928 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



nnd Humboldt, desirous of becom- 

 ing acquainted with the celebrated 

 American naturalist, Mutis, and 

 examininghis superb collection, re- 

 solved to repair to tlie place of his 

 residence through the interior of 

 the country. Plunging into the 

 woods of Turbaco, and travelling 

 along the banks of the beautiful 

 river Magdalena, they came to a 

 village called Hunda ; from whence 

 they pursued their journey through 

 ancient forests of oak, Melastoma, 

 and Cinchona (alias Quinquina) 

 to Santa Fe de Bogota capital of 

 the vice-royally of New Granada, 

 situate in a beautiful plain at the 

 height of 8,700 English feet above 

 the level of the sea. Here every 

 surrounding object is fitted to 

 please the taste, and delight and 

 transport the imogination. The 

 mines of Maraquita, and Santa An- 

 na of Tipaquira are in the neigh- 

 bourhood. The natural bridge of 

 Sconeouza, composed of three frag- 

 mentsofrock, detached by an earth- 

 quake, is a curious object ; and the 

 magnificent cataract of Tequenda- 

 ma, falling from a height of 600 ftet 

 presents one of the grandest spec- 

 tacles in nature. 



In September, ISOl, though the 

 rainy season was not yet over, 

 Humboldt and Bompland set out 

 on their journey to Quito. Hav- 

 ing crossed the Andes of Quindin, 

 a chain of mountains partly co- 

 vered with snow, they pursued their 

 journey by Carthago, situate in the 

 fine valley of Cava, Buga, Popay- 

 an, and through the dangerous de- 

 files of Almaguer, avoiding the 

 pestilential valley of Palia, to the 

 town of Pasto, built in a plain near 

 a volcanic mountain, whose sum- 

 mit is sometimes covered with 



snow. Then crossing the RIa Gua- 

 itora by a bridge thrown over a 

 ravine more than half a mile in per- 

 pendicular height, they journeyed 

 through a flat country under cul- 

 ture, and rich in the grains of Eu- 

 rope though at the height of 9,300 

 feet above the sea, and came to 

 the village of Tuscan, situate near 

 a castle of the Incas and the rock 

 of Rumichaca. Descending from 

 thence into the valley of Chota, 

 which, though only two miles in 

 breadth, is one in depth, and into 

 that of Guallabamba, which is half 

 a mile deep, and where they expe- 

 rienced an insupportable heat, they 

 arrived at the famous city of Qui- 

 to in the month of January, 1802. 

 Here they rested from their fa- 

 tigues, and enjoyed the pleasures 

 of hospitality and ease, amidst 

 the grandest productions of na- 

 ture. 



. For about eight months Hum- 

 boldt remained in the kingdom of 

 Quito, making excursions to the 

 volcanoesin the neighbourhood and 

 the highest mountains of the Andes. 

 After three different attempts, he 

 twice, at the peril of bis life, gain- 

 ed the suiTiniit of the Pechinca, 

 carrying along with him the proper 

 instruments of natural philosophy, 

 to the elevation of 15,940 feet 

 above the level of the sea. He 

 then went to see the porphyry 

 mountain of Antisana, where there 

 is a crater in the midst of eternal 

 snow, at the height of 19,150 feet 

 above the sea. 



After this our travellers, accom- 

 panied by a son of the marquis de 

 Silva-Alegre, who, from an ardent 

 love of the sciences, remained con- 

 stantly w^ith and never quitted them 

 from theday of theirarrival in Quito, 



having 



