Natural History m Foreign Countries. 



489 



other parts of the sky. The other two white ones are only clusters of small 

 stars, which emit a hining whiteness like the galaxy. They appear nearly 

 as in the following figure: — a, the galaxy; b, the black spot; c and d, 

 white ditto • 



202 



Mount Sorala. — From the observations of Mr. Pentland it. appears that 

 the Nevado de Sorata is the highest mountain in America. It is situated 

 towards the northern prolongation of the eastern Cordillera, and almost in 

 the centre of a group of snow-covered pics. Its latitude is 15° 50^ south, 

 and it is to the east of the large village of Sorata inhabited by native Peru- 

 vians. Mr. Pentland has determined its height to be 25,200 feet, by means 

 of trigonometrical observations taken on the shores of the lake I'iticaca, 

 compared with the usual limits of perpetual snow in this climate, namely, 

 17,100 ft. 



It is composed of transition slate in which porphyritic syenite abounds, 

 traversed by auriferous veins, from which particles of gold are washed down 

 into the streams which run into the Rio Beni, that runs through the cele- 

 brated El Dorado. 



Mr. Pentland announces that he will publish, in a few months, the 

 detail of his observations upon this and the other mountains of the Andes, 

 as well as his researches into the history, antiquities, geography, and natural 

 history of Bolivia, or Upper Peru. {Annates des Sciences y xiv. 299.) 



Mount Illimani. — The Nevados de lUimani, the second American moun- 

 tain in point of altitude, is situated in the province of Paz, in Bolivia, or 

 Upper Peru, and twenty marine leagues south-east of the city of Paz. It is 

 farther south than any of the other snowy pics of the eastern Cordilleras ; 

 and, according to the astronomical observations taken near its northern 

 base by Mr. Pentland, it is situated between 15° 35'', and 16° 40' south 

 latitude, and between 67° and 68° west longitude. Its summit forms a 

 ridge traversed by four pics in a line parallel to the axis of the chain, and 

 lying north and south. The most northern of these pics is 24,200, and the 

 most southern appeared to Mr. Pentland still higher, but he has not yet 

 determined the exact difference. 



The mountain is composed of grauwack^ or transition slate, the beds of 

 which are often separated by strata of quartz rock and flinty slate. These 

 are associated with porphyritic syenite and true granite veins, beds, or stra- 

 tified masses. The transition slate is traversed by numerous veins of vitreous 

 quartz, containing particles of native gold or auriferous pyrites. Some of 

 these veins, at the height of 16,000 ft., appear to have been explored by 

 the ancient Peruvians. 



Captain Basil Hall, it appears, has objected to the statements of Mr. 

 Pentland that Illimani cannot be seen from the sea, forgetting that it is 310 

 geographical miles from the coast, and could not there be seen. 

 Vol. I. — No. 5. l l 



