The _Salto de Tequendama_, a remarkable cascade, of which we had
heard much, and which has been described in most glowing language, is
distant to the southwest of Bogotá about fifteen miles. We had made
arrangements to visit it a fortnight ago, but the illness of one of
our party caused us to defer it. We now determined to see the fall,
and return to the city on the same day. To accomplish our design, we
set out before day (about 5 o'clock) this morning. A rapid ride of an
hour and a half brought us to the small village of Suácha, situated
upon the plain of Bogotá, near its southern border. The last
earthquake, from which Bogotá suffered so severely, was felt with the
utmost violence at Suácha, and prostrated entirely the church, which
is again rising from its ruins. Our route continued a league further
over the plain, and we crossed the river Funza, whose course has been
very circuitous through the plain, but is particularly devious where
we passed over it, upon an uncouth and not very safe bridge, to the
Hacienda de Canoas. The river winds sluggishly to our left towards
the fall. Our path led over the high hills which appear to have been
once the banks of the great lake which must have covered the plain
which the view from these heights embraces. To eminences which are
wholly devoid of trees succeed others which are well wooded, where we
enter a more picturesque region, worthy of the fine scene which we
were now eager to witness. We were convinced that we were near it,
and listened for the deafening roar which we expected would betray
the rush of the waters into the tremendous gulf that receives them.
The path was steep, and shortly before we arrived at the spot where
it was necessary to alight from our horses, the sounds of the fall
reached us; but we were distant from it a few hundred yards only. My
first sensation was disappointment, when I stood upon the brink of
the chasm into which a stream whose greatest width is estimated at
forty feet, is precipitated to a depth which did not seem to exceed
three hundred feet, but which is estimated to be more than six
hundred. The river being now uncommonly low, a sheet of water about
fourteen or fifteen feet in width, is tossed about thirty feet upon a
ledge of rocks, from which it dashes in foam to the bottom of the
deep abyss, a large proportion of it dissipating in spray. The foot
of man has never trodden the bottom of this chasm. Its sides are
perpendicular to a considerable distance below, and the strata of
rock are exactly horizontal, so that no means of descending have yet
been discovered within the curvilinear aperture, where the mountain
seems to have parted and given passage to the Funza.
Attempts have been made repeatedly to reach the foot of the cataract
by ascending the bed of the river, into which it is easy to enter at
some distance below. A fall of about twenty feet had resisted
heretofore the efforts of every adventurer. A party of Americans
preceded us to-day, provided with ladders and ropes, with a
determination to surmount this obstacle. In this they succeeded, but
another yet more difficult presented itself--this they also
surmounted with the strengthened hope of having then overcome every
obstruction which resisted the accomplishment of their wishes. They
were too sanguine. On ascending further, a fall of about forty feet
now stared them in the face, and resisted all their efforts.
Perpendicular rocks enclosed the narrow chasm. The only possible
ascent was through the dashing torrent--with this they struggled
nobly, but they had not the means of resisting it. The abode of
innumerable parrots, whose screams, heard faintly at the height on
which we stood, warned us of the exertions made to encroach upon
their domain, that continues unmolested and untrodden by man. We
spent more than two hours at the fall, hoping to witness the success
of the enterprising adventurers. Although disappointed in this
respect, we were amply compensated by the increased admiration with
which we viewed this beautiful fall, notwithstanding it is seen so
imperfectly. There are two spots from which good views may be
obtained. We must leave to the fancy to imagine the grand effect of a
sight from beneath it. It is to be hoped that ladders will be placed
or that some means will be discovered to gratify the ardent desire
one naturally feels of seeing to the best advantage this admirable
work of nature.
{254} The Fall of Tequendáma has been compared with the cataract of
Niagara. Such a comparison cannot be instituted fairly. In the one,
nature has been most lavish with her grandeur and sublimity: the
other she has endowed liberally with the beautiful and the
picturesque. The height of Tequendáma may be four times greater than
that of Niagara; its width not the thirtieth part: and to judge the
comparative volume of the waters of both, it suffices to reflect,
that Tequendáma drains the river Funza; Niagara the waters of four
inland seas, which united, are not exceeded in size by the Gulf of
Mexico.