234 A VOYAGE TO Book V. 



farms ; but the acclivity is so steep, that the safest 

 way is to ascend it on foot. 



XIÍI. Signal of Chichichoco. 



The signal of Chichichoco was erected on the side 

 of the mountain of that name, which is a branch of 

 the famous snowy mountain of Car^uairaso. Here 

 we stayed only from the 24th to the 29th of Sepiember. 

 Though the spot where we placed the signal was of a 

 very inconsiderable height when compared with that 

 of the other mouniains, yet, from its proximity toCar- 

 guairaso, when the wind blew from that quarter, it 

 was considerably cold, but not comparable to that we 

 feit on the deserts, where every part was covered wi':h 

 ice, hail, or snow. The day we leit this place, while 

 ourlndians wereloadino; the mules, and we in the tent 

 ready to set out on our journey, an earthquake was 

 felt, which reached four leagues round the country. 

 Our tent rocked from side to side, in conformity to 

 the undulating motion observed in the earth ; this 

 shock was only one of the small concussions frequent ^ 

 in those parts. 



XIV. Signal of Mulmul. 



This signal, and the three following, occasioned 

 several journeys from one to another ; as, for the 

 greater accuracy of the observations, auxiliary trian- 

 gles were to be formed, in order to verify the distances 

 resulting from the principal. The difficulty also of 

 reciprocally distinguishing some signals from others, 

 obliged us to change their position, till they stood in 

 proper places J and consequently laid us under a ne- 

 cessity of going often from one station to another. 

 On the 8th of November, having finished all our ob- 

 servations, the company removed to Rnobamba, where 

 I myself had been confined ever since the 20th of 

 October, with a critical disease, which at first at- 

 tacked 



I 



