South America

° Barranquilla ° Buenaventura ° Cartagena °Medellin ° Santa Marta ° Tumaco

Colombia

Barranquilla

Administrative Divisions of Colombia. 1885.

The city was legally established in 1813 with the status of village. In 1834, over 11 thousand people lived there.

The Port of Barranquilla was the country's first port, and it has the nickname of Colombia's Golden Gate.

July 22, 1854, Daily Alta California, San Francisco, California, U.S.A.

NEW GRENADIAN REVOLUTION.

By the last advices from Carthagena, we learn that Honda is occupied by the first column of the Constitutional division of Upper Masgdelena, consisting of 800 men, under Arboleda. The town is well fortified. In Bogota every thing was in confusion, and the residence of the American Minister had been threatened with forcible entrance. Col. Corena had been taken prisoner in Caleras, and Senor Pabon, Governor of Antioquia, was shot in an out break on the Ist of June. That city was occupied by Dr. Mariano Ospino, with 1500 men, on the 3d, and the leaders of the outbreak arrested. Gen. Mosquera still continued at Barranquilla organizing his forces.

Marcdh 7, 1863, Daily Alta California, San Francscio, California, U.S.A.

The Atlantic Shore of New Granada.

The following is an extract of a letter from a resident of Barranquilla, a city situated sixteen miles from the Caribbean Sea, 495 miles from Aspinwall, of which Savanilla is the seaport. The letter is in response to some inquiries made of the writer, and may prove of interest to many:

"My dear Sir: In answer to your inquiries respecting tbe gold mines of this country. I can say nothing from personal observation, but from information derived from friends, owners of mines, and from other sources, I am convinced that they are not only among the richest in the world, but almost inexhaustible, as, since the arrival of the Spaniards in the beginning of tbe sixteenth century, they have been incessantly drawing gold from them. Not by the use of machinery nor by the implements used in the present day, but by the bare hands of the Indians, whose unwilling labor was drawn from them by blows, and whom little work and harsh treatment soon killed.

"If they were productive then, as they are at tbe present day, as shown by the large remittances sent monthly to Europe, ill-worked, as they still are, by the natives — what would they not yield worked by an energetic people with practical knowledge, and with the advantages of modern improvements in mining and machinery? I think it would beat California, even in its palmiest days, and tbe Spaniards — no bad judges in these matters — appear to have been of the came opinion: else they would have worked them before coming here.

"Of all the mines, those of Anotioquia are the best known, and most worked, on account,. I think, of the fine climate and the facility of obtaining provisions; but it is doubtful if they are as rich as those of Choso or Sinn. Both of these rivers appear to be very rich in ore, and are completely unexplored by foreigners. They have the advantage of being near Carthagena, discharging their waters into the Atlantic, between thbe ports of Carthagena and Aspinwall, and, consequently, more easily accessible than those of Antioquia; but are not as healthy, and suffer from the scarcity of food, so general in the vicinity of mining districts.

"The gold from the mines of Sinn River is, so far as I have seen. of very superior quality; it is found in dust and lumps. I was shown a piece the size of an egg, which was given by an Indian Chief to a Spanish doctor, for drawing a tooth. The Spaniards have a proverb which goes to say:

"Cuendo se descurbra el Sinn,
Le Perdira el perce."

"Meaning that it is richer in gold than Peru. Besides gold, there are mines of platina, silver, copper, iron, coalt, antimony, sulphur and precious stones, principally emeralds. All these mines are accessible to emigrants, but travelling is expensive, as there are no roads in the country, and the passage in steamers is dear. This would soon be remedied if emigration set in this way, as the owners of steamers would find it would pay better to take 500 passengers at five dollars a head, than one at one hundred dollars, as they now do.

"In so extensive a country, with scarcely any population, lands are given to the emigrants, by merely making application for them, without further conditions than that of being under the necessity of clearing them within a given time. By an act of Congress, each emirrant is entitled to eighty acres of land for agriculture and pastures.

"Timber is abundant everywhere, and, in size, is only equalled, but not surpassed, by California and Oregon. Cedar grows principally on tbe coast, and oak, and other trees, more in the interior. But,. of course, the vegetation changes as you proceed inland until you reach the highlands of the magnificent Andes, on the sides of which, as they lie out in Cordilleras, intersecting thbe whole country, you, as you ascend, leave the tropical food-plants and fruits, and pass into theo lands of wheat, and where the height tempers the intense heat of the tropical sun, and you find, amid the most splendid scenery of the world, the climate of the home to which you bave been accustomed. Farther upwards, you find immense plains or plateaus, on one of which is situated the capital, Bogota, at an elevation of more tban eight thousand feet above the level of the sea. In some parts, even at this elevation, you meet with droves of wild cattle, owned by no master, and free to every one who hasa a lasso to catch them: their number cannot be counted, and is only to be compared to the droves of buffaloes on the prairies of North America, with the advantage that they are less fierce, and more easily taken and domesticated. Go up a thousand feet higher, and, although near the equator, you come upon the regions of eternal snow.

"The climate, with few exceptions, is everywhere good; but on the coast, and in the lowlands, the white man cannot work, except as overseer, or in any light work that does not oblige him to be continually expoosed to the heat of teh sun, or rather the miasma drawn from the damp rank soil by the power of the sun's rays. On the coast, the soil must always he cultivated by the natives, or by people from similar climates, such as the Chinese; but the white man must go further into the interior, if he wishes to be an agriculturist.

"The coast contains lands proper for tobacco, cotton, sugar cane, Indian corn, banana, chocolate, or cocoa; and a sky, for seven or eight months of the year, without a cloud; a sun, with rays of heat so intense, as to be only equalled by the brilliancy of its light — you are bathed in a flood of dazzling light from the moment it rises without previous dawn, in early morn, till, withount interruption, it sets at night; but the large stars, shining like diamonds, and the almost Arctic moon, leaves you little room to regret its absence — and this is no capricious state, no changeful mood; each day and everyone is alike in beauty and light, and the foreigner, who leaves the country, remembers ever after the light of those days, thbe loss of which, perhaps, he never thinks of without regret.

"This country, like all the South American Republics, is always engagced in war, and the principal advantages of a large emigration, say 30,000 men, would be that they would have it in their power to put an end to it by saying: We will not have it. However, they respect foreigners as yet, and we have nothing to complain of, except the difficulty of procuring men to work.

"The country is, as you have seen in your experience, healthy, and this is my professional opinion after an experience of more than thirty years.

"Excuse haste; if you wish for more particulars, let me know on what points, and I shall be too happy to oblige yon.

Yours most sincerely, E. Pardey, M.D.

Buenaventura

Originally founded in the mid-16th Century, the first site for the Port of Buenaventura on Cascajal Island, had been destroyed by indigenous peoples before 1600. Because of its warm, humid climate and poor transportaiton, for most of its history, Buenaventura was a small village with a hot humid climate and few dependable transportation routes. After the Panama Canal was opened in 1914, it began to grow and prosper as a port.

Bogota

Bogota in central Colombia, is the country's capital, located at an elevation of about 2,650 m. / 8,660 ft. on a mountain rimmed plateau high in the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes Mountains. This gives it constant spring-like weather. It lies only 4 36' north of the equator.

Bogota was founded on August 6, 1538 by the Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jim nez de Quesada. Quesada immediately understood he was on good land. Impressed by the savannah, with its rivers protected by enormous hills, he immediately decided this would be the site for the city. Not even the difficulties in building at such altitude and such distance from the sea could dissuade him. The city was named after Santa Fe in Granada, Spain, where Quesada was from. Soon after "de Bogota" was added to the name, after "Bacat ," the name the natives gave to the place. In 1819 it became simply "Bogota." And when it was 453 years old, it went back to being Santa Fe (or Santaf ) de Bogota. The city became the vice-regal capital of New Granada in 1717. It was captured by Sim n Bol var in 1819 and was the capital of the independent nation of Great Colombia (which included modern day Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela).

The city grew slowly because Bogotanos (cachacos) wished to preserve their old culture. They cherished their churches, convents, homes (built in the ornate Spanish colonial style) and the National University, founded in 1573. They also prided themselves on speaking the purest Spanish in the New World.

When the Spaniards came to Bogota, the capital of the country was a large Indian village. In the mid-1800s, its population being estimated at over 80,000 and the city was elegant and luxurious. The city was well built, of adobe and brick, as well as of stone. There are many houses of two stories, and some few of three. Within, they had every modern improvement, - gas, water, electric bells, telephones, etc. The streets were paved, and the sidewalks are flagged, there was a medical college, well-equipped and well-trained military troops.

General Dabney Herndon Maury. Confederate Officer. A Virginian in the Mexican, Indian, and Civil Wars.

General Dabney Herndon Maury, USA Minister to Colombia in 1890s, wrote:

It is remarkable that a country so surpassingly rich should continue in this age so secluded and undeveloped. With a sea coast of vast extent on her eastern and western shores, she has harbors and bays of absolute safety, and the healthfulness of her seaports is at least equal to our own. Yet we have no trade there, and except for the Pacific Mail Line, we have no American steamers plying thither. The English, German, and French do most of the transportation. Mr. Wheeler states that thirty two steamers visit Colombia every month, of which fifteen are British and only three American.

The social life of Bogota is very attractive; the dinners and balls are sumptuous and elegant. The races are always largely attended by the ladies.

The important question now is, Why have we not trade with this most beautiful and fruitful of all the regions of the earth? And what can be done to promote our commercial relations? The Spanish language, with which for many reasons we should be familiar, is rarely taught in our schools. There is not a school that I know of south of the Mason Dixon's line in which Spanish is taught. Most of us have spent eight or ten years of our boyhood in learning Latin and Greek, and to what end? This Colombian trade must be worked up by commercial travellers who can speak Spanish well. American merchants should have sample-rooms in Bogota and other large towns.

Taxes should be adjusted to encourage commercial intercourse between the countries. The packing of goods for the Colombian trade is peculiar. Flour for that trade is sent out in bags coated inside with a paste of their own contents. Yorkshire hams are protected by water tight and air tight cloths, and kept for a long time sweet and good. Dress patterns and dry goods must be of a certain length, no more and no less, and every pack should weigh one hundred and twenty five pounds, or half a cargo. There are many other practical details essential to this trade, as the commercial traveller will learn. A railroad from the Magdalena to the Plain of Bogota is of vast importance, and will pay well. The mail facilities are few and very insufficient. Sixty days are needed to send a letter and receive an answer, and a large part of the business of the Legislation is crowded into one or two days.

At the beginning of the 20th century, several French-style palaces were built nearby. This was the Republican period, by which point the population of the city had reached 100,000. A new cultural flourishing could be seen in the streets, driven by the creation of universities, and a traditional Bogota character began to develop: men dressed in black gathering to drink coffee and speak about politics and other issues. The streetcar appeared at the same time, and gaps between social classes widened as more people immigrated to the city from the countryside.

Cartagena

The Puerto Hormiga Culture lived in the Port of Cartagena area during the Pre-Columbian Era as early as 7000 BC. The oldest ceramics discovered in the Americas, dating from 4000 BC, were discovered here.

Artificial mounds from 3200 to 1000 BC show that today's Port of Cartagena was a center for organized societies. Cartagena de Indias was founded in 1533 by Don Pedro de Heredia.

It was soon famous for the large fleets that stopped there every year to load gold for transport to Spain. The Port of Cartagena was a major port for Europeans moving to the New World with their worldly goods. From the beginning of the Conquest until the Colombian War of Independence, the Port of Cartagena was the main port for Spain's New Kingdom of Granada.

By the end of the 16th Century, about 90 Spanish galleons were using the Port of Cartagena. Its fame as a gold port led to plunder, pirates, and thieves and the construction of castles, forts, and walls to protect the city. But the Port of Cartagena was still attacked by pirates - French Roberto Baal and Jean du Casse and English Francis Drake and John Hawkins among them. The Spanish left almost 7 miles of walls around the city, the San Felipe de Barajas Castle, the San Sebastian de Pastelillo Fort, the San Angel battery, buildings to store food and weapons, and underground tunnels.

The Golden Age of Piracy

For almost 300 years, Spain extracted large amounts of gold and silver from its New World possessions. An estimated 447 million pesos were sent to Spain from 1503 to 1660. The Spanish treasury received 20% or 177 million pesos. The balance was paid to the merchants and investors. One peso was equal to one silver eight reale piece. The 'piece of eight,' a Spanish silver dollar, remained legal tender for commerce in the United States until 1857.

In 1535, Spain established a mint in Mexico City to manufacture coins in the New World. All silver coin are denominated as silver reales. Gold coins are called escudos. One gold 8 escudo coin weighs 27 grams - the same weight as the silver 'piece of eight.' Each eight gold escudo coin is worth two silver peso coins. Spain's earliest source of gold and silver treasure came from looting. Cortez's defeated the Aztecs in 1521 and shipped large amounts of gold and silver artifacts to Spain. In 1531, Pizarro defeated the Incas and began shipments gold and silver artifacts valued at over 1 million pesos per year. By 1545, most of Spain's precious metals came from three sources in the New World. Silver was mined in New Spain (Mexico). Crude bullion coins, cut from bars of silver and stamped, were struck at the Mexico City mint and shipped from Vera Cruz to Spain.

The second source of silver was Potosi, and Peru. Cob type bullion coins were produced and shipped to Panama. The bullion was transported over land to Porto Bello and Nombre de Dios awaiting transport to Spain. The third source of precious metals was in Nueva Granada. Gold was panned from riverbeds by native slaves and formed into bullion. The gold was transported to the port of Cartagena for shipment to Spain. These include gold replicas of eight gold cobs (cut from bars of gold.) The collection includes coins from 1713, and 1714 recovered in the wreck of the Spanish Gold Fleet of 1715.

The Port of Cartagena was not only a port for trade of precious metals but also for slaves. Slaves were worked to cut cane and build roads, plunder tombs of the original populations, build fortresses, and work mines. For over 250 years, the Port of Cartagena belonged to the Spanish Crown. In 1811, the province declared its independence, and fighting with Spain continued for many years. The city was finally taken from Spain in 1821. As shipping changed through the 19th Century, with new steam engines and steel ships appearing on the seas, it became necessary to change the Port of Cartagena.

October 10, 1873, Week's News, London, United Kingdom

Spain: Naval Engagement off Cartagena

A naval battle was fought off Cartagena on October 11. Four Intransigente ships the Mendez Nunez, the Numancia, the Tetuan, and another encountered Admiral Lobo with the Vittoria, the Almansa, the Villa de Madrid, the Carmen, and two paddle-steamers, and after an engagement of two hours were driven back to Cartagena.

The Intransigentes showed great spirit, but handled their ships badly, not acting in consort or supporting each other, and the Numancia had at first to bear the brunt of the combat almost alone. The firing was also at too long ranges. When the Vittoria was endeavouring to cut off the retreat of the Tetuan into Cartagena, simultaneous broadsides were exchanged at very close quarters. The effect was very fine, and drew loud applause from the English sailors.

Other despatches say that both squadrons suffered considerable damage in these final volleys at close quarters. General Contreras commanded the insurgent frigate Tetuan, which was manned by a crew of 900 men. The insurgent vessels Mendez Nunez and Numancia were much damaged. It is rumoured that a French vessel interposed between the Mendez Nunez and the Vittoria, and the Numancia only escaped capture by boarding in consequence of her superior speed. Another account says the Mendez Nunez was probably saved by a French man-of-war, the machinery of which broke down, so that she could not get away from between the Mendez Nunez and Vittoria. The loss of the insurgents is stated from Madrid to have been thirteen killed and forty-seven wounded.

North and South America. Amerique: Inset Terres Australes Americaines, 1880

The Intransigentes were apparently not much disheartened by their defeat, and the ships were received with cheers as they went back into the harbour : They attribute their defeat to the cowardice of Admiral Contreras, whom they will not allow to command again. He took the Numancia very gallantly into action far ahead of the others, but brought her out again immediately on being pursued by the Vittoria, leaving his consorts unsupported. A shell from the Vittoria had killed seven men, among them Moya, the Vice-President of the Junta, and wounded seventeen. Thereupon, Contreras retreated against the wishes, it is asserted, of his own and the other crews. They seemed to have behaved gallantly, and insist upon another engagement, declaring that if the Numancia is properly commanded they will conquer. The Intransigentes have all suffered, but were not disabled. The Tetuan had five killed and twenty-two wounded; the Mendez Nunez one killed and nine wounded. Admiral Lobo is generally considered to have displayed great gallantry, but not to have handled his ships well, or he would have captured the Tetuan. The forts ceased firing from Saturday afternoon until five o'clock on Sunday evening, when they all resumed the cannonade almost simultaneously. They hoisted their flags half-mast in consequence of the interment of Moya, the member of the Junta who was killed in the naval fight. To make up the crews of the insurgent frigates they had to force workmen of the harbour into the service, and many of the latter escaped, and presented themselves at the head-quarters of the Republican forces.

The British Admiral (Yelverton) sent Lieut. Hammet into Cartagena with offers of surgical assistance for the wounded. He also sent Capt. Boyes with the Hart to Admiral Lobo to make the same offer. Both parties expressed great gratitude, but did not avail themselves of these offers. Admiral Lobo declared he had no wounded or killed, which has created considerable surprise in our fleet.

The Almansa is, however, the only ship that has much suffered. There is great irritation among the officers and men of Admiral Lobo's ships on account of the French vessel getting in between the Vittoria and the Mendez Nunez. The Admiral says he had great difficulty to prevent his men from firing into the French ship, and adds that he did not cut off the Tetuan, as he did not wish to destroy so valuable a vessel.

A telegram from the special correspondent of the Times dated Cartagena, October 13, says: "The Intransigentes vessels are now coming out of harbour, and a harder fight is expected than the last, as the command of the Numancia and fleet has been given to the captain of the Tetuan, a very determined man, and the Intransigentes are greatly ashamed of being beaten by wooden ships, and are eager to retrieve their disgrace. Admiral Lobo is full of confidence, declaring that though the Intransigentes have better ships he has better men."

Advices from Cartagena, received in Madrid, state that the former city is provisioned for only three or four days more, but that the inhabitants are unaware of the scarcity of food.

A telegram from La Palma states that a general attack upon Cartagena is being prepared by the besieging forces, and that the insurgents are said to be demoralised.

In 1894, the Port of Cartagena dredged the Canal del Dique and added a river wharf, a shipping dock, and a rail line that connected Cartagena Bay with the Magdalena River.

Medellin

January 22, 1853, Morning Chronicle, London, Middlesex, United Kingdom

This country promises to be another California, many new mines being discovered every day, and so abundant is their produce that we all think the attention of Europe will soon be turned towards us. Amongst the mines which present the most promising appearance is the celebrated Frontino Mine, which is now producing 25 lbs. of gold monthly, with only two poor mills working 18 rammers between them. This mine will produce 100lbs. monthly when it is worked with proper engineering skill. The mine is one league long, and one-third of a league wide, and will endure for many years. Arrangements have also been made with the proprietors of several gold mines here, to work them; and from your knowledge of the mineral riches of this country, you will readily understand that the prospects of gold mining are most excellent here.

Extract from La Discusion.

An enlightened correspondent of ours writes us the following, in a letter recently received from Medellin:

" I am much satisfied with a journey I have just made to the northeast district of this province, and do not believe that in any place there can be such rich mines as those with which this portion of the country abounds."

The part of the Cordilleras which extend to that district is entirely traversed by auriferous veins, and the valleys abound in rich alluvial washings, from which the squatters derive daily from $2 to $10, working only three or four hours. No mine there is properly worked, being conducted on too small a scale compared with the magnitude Of a district whose rich veins offer to the mining industry such advantages. The population is small, as the inhabitants of Antioquia are afraid of the climate, although I have not found it unhealthy, except in those places where cultivation has made no progress. If, instead of the primitive forests, there were plantations of cane, corn, coffee, &c., the climate would not be injurious.

Medellin: The Town Railway Station.

The temperature, in the largest part of the district, is never higher then 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and has, amongst other advantages, that of possessing various ports in the Cauca and Magdalena, distant only ten or twelve leagues from the mineral districts. I believe that, in time, there will be as great and profitable a movement there as in California. In comparing those accounts with the data we have of the auriferous deposits of the placeres of Califomia, it results that the north-east district of the province of Medellin is, without exaggeration, twice as rich as the aforementioned placeres of California. In the latter, the average of a gold-digger's earnings, working something more than eight hours, is calculated at 5 hard dollars or six dollars 2 reales of our money; whereas in the north-east district of Medellin a squatter, working only three or four hours, earns 6 dollars of our money, this being the average between 2 and 10 dollars, of which the letter to which we referred speaks, and which is worthy of credit."

---

1899. World's Fleet. Boston Daily Globe

Lloyds Register of Shipping gives the entire fleet of the world as 28,180 steamers and sailing vessels, with a total tonnage of 27,673,628, of which 39 perent are British.

Great Britain	10,990 vessels, total tonnage of 10,792,714
United States	3,010 vessels, total tonnage of 2,405,887
Norway	2,528 vessels, tonnage of 1,604,230
Germany	1,676 vessels, with a tonnage of 2,453,334, in which are included her particularly large ships.
Sweden	1,408 vessels with a tonnage of 643, 527
Italy	1,150 vessels
France	1,182 vessels

For Historical Comparison
Top 10 Maritime Nations Ranked by Value (2017)

	Country	# of Vessels	Gross Tonnage (m)	Total Value (USDbn)
1	Greece	4,453	206.47	$88.0
2	Japan	4,317	150.26	$79.8
3	China	4,938	159.71	$71.7
4	USA	2,399	55.92	$46.5
5	Singapore	2,662	64.03	$41.7
6	Norway	1,668	39.68	$41.1
7	Germany	2,923	81.17	$30.3
8	UK	883	28.78	$24.3
9	Denmark	1,040	36.17	$23.4
10	South Korea	1,484	49.88	$20.1
Total		26,767	87.21	$466.9