Mountain Journeys 29 



other countries. But it is well to note that what has been said of 

 Guancavelica is general for all the lands extending towards the south. 

 That these details may be better understood, I shall observe here 

 that what is called Punas in Peru, is named Paramo in the kingdom of 

 Quito (page 120). 



It was in the last year of the eighteenth century that the il- 

 lustrious Alexander von Humboldt undertook that great expedition 

 into South America, which was the source of so many important 

 discoveries in the history of man, the physics of the earth, and 

 natural history. 12 In 1802 he made a stay on the lofty plateau of 

 Quito, overlooked by the gigantic peaks of Pichincha, Cotopaxi, 

 Chimborazo, and Antisana. 



In March and in June 1802, he made ascents which have be- 

 come famous of the last two volcanoes; he immediately gave a brief 

 account of them in two letters, written the same day; I quote from 

 them passages which are interesting from our point of view. 



The first is addressed to Citizen Delambre; 13 it relates particu- 

 larly the ascent of Chimborazo: 



It was believed till now in Quito that 2470 fathoms was the great- 

 est height at which men could resist the rarity of the air. In the month 

 of March 1802, we passed a few days in the great plains which sur- 

 round the volcano of Antisana, at a height of 2107 fathoms, where 

 cattle, when chased, often vomit blood .... On May 16, we explored a 

 path on the snow, a gentle slope on which we climbed to 2773 fathoms. 

 The air there contained 0.218 of oxygen . . . the Reamur thermometer 

 stood at only +13°; it was not cold at all, but blood issued from our 

 lips and eyes. (P. 174.) 



In the expedition which I made June 23, 1862, to Chimborazo, we 

 proved that with patience one can endure a greater rarefaction of the 

 air. We crossed 500 fathoms higher than La Condamine at the Cora- 

 zon, and we carried instruments on Chimborazo to 3031 fathoms, seeing 

 the mercury drop in the barometer to 13 inches, 11.2 lines; the ther- 

 mometer stood at 1.3° above zero. Our lips bled again. Our Indians 

 abandoned us again as usual. Citizen Bompland and M. Montufar, son 

 of the Marquis de Selvalegre, of Quito, were the only ones who were 

 resistant. We all felt a discomfort, a weakness, a desire to vomit, which 

 certainly arises as much from the lack of oxygen in these regions as 

 from the rarity of the air. I found only 0.20 of oxygen at this immense 

 height. (P. 175.) 



The other letter is addressed to his brother, Wilhelm von Hum- 

 boldt; in it, more than in the preceding letter, he speaks of the 

 ascent of the volcano Antisana: 14 



On our journey to the volcano of Antisana, the weather was so 

 favorable that we ascended to the height of 2773 fathoms. At this alti- 



