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124- INTERNATIONAL A~IER!CA.i. CO}lFERENCE.
To these are to be addeu the projected roatls fl'om Cartagena antl Bogotá.
Another great cheme has recently heen :tclvanced of connecting the Port of Carta–
gen a with the railways of Peru by a line np the Magtblena Va.lley, traver ing the
valley of the Amazon, and agaiu crossing the Andes in Pern. A charter haf:! beeu
grantcd by the legi lature of Virginia for tbe forruation of a cornpany to build this
1·oad.
An iruportant transportation ronte has l>een tmced by Dr. Nnñez, President of the
Repuulic, a follows: A railroaü to be frorn Bogotá to the rivt'r M ta, 120
miles; tbeuce by water tlown the :\leta :>nd the Ül'inoco to tL Ca.ssitlliiari; along this
latter rivera raílroaú to be constmcted 240 mile8 to tl.w ri\·er Negro, aud theuce to
tbe Amazon it:; tributt'l.rief:! by water.
COLOMBIA-GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES.
The official narue of the couutry is the "Repnblic of Colombia." It i · bouuded ou
the north by the Caribbeau Sea, on the east by Venezuela aud Brazil, on the south by
Ecuador, aml on t,be west by the Pacific Ocean, and includes the Isthmus of Panama
a. far north as Costa Rica. Its sonthern boundary Í5i near the equator. It is
tmversed by range of the Ande<~, and is one of th st mountainous conutries of the
world. Th il of the valleys and pla.ins is rich productivo, and many of the
monntains covered with green evento their its. The climate varies with
the a.ltitud om the tropical baat of the coast and great river-beds to the cold of
perpetual frost.
Bogot capital, contains 75,000 people, and is situated upon an immense pt·o–
ductive ata height of 8,500 feet above sea-level. The temperature average:> 60°
above z nd the climate i salnbrious.
CIIARACTERI TICS OF THE PEOPLE.
The population of Colombia approaches 4,000,000, and consists of Indians, negroes,
half-breeds, and the whites, who are tht> desceud:m ¡;he Spanish conquerors. The
common people are industrions, simple, hospitable, of singular prooity. Life and
property are absolutely· safe. Highway robbery w be a novelty, aud coortesy to
f:!trangen~ is proverbial. The upper classes are well educated, intelligent, desirous
of pro~ress, courteou to tmngers, patriotic, and sensihle. The Governmeut is a
centralized republic. Absolute peace has been maintained since ln85. The property
and rigbts of foreigners are respected and protected. The disposition of the govern–
ml'lnt and of all clas e is .tft.endly t:o foreigners, and with rare e:x:ceptions the people
are e pecia.lly inclined to the citizens and institutions of the United States. 'fhey
like our prodnct , and prefer many of them to those of Enropean countries. (Report
by :Minister Abbot, ofBogota, September 4, 1889.)
MINES.
Colorebia is without doubt rich in mineral re ources. The mountainous part of
the interior abound in gold aud silver, and iu ome parts irou i found in considerable
quantities, while on the coast, in the region of Santa Marta, copper exif:!ts. The work–
ing ofthe iron mines ha not proved a succe s, while the copper has not been attempted.
An American mining r has lately reported petroleum in very con iderable
quantWes to ex:i t in , 12 miles from Barranquilla, and within the limits of
this consular di. trict. e principal mines are of golcl and silver. Until a few
year,¡ ago the e m re almost entirely in tbe hand~ of the Euglisb; but recently
there has been an of American enterprise, capital, and ma.cbinery. It is too
eady yet to say w l be the ontcome of this, but with better ~n
and facilities for getting tbe hcavy machinery into place there see a–
son why these mine wHl not be worked to advantage.
COLOMBIAN RAILROADS.
The information, obtainable ouly from Govornment archives at the capital of the
~ation istant and o uoapproachable except with a 'goldeo key"- has rendered
1~ ne to rely on my own ol> ervations and the engineers in cha.rge m construc–
~on nagement. I inclose a plan of the .railroad ystem, pref:!nming it may lead
toa r nnderstanding of the present report. Tbe railroad ystem of the interior
ofColombia is as yet \n ita embryonic stage and slow in growth.