300 VOYAGE TO THE 



°l\ P ' tne P un y ^ a ^ e Durst upon our disappointed view." 

 v — vw Its dimensions were estimated at three quarters of 

 1826! a i^iile in circumference ; and it was stated by the 

 natives to be fourteen fathoms deep. The water of 

 the lake was muddy, and appeared to receive its 

 supplies from several small streams from the moun- 

 tains, and the condensation of the vapour around, 

 which fell in a succession of drops, and, bounding 

 off the projecting parts of the cliff, formed here and 

 there thin and airy cascades. Though there is a 

 constant accession of water, there has not yet been 

 found any outlet to the lake; and what renders it 

 still more curious is, that when heavy rains descend, 

 the water, instead of rising and overflowing its mar- 

 gin, is carried off by some subterraneous channel. 

 The natives say, when these rains occur there is a 

 great rush of water from a large cavern beneath the 

 bed of the lake. The temperature of the lake at 

 seven a. m. was 72°, and that of the atmosphere 71°. 

 During a shower of rain it rose to 74° : a thermo- 

 meter at the level of the sea at the same time stood 

 at 77 °. One side of the lake was bounded by lofty 

 perpendicular precipices, the other by a gentle slope 

 covered with the varied verdure of trees, shrubs, 

 and ferns, with a few herbaceous plants. The gene- 

 ral appearance of the country suggested the idea of 

 an enormous avalanche, which stopped up the valley, 

 and intercepted the streams that heretofore found 

 their way along its bed to the sea. 



The lake was estimated at 1500 feet above the 

 level of the sea, and the cliffs from which this ava- 

 lanche appeared to have been precipitated were con- 

 sidered to be eight hundred feet more. Though at 

 so great a height, and so far from any large tract of 



