* 
HALL'S EXCURSIONS. 337 
Storms of snow, hail, and wind are frequently formed in the 
Paramos with such sudden violence, that the herdsmen, in the 
duties of their office, are either buried in the snow-wreaths, 
with the cattle they endeavour to extricate, or sink beneath 
the icy wind, which rapidly benumbs their limbs and facul- 
ues with the torpor of death. In this state they are expres- 
sively said to be emparamados ; and, when these hurricanes 
prevail, the inhabitants observe that E/ Paramo esta bravo, 
“the Paramo is angry ;” and as some are more tempestuous 
than others, there are Paramos which have the term muy bravos, 
or “ very passionate" constantly attached to them. Such is the 
Paramo of Assuay, betwixt Quito and Cuenca, which requires 
to be travelled with the precaution of a boisterous channel. 
Pichincha, on the other hand, is considered muy manso, or 
* very tame," though we did not escape a smart hail-storm, as 
we reached the rocky pinnacle called Guagao Pichincha, or 
Young Pichincha, in the Quichua language, to distinguish it 
from the mouth of the volcano, which they call Rucu or Old 
Pichincha, The crest of the mountain is formed by an 
irregular line of trachytic rocks, running nearly east and 
west, commencing with the pinnacle above-mentioned at the 
eastern extremity, and terminating in the mouth of the 
volcano, towards the west. The distance between them is about 
a league, which is doubled by the windings of the road. 
The figure of the Paramo, extending from this central eleva- 
tion, is something like that of a hand, or an irregular star, 
the intervals between the fingers, or rays, being formed by 
ravines furrowed by the descending waters. (See Tas. 
CXLIIL) This appearance is general in the mountains of 
the Andes, where it has not been destroyed by recent volcanic 
eruptions. Close to Guagao Pichincha are the remains of a 
Tambo erected by the Indians, called Inca Pilea: nothing but 
the foundations are now visible. It seems to have consisted 
of a body and two wings, divided into very small apartments. 
We had now completed the ascent, having reached the height 
of betwixt 15,000 and 16,000 feet in about six hours, from 
Quito, at a foot pace. As it is important to arrive at the 
Srconp SERIES. 2v 
