
 will write from Bogota, This is Saturday and early Monday morning we start down 
 
 the river to Girardot, There we spend-a night and then go on down to Puerto 
 uerrio and thence by rail to Medellin. To go back a little. 
 
 I think I mentioned in this or another letter that I had been in bed a'day 
 with a cold. This was not serious, and I was up and ready for business when I 
 foolishlyatesome of the native pastelites and got a touch of ptomaine poisoning. 
 
 The mold served us some tea in cur room, just as we were starting out for the 
 afternoon, and, although it occurred to me that it was foolish to do so, I ate 
 two or three of the above-mentioned pastries. About the middle of that 'anight 
 I woke up with tremendous pains, but they diminished and I got up nect morning 
 as usual, although not feeling well. We went, over to cal] on the Aire ri can Minister 
 and while there I felt pretty bad. My month was hot and my whole interior 
 mechanism seemed to be burning like a furnace, Co 1 cams home and went to bed, 
 
 I as! ?d the maid to bring me some lemonade, which she did. I gulped it all down 
 at once end, rather surprised, she said, "Shall I bring another glass to set on 
 the table," I answered, "Yea, verily"'., and she brought it in. This, too, I 
 took and drank down at on? o« Still more surprised she asked if she should bring . 
 
 in a pitcher, and I sard, "Go to ifc% and she brought it in.. This lasted some 
 time and helped me to put out the fires, I. think steam must have poured coat of 
 my ears and nose when I drank the first glass of lemonade, but, of course, I could 
 not see if, so do not vouch fc 1 the fact! They called in Dr. Smith, an American 
 doctor who has a big praccice here, and he pronounced it a couch of ptomaine 
 poisoning, However, I remained in bed two days and was a little wobbly on my 
 under-pinning for a day or so more, but am now all right. But, never again do 
 I eat pastries made in the native bake-shops! 
 
 Because of this retirement from circulation for these days, I have not done 
 all I expected to do in Bogota, but it could not be helped, so far as I can sec. 
 
 I have been through the schools, however, and, having been here before, I did riot- 
 need so much time as did Mr. Wheeler who is here for the first time. I had ex¬ 
 pected to give a lecture in the University, but this has had to be omitted, since 
 we couiu not arrange a time while iry ptomaine was still working. 
 
 Yesterday, we had a great day in the country. Early in the morning Mr. 
 Wheeler, Miss McMillin and Mr, and Mrs, Allan aid I took an automobile and start¬ 
 ed on a fifty mile drive to Sesquile* the little town at the foot of the hills 
 among which is Lake Guatavita, the little body of water in which 'll Dorado"' 
 used to bathe to free himself of the scales of shining gold. This lake lies at 
 the top of a high mountain, just a little round tarn, deep and desolate. It 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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seems to occupy the crater of an eatinct volcano, and the water is now much 
 less than formerly, due to the fact that it has been drained in a search for 
 the fabulous treasures which it is supposed to contain. The lake is fed by sprig 
 from which fresh water is ever bubbling up , but the deepest part, now, is not 
 over 75 feet. In the days when it was the center of the c eremonies of the 
 Indians, it mist have reached to the top of the rim and had a depth of some 
 8C0 feet. The legend, if it is a legend, is that during the days when the.great 
 cacique of the region was independent, he used to go, once every year, accompan¬ 
 ied by a procession, to make a. ceremonial offering in the Lake, to placate the 
 spirits of the region, and then to bathe in the waters of the lake. He was 
 well amoinbed with oil, then rolled in finest scales of gold which would thus 
 stick to his body and convert him into a golden statue as he stood on the raft. 
 Th^m,surrounded by his nobles, he would be rowed out to the center of the body 
 of water and, plunging in like a great golden fish, would soon emerge with his 
 body cleansed of the gold and return to tha shore. The people would throw 
 gold and emeralds and other precious stones into the lake, as a sign of rejoicing 
 and all return to their homes assured of another year of freedom from evil 
 spirits. 
 
 To get to this spot, as I have said, we took an automobile,-the same that 
 we used to come from Belen a week agoy. with the same driver,-and drove about 
 fifty miles, out along the same great highway, to the little town of Sesquile. 
 
 We had telegraphed ahead for horses to be used in going up the trail, and they 
 had been ordered and were soon ready. We took breakfast, or lunch, in the 
 little ’’Hotel Central" 1 , and thus fortified the inner man,-and woman,-for the 
 ride. Meanwhile, the horses had been sent on about another league, to the town 
 of San Jose, where the trail breaks off from the main road and we had to ride. 
 
 I had a fine big mare, a pacer or racker, which they secured from a countryman 
 who happened to be passing, but I was not so sure of her as I was of my little 
 mule up on the highlands. The others had. more or less non-descript animals 
 that needed considerable urging to keep up with my mount. We rode for about an 
 hour, with a guide, right up into the hills and to what must have been the top 
 of tne mountain, and finally came out at the edge of the water. It is not much, 
 as a lake, today, but is charmingly situated and we could give free rein to the 
 imagination as we thought of the past. The borders are all overgrown with a 
 dense jungle of brush and brier, so that it is amost impossible to get around 
 it. I went part way, climbed up o.i the side so as to get some photographs , 
 and then came back to the horses ana Miss McMillin who had not ventured far 
 a way. Mr. Wheeler and the Allans kept going and finally made the circuit of 
 the lake, and the men also climbed up the other side on a jutting precipice, 
 descended to the water and bathed, in imitation of the cacique of old, and 
 finally reached the camp. We then had a few sandwiches and started on the home 
 trip. We galloped down to the roai in about fifty minutes, and drove home in a 
 little over two hours, reaching here about nine o’’clock, an hour too late for 
 me to speak in the church as I had been advertised to do. But it was a great 
 
 day and I am glad to have seen the Lake of Guat-avita, although the cacique was 
 
 not visible. 
 
 This morning we are all going out to see some properties, and, to that 
 
 end, have ordered up a Lodge car. The schools here are not in good buildings, 
 
 ^1: ..ough the locations are not bad, and we want to see what can be done to betiUx 
 th~ situation. Neither of the schools has ever been able to do much, principally 
 uue to bad direction, but there is hope that they may new begin to prosper, Mr., 
 and Mrs, Lee, who made such a success of the Boys* 1 Scnccl in Barranquilia, had 
 oo leave that city on account of uheir health and have taken charge here. In 
 tne last ten years the school ha® had eleven administ rat ions,-nuff sed! Miss 
 McMillin insists that she is going to give her life to the Girls' School, but 
 

 
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- 15 _ 
 
 I tell her that if Mr* Sight comes along she will chuck it,-as her predecessors 
 have done. The one who was here last year went home and was married, and several 
 others nave done the same. One can’t blame the young ladies, of course, but it 
 is hard on the school. The other teacher. Miss Russell, is new, having arrived 
 in Colombia only about three months ago and come up after the meeting of the 
 mission in Barranquilla. She has not been well, probably due to the altitude. 
 
 And so it goes. We get a school staffed and the bacillus matrimoniensis or some 
 other microbe gets in its work and it is all to be done over, 
 
 I shall be glad to get started down the river and look forward to about 
 two weeks of rest ?n. Medellin and the immediate vicinity, Mr, Wheeler will 
 probably go by airplane from Girardot to Puerto Berrio, thus saving a day, and 
 he and Mr, Barber will start immediately for some of the outstations, on horse¬ 
 back, I have a lot of writing to get up, so will not go on that trip but will 
 
 remain in the town and get up my work and look into local conditions. The air¬ 
 plane, this week, upset in the river, just as it started from Girardot and al¬ 
 
 most killed’ the three passengers. The mechanic was drowned. However, the big 
 steamer, "Pichincha", the best on the river, and the one we were to have taken, 
 blew up a day or so later and killed seven of the passengers,-so that things 
 are evened up a bit, I might ride a mule down, but that takes time, and a 
 horse is a vain thing for safety. This, I take it, includes the mule, too. So,, 
 what is one going to do about it? Just take whatever he wishes and risk it, 
 
 I think, 
 
 So that this will end my letter, for the present. Tomorrow I have to work 
 and the day following we are §ff>-really turning Nfort h• My next will probably 
 be written from Antioch, whose Capital is Medellin, and from the Barber home, 
 
 Medellin, February 16, 1923. 
 
 As you will see, I have moved my base of operations down to Medellin, 
 where I arrived yesterday evening,-which means that I am this much nearer New 
 York and the end of the trip! 
 
 We left Bogota early on Monday morning and came down the line to Girardot, 
 Mr. Allan came with us and the day went by quite nicely. We had lunch served 
 in the car where we were, there being a table for that purpose, and washed it 
 aown with various and sundry drinks from bottles of gaseous water, 
 
 Reacning Girardot about 3:45, we went at once to the "Pension Inglesa" 1 
 where we had a good room assigned us, found some really clean shower-baths, and 
 had a decent dinner. Tnen I had to give an address in the "'Club Liberal ,h of 
 the city. There was a pretty good crowd out, so that I got along pretty well, 
 being interrupted by applause now and then,-once, to be exact, I think,-then 
 went back to the Hotel and got in a fair amount of sleep before morning, I 
 had to be up early to get the boat down the river, since it was advertised to 
 sail at half past six. As a matter of fact, it did not get away until about 
 two hours later, but I had to be on board and ready for it to go. 
 
 We slid down the river at a good rate, although there is but little water, 
 sometimes backward and sometimes forward and sometimes sidewise, Eut we reach¬ 
 ed Beltran and soon transferred to the railwayabout noon,-which landed us 
 at the other end about six o'clock, where we took another steamer, This did 
 not leave her moorings until the following morning, then we got into Puerto 
 Berrio about twelve hours later, where I went ashore and had a piece of the 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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. 16 - 
 
 night in a fairly decent bed, They called me cut at a little after four , 
 
 to catch the si^ o’clock train that goes from the very door of the hotel,-so 
 that I finally made it all right! Then I had a whole day on that train and 
 reached Medellin last night about 6:30, was met at the station by Mr, Wheeler 
 and the young ladies, while Mr* Berber had met me a few stations up the line 
 and ridden in with me. And here I am! 
 
 Mr, Wheeler, as I wrote ycu, came down on the airplane and reports a good 
 trip. He went charging past our poor little train about five o'clock and got 
 into Paerto Berric an hour later, doing the whole trip in two hours and a quarter 
 of flying, while it took me, by boat and train, about thirty-six* This is a 
 good way to save time, but, since the weight limit is 85 kilos, I am debarred 
 from attempting it. This includes the luggage allowance, as well as the weight 
 of the passenger. 
 
 On board we had the usual crowd of travellers, including three young 
 Britisners who nave finished their terms of service in Colombia and are going 
 i^cme for a t£ip, There was also the inevitable young couple,-much more frequent 
 than in former years,-of a young American wife and the Colombia husband. They 
 seemed unusually devoted, but she is evidently of but little culture,-how could 
 she be otherwise, if she was willing to marry him?-and he looked like a dys¬ 
 peptic calf, as nearly as anything I could imagine, I often wonder what the 
 female psychology is like, 'which leads a woman to trust her happiness to a male 
 biped such as many of them choose! Certaanly, the female of the species, although 
 she may be deadlier than the male, is not up to his standard of wisdom when it 
 comes to choosing a mate for life, What any woman could sec. in seme of these 
 mew calves that I see running about, passes rry understanding and comprehension, 
 But,-that is tneir affair! 
 
 Yesterday morning, as I have said, I was routed out at four o’clock and 
 the boy who did it made his escape before I could kill him. But, after all, it 
 was fine to be up and get the early morning air, and I finally forgave the fellow 
 and set myself to enjoy the fine view and the freshness cf the morning. I went 
 
 down to the train and get a seat whi 1 e it was yet dark, and watched the sun rise 
 
 over the Magdalena that lay just below, It was a gorgeous sight to see the day 
 
 grow brighter ana brighter, as the sun rays lit up the clouds in purple and old 
 
 gold; and;,the shadows went fleeing, skulking away to the recesses of the hills 
 to hide themselves from the god of day. The Magdalena went sliding along in a 
 black flood, lighted up here and there as the sunlight dropped down on it 
 through the tress and clouds, and the steamers, having lain at their moorings 
 all the night, were just starting up or down trie stream. After a great tooting 
 of whistles, ringing of bells and blowing off of steam, one of them would loose 
 its cables and swing out into the stream, finally heading up or down on its 
 journey. This would be followed by another and another, until three or four 
 /ere all maneuvering out in the broad stream, in imminent danger, as it seemed 
 to the innocent observer, of fouling each other's cables or colliding. But they 
 . eemed to get str&ighted out and, when we finally pulled out of the little 
 station, they had all disappeared, leaving only the "Pinchincha”, which blew 
 up in this port a few days ago, and another smaller boat, still lying at their 
 moorings, I was very much reminded of the harbor of Valetta, in the island of 
 Malta, where I saw the semaphore on the Mil wig-wagging cut its messages and 
 the great grey British warships, one after another, leave their anchorage and 
 •start out through the narrow entrance to the harbor to begin their run,-possibly 
 to the uttermost parts of the far-flung line of empire. 
 
 As our train climbed the hills, in the early light of the day, the cool 
 breece from fciver and mountain soon drove away the mosquitoes, which had been 
 persistently flirting with my ankles and nipping at my neck and hands, and soon 
 the sun shone out in all his purple glory, the clouds rolled back behind the 
 hills, and one felt that it was good to be alive and on one’s way to friends w 1 
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would receive one at the end of the day's run. 
 
 We rode in the train until about noon., when we reached the end of the line, 
 at the little station of Limon, This is about ten miles further on than 
 Cisneros, which was the end of the run when I came this way now almost five 
 years ago. Here we transferred to high-powered Packard automobiles and, after 
 lunch in the little restuarant, continued on over the summit, which is to be 
 pierced by a tunnel, to Santiagos, the end of the line on this side, I select¬ 
 ed my seat in a good car and went in to lunch.. Hurrying a bit, I got out before 
 the others and found that baggage had been displaced in order to make room 
 
 for another. Cl course, I quietly took out that of the other fellow and then 
 occupied uy seal, He came along, looked at me, seemed t.o be sizing me up, and 
 quietly went ofi and took the place of another. When the other fellow came 
 along • with bn s wife, there was, of course, a great howl, mutual accusations, 
 etc, recriminations, delicate suggestions that one or the other was a "bruto”, 
 a ’’grosero", etc., wr.ile all the time I remained securely anchored in my seat 
 and let the storm go by. But we finally got off and took just an hour to run 
 the seven miles to the train on this side. This we took at three o’cock and, 
 as I have written, a.rrived in this city about dark. I went to the Girls' School, 
 where we had dinner, and. then we attended a reception, given by the native chur^.i 
 people in our honor, and both Mr, Wheeler and I spoke, although the big dinner 
 of biscuits and the usual c one omit ants somewhat impeded my utterance and the 
 easy flow of my thoughts. Many of the people remembered me and seemed glad to 
 see me back among them and we had a very pleasant evening. Among the many gcoa 
 things were letters from you both, and a large number of letters from others 
 which had been accumulating in Barranquilla for some days*. 
 
 I can not refer to the letters in full, just now, but I am glad to see 
 that you are all well and that you are having a fine time. In the same lot of 
 letters was one from Mr, Speer, in which he says they want me back in the 
 offices, since Mr* Inman is to be away for some time. This has stirred us up 
 a bit and has made me anxious to get on our way as fast as we can, A letter 
 from Mr, Phillips, of Caracas, speaks of a Dutch boat that is to leave La Guay\» 
 on April 4th, arriving in New York on the 16th, That looks good to us and we 
 will try to make it, unless we decide to return to Colon and thus up via Habana, 
 etc,, as I have already suggested we may do. All this we will have to decide a 
 -tittle later, as we go on our way* I ejected that Mr. Wheeler would have gone 
 on down into the valley of the C«uca, with Mr, Barber, but they did not get off, 
 aue to a number of reasons, and we are now trying to work out some new scheme 
 for our travels, I do not want to take the ride down into the Cauca, so will 
 probably go back by train, leaving here on the 27th, and go on down the river 
 x,o Calomar, where Mr. Jarrett will meet me, and where Mr, Wheeler will try to 
 join me, having come down that same day on the airplane. Then we will go on 
 to Cartagena and thence on up the Sinu to visit our work in that region, This 
 will be our last bit in Colombia and from Cartagena we should go right on to 
 Venezuela, When we get on board the steamer for Venezuela, we will feel that 
 we are j^etty well on our way tc New York, since there will be but little travel 
 in Venezuela and we may be able to do it all in a week or ten days, principal, 
 in Caracas, 
 
 I find that the work has advanced in Medellin since I was here. The church 
 has been fixed up so tnat it looks very well, and tne school rooms are quite 
 presentable. Miss Sayer has gone home and will not return, and Miss Doolittle 
 and Miss Parker,-the last only recently arrived,-are in charge of the school a 
 general social work. We are to look for a site for tne new church, which is 
 to be built sometime soon, as also for school properties, etc. This is one 
 of the most influential cities in Colombia and we hope to push our work nere 
 during the coming years. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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- 18 - 
 
 This morning I went to call on Dr. Carlos E. Restrepo, one of the great 
 men of the city, ex-President of the Repablic, etc,, and had a very pleasant 
 Qh& with him* I am advertised to give two addresses here in the University 
 circles, the first on next Monday night and the other on the following Friday. 
 Dr. Rest repo is to preside and introduce me, so that we ought to have a fine 
 set of people out to hear what I nay have to say to them. It is, as he pointed 
 out, a very delicate situation, here, since the Church is strong and very 
 jealous of its prerogatives, iCvery sentence I use will he studied from every 
 angle to see if I am. attacking the Church and 1 shall have to steer my little 
 bark with extreme care if I avoid falling on the rock of Liberalism, on. the 
 one side, or "ho -e ri Catholicism on the other. It is the old problem of 
 Seylla and Charybdir, but I think that I will get by all right. At least we 
 will have a try at it and have the fun of trying. 
 
 The lectuie on Monday is to be in the Club Union, but the other, at which 
 I hope to use slides, will be in the paranymph of the University, 
 
 Messrs. Wheeler and Barber will probably get off on the trip to the Cauca 
 early next week, so that I will have a week here, with the members of the 
 station, to look over she various problems, writeup the station for our Report, 
 etc., and get up some of my other correspondence. 
 
 I am sorry to know of the death of Mr, Garvin,of Chile, When I saw him 
 last November I felt that it was for the last time, and I think he felt the same 
 about it. I am glad that I went out to see him, He had. done his work, had 
 always been very active, and kept up his desire for work until the very end. 
 
 I always remember him as a man who was willing to do anything at all, just to 
 keep the work going. He had no pride about himself and sought no honors or 
 prefeiroents, I shall write Mrs, Garvin very soon, and I expect you will be 
 doing the same. 
 
 This is now Wednesday, February 21, so that time is passing and we shall 
 soon be leaving this comfortable place and again starting out on our wanderings. 
 
 I have now been here a week, and Mr. Wheeler a day longer, and we expect to 
 leave for the River a week from yesterday morning* Mr, Wheeler and Mr, Barber 
 made a start for the Cauca ■valley yesterday morning, but, because of illness on 
 the oars of the latter, turned back after riding for two or three hours, and 
 the trip is now abandoned. This will give us more time here, and we will be 
 able to use it, 
 
 Yesterday afternoon I gave a lecture in the "club Union**', of this city, 
 before about one hundred students and business and professional men, and I am 
 to give another on Friday night in the paranymph of the University of AntiOch, 
 with slides to illustrate what I shall have to say. We are rather expecting 
 tha.t the Archbishop may call this off, since he runs the University, but we 
 have at least got in the first lecture,-the first to be given by a Protestant 
 representative in the city, I am told,- and Mr. Barber is quite pleased. If 
 we can pull off the other, it will be quite an advance. The ex-President of 
 the Republic, Dr, C, E. Rest repo, presided at the meeting last, night and intro¬ 
 duced me in a very nice speech, and it was a fine-looking lot of people who 
 were present. Women were not expected, but five or six, evidently specially 
 invited, came in and occupied the seats on the front row. They were nice- 
 looking,too, and were very attentive to all I had to say, I talked on University 
 Life in the U, S. A. , and some men who have studied in the States came up after 
 the lecture and spoke to me. But one can see that I am treading on very diffi¬ 
 cult ground. The Roman Catholic Church is supreme here and I must phrase my 
 sentences very carefully, in order to give no offense. If I give the otner I 
 snail be glad when it is over, for it is something of a strain, knowing that 
 every word is being weighed against me. 
 

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-19- 
 
 Last night, after the lecture, we stopped at the home of the youpg ladies 
 who have the school and had dinner. They know I like biscuits, sc had a good 
 supply on hand, as also the concomitants. They we had some music and reached 
 home about half after nine o'clock, pretty tired and ready for a good sleep* 
 This we had and did rot ’’dawn’ 1 until a quarter of seven this morning. Most 
 of the friends here in Colombia, have breakfast at half past sin, and so do 
 the Barbers. But we seem to have '-.Tracked their rale a bit, for we are generally 
 a little late. When life is sc short, anyway, why get up so early! Non e. ve:u ? 
 be non e vero* e bei: trovato., 
 
 Mr. Barber is in bed this morning, waiting for the arrival of the Doctor 
 to see just what is the matter with him, but it seems to be merely a touch 
 of' the grippe and he thinks he will be up and about tomorrow.. Then we have to 
 visit some of the schools of the city, the University, and see about some sites 
 for buildings for our own work. We have been out into the suburbs and find the 
 surroundings of the city most inviting* We took a big Pierce Arrow car a few 
 days ago and went out to '’America"', a suburb lying to the West of the city, 
 in the continuation of this beautiful valley. We hope to secure some good 
 land oat that way for the two schools, and the Seminary which is to be located 
 here, and in the city itself wa are locking for a good site for the central 
 church. In the midst cf the city the land is so dear that we would have to 
 use up all our funds in the site, but we have found a good lot near the mis¬ 
 sionary homes which seems to be in a good location, and others are under study. 
 They have money enough to build a good church, if they do not purchase a site 
 in the center of the city,-as they seern determined to do.. Teremos. Later on 
 I will tell you of the lecture on Friday,-if it com.es off,-and finish up this 
 region before starting down the river. I am glad that ;e are to go together, 
 for once separate! in this country we might not make connections again, as we 
 had planned. So, it is. ate logo , which will probably be Saturday next, if all 
 goes well. 
 
 Medellin, February 24th, 1925. 
 
 I shall nave time to add a page to what I have already written, before 
 leaving this city, since this is Saturday and we are nearing the end of our 
 stay here- 
 
 Last night-we had the lecture in the University and it went off in fine 
 style. There were about 600 people out and we had. perfect order. I thought, 
 for a while, that we would, have to dispense with the views, since, in true 
 South American style, the man who was to get the machine ready did not turn 
 up until about time for the lecture to begin, then found that his wiring was 
 toe short to reach the nearest connection, had no more, was obliged to tear 
 down some of the lights, broke the circuit, and had a fine time, generally. 
 However, with Mr. Wheeler's help, he finally got things arranged and we began 
 soon after the time advertised,-eight o’clock. I spoke for about a half hour, 
 mostly without manuscript, and then gave a little over the sane time to the 
 views. A lot of the best people in the city were cut, among them Ex-President 
 Pest repo and his family, a brother of the present President, etc., and a number 
 of ladies who seemed to be of the good families,. 
 
 We were afraid,to the very last, that the Archbishop might prohibit the 
 whole affair in the University, but he kept quiet and we all feel quite proud 
 of ourselves. Undoubtedly, this is the first time that a representative of 
 Protestant Christianity has been able to get into one of the State universities 
 

- 29 - 
 
 of Colombia, but we hope that it may not be the last time. With this open¬ 
 ing the local. people ought to be able to go on and do dome good work. The 
 Society that had the lecture in charge got out some good handbills, a copy of 
 which I will send ye'd, and billed the city with enormous posters, giving my 
 name and the subject, etc 
 
 This morning two young men who were present have been in to see me, to 
 talk over the mao tor of their going to New York to study, and a reports? of 
 the leading daily pepsr of the city is due in a few minutes. I have already 
 given one interview to another paper, a copy of which goes to you by this mail, 
 and I thiPkShis will be the last. 
 
 On Tuesday morning we expect to start for Puerto Berrio and from there to 
 go on down the river., it is said that the river is very >ow, but we are to 
 take the E:spross, or Ma.il, boat, and this generally gets through if any one 
 does. I think we shall enjoy settling down on the boat for two or three days 
 and resting from our labors. I have been speaking almost eV^ry night, and so 
 has Mr. Wheeler, so that we begin to feel that it will be fine to be free from 
 all this for a few days. This morning he was dancing about and saying that in 
 seven weoks from today we should raise New York* May he be a good prophet, 
 is my wish] But it looks as though it would be out of che frying pan into 
 the fire, for we will have to geo down to barmes, give reports to the Board, 
 etc., whereas, now, we are having a pretty good time, and receiving splendid 
 treatment* 
 
 This morning, after my interview, we are to take ar auto and go out to ioc 
 at sites in and near the city* "America".is one of the beet looking suburbs 
 and we may decide to buy considerable land in that direction, for the schools 
 and the theological seminary. 
 
 Yesterday we also walked and drove about a bit, but did not finish. I 
 
 think we are all going in a big car,-for they have some very fine cars in the 
 city,-Packards, Pieree-- zc: row, etc,, all of which are for rent. So that this 
 will be my last appearance until we get down to Puerto Berrio or on tc the 
 river, for time goes quickly and we are pretty busy. 
 
 lie tel Magdalena, Puerto Berrio, 
 
 Eebruary 28, 1923. 
 
 As you will note, I am once more on the banks of the Magdalena.. We came 
 down yesterday, from Medellin, and are now here at the Hotel, awaiting the 
 arrival of the Express steamer on which we are to continue our journey to the 
 North* This boat was reported due at noon, out one car. always £i /*i them at 
 least anothei half day, and, since it is now well on into the afternoon, it 
 is possible that she may appear within the newt few hours,, It is aL so eminent¬ 
 ly possible that she may tie up Isaro.fet* the night, allowing us che g .vuv 
 pleasure of sleeping on board; where it is unutterably hot, rather than in 
 the Hotel, where it is bad enough, but not quite as hot as on board* 
 
 We had a good day, on Sunday, in Medellin. I spoke at the little Englis... 
 service, at eleven o’clock, and at night, in one Spanish service, Mr. ^heeler 
 took the main part of the service and I interpreted for him and then ok fee* a 
 few words on my own account. The people of the congregation gave us a beauti¬ 
 ful silk flag of Colombia which we are to take to the Board, and made vs all 
 sorts of farewell speeches, etc. They seemed really sorry to have us go. 
 

 
 
 
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- 21 - 
 
 Yesterday morning we were up early and took the train at si.-: o'clock for 
 this town, Mr. Barber and the Misses Doolittle and Parker came a little dis¬ 
 tance with us, from the main station to the smaller one, and then we came on 
 alone. The day was not so had as we had feared it might he, so that we got 
 along very wsell and reached this Hotel about half after seven in pretty good 
 shape. Then we had dinner and were soon lost in sleep. 
 
 President Nei Ospina is a.'so here, having come down by airplane to meet 
 some of the members of nis family who are on their way up the ri/er, having 
 been in the United States for seme time. One of his sons came down with us 
 
 on the train, and also a brother. This brother I met at my lecture in the 
 University and v . found that we had been in tne University of California at 
 the same time, j r. 1892, He was in the School of Mines and I a Graduate student. 
 
 I have not ’cried to speak to the President here, but he seems to be quite demo¬ 
 cratic and approachable. I saw him, five years ago, when I was here, since he 
 was then the Governor of this Department and I had to ask him about the perse¬ 
 cutions of our missionaries, the dynamiting of one of our church buildings, etc , 
 and suggest that it might be well to avoid such a line of procedure in the 
 future. Said persecutions ceased, I am told, a'.u it may be that he remembers 
 me and would not be altogether happy to renew the acquaintance. At any rate, 
 
 I have no reason to bother him, so will not try to talk with him. 
 
 Once more the mosquitoes are busy and I have to keep scratching and thresh¬ 
 ing around to keep them off. It is pretty hot, too, here, but in the shade one 
 can get along. But think of the days ahead, on the river! 
 
 This is the last day of February, and I remember that just two months ago 
 today we landed in Puerto Colombia and went up to Barranquilla. These have 
 been two rather strenuous months, and we have covered a good deal of territory^ 
 but cur stay in this country is drawing to a c-ose and a month from nc.v we 
 snouid even be cnrough with Venezuela and on cur way to Colon,-if we return 
 tnut way. 
 
 Two whopping good letters came from you, just as we were leaving Medellin, 
 one from Elsie, written from Aurora, and one from Halli-e May, written from 
 Pairmont,-and an enclosure from Patsy, which was the best of all of them. I 
 am glad to have these and will send a special word in reply, from on board the 
 steamer after leaving here. This general letter will still be delayed a bit, 
 until we finish up the Sinu region and return to Cartagena to embark for La 
 Guayra. So, for the present, I will go to sometning else and continue this a 
 little later. 
 
 On the Lower Magdalena, 
 
 Nearing Calomar, March 5, 1923. 
 
 This, we hope, is to be our last day on the river, inasmuch as we are now 
 nearing Calomar, where we leave the steamer and take a train for Cartagena. 
 And, although the trip down has been uneventful and interesting, we shall be 
 glad to change our method of locomotion and get on to terra firme once more. 
 
 It also means that we are nearing the end of our stay in this country and are 
 ready to push op to new and,-for Mr. Wheeler,-unexplored fields. 
 
 The mosquitoes have been pretty bad on the way down and it seems to me 
 that there are but few inches on my anatomy that have not the signs of having 
 received a bite. I have beer putting alcohol on the bitten parts, especially 
 on my ankles which are just one mass of bites, in order to kill, if possible, 
 any microbes,: that may be left by the biter. I had a bottle of "alcohol per.fu. 
 

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- 22 - 
 
 txiat I "benight on 'board, and had it sitting on the floor by the cot and used it 
 frequently during the stilly watches of the night when sleep has gone from me 
 because of the pestiferous insects. Last night my compadre came in, used the 
 bottle, and put it in a new place, leaving in its stead a bottle with a little 
 mineral water which he had brought in, I did not find out the difference 
 until this morning, Remarks are unpublishable, but it had, at least, the 
 psycnoiogicai effect, since I imagined that it calmed the itching and allowed 
 me to go to sleep again. 
 
 The trig. by rail, from Calomar to Cartagena, is about five hours in 
 length, and is sail cc be hot and dusty. We are going to put on oar riding 
 suits, so as to save better ones for the trip at the other end. 
 
 This reminds me that, yesterday, I put on a nice white suit and came to 
 the table in a sell-congratulatory frame of mind. Just at the end of the meal 
 the mozo brought in a cup of chocolate and was putting it down in front of me, 
 when I raised my left hand, suddenly, and hit the cup a good square lick,with 
 the result that the thick chocolate poured down over my suit, my tie, even my 
 white shoes, and I looked like a streaked sign-board, I had to change com¬ 
 pletely, and, what pains me immensely, I have but one mors white suit left 
 clean, and the laundress id afar ofi, yea even in Ceretel However, that is al'. 
 a part of the game and, to my credit be it recorded, I did not make a single 
 remark that would merit expurgation, but meekly rose and went off to make the 
 necessary changes. As soon as we reach Cerete I shall have to look up a buxom 
 laundress of the sable variety and enrich her by several dollars 5 worth of 
 laundry work that I need to have donu. 
 
 Mr, and Mrs, Allan, with Pixie and Buster, the two kiddies, are on board 
 and will continue on to Barranquiila, .where they take the next boat for the 
 United States. They go on furlough, to the States, although she is a New 
 Zealander, and has never been in the States, and he is a cannie Scot who has 
 spent but little time’neath the Stars and Stripes, They have done some good 
 work in Bogota and are in need of a year of rest. 
 
 There are also a number of other Americans on board, most of them travelli 
 men who are interested in mines, oil-fields, etc. One of the physicians whom 
 I met in Medellin, Dr. Lopez de Mesa, is with us, going to London to study for 
 a couple of years. He is a Liberal and has been of considerable help in giving 
 me historical facts, etc., that I amusing in my reports. These Colombian men, 
 like those of the ether Latin American republics, are very courteous and helpfu.. 
 and txieir conduct on board and in general, so far as one can see, sometimes puts 
 to shame that of seme of our own fellow-citizens. 
 
 My ne*Jt contribution to this letter will be from Cartagena, possibly before 
 we go up the Sim. This will depend on the time we have to wait in the city be¬ 
 fore making the trip, and the conclusion will be added after our return. 
 
 Cartagena, March 5th, 1923. 
 
 As you will see, we have completed the Magdalena journey and are now in 
 the old city of Cartagena. We reached Calomar about seven c‘ clock on Saturday 
 night immediately went ashore to take seats in the train. This, however., 
 loafed around and did not leave the station until just ten, and we counted on 
 getting into Cartagena in about three hours. As usual, all the unexpected th: 
 Happened along the way,-a hot box on the car ahead, delays at the crossings, 
 lots of freight to be shunted around, etc., so that we were five hours on the 
 :ay and did not getvto the hotel and to bed until about half after three o* cl 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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-25- 
 
 in the morning. Then we had a service at ten,-or Mr. Wheeler did, - in English, 
 sc that we had to get out pretty early. However, I d^d not feel so knocked 
 out as 1 had ejected and we not only went to the service but stayed to have 
 lunch with the .American Consul and his wife, Mr, and Mrs. Sawyer, who have been 
 in Colombia about three years. 
 
 Yesterday afternoon we had a good sleep, so that I am all right and ready 
 
 for what the trip 
 
 service of the l-tt.'i.e church here 
 
 Si nr. may have in store for us 9 Last night we attended the 
 , where they are all blacks, and I did the 
 
 talking this tine,, letting Mr. Wheeler have th= 
 
 re st. 
 
 There was not a soul 
 
 in the room outs:.a. of the speakers, who was not black. The little girl who 
 played the or .an had evidently stuck her head in the flour-barrel yust before 
 coining to church, but did not succeed in changing her color and the line of de- 
 mo-rKation between flour and pure black was very evident. 
 
 We walked back 'go the hotel after the service, and again saw the old walls 
 that surround tne city, walls that withstood the attacks of the buccaneers, 
 men like Drake, Hawkins, ''alter Raleigh, etc., net to count those of other 
 nationalities, who swarmed the Spanish Main and harried the forces of Spain 
 in the good old days of ycre, This wall is, in some places, thirty feet high and 
 many feet tnick, In some spots it is used as a driveway for carriages, automob~d 
 etc., wiiiie in others it is being torn down and the material used for constructio 
 purposes in the city. The whole city still has that medieval sort of air about 
 it and one can easily imagine the throngs of Spanish Caballeros that once occup¬ 
 ied it, and the thousands of poor negroes, caught like v\Id beasts in the Conge 
 and haled nither in the holds of the clave ships. They have had their revenge, 
 as witnessed in the kinky hair and in the sable color of almost all the popu¬ 
 lation. The percentage of negroes here must be greater than in any one of our 
 Southern States, since it is an exception to see a person who dees not have 
 evidence of having been touched by the tar brush. 
 
 They are avenged,too, in that leprosy, contracted by them in the filthy 
 holds of the ships, has been spread about through Colombia and foreign physicians 
 now estimate the number of lepers in the country as high as 50,00, although 
 native physicians declare that there are not more than 5,000. 
 
 Tonight some time, the exact hour depending on when the owners get the 
 engine of tn_ motor-•boat into good shape, we are to leave for the Sim. I 
 nave not been able to get the itinerary into my head, as yet, but know that 
 we are to be on the motor boat ail night, with no beds in which to rest our 
 bones, and that tomorrow we take an automobile and drive to some of the in¬ 
 terior Gowns, getting to Oerote, which is Mr. Jarrott ,: s home, on Wednesday. 
 
 Inen we go cn to Ilonteria, a few hours further on, up the river, and spend a 
 day or so there, returning to Cerate for Sunday next, and starting down the 
 river again cn Monday reaming here the following day. We now plan to take 
 the* hydroplane from here to Barranguilla, on Thursday next, and th^n meet the 
 steamer "Venezuela” at Puerto Colombia on Saturday the l?th and embark for La 
 Guayra ana Caracas. Tnis is a boat of tne Dutch line and touches at the is Ian-, 
 of Curacao on the way. It now looks as though we might take a boat of the 
 .same line cut of La Gusyra on April 4th, as I have already suggested, but this 
 we Coil not arrange until we reach Caracas and see the people tne re and get the 
 itineraries . 
 
 My next will tell you of the trip to the 
 
 Siriu. 
 

 
 
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-24- 
 
 Cerete, Colombia, 
 
 March. 3rd, 1S23. 
 
 I had not expected to add anything to this letter until after cur re¬ 
 turn to Cartagena; but I find a good typewriter placed at my disposition, said 
 machine belonging to Miss Helen Jarrett, and I have a little time at my dis¬ 
 posal, so that I will take time by the fetlock and write a page or two and 
 thus have it out of r.y system while it is fresh* 
 
 As you will see, we are at least on the Sim, a place of which I have 
 heard much and wrnon I have wanted to see, but which I hardly dared hope would 
 be included, eventually, in my itinerary. But, here we are. And, to go back! 
 
 We were ordered on board "The Cold Spring”',-which sounded real swank,- at 
 eight o l clock Monday night - So we had dinner at the hotel and appeared punctu¬ 
 ally at tne docks at 'the hour appointed. We found that the said CS is a cat- 
 boat, about thirty feet long, over all, with about seven feet beam. The berths 
 are arranged along the aides., and the ceiling is so low that a real man can 
 not stand erect at...any time. Consequently, we lay down, at once, the horizon¬ 
 tal position being the only one possible. We were told that we were soon to 
 start, since they were overhauling the engine. As a matter of fact, we did 
 not get loose from the nock until about midnight. At ten o'clock the following 
 day we were still in sight of Cartagena, although we ought then to have reached 
 Covenas, our destination, WD miles away, to the South By noon we had got out 
 in front of the Bay of el Morrosquills, and in the open sea,- The daily heavy 
 wind came up. and car little boat tossed about like a cccnle-shell,- I a.on ! t 
 know what a cock-shell is, but that seems to be the proper simile for such a 
 description! I saved my reputation and did not contribute to the larder of 
 iiejjtune, but my friend Mr. Jarrett was loudly and frequently mentioning some¬ 
 thing about the Duke of ’’York”', and Mr. Wheeler, who has sailed the Seven Seas 
 looked mighty green around the gills. To add insult to injury, they served us 
 a so-called lunch about noon, said lunch consisting of soggy boiled potatoes, 
 which, as my family knows, is a dish of vhich I am particularly fond, accompan¬ 
 ied by ditto rice. Nwda mas, although we knew they had ham and other delicacl - 
 on board. Needless to say, we did not cat very much of the concoction and then 
 resumed our horizontal attitude to see what the gods might have in store for us 
 later on. 
 
 I ought to say tnat the owners and operators of the above-mentioned CS 
 -re fellow Americans of a type too frequent in these parts, who have, in seme 
 tfc-y, feOt possession of tnis old boat and set out to do business along this coast 
 Two of them,let me say, for One delectation of any of our British friends, who 
 ....ay read these lines, are now Britishers, having served in the British army- 
 hey signed up while drunk, they say!-and, accordingly lost their American 
 citizenship, I do not imagine that any one will grieve at this loss. But they 
 are certainly nervy, real modern pirates of the Spanish Main. 
 
 To make a painful story short, we finally limped into the beautiful Bay 
 of Covenas about five o’clock in the afternoon, more dead than alive. We 
 —anaged to climb cut of our little cupboard, where we had been immured for 
 21 hours, scrambled up on top of the swinging and bucking boat, and from there 
 .jumped onto the docks. It was sure good to be on tierra firme and I was so 
 mad that I staggered away without saying good-bye to the Captain or the mate 
 or tne cook! 
 
 However, every clcud has a silver lining and we found a good little notel 
 m Covenas, to which we quickly reparied, had a cold shower-bath and a good 
 dinner, turned m early and, by the next day, were almost over the effects of 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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the experiences of the day "before and ready to set out on new ventures, 
 
 Covenas is a pert at which an American Packing Company has put in docks, 
 erected a fine big plant for packing and slaughtering the animals,-that pro¬ 
 cess, you understand, is reversed in actual workj-which fact also accounts 
 for the presence in this little and otherwise insignificant port of a dean 
 comfortable Hotel. 
 
 Covenas is *xCt quite as far West as is the mouth of the Sim, but, for¬ 
 tunately#., we were to leave the C§ here and go up the river by automobile,— 
 rather, go to Cerete in this way, following the general course of the river 
 but notactual.ly touching it until our arrival in this town itself. We were 
 not in a hurry to. get away, since the distance is only seventy miles, so we 
 took things easy and finally got off about ten o’clock , in a Pord which was 
 decidely the worse for wear but, as it proved, capable of taking us as far as 
 we wished it to go. The route lines along the river, though some miles away, 
 and through a rather thickly settled part of the country. The inhabitants are 
 black, of various shades of this color, and I do not recall having seen a 
 single white man, woman or child on the trip up. For the most part they live 
 in the jungle in little huts just like those we see pictured as the homes of 
 the people of Africa, in the Congo ar Zuiuland, and there must be but little 
 difference in the general mode of li'e in the two countries. I think I have 
 never seen a country with such a dense canine population. They would come 
 roanrg out at us, from every hut, sometimes a full half-dozen, and these 
 
 wculd hardly cease paying us their respects before anotner group would be on 
 us. Two or three got too close to the swiftiy.revolving wheels and were run 
 
 over and I looked back once just in txme to catch a last glimpse of one which 
 
 had been particularly pestiferous, and had used horrible language, lying on 
 his back with his four legs waving madly in the breeze, I hope he is still 
 
 there, for he was certainly one Of the most profane dogs I have ever heard 
 
 make remarks about a passing automobile. Children also abounded. And, why not? 
 It costs mighty little to raise them, so why not have a lot of them? There are 
 no school problems, for we did not see a single school building in the ride of 
 a aay, although in one small village where we had lunch, they confessed to havia 
 q>ne somewhere about. Then, the problem of clothes does not enter in until the 
 youngster is at- least eight or ten,-the exact age, I imagine, depending, in 
 pari, on the proximity to the main road of travel. One good dame, with whom we 
 had lunch in her Hotel, said, very naively "he dado a luz trece hijos. Seis de 
 estan muertos, siete estan vivos, v tengo otro g,qui en el vientre"', Tnis last 
 a perfectly self-evident fact which she might have omitted, but she evident'!’,. 
 Jy^ed that it was best to advise us. But she gave us a pretty good lunch, just 
 tho same, eggs, bread, coffee, bananas, which we supplemented with some bottled 
 Waiter that we carried with us. On the strength of this we went on to the end 
 gf the day. 
 
 About three o’clock we reached a little town, located in the midst of a 
 great swamp, where we had to leave the Ford and, crossing a pestilential lagoon 
 a canoe, tobk another car on the other side which brought us on into Cerete, 
 '•Yfiich we reached about six' o*clock. The last part of the ride, as we neared 
 this town, was better, since we were passing through a great pasture where there 
 are thousands of fat cattle that are soon to be driven down the river to the 
 slaughter and packing plant Covenas. Gates of all kinds have been put up 
 oy the trusting owners, but our boy simply Jrhrev; these down and left them lying 
 on the ground as we tore away to others. I do not have a record of the remarks 
 ..iv.de by the cattleman* but I judge that they take it as a part of the day’s 
 ■ork and keep men and boys on hand to put the gates up again. The sable and c< - 
 f fcpulatioii continued to the very g,ates of this city and I have not yet seen an; 
 >*ave the missionaries, who has not been deeply dyed with the tar brush. 
 
-26- 
 
 ®he Jarretts, our missionaries, are English, and have "been on the Sinu for 
 something like twelve years. They were formerly members of the ECJSA and worked 
 in Peru. Mr. Jarrett was once driven out of Cuzco and had to make the trip 
 overland from shat city to Lima, which was, at that time, a journey not only 
 difficult but fraught with many perils. Mrs. Jarrett is a trained nurse add 
 seems to preside over the advent' into this world of most of the population 
 hereabout. Their daughter. Miss Helen, is a young lafby about Z'6 and has 
 recently become a member of the mission, after some training in the States and 
 England, and is no- m charge of several little schools which they have es¬ 
 tablished in a.u : nea* Lev*-, 5?,. They have another daughter, 2o.-ih.leen, who is 
 studying nursrny E^glana, aid a boy, Harry, who lives in Canada* The 
 Jarretts have .. r-. a. great piece of work in this region and ''Pen Juan”', one 
 can see, is very much respected by the whole cc.mmuy. They came here, first, 
 to do Christian wort cr\ a great plantation owned by a Mr. Coleman, a wealthy 
 American who still nan interests here, but, since this man had to retrench 
 during the war, the work was taken over by our Board and is now a part of the 
 programme of the mission. Just up the river is Morteria where there is a 
 great deal of Liberal sentiment and where I am. to speak in the ’’Club Liberal'!' 
 on .Saturday night, Tney have recently had a big row between the political 
 parties and the principal leaders are in prison, thrown there by the Conserva¬ 
 tives. This afternoon, we drive to San Carlos, two or three hours from here, 
 hold a meeting, and I then return here while Mr., Wheeler and Mr. Jarrett re¬ 
 main over night and, t omorrew, ride to Canpanito, where "..hr. s same Mr. Coleman 
 has offered to give our Board a plantation of about Gk'OO acres, v/ith cattle, 
 
 etc., all complete. W> are afraid* however, that the .to 
 
 ■ e colored in¬ 
 
 dividual in the woodpile,-which would not Da strange an. ■■.mb here,-so that we 
 want to see the land, the situation, etc., before accept ing the Proposition. 
 
 Having reached this pirt of the world, I can no longer write you that 
 we are journeying toward Cerete, 
 
 "On the way to Cerete where the nakes darkies play. 
 
 And the dawn comes up like thunder cut o’ Cartagena Bay!" 1 
 
 I do not think that i would care to give my life to the work in this 
 region. Medellin or Bucaramanga would not be bad, or even Bogota or Barran- 
 quilla. But this region seems to lie under a black pall that has settled 
 down over it, and is still redolent of the atrocities of the freebooters and 
 buccaneers and pirates cf the early centuries. Moreover.' with a mongrel 
 population, in which the black stream predominates, I can not see £ow it can 
 have any future worth while. The people are ignorant, sensual, degraded, 
 superstitious, simple-minded,-much like the blacks at home,-and can never be 
 developed into a people of any real backbone. But I can appreciate what tne 
 Jarretts have done and am glad that some one has a spirit of seif sacrifice 
 more generously ueveloped than is mine, 
 
 Tne Catholic Church has done but little, although, no doubt, it claims 
 all these people as its own. We saw only one little church along the road 
 yesterday, and two sheds where they hold occasional services, nothing more 
 after all these four hundred years,-no doctor, no hospital, nothing at all 
 that really represents Christianity. And, yet, should we wake up and decide 
 to establish work in some one of the villages, put in a dispensary, or do any- 
 tning for the good of this poor people, I am sure that the representatives of 
 the Catholics would roar so that they could be heard all over Colombia. That 
 is the dog-in-the-manger'.attitude they always assume, so that we must just go 
 ahead, paying no attention to their roars. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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-27- 
 
 We e.xpect to take a canoe down the river, which will mean a day floating 
 down, with, we hope, the chance tc get a shot at the caymanes that line the 
 oanks, and then catch another boat at the mouth of the river for Cartagena* 
 
 I have just sent a long telegram to the American Consul in Cartagena, asking 
 aid to try to secure the yacht owned by one of the oil conpanies to meet us 
 -e-tfc Tuesday morning, at the mouth of the Sinu and take us on tc Cartagena* 
 x hope he nay be cfbie to do so, a lid. thihk he will. If not, then I do not 
 know when we will again see Cartagena and get out for Venezuela, This is the 
 dry season and the regular boats are not running, so that we must make private 
 arrangements as bnvt we may. However, cheery-o and we will do the best we. can 
 and let the result tr.ke <irare of itself* We have done well, so far, and will 
 probably come out cu.. right in the end. 
 
 Cerete, March 9th, 1923. 
 
 I am alone, this morning, in the Jarrett home; that is to say, Mr* Wheeler 
 and Mr. Jarrett are away, so that I am getting up some work and writing some 
 letters while the house is quiet* Miss Helen is away at her school work and Mrs, 
 Jarrett seems to be out the most of the time, so that the house is still and I 
 can work without interruption* Howe r er, before getting down to work, I will 
 add a page to this letter in order to keep it up to date. 
 
 Yesterday afternoon, about four o’clock we started cut in an auto for San 
 Carlos, a small town about twelve or fifteen miles from here, and drove through 
 the great pastures that are between the two places. Oh cue of these farms, alone, 
 chore are 20,000 cattle, and this is but one of many* Tn.. s i s a great cattle 
 district, most of the animals being brought here to be fattened for the packing 
 plant at Covenas, down the river and on the caost, as I have told you. 
 
 We drove along the great swamps,- cienagas they call them here,-and saw a 
 good deal of wild animal life. There are many leopards and jaguars in these 
 places, as also alligators, reptiles of all kinds, and many different species 
 of monkeys, sloths, and biards of gaudy plumage. And, let me say right here, 
 that I have killed my first alligator. According to the passengers on the 
 
 steamers, I left one or two kicking their last kicks on the sand bars along the 
 
 river, but did not get to make sure of them. On the way over, last night, we 
 found one, about five feet long, that was making an e.^edition from one swamp 
 to another, and nailed him. I saw him and called to the chauffer to stop and 
 shouted,"Un cayman!'” The others thought I was "seeing, things”', and did not 
 odieve me. However, they all piled out and I soon p>ointed out the bicho lying 
 behind a clump of bushes. Mr. Wheeler proceeded to slip up and take a picture 
 of him, and he,-that is, the aliigator,-made no objection but lay perfectly 
 c$uet. Then, I picked up a heavy knot of wood that was lying near and sined a 
 blow at his head. Fortunately, I had good aim and threw so hard that I stunned 
 
 Him. Then, with a heavy club, I soon despatched him before he had time to re¬ 
 
 cover* I afterward held him up by the tail, although he was icretty heavy, while 
 Mr. Wheeler took a snap of us. If it comes out well you will see it, sometime. 
 There was a small stream near by and these saurians often travel about by land, 
 going from one swamp tr stream to another. 
 
 We had dinner in a ’*■ ..hut in San Carlos, and the dear old lady did her 
 best to give us something we could eat; but I confess that I did not do the meal 
 justice. The family dog, who seemed to sense the situation, stuck close to my 
 side and ate my share of the chicken, and I think my c onroad re also contributed 
 to his happiness. We had just come in from the street which was full of poor 
 people, dozens of nakes pickaminies running about with their distended bellies 
 
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 -28- 
 
 showing the effects of hookworm, other kinds of abdominal w r orms, and a dozen 
 other diseases, and I must admit that the sight did not give me an appetite. 
 
 The water served us looked like lemonade, it was so muddy, and one does not 
 know how many kinds of microbes are cutting around on the edge of the glass, 
 waiting for a chance to get into the human anatomy * not to mention those in 
 the water it self <, San Carlos is a town of about 4,000 people, with two thousand 
 more in the surrounding bush, and there is no doctor. The people just die, when 
 their time comes, or before, as it generally happens, and no one thinks anything 
 about it. There is a Catholic Church building, but the priest comes around only 
 once or twice a year, when there is., feast of some .kind to be celebrated, and then 
 he charges so much for his services that the people will not have him. Not long 
 ago, when he was there, an old lady died and the family asked him to bury her. 
 
 He asked fifteen pe^os for the service, which the family could not pay. He 
 finally came down to eight, but the family still insisted that they could not 
 pay anything. Consequently, they went to Mr. Jarrett, who happened to be in 
 town, and he, of course, did the work for nothing. This irritated the priest a 
 good deal and created'so much comment that he has not been able to do much 
 since then, while Mr. Jarrett seems to have the confidence of all concerned. 
 
 We have had a native worker in the town for some time, and there is an 
 organized church with a considerable membership. The building i used for a 
 school aurirg the day, and has a bei* that is louder and more musical than the 
 one on the neighboring Catholic church. The whole property belongs to Mr. 
 Coleman, who was the man that brought Mr. Jarrett here at the beginning, but it 
 is rented to our mission at a nominal rental. 
 
 This native worker had dinner wivn us and we were asking him about the il¬ 
 literacy, etc.,of the town. He worked out figures to show t hat probably five 
 per cent of the population can read and write,-which is high because of tne work 
 of our school for the past years. In other similar towns, not over two psreent 
 are literate. There is no school for boys now running in the town, since the 
 man who was there was a drunkard and immoral and the school went to pieces under 
 his charge. The school for girls has about 20 children in it, and this ISlall 
 the Government is doing for the intellectual uplift of this town,-and that is 
 more than it does for some other places. We have a little school for girls, with 
 a registration, pn past years, of as many as 65 girls. Just now, at the beginning 
 of the year, it is still almost empty but many others are promised and will be 
 coming in soon. 
 
 This native worker seems to know every family and, in reply to our quest¬ 
 ions, stated that there are probably thirty married coupled in the town; the 
 rest just .live together as long as it suits them, then change off or separate. 
 
 These thirty couples, counting five children to the family, would give a total 
 legitimate population cf 210, out of a total of from from to six thousand,- 
 
 although the parents themselves are not necessarily of legitimate birth simply 
 oecause they happen to have been married. And, yet, there are people who 
 say tnat evangelical missionaries not needed in Colombia. 
 
 After the service, I drove back through the silent forest, Mr. Wheeler 
 and Mr. Jarrett remaing behind to ride on, today, to another center of our work 
 just beyond San Carlos. Now and then, when we had to step to allow the boy to 
 run ahead to open gates, I could listen to the noises that rise from the forest 
 at night. One could easily imagine that ail sorts of strange beasts were on the 
 prowl and imagine the sound of the parting of the bushes as they passed along 
 and the soft swishing of the leaves and twigs and they resumed their position 
 after the animal had passed on its way. Bats and owls swooped down almost to 
 within touch of my hand, but, with muffled wing, we re scarcely audible in their 
 flight. The heavy scent of the flowers and dense vegetation, that seemed to 
 relax ana shed their cool fragance after being kept back by the heat of the da' r , 
 tilled all the atmosphere. The sky was deep purple and the stars swung steamy 
 

 
 
 
 
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-29- 
 
 overhead, friendly and constant Orion occupying tthe center of the stage; wisps 
 of clouds floated here and there, and in the patches of moonlight, one could 
 imagine the jungle folk looking out at us and wondering what new animal this 
 might he, t.bat carried such .lights in itssheai and rumbles as it run! And, 
 in. the quiet of the night, surrounded by the silence and alone with my thoughts* 
 
 I confess to a twinge of conscience as we swept pas the clump of bushes that held 
 the poor dead thing whose life I had. so rot hies sly beaten out only a few hours 
 before! For, who an I to take away the God-given life of'even a hideous croco¬ 
 dile that, in the p-ans of Infinity, must have its part to play?: 
 
 Saturday morning, March 10,1923, 
 
 This afternoon I am to go up the river to Monteria, with Mr. Jarrett, where 
 I am to speak in the ’'Club Liberal'” on Evangelical Work in South America^. I 
 understand that the directory of said Club is advertising this meeting as under 
 its auspices,-trying,no doubt, to make political propaganda thereby,- so that 
 I shall have to make it clear at the beginning of my aduress that we are not 
 mixed up with any political party, either here or at home. 
 
 Early this morning we went over into town,-the principal paf of the village 
 lies on the other side of an arm of 'ne river of Sinu, which passes just in front 
 of the Jarrett home,-and called on the Mayor and other two authorities. We 
 also stopped in to see the priest, who happens to be in town for this week end. 
 
 He is a Spaniard, by birth and education, and is quite liberal in his attitude 
 toward our work. He and Mr. Jarrett have been good friends for a long time and 
 get on well together. We had a good conversation with him and found that he 
 tells the truth,-at least more nearly than others we have consulted. He is the 
 only priest in this immediate region, which includes four or five considerable 
 villages with all the country district lying near, and e stimates that he has 
 about 25,000 people under his charge. Of course this means that he can not see 
 them all, even if he wanted to, more than once or twice a .year, while it is 
 probable that the country people never see him, unless they happen to go to town 
 when he is there. 
 
 We asked him a number of leading questions and found that he answered 
 as rearly as he could with exact statistics. He admits, for example, that at 
 leas*; eighty per cent- of his people, in the towns, can not read, while those 
 who live in the country.-, he sayd, know nothing at all”,-meaning that prac¬ 
 tically all of them are analpLabets. On the point of illegitimacy, he said 
 that, at least, the same percentage would hold. This he blames on the civil 
 government which, as he says, makes concubinage illegal but does nothing to 
 enforce said law, and the church, he claims, can do but little alone. It is 
 probable tnat ninety per cent would be more nearly correct, in both cases, but 
 there is no eject statistic on the point. In this region, people are born 
 and live and get married,-or do not marry,-and die, and there is no record 
 kept of them. The law provides formularies fcr the purpose of statistics, 
 but they are rarely used. The civil marrigge law is obligatory, but is seldom 
 used and the judge who marries a couple, according to the plain law offthe land, 
 is, by the influence of the archbishop, soon deposed from his office and an¬ 
 other appointed who, it is hoped, will be more amenable. 
 
 This is the most depressing part- of the world that I have ever seen, X 
 think, and I shall be glad to get down the river once more and smell the clean 
 o^one of the sea. Here, everything seems dirty and there is no life., no energy 
 in the people. They seem unable to do anything for themselves. Yesterday a 
 commission of three gentlemen called on me, having come down from Monteria for 
 the purpose, to ask that we put a school in one of the little villages nearby. 
 
 I asked for cost of room for the purpose, the salary we would have to pay a 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 good teacher, etc., and then, very naturally, asked how much each child could 
 pay per month toward the support of the school and in return for its education. 
 This was fend entirely new idea to them and I had to explain that we can not 
 go about putting in free schools, that the people are always expected to pay 
 something, etc. They could hardly grasp the idea. But there are many calls 
 for help, like the above, and I wish we could put in the schools that are need¬ 
 ed. But we lack both funds and workers. 
 
 Just now we are worried as to the possibility of getting down the river, in 
 time to make our engagements and catch the boat for Venezuela, since all nav¬ 
 igation on the river, practically, is stopped, due to low water. However, I 
 agi. no - !: worrying. In some way we will get out and arrive at our destination! 
 
 "I see icy way as birds their trackless way. 
 
 I shall arrive—what time,what circuit first, 
 
 I ask not: but unless God send his hail 
 Cr blinding fireballs, sleet or stifling snow. 
 
 In some time, his good time, I shall arriver 
 He guides me and the bird.T 
 
 Sunday, March 11th, 1923. 
 
 This is to be our last day in this region,-we hops,-so -that I will add 
 a last page or so to this letter and count on finishing it from Cartagena. 
 
 We have not yet heard of a boat that will take us down the river tomorrow, 
 but are expecting to find one and get away early in the morning. 
 
 Yesterday afternoon Mr. Jarrett and I went to Monteria, as we had planned. 
 Mr. Wheeler felt that he could not spare the time, so that he remained at home 
 to work. We left here about half after one, in a Ford car belonging to Dr. 
 Therwell, the Manager of Mr. Coleman*'s interests in this vicinity and drove 
 up the river about seventeen miles to Monteria, stopping in the little village 
 of Mateo Gomez from which a Committee had come the day before to see me about 
 starting a school there. 
 
 We reached Monteria about halp past three and drove about the streets for 
 a While,-both, to see the town and, as seems to be the custom in these towns,- 
 to let people know we had arrived. It is a good deal like a circus, in which 
 there is a street parade, with the animals, the band, etc., just to attract 
 attention and advertise the function. I suppose that I was the wild animal on 
 exhibition, and what we lacked in the way of a band was made up by the con¬ 
 tinual tooting of our horn by the driver. 
 
 Then we went to the little Hotel, the only one in the town of about 8,000 
 people, and took a final drive about town, with the usual accompaniment of 
 the horn of the Ford, etc. After dinner, a committee of the ’’Liberal Club" 
 
 Came to the Hotel to get us and pilot us down to the Club. The President of 
 the Club is the leading physician of the town, and a very agreeable and seeming¬ 
 ly capable man. The Club does not have very preposessing surroundings, but is 
 spacious, which was what they wanted last night. It seems to be a sort of 
 social center, for the families of the members as well as for the men themselves, 
 since there was a considerable number of ladies in the parlors and receiving 
 the visitors. 
 
 The President of the Club, the doctor mentioned above, introduced me to 
 the audience about half after seven and I talked to the crowd for about 45 
 minutes, telling them something of what our Evargelical work has done for the 
 

 
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-31- 
 
 one various countries of South America. The big j*atio .vas full of seated peo¬ 
 ple and others standing, and the full attendance was calculated to be from-600 
 to 1,000 people. Taking even the lower figure, which would be very conserva¬ 
 tive, it was a very inspiring audience and I greatly enjoyed, speaking to the 
 people. I had perfect attention, throughout, although people kept coming in 
 up to the very end, and was frequently interrupted by applause. The President, 
 wr.en he presentee me, asked the men to remove their hats and to cease smoking, 
 which e.2.1 did withono protest* A large number of people were crowding around 
 the doors and hanging over the fence that runs along the street on one side of 
 the open yard in vanch I was speaking, and there are workmen's houses all about 
 the yard,too, many of them full of men and women who were listening, so that 
 it wou_d nave been impossible to get an exact estimate of the number who heard 
 me sp eak. 
 
 ' ' .We. were l^avipg the Club by a quarter past eight, since I left immediately 
 on finishing my address, and looked around for the car. It was not to be seen, 
 so we walked back to the Hotel, accompanied, by the President of the Club and 
 others* Still he did no'* appear,~i»e., the chauffeur with the car. We waited, 
 ordered drinks,-itaionade, of course,- and then waited some more, Finally a 
 ocy said he knew where the fellow was, and offered to go and get him. Mr* 
 
 Jarrett gave him twenty cents and away he ran. Of course, he did not ran far, 
 
 and never went to get the driver,-since he had received, his pay* Then Mr, 
 Jarrett got desperate, took a coach and drove to the- place, found the beggar 
 asleep in bed, pried him cut, and drove back with him.--just two hours after 
 the address had been finished, that is to say, after we dad xost two hours 
 
 waiting for him* To my credit, let it be said that I made no remarks when he 
 
 finally appeared.-possibly because no language with which I am familiar offers 
 a suit able vocabulary for such an occasion. But we then charged home along 
 the river bank, where I often thought he would surely jump unto the stream 
 far below, and reached home in an hour, although we had to stop and open 31 
 gates by the way, as well as navigate the car among the sleeping hers of 
 cattle that seem to prefer the j-ath rather than the soft grass at the side* 
 
 Just as I was leaving the Club a letter was handed to me by a messenger, 
 and because of its special English Phraseology, it should be preserved here. 
 It runs, literally, as follows:- 
 
 "Doctor Wesbter Browning, City. I have a great pleasure, to know, that 
 your important person, it is here in this city where, all peoples were waiting 
 for that important commission, two or three months ago. Everybody here want 
 the chorch, because it is of great necessity here in this town. I am Fernando 
 Gonzalez Blanco, one chief of liberal politic here, but I cant to be in the 
 conference to night because I have to be alert with the enemies, they are gothic 
 autorices) the others are in Cartagena, (here there fellow sone names of men 
 who are prisoners in Cartagena) I am ready to work in everything concerning 
 to your important labour, I wish to see you tomorrow morning, here in this 
 
 house that I am; the bearer is.,., .is one of tre best fellows of this 
 
 city, Uf you please you can tell him at what time he can go there to your 
 office or house, and he can to accompany you here. I want to speak with you 
 some important points in according with our parpoorcese, I wait your answer. 
 
 Very truly yours,”' 
 
 I think that I get the drift of it ail e^mept that of the "gothic auttoirdau" ^ 
 and tne "parpoorcese” at the very end. I was sorry not to be able to go to see 
 nim # but Mr. Jarrett will do so, after he returns from taking us down the river, 
 And it just dawns on me that "parpoorceses "is a modernized way of spelling 
 "purposes!”’ Isn’t it?:- 
 

 
 
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-33- 
 
 This is the first region in Latin America where the people are urging the 
 Protestants to come in and establish work. The situation is so unusual that ore 
 hc.rdly knows how to handle it* and yet it is evident that the movement is* very 
 largely* political * so that our workers will have to go slowly* Just as we were 
 beginning the address* a woman sent in asking me to go and baptize her baby 
 which was dying, I could net go* of course, but "Don Juan”' slipped out and did 
 it for her. I do not know who she was* but hfe says he found her in a poor little 
 hut with the baby practically dead in her arms . It was* no doubt* a relief tc 
 her to have the chi-d baptized >-for s as most of them say in regard to the bapt¬ 
 ism by the priest* so she probably felt that "there may be something in it and 
 we will be on the safe side’ 1 . 
 
 There is a priest in the town of Monteria* just one*-and only three for 
 all the region of the Sirru* with some 100*000 population*-and he is very fanati¬ 
 cal and disliked by all excexct a few families whom he keeps under his control. 
 
 In the meeting of last night* there were many women, seemingly the wives of 
 the members of the Club. There is a. conference of some kind, in this Club* 
 every Saturday night* and the missionaries are frequently invited to address 
 the crowd. It is avgreat opportunity* but I do not see how we are to meet it, 
 simply because of a lack of workers ana funds. 
 
 Sunday is a great day in these river towns and all the world and his wife 
 come in to spend the day* most of them riding on the dimnnative burros that 
 abound in this region. These donkeys are tied up to bu’ v cs or posts Just out¬ 
 side the town* as well as in it* and are of an exceedingly vocal breed. Con¬ 
 sequently the air is full of theranost doleful sounds* for hardly a moment 
 passes that one of them does not break into song,-and this house seems co be 
 right in the midst of the leading members of the chorus! 
 
 % n©rfc will have to be written from down the river. Until then* Good-bye. 
 
 Cartagena* March 15th, 1923. 
 
 As you will see from the above address, we are once more back on the coast,- 
 ana right glaa we are to be nere* alive and as well as we are. My last page 
 was written from Cerete* on Saturday last* as I remember* so that I will have to 
 go back and take up the thread of my narrative where I left off on that day.- 
 
 On Sunday we had a good day in Cerete* with a big meeting in the chapel at 
 night. This meeting was attended ty some 200 people* inside and at the doors 
 and windows* and a great many more listened in from the nearby houses, including 
 tne man who had suggested stopping our meeting of the Friday night before in 
 Monteria. "Lon Juan” said that all the best people* the authorities* etc of 
 the town were tnere* all ears to hear what it was all about and to find something 
 
 so criticise. We will escape the criticism and "Don Juan"' will have to hear 
 
 it* if there is any* since we are not to be there to hear about it. 
 
 We had made our plans to leave Cerfefee on a small motorboat at eight o’clock 
 
 Monday morning* and so we went up the riter a cile, at that hour to embark* as 
 we had arranged the night before with a turco who owns the boat. About nine 
 o’clock the engineer sauntered along and proceeded to take his engine to pieces. 
 
 At noon*seeing that it was useless to wait longer* we went home to have lunch, 
 much to the surprise of Misia Florencia and Senorita Elenita who thought they 
 had got rid of us in the morning. At four o’clock in the afternoon the engineer 
 came along to say that he was ready to start* but we had made arrangements, by 
 that time* to remain in town until the following morning and then made the 
 run down to Covenas by Ford, even as we had gone up. So we told the man to go tc. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
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-53- 
 
 which he did, and we had another good night's rest in the good beds of the 
 Jarretto, and, early next morning were off in our little Ford for the coast. 
 
 This trip was uneventful, since we had been over the road only a week be- 
 fore, ana we reached the little Hotel in Covenas about five in the afternoon 
 and proceeded to have a good shower-bath and a good dinner and went to bed early. 
 It has been rather a difficult day and we were tired. Once the Ford got Mired 
 down and we ali had to get out in the mud and dig it out and lift it onto firm 
 land. Frequently, too, we had to get cut and walk up a hill or over a particular¬ 
 ly rough piece of ground, but we got in all right, which was the principal thing 
 we cared for. 
 
 As soon as we reached the town we found out that the ''Covenas 1 ’, a motor- 
 boat belonging to the packing Company, was to leave the following night, Wednesday, 
 so that we felt sure of our transportation to this town and slept with a good 
 conscience. We spent the next day in getting up our work, in the way of reports 
 and correspondence, and, finding that the boat was not to go out until three 
 o’clock in the morning, we had dinner in the Hotel, made a call on the Manager 
 and his wife after dinner was over, and then went to bed to be called at half 
 after two in the morning. 
 
 We were to go at three, and we had two men engaged to calluus at half 
 past two,..the result was that we were routed out an half after one-, each vying 
 with the other, I suppose, in promptness and the receiving of the tip. We thus 
 had an hour and a half to dress and walk a quarter of a mile bo where the boat 
 was tugging at her cables in the wind that was blowing in from the sea# By 
 strenuous effort we made it and got on board and found.a place to lie down long 
 before the time set for starting. 
 
 I ought to say that the "Covenas" is the ex "Cherokee”, the private yacht 
 of Richard Croker, Boss of Tammanay Hall and real ruler of Mew York City for 
 many years. It was called, in common parlance, "Dick Croker*s Flpating Brothel", 
 and I expect it could tell many a tale of high revel and debauchery which it has 
 witnessed. Mot it is degraded to making the run along this coast and is ruled 
 by a pair of negroes from the Island of San Andres, a possession of Colombia 
 off the coast of Honduras where all the people s^eak English, and practically all 
 are Protestants. She,-the boat, not the island,- is beautifully finished off 
 in mahogany ana plush sofas, and must have been a beautiful creation in the heyday 
 of Croker^s power. There are two staterooms especially well finished and the 
 Manager gave orders that we were to occupy these and the best sofa. But we found 
 both dirty and most disreputable and had to order a cleaning up, the spreading; 
 of supposedly clean bedding, etc., before lying down in them. At six this morn¬ 
 ing I was up and out on the deck, since some women nearby were seasick, the 
 sea was rough and I felt the need of some air. "Den Juan" then took my place 
 for a wnile, but also soon sppeared on deck where wel all remained until we 
 docked in this city about noon. The sea was pretty rough for a while and we all 
 Pelt rather the worse for wear when we finally got out on solid earth, again and 
 congratulated ourselves on the fact that the trip ito the Sinu was over. 
 
 We hurried up to the hotel, had lunch and started out to see about steamers, 
 etc. Mr. Wheeler had intended to fly over to Barranquilla, an operation which 
 takes only about forty minute$,but desisted in view of several situations and 
 we are how to wait here together to see what aevelopes. We hope to get a Fruit 
 boat out on Saturday night or early Sunday morning, and make connection in Puerto 
 Colombia with the Dutch boat on Sunday or Monday. But we can not be sure what 
 will happen and we may be held up in this region for a week or more, awaiting 
 a steamer for Venezuela* 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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-54- 
 
 I have refrained from omitting that a perfectly ripping case of tooth¬ 
 ache has, for the last two weeks, added to the hilarity of living, ’out it seems, 
 to have calmed down a bit now. When here before Lwent to see a dentist, who 
 graduated in the University of Pennsylvania, and who turned out to oe pretty 
 dark, with ail the characteristics of a darky. He filled three teeth for ine, 
 the first time I ever allowed a dark to plow around in my mouth with his fingers, 
 and I have not got the taste out yeti- but they ached worse than ever all the 
 time I was in the Sinu. Today, however, they seem to have given up the .job 
 and are quiet. The above mentioned dentist charged me twelve perfectly good 
 dollars for his work, which took him about a half hour,-which has added to my 
 feeling of disgust; with myself for going to him. However, what can a fellow do, 
 in a land where all tne natives have been touched with the tar brush and stain¬ 
 ed a more or less uark hue? In ail our trip to the Sinu I do not think we saw 
 a half dozen people, outside of the three missionaries, who were not oi African 
 descent, to a greater or lesser degree. This wave of color has swept all over 
 tnis coastral region and few nave escaped contamination therefrom. Lepers, 
 tooip who are always found among colored people, abound and we saw some with 
 practically all the face eaten away, the mouth and nose gone and just a big hole 
 where they were. Others suffer from elephantiasis and have the legs swollen 
 until they resemble the legs of a pachyderm. You sure would not want to look 
 on them! Add to tne above facts this other that at least eighty per cent; of 
 theppeople suffer from syphilis or other form of venereal disease, according 
 to medical authorities, and you will see that this is a real terrestrial 
 paradise. The people are prolific, or else the populate in would die out. The 
 captain of the boat today tola me that he is one of a family of 25, and.ia 
 passenger, a friend of "Don Juan", is said to be one of an even 100 children,- 
 of tne same father. 
 
 March 16th, 1923. 
 
 I am glad to have these two adys here in Cartagena to go over the city 
 more thoroughly and get to know its interesting old centers as I did not know 
 tnem before. We have been around the old churches, the shops, the public 
 squa.res^ eic.^and t-^e city grows @n one the longer one stays in it. The 
 
 old building which was the center of tlie Holy Inquisition still stands, with 
 its thick heavy walls, and is the peaceful home of one of the old families here. 
 Tne instruments of torture have disappeared, of course, but one can see the 
 grated windows through which the heretics must have peeped out from their 
 little cells, these cells now uased as storehouses of the business which is con¬ 
 ducted on the first floor, and the clerk led us up the stairs and into the coun¬ 
 cil chamber, where tne sentence of death was generall passed on the recalcitrant 
 ones, and then pointed out the room in which they were put to death. A favorite 
 method was to tie tne heretic on a bed of spikes, and then, by machinery, lower 
 a similarly spiked bed fro©.above and this drive the spikes through the body 
 from two directions at the same time. They also had what tney called the 
 "iron virgin",-an image of the Virgin,-more than life size, which was supposed 
 to give a last embrace to the condemned one. The image opened and the insides 
 were lined with sharp spikes which, when it closed by force, were driven through 
 and through the body of tne poor beggar within. This was surely an embrace 
 t^at one would not want repeated, even if he were left with life, which would be 
 doubtful. Religion! Religion! What crimes have been done in thy name! And, 
 today, there go about these streets low-brewed, cowled, greasy, fanatical in&iv; 
 who would be glad to return to the balmy days of the inquisition and put me arm 
 other similar heretics into the clammy arms of the virgin, break my bones on the 
 specially designed grids which they had for the purpose, puli out my nails, r 
 vat my eyes and tongue, then throw me, macerated and broken, into the neighbc 
 i-.'.goon. If looks could kill I would have perished a long time ago at thehhanis 
 of taese and similar minions of Rome,-but I am still going strong! 
 

 
 
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lagoon. If looks coula kill I would have perished a long time ago at the hands 
 of chese and similar minions of Rome*-but I am still going strong! 
 
 We vxsibesd*also the old church of Peter Clever* the priest who made a 
 speciality of baptizing the negr slaves* having administered this sacrament to 
 more than two hundred thousand or- these sable individuals* as well as to hmrnber- 
 lee English Moors n y otros her^geb"* as the records runs. He was after recog¬ 
 nized and his remains rest in the old Jesuit church* on the wall of which there 
 is a tablet* written in English* Spanish* French and German* stating that the 
 church is dedicated to him. It is a grimold fortress* of the colonial times* arm, 
 like the other but a block or so away* must have seen many bllody seenes in whi ci¬ 
 ne reties figured very .largely*. If you have read Hilaries Kingsiey T s 1 'Westward Ho*'' 
 you will see mention made of this region* of these same buildings* ere. If you 
 have hot readvfchis hook* do so as soon as possible. 
 
 Weaalso went into the Cathedral to so-a the wonderful alter of marble which 
 .Is fche>chief attraction in a bui] ding that* because of its vivid colors* is ad- 
 uiirably adapted to be a place of worship of these color-loving darkies. The 
 story is that this altar* already made* piece to his piece* was shipped across 
 from Spain* by the Pope* to be set up in this church., Tvh.ce was the ‘ship on 
 which it journeyed sunk by corsairs* and twice did the bones in which said altar 
 was packed* float out of the wreckage and drift into the path of passing vessels 
 in order to be picked up and sent on their way* Finally* after a final shipu. 
 wreck* as if disdaining further attention from mere man* they formed themselves in¬ 
 to the semblance of a fleet* silently pursued their way across the deep* regardless 
 of pirates* buccaneers* corasirs* and finally came to rest on the shores of 
 Cartagena* just below the point where they were erecting the CathedralF The 
 proof that all tne above is true is tha fact tint the said boxes* with the altar 
 witnin* were found on the beach* where they had lain for many years. Some nard- 
 nearted merchants finally opened them* found some elegantly carved mabler within* 
 and immediately decided that it would sell at a good' price in Spain* and* putting 
 them on board a barkantine* started them across the seas. Rat a storm arose* 
 the shijj was forced to put back into the harbor of Cartagena* and* the good 
 bishop having heard of it all by this time* they were finally recognized in their 
 proper character* their history written down for the edifielation of generations 
 then unborn*- and* there the altar is* today, as a proo'f of it all! Of course 
 there is nothing remarkable in the fact that marble floats. Being merely crystal¬ 
 lized. limestone* a rock that one simply can net keep under water* there is no 
 reason why it should lost its characteristic bouyancy by'the accidebt of crystal¬ 
 lization and sink like other mere rock generally does! The miracle* if any* for ■.* 
 consists in the persistency shown by these pieces of marble, a persistency worthy 
 of the Calvinistic doctrine of the perservano.s of the saints* and their know led* „ 
 of navigation, ocean currents* etc,.* which always enabled them to keep to their 
 course and finally bring up on the coast of Colombia* in tlpe tranquil bay of 
 J'artagena, and*-most profound and striking mystery of all* directly under the wal- 
 at the point where they were to be used in the ne vly erected cathedral! Ana* aS 
 I have said* if any one doubts it* there they are in the pud-pit today* erect and 
 glorious* and no one* save an occasions.! travelling heretic* thinks of the j.eriis 
 tney must nave undergone in their travels aerross the great deep#* or finds any 
 doubt in his own mind as to the complete veracity of the story! 
 
 Well* it seems to me that it is now time to bring this letter on my travels 
 in Colombis to a close. I began it just two months ago today, and tomorrow the 
 Fruit boat comes in wnich should take it to you* During these two months I have 
 seen a good deal of Colombia* and my travels have been facilitated by sundry and 
 various methods of locnotion. I have used the steamboat on the rivers; the toy 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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-36- 
 
 train that runs up into the Department of Santander, for 27 kilometers; the 
 iusty mule that carried me throughout that Department; a high powered Dodge 
 from Belen to Bogota; a horse to visit the Lake of "El Dorado 1 '' near Bogota; 
 the train to return to the river and the usual steamers and trains ro get 
 back to the coast; the diminut: /e "Cold Spring ", the cat-boat in which wa 
 risked our lives in order to get up into the Sinn; the ex—yacht of Dick Croke'r 
 to get back here; and I still have to take the r -3ixiola u b one of the maginificent 
 fleet of the United Fruit to get over to Puerto Colombia., from whence,, by a 
 Dutch or French boat, we hope to go on our way toward the capijai of Veneuzeia> 
 thus leaving the coasts of Colombia,. I hope that you will enjoy following 
 me on this, journey through this interesting country. There are many other 
 things which I will tell you- which can not go down in cold typewritten sheets, a 
 and I also have a fine collection of photographs with which to illustrate this 
 atory, which, together, when I may explain them, we will go over, some time. 
 
 My next letter will be on my travel to and through the United States of 
 Venezuela, but it ought hot tc.beeas ^aaitensfoEa as thus one,-for, as my part¬ 
 ner does not allow me to forget, r A month from now, if all goes well, we should 
 be in New York and cur travels, for a time, at least,ended.” 
 
GAYLORD BROS. 
 
 MAKERS 
 
 SYRACUSE. - M.Y. 
 
 PAT. JAN. 21, 190*