404 VIEWS OF NATURE, 



of the Cordilleras, until we reached the level height in which 

 is situated the argentiferous mountain Gualgayoc, the prin- 

 cipal site of the far-famed mines of Chota. Night was just 

 drawing in, and an extraordinary spectacle presented itself 

 to our observation. The Cerro de Gualgayoc is separated 

 by a deep cleft-like valley (Quebrada), from the limestone 

 mountain Cormolache. The latter is an isolated hornstone 

 rock, presenting, on the northern and western sides, almost 

 perpendicular precipices, and containing innumerable veins 

 of silver, which frequently intersect and run into each other. 

 The highest shafts are 1540 feet above the floor of the 

 stoll or ground- work, called the Socabon de Espinachi. The 

 outline of the mountain is broken by numerous tower -like 

 points and pyramidal notches; and hence the summit of the 

 Cerro de Gualgayoc bears the name of Las Puntas. This 

 mountain presents a most decided contrast to that smoothness 

 of surface which miners are accustomed to regard as charac- 

 teristic of metalliferous districts. " Our mountain," said a 

 wealthy mine-owner whom we visited, " looks like an en- 

 chanted castle (como si fuese un castillo encantado}." The 

 Gualgayoc bears some resemblance to a cone of dolomite, but 

 it is still more like the notched ridges of the Mountain of Mon- 

 serrat in Catalonia, which I have also visited, and which has 

 been so pleasingly described by my brother. Not only is the 

 silver mountain Gualgayoc perforated on every side, and to 

 its very summit, by many hundred large shafts, but the mass 

 of the siliceous rock is cleft by natural openings, through 

 which the dark blue sky of these elevated regions is visible to 

 the observer standing at the foot of the mountain. The 

 people of the country call these openings windows (Las venta- 

 nillas de Gualgayoc]. On the trachytic walls of the volcano 

 of Pichincha similar openings were pointed out to us, and 

 there, likewise, they were called windows, ( Ventanillas de 

 Pichincha.} The singular aspect of the Gualgayoc is not a 

 little increased by numerous sheds and habitations, which 



