Lofty Regions of the Globe 13 



the ocean, and is interrupted in its course to allow free passage for 

 the Colorado and the Columbia. 



Along the immense extent of this mountainous ridge rise moun- 

 tains, mostly volcanic, of prodigious height. Canon Bourrit seems 

 to us extremely impertinent when he maintains that "compared to 

 the Swiss Alps, these mountains of South America are only dwarfs 

 mounted on great pedestals"; 7 there is, however, a basis of truth 

 in what he says and this is interesting for our purpose. 



Precisely at the equator, from the terraces of the city of Quito, 

 the astonished eye beholds eleven volcanic mountains covered with 

 eternal snows. Some, like Cayambe (5950 meters), Iliniza (5250 

 meters), Chimborazo (6420 meters), are now extinct; others, like 

 Pichincha (4860 meters), Antisana (5880 meters), and Cotopaxi 

 (5945 meters), still send forth smoke or flames. Chimborazo has 

 long been considered the highest peak of the Andes; that is a mis- 

 take. Higher still are Aconcagua (6835 meters) in the Andes of 

 Chile, and especially Illimani (7310 meters) and Sorate (7560 me- 

 ters), which border on Lake Titicaca. 



A host of mountains, such as Tolima (5525 meters) and Purace 

 (5185 meters) in Colombia; Cotocachi (4950 meters), Sangay (5044 

 meters), Sinchalagua (5200 meters), Tunguragua (5020 meters), 

 Llanganati (5395 meters), Altar (5240 meters), Sara-urcu (5140 

 meters), in the Republic of Ecuador; Misti (6100 meters), Chipicani 

 (6180 meters) , Jachura (5180 meters) , Tacora (5700 meters) , Pari- 

 nacota (6330 meters), Nevado Vilcanota (5360 meters), Lirima 

 (7470 meters), in Peru; Sahama (7015 meters), the peak of Fari- 

 nacobo (6714 meters), Gualatieri (6690 meters), Cerro de Potosi 

 (6620 meters), Atacama (5300 meters), Coolo (6870 meters), Soo- 

 lolo (6795 meters), Quenuta (6870 meters), and Pomarape (6580 

 meters) in Bolivia; Nevada de Famatina (5820 meters) , in the Ar- 

 gentine Republic; Cerro del Plomo (5435 meters), Cima del Merce- 

 dario (6800 meters), Juncal (5960 meters), Tupungato (6180 me- 

 ters), Maypu (5385 meters), San Jose (6100 meters) in Chile, are 

 far higher than the Alps or even the Caucasus. 8 



The passes crossed by travelers going from the Pacific coast to 

 the great cities of the Cordillera or directly to the basins of the 

 Orinoco, the Amazon, or the La Plata, always reach at their highest 

 points altitudes capable of affecting the organism. The great road 

 which the Incas had constructed from Cuzco to Quito crosses the 

 pass of the knot of Assuay at 4735 meters; from Potosi to La Paz, 

 the traveler remains constantly at heights of 4000 meters and more; 

 the post-house of Talapolco is at an altitude of 4190 meters. In 



