Mountain Journeys 33 



The Spanish writer Torrente, 20 in his history of the Spanish- 

 American revolution, is correct in attributing to the altitude a 

 considerable share in the sufferings of the armies during these 

 marches at high altitude: 



When one crosses the Cordillera of the Andes of Peru, one usually 

 suffers from two maladies: spasms and nausea. The latter is more 

 common, especially for those who come from the low, hot land along 

 the coast. The keenness of the air in this atmosphere hampers respi- 

 ration and makes it very laborious, increases the pulse rate, speeds up 

 the circulation, produces intense headaches, and causes the blood ves- 

 sels to swell quickly, and the unfortunate victim to perish, with an 

 issue of blood from the mouth, the eyes, and the nostrils. It is true 

 suffocation which attacks animals also if their burdens are increased or 

 their pace hastened ever so little. The losses of the small army of the 

 viceroy La Serna were greater during the retreat from Lima to Jauja, 

 because a large number of his soldiers were still convalescing. 



The author adds, repeating popular superstitions: 



It seems that the veins of precious metals and antimony which run 

 through the territory of Peru are the cause of this atmospheric combi- 

 nation which is so injurious to health. What would tend to prove it is 

 the fact that its effects are much less noticeable on points of greater 

 altitude, such as certain parts of the Cordillera of Chile, the Sierra of 

 Pichincha, and other mountains of Quito. 



This nausea is known in the country by the name of Soroche, and 

 it is experienced even in certain low lying villages, situated in metalli- 

 ferous localities. (Vol. Ill, p. 164 and 169, note.) 



We have seen Saint-Martin crossing the Cordillera from Men- 

 doza to Santiago, thus carrying out an expedition which Manuel 

 de Almagro 21 considers "as far more difficult and worthy of ad- 

 miration than that of Bonaparte at the Grand Saint-Bernard, which 

 has been much exaggerated" (p. 34) . This route, as we have said, 

 is the one usually followed by travellers who wish to cross Amer- 

 ica. Two passes exist, one by Cumbre (3920 meters) , the other by 

 Portillo (4360 meters). The former is more frequented. Most 

 accounts mention the symptoms of decompression; but on this road 

 they are usually not serious. 



However, Samuel Haigh, 22 who ventured into the passes of 

 Cumbre from Mendoza to Santiago during the austral winter of 

 1818, felt them considerably. A snow storm which assailed him 

 compelled him to take refuge with his companions at a hill where 

 the "casucha" of Las Vacas offered them a shelter: 



While climbing the hill on which it is built, (he says) I was at- 

 tacked for the first time by the puna or soroche. This is an illness 

 peculiar, I think, to high mountains; it is the result of the extreme 



