48 M, BoussingauW s [July 



he had already ascertained relative to the topography of 

 the province of Quito, and to continue his researches upon 

 the geography of plants. From Rio Bamba, Chimborazo 

 presents two declivities of very different inclination. One 

 looking upon Arenal is very abrupt, and exhibits, under 

 the ice, numerous points of trachyte. The other, which 

 descends to a place called CA^/ZapwZZM, near Mocha, possesses, 

 on the contrary, a slight inclination, but is of considerable 

 extent. After an attentive examination of the neighbour- 

 hood of the mountain we resolved to ascend by this route. 



On the 14th December 1831, we lodged in the farm of 

 Chimborazo, where we were fortunate in having some dry 

 straw to repose on, and some sheep skins to protect us from 

 the cold. The farm is situated at an elevation of 3800 

 metres (12,464 feet). 



The nights are cold, and the stay here is rendered more 

 disagreeable in consequence of the scarcity of wood. We 

 were already in that region of grasses (Pajonales), which 

 is passed before arriving at the limit of perpetual snow, and 

 which terminates the woody vegetation. 



On the 15th, at 7 o'clock in the morning, we proceeded 

 on our journey under the guidance of an Indian of the farm. 

 The Indians of the plains are generally very bad guides, 

 for, as they seldom ascend to the limit of the snow, they 

 possess a very imperfect knowledge of the roads which con- 

 duct to the ridge of the glaciers. We followed, at first, the 

 bed of a stream which was enclosed by walls of trachyte, 

 whose waters were derived from the glaciers ; but we soon 

 quitted this chasm, and directed our course towards Mocha, 

 along the base of Chimborazo . We gradually rose ; our mules 

 walked with diflficulty amid the debris of rocks which were 

 accumulated at the foot of the mountain. The difficulty 

 rapidly increased ; the soil was loose, and the mules stopped 

 almost at every step, to take a long rest ; they no longer 

 obeyed the spur ; their breathing was short and quick. We 

 were then exactly at the height of Mont Blanc, the baro- 

 meter indicating an elevation of 4808 metres* (15,770 feet) 

 above the level of the sea. After covering oiir faces with 

 masks of light muslin, in order to protect ourselves from 

 the accidents which had occurred to us on , Antisana, we 



• The height of Mount Blanc is 4810 metres (15,776 feet.) 



