in South America. 241 



league in circumference, the edges of which, cut perpendi- 

 cularly, are covered with snow at the top. The inside is very 

 black, but the gulph is sojmniensc, that the summits of 

 several mountains placed there can be distinguished. These 

 summits seemed to be 300 tolscs below^ us : you may judo^e 

 then where their bases must be. I have no doubt that the 

 bottom of the crater is on a level with the town of Quito. La 

 Condamine found this crater extinct, and even covered with 

 snow ; liut we had melancholy news to carrv to the inha- 

 bitants of Quito, that the volcano in their neighbourhood was 

 now burning. We were convinced of this beyond all doubt 

 by the most evident signs. When we approached the mouth 

 ot it we were almost suffocated by sulphureous vapours. 

 We even saw blue flames moving about here and there, and 

 every two or three minutes we experienced strong shocks of 

 an earthquake, with which the edges of the crater were agi- 

 tated, and of which nothing was perceived at the distance 

 of 100 toises. 1 suppose that the great catastrophe of Fe- 

 bruary 7th 1797 kindled up the flames also of Pinchincha. 

 After visiting this mountain alone I returned two days after, 

 accompanied by my friend Bonpland, and Charles de Mon- 

 tufar the son of the marquis de Selvaalegre. We were fur- 

 nished with more instruments than the preceding time, and 

 measured the diameter of tlie crater and the height of the 

 mountain. We found the former to be 754 toises*, and 

 the latter 2477. In the interval of two days which took, 

 place between our excursions to Pinchincha we had a very 

 violent earthquake at Quito. The Indians ascribed it to some 

 powder which I must have thrown into the volcano. 



During our journey to the volcano of Antlsana, the wea- 

 ther was so favourable that we ascended to the height of 

 2773 toises. The barometer fell in that elevated region to 

 14 inches 7 lines ; and in consequence of the rarity of the 

 air the blood flowed from our lips, gums, and even eves. 

 We experienced extreme weakness, and one of the persons 

 who acconqwnied us fainted. It was before thought im- 

 possible to ascend higher than the summit called Corazon, 

 which is 2470 toises in height, and which La Condamine 

 reached. On analysing the air brought from the highest 

 point to which we ascended, it gave 0-OOS of carbonic acid 

 for 0-218 of oxygen gas . 



We paid a visifalso to the volcano of Cotopaxi, but it vv'as 

 impossible for us to reach the mouth of the crater. It is not 



"^ The crater of Vtfuvius is only 3 1 2 toises in diameter. 



Vol.. XVI, No. Cj. Q true 



