i6 Account of Travels lehvoen the Trbpics. 



found vestiges of the immense Peruvian city of Mansiche, 

 ornamented with pyramids, in one of which was discovered, 

 in the eighteenth century, haniniered gold to the vaUie of 

 more than 150,0001. sterling. 



On this western declivity of the Andes our travellers en- 

 joyed, for the first time, the striking view of the Pacific 

 Ocean ; and from that long and narrow valley, the inhabi- 

 tants of which are unacquainted with rain or thunder, and 

 where, under a happy climate, the most absolute power, 

 and that most dangerous to man, theocracy itself, seems 

 to imitate the beneficence of nature. 



From Truxillo they followed the dry coasts of the South 

 Sea, formerly watered and rendered fertile by the canals of 

 the Ynga ; nothing of which remains but melancholy 

 tiiins. Wheri they arrived, by Santa and Guarniey, at Lima, 

 they remained some months in that interesting capital of 

 Peru, the inhabitants of which are distinguished by the 

 vivacity of their genius and the liberality of their sentiments, 

 M. Huniboldt hiad the happines.? of observing, in a pretty 

 complete manner, at the port of Callao at Lima, the end 

 of the transit of Mercury : a circumstance the more fortu- 

 nate, as the thick fog which prevails at that season often 

 prevents the sun's disk from being seen for twenty days, 

 He was astonished to find in Peru, at so immense a distance 

 from Europe, the newest literary productions in chemistry, 

 mathematips, and pjiysiology ; and he admired the great 

 intellectual activity of a people whom the Europeans accuse 

 of indolence and Ivixury. 



In the month of January 1803 our travellers embarked iii 

 the king's corvette La Castora for Guyaqull ; a passage which 

 is performed, by the help of the winds and the currents, in 

 three or four days, whereas the return from Guyaqnil re- 

 quires as many months. In the former port, situated on 

 the banks of ari immense river, the vegetation of which in 

 palms, pbmieria, falerncemaniann, and scitaminece, is ma- 

 jestic beyond all description. Tbcy heard growling every 

 moment the volcano of Catopaxi, which made a dreadful 

 explosion on the 6th of January 1803. 



They immediately set out that they might have a nearer 

 view of its ravages, find to visit it a second time; but the 

 imexpected news of the sudden departure of the Atlanta 

 frigate, and the fear of not finding another opportunity for 

 several months, obliged the^i to return, after being tor- 

 jnenied for seven days by the niosquitoes of Babaoyo and 

 Ugibar. 



They had a favourable navigation of thirty days on the 



Pacifip 



