M. (TOrhigny's Travels in South America. 301 



It is on this plateau, however, about twenty geographical 

 miles from the sea, that the most populous portions of the Re- 

 public of Bolivia, or higher Peru, are to be found ; and that on 

 account of the great number of Lamas and Alpacas which occur 

 on it. He visited the natives who live in the interior of the 

 country, advancing towards the east, in the province of Chiqui- 

 tos. He then rejoined the banks of the Paraguay, and pushed 

 forward to Malto-grosso, belonging to Brazil. 



After having visited the numerous nations of Paraguay, and 

 the province of Mojos, he reascended the river Piray, in order 

 to reach Santa-Cruz with his collections. After having again 

 mounted to the most elevated parts of the Cordillera, where the 

 rarefaction of the air had nearly deprived him of life, — observed 

 the lake of Titicaca, and employed three years in exploring all 

 the regions of Upper Peru, — he again crossed the Cordillera of 

 the Andes, descended on the side of Peru, and embarked on the 

 25th July ]83ii for Europe, where he arrived on the 4th of 

 March 1834-. 



In the seven years during which this journey has continued, 

 M. d'Orbigny has repeatedly crossed the Andes> and traversed the 

 continent of South America from the 11th to the 43d degree of 

 south latitude ; he -may thus be considered as having traversed 

 14,780 leagues, both by land and sea, including, it is true, his 

 two passages from the one continent to the other. 



Having enjoyed the opportunity of residing for so long a time 

 in the countries he visited, M. d'Orbigny devoted his speciaUat- 

 tention to the study of the nations among whom he sojourned, 

 and which were scarcely or not at all known even by the very 

 descendants of their conquerors. He has studied the different 

 degrees of civilization among the native tribes, from the Gui- 

 chuas, whose average stature does not exceed 4 feet 9 inches 

 (French measure), to the Patagonians, so long regarded as 

 giants, whose medium height is 5 feet 5 inches. In general, it 

 appeared to M. d'Orbigny that the human race follow the same 

 law as plants, that is to say, that they decrease in size as we 

 ascend from the plains to the summits of the Andes. 



M. d'Orbigny has likewise directed his inquiries to the idioms 

 in use among the native tribes, and he assures us that his ob- 



vot,. xviii. Ko. xxxvi. — APniL 1835. x 



