Magdalena

Magdalena, the principal river of Colombia, rises in the Central Cordillera, about 2° N. lat., and only 8 miles from the source of the Cauca. These streams flow north on either side of the Cordillera, uniting about 130 miles from the sea. The Magdalena, which ends in a large delta, is closed to sea-going vessels by a bar with dangerous shifting sands; merchandise is conveyed by a railway (18 miles) from Barranquilla to Puerto Colombia, the shipping port, where a pier has been built. The river is navigable to Honda, 500 miles, where the rapids begin; above these it has been navigated by a German steamer to Neiva since 1875, and a railway (20 miles) alongside the rapids connects the upper and lower sections. The Magdalena's drainage area is calculated at 92,900 sq. m.