] 4 ■ Historical 



the Republic of Ecuador, the passes through which one can go 

 from Quito to the sea are above 4000 meters; the road from Lima 

 to Pasco passes at Alto de Lachagual at a height of 4710 meters; 

 that from Lima to Tarina, at 4800 meters. In Peru, the pass of 

 Vilcanota, between Cuzco and the sea, is at a height of 4425 meters; 

 the road from Arequipa to Puno passes at 4750 meters; the post- 

 house of Ancomarca, between Arica and La Paz, is 4330 meters 

 high; the pass of Qualillas 4420 meters high, that of Tacora 4390 

 meters, and that of Chullunquiani 4620 meters high. Finally, of 

 the two railroads which cross the Cordillera, the one which goes 

 from Puerta Mejia to Lake Titicaca has its highest point at Crucero 

 (4460 meters) ; thence it proceeds to Cuzco, remaining at a height 

 between 3500 and 4300 meters; the one last constructed, between 

 Callao and Oroya, passes at a height of 4760 meters, through a 

 tunnel which had to be excavated at almost the height of Mont 

 Blanc. 



But the road most frequented by travelers till now in going 

 from one ocean to the other, was the one which crosses the Andes 

 from Mendoza to Santiago. It runs from Buenos Aires to Val- 

 paraiso (417 leagues), and from either of these points gives easy 

 access by sea to other ports of the Atlantic or Pacific. There are 

 four passes, which are, from north to south: that of "Los Patos," 

 from Cordova to San Juan, long abandoned; that of Cumbre of 

 Uspallata, more frequented (3920 meters) ; and that of Portillo, 

 which requires the crossing of two passes, one of which has an 

 altitude of not less than 4360 meters. Finally, the last, which is the 

 lowest in the Andes in Chile, that of Planchon, which goes straight 

 to the port of Conception, reaches the altitude of 2500 meters. 



Over the long extent of Central America, the Cordillera remains 

 at an average height; among the innumerable volcanoes with which 

 it bristles, that of Acatenango (4150 meters) in Guatemala, alone 

 exceeds 4000 meters. 



The city of Mexico, like the city of Quito, is surrounded by 

 mountains: Coluca (4580 meters), Ixtaccihualt (4790 meters), 

 Chicle, over which Robertson junior passed in a balloon, and Popo- 

 catepetl (5420 meters). Citlaltepetl or the peak of Orizaba (5400 

 meters) is about 60 leagues away. 



In the Rocky Mountains we should note particularly Uncom- 

 pahgre Peak (4430 meters) ; Pike's Peak, on the summit of which 

 (4340 meters) a meteorological observatory has just been installed; 

 Mount Lincoln (4300 meters) ; Long's Peak (4310 meters) and Fre- 

 mont Peak (4130 meters) , between which the great railroad from 



