A Visit to Colombia by F. H. RALEY

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 28, 1915

A Visit to Colombia

By F. H. RALEY

F. H. RALEY

It was a pleasant morning in July when our steamer drew up to the wharf at Cartagena, Colombia. On the pier were various shades of faces in black and brown awaiting our arrival, as well as a miniature locomotive and coaches to take the passengers over to the city about one mile distant.

A group of men, women, and children pressed close to the edge of the wharf, trying to secure buyers for their wares. And what were they selling?—Parrots, monkeys, tortoise, coral, sea shells, tusks of swordfish, native wood, canes, sponges, etc. And the prices asked by these Spanish-speaking salesmen were according to whether they were selling to a first-, second-, or third-class passenger—of course always more than they expected to get.

Cartagena has a population of over twenty thousand, and is the seaport to an extensive interior, rich in undeveloped resources. The Republic of Colombia has untold wealth within its extensive area of 461,606 square miles, and had a balance of trade in its favor in the year 1913 of nearly six million dollars. The population of this great state is more than that of the combined populations of California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana, and yet this republic is but one of the four republics

included in one local conference in the West Indian Union. Self-supporting workers have been in this field; but until a few weeks ago no regular conference work had ever been opened there, to enlighten the darkness of a Catholic state religion. “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.”

The city of Cartagena consists of two sections—that within the wall, and the later buildings, more modern and recently built, without the wall. One feature especially noticeable to the visitor is the names on the more elaborate residences; most noticeable were the Bible names—“Bethany,” “Canaan,” “Judea,” “Bethpage,” “Galilee,” and many others. The business center is located within the wall. Here also are an old Catholic institution, and a tall monument, bearing the date of 1823, and mounted with old-time cannon.

Though the sun's rays beat down so directly that the streets and pavements

are most uncomfortable, yet there is a delightful coolness under the courts of the old brick and adobe buildings hardly to be imagined. The covered courts are in the rear of the buildings, and these are overgrown with large shade trees and vines, and as a general rule there is a fountain within the court, decorated with potted flowers and plants.

For a section of from two to five blocks wide and ten or twelve blocks long the old city is inclosed by a high wall of brick and cement. On the sea front this wall is perhaps twenty-five feet high and has a thickness of twenty to forty feet, with approaches, and driveways on the top. The sentinel stands are quite intact, and direct one's mind to the times of defense against the buccaneers who pirated the seas in the early history of the Caribbean waters. Brethren, pray that the Colombians may not long be without the last gospel message.

Cristobal, C. Z.