rlTf) tetter 'from M. Humloldt to C. Ddttml^rei, 



found burnt rocks and pumice-stone at the height of 3031 

 loiscj. It \\\\\ be unfortunate for the human race it' the 

 volcanic fire, for it may l>e said that the whole high land 

 of (j)uito 15 one volcano with several sumniits, should force 

 ^ passage through Chiniborazo. It has often been said 

 that this mountam is granite, but a single atom of it is not 

 to be found : it is porphyry, liere and there disposed in 

 columns inclosing vitreous feld-spar, eorncerre and oli- 

 vin. This stratum of porp}>vrv is 190O toises in thickness. 

 On thi» subject I could mention a polarizing porphynf 

 ■which we discovered at Voisaco near Paslo ; a porphyry 

 which, analogous to the serpentine I described iu the Jour-' 

 rial de Phijsiqvey has poles without attraction. I might 

 jjicntion other facts relative to the grand law of the paral- 

 Jelism of the strata, and of their enormous thickness near 

 .the equator : but this is too much for a letter, which perhaps 

 ^vill be lost J and besides, 1 shall recur to this subject an- 

 other time : I shall only add, that besides the clephaiitii 

 teeth which we sent to C Cuvier from the land of Santa- 

 Fc, 1350 toises in height, we have preserved for him others 

 more beautiful ; some of the carnivorous elephant, and 

 others of a species a-, little different from those of Africa, 

 brought from the ^■alley of Timana, the town of Ibarra, 

 ^nd from Chili. Here then we have confirmed the exist- 

 ence of that carnivorous monster from the river Ohio from 

 50'^ northern latitude to 35° south latitude. I spent a veiy 

 agreeable time at Quito. The president of audience baron 

 tic Carondelet loaded us with kindness, and for three yeari 

 1 have not once had reason to complain of the agents of the 

 Spanish government, which have e\'ery where treated me 

 with a delicacy and distinction of which I must ever retain 

 a <rratefui remembrance. How much the times and man- 

 ners- have ehanged ! I have paid particular attention to the 

 pyramids and their foundation, which I do not think at all 

 deranged in regard to the mill-stones {picrres molaires). A 

 generous individual, a friend to the sciences, and to those men 

 who have done honour to them, such as La Condamine, 

 Godin, and Bougucr, the marquis de Salvalegre, at Quito, 

 thinks of rccor.structing them ; but this leads me too far. 



After passing Assonay and Cuenca, where they gave us 

 bull-figiits, we pursued our way by the Oxa to complete 

 our labours oii cinchona. W^e then spent a month in the 

 province of J;ien de Bracamorros and among the Ponuos of 

 the river Amazon, tlie banks of which are ornamcnied with 

 the a/ulira and h/ganiulld'a of Jussicu. It appeared to ni» 

 of importaace to Jix the longitude of Tomepeuda and Chui 



tunirat. 



