Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 3Humboldt, Alexander von
History
Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 3
Humboldt, Alexander von
Natural history -- South America; Scientific expeditions; South America -- Description and travel
mountainous part of Choco: here, between the Tado and Zitara, called
also Francisco de Quibdo, lies the isthmus of Raspadura, across which
a monk traced a navigable line of communication between the two
oceans. The culminant point of this system of mountains appears to be
the Peak of Torra, situated south-east of Novita.
The northern extremity of this enlargement of the Cordillera of Choco,
which I have just described, corresponds with the junction formed on
the east, between the same Cordillera and the central chain, that of
Quindiu. The mountains of Antioquia, on which we have the excellent
observations of Mr. Restrepo, may be called a knot of mountains, and
on the northern limit of the plains of Buga, or the basin of Cauca,
they join the central and western chains. The ridge of the eastern
Cordillera is at the distance of thirty-five leagues from this knot,
so that the contraction of the bed of the Rio Magdalena, between Honda
and Ambalema, is caused only by the approximation of the spurs of
Mariquita and Guaduas. There is not, therefore, properly speaking, a
group of mountains between latitude 5 and 5 1/4 degrees, uniting the
three chains at once. In the group of the province of Antioquia, which
forms the junction of the central and western Cordilleras, we may
distinguish two great masses; one between the Magdalena and the Cauca,
and the other between the Cauca and the Atrato. The first of these
masses, which is linked most immediately to the snowy summits of
Herveo, gives birth on the east to the Rio de la Miel and the Nare;
and on the north to Porce and Nechi; its average height is only from
1200 to 1350 toises. The culminant point appears to be near Santa
Rosa, south-west of the celebrated Valley of Bears (Valle de Osos).
The towns of Rio Negro and Marinilla are built on table-lands 1060
toises high. The western mass of the knot of the mountains of
Antioquia, between the Cauca and the Atrato, gives rise, on its
western descent, to the Rio San Juan, Bevara, and Murri. It attains
its greatest height in the Alto del Viento, north of Urrao, known to
the first conquistadores by the name of the Cordilleras of Abide or
Dabeida. This height (latitude 7 degrees 15 minutes) does not,
however, exceed 1500 toises. Following the western slope of this
system of mountains of Antioquia, we find that the point of partition
of the waters that flow towards the Pacific and the Caribbean Sea
(latitude 5 1/2 and 6 degrees ) nearly corresponds with the parallel
of the isthmus of Raspadura, between the Rio San Juan and the Atrato.
It is remarkable that in this group, more than 30 leagues broad,
without sharp summits, between latitude 5 1/4 and 7 degrees, the
highest masses rise towards the west; while, further south, before the
union of the two chains of Quindiu and Choco, we saw them on the east
of Cauca.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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