M. Humboldt on two Attevipts to ascend Chimhorazo. 305 



Silla de Caracas, to repeat my measurement of the mountain, 

 he saw from time to time, at the height of 8000 feet, at noon, 

 as the west wind blew, whitish bodies rapidly pass through the 

 air, which he at first took for soaring birds with white plumage, 

 lliat reflected the sun's rays. These bodies rose with great ra- 

 pidity out of the valley of Caracas, and surmounting the summit 

 of Silla, took a north-east direction, and reached probably the 

 sea. Some fell upon the southern acclivity of the Silla ; they 

 were grass-halms, that had reflected the sun's rays. Boussin- 

 gault sent me some of these, which still had ears, in a letter to 

 Paris, wher,e my friend and fellow-labourer Kunth instantly 

 recognised them as the Wilfa tenacissima, which grows in the 

 valley of Caracas, and which he has described in our work, 

 Nova Genera et Species Plantarum Jmcrices JEquinoctialis. 

 I must remark, that we met with no condor on Chimborazo, that 

 powerful vulture, which is so frequent on Antisana and Pich- 

 incha, and which shews great confidence from its ignorance of 

 man. The condor loves pure air, in order the easier from on 

 high to recognise its prey or its food, for it gives dead animals 

 the preference. 



As the weather became more and more cloudy, we hastened 

 down upon the same ledge of rock, that had favoured our ascent. 

 Caution, however, on account of the uncertainty of the steps, 

 was more necessary than in climbing up. We tarried only just 

 to collect fragments of rock. We foresaw, that in Europe " a 

 little bit of Cliimborazo" would be asked for. At that time, no 

 mountain rock in any part of South America had been named ; 

 the rocks of all the high summits of the Andes were called gra- 

 nite. As we were at the height of about 17,400 feet, it began 

 to hail violently. The hailstones were opaque, and milk-white, 

 with concentric layers. Some appeared considerably flattened 

 by rotation, twenty minutes before we reached the lower limit 

 of perpetual snow, the hail was replaced by snow. Tlie flakes 

 were so dense, that the snow soon covered the ridge of rock many 

 inches deep ; we should have been brought into great danger, 

 had the snow surprised us at the height of 18,000 feet. At a 

 few minutes after two o'clock, we reached the point where our 

 mules were standing. The natives that remained behind, had 

 been very apprehensive for our safety. 



