

I - 



of the Despoblado Andea. Along this line an 

 , runs, which U broken through near 25 a lat 

 by the Salad... a feeder of the Parana. That portion of this range 

 which lies south-west of the Salado is sailed Sierra de Aconquija, and 

 the other portion between the Salado and the Vermejo bears the name 

 of Sierra Lnmbr*, or Santa Barbara. The Sierra de Aconquija is in 

 part always covered with snow. On the north the Despoblado 

 region is likewise inclosed by a range of high mountains, extending 

 from the western declivity of the Andes, near 22 a 1st, to the 

 confluence of the Pilaya with the Pilcomayo. This range is broken 

 through in its eastern portion by the Rio Orande de C'inti or Toln- 

 pampa, a feeder of the Pilaya. That portion of the range which i 

 contiguous to the Andes contains a chain of mountains of considerable 

 extent, which is always covered with snow, and is called Alturas de 

 Lipex ; and farther east rises the Cerro Chorolque, which i* always 

 covered with snow to a considerable distance below its summit, and 

 probably rises to more than 12,000 feet above the sea The eastern 

 boundary of the Despoblado region may be found by drawing a 

 straight line from the confluence of the Pilaya with the Pilcomayo to 

 that of the Jujuy and Tarija. The area included between these 

 boundary-lines covers a surface of about 100,000 square miles. 



More than one-third of that area is occupied by the desolate region 

 property called El Despoblado (the Uninhabited), which extends 

 eastward from the Andes, between 26* and 22 a lat, with a breadth 

 of 70 miles at the southern extremity ; but near 23 its width 

 increases to about 180 miles. It is separated from the more broken 

 country lying south and east of it by two ranges, the southern of 

 which i* called Cordillera de Los Valles, and the eastern Cordillera 

 del Despoblado; the latter continues northward to the Cerro de 

 Chorolque. The tract thus bounded constitutes a table-land of a 

 generally uneven surface, but frequently extending in level plains. 

 Its elevation above the sea is so great (more than 13,000 feet), that no 

 cultivation can be carried on. The small number of families dispersed 

 over it* surface gain their subsistence by killing vicunas, alpacas, 

 guanaooes, and chinchillas, and by collecting gold and salt 



The countries which surround the Despoblado on the south and 

 east preserve a very mountainous character. They are covered with 

 high and commonly steep masses of rocks, extending without 

 interruption over a space of 50 and even 100 miles in length and 

 width, and their continuity is only broken towards their edges by 

 ravines. The surface of these extensive masses i* level in those 

 places where it has been seen by Europeans, and it constitutes what 

 the Spaniards call a Paramo, that is, a desert elevated above the line 

 of trees; it is destitute even of bushes or shrubs, though in ports 

 covered with grass. This description applies to the Desert of Yavi, 

 which occupies the space between the Jujuy and the Tarija, which 

 was traversed by Temple, who here experienced a great degree of 

 cold within the tropics, and found that every night a strong ice was 

 formed in June and July. Hence we may infer that this mountain 

 plain is not much lower than the Despoblado itself. The elevation of 

 the other isolated mountain tracts is not known ; but as all the 

 settlements occur only on the banks of the rivers, it may be supposed 

 that they resemble strongly the Desert of Yavi in elevation and 

 in all other respects. These extensive mnsnrm are separated from 

 one another by deep and in some places wide valley*. The most 

 remarkable of these valleys is that through which the road from 

 Buenos Ayres to Potosi passes. From the south it is entered by the 

 opening between the Sierra de Aconquija and Sierra Lumbrc, by 

 which the Salado escapes from the mountain region. South and west 

 of the town of Salt* is an extensive plain, with an uneven surface ; 

 but north of that town begins a rent in the high mountains, which 

 runs about 150 miles northward to Jujuy, Humaguaca, and La Cueva. 

 This narrow defile, in some places not more than 30 yards wide, is 

 screened by high and steep mountains. It separates the Desert of 

 Yavi from the Despoblado, but where it terminates on the north both 

 mountain plains are united by a range called the Abra de Cortaderas, 

 which probably rises to between 12,000 and 13,000 feet, and extends 

 northward to the banks of the San Juan de Tupiza, a feeder of the 

 Pilaya. The valley of the lower Jujuy seems to be wide; but the 

 upper course of the Salado, which there is called Ouapichas, lies in a 

 rather narrow valley. Host of these valley* being well watered, and 

 only 3000 or 4000 feet above the sea, are fertile and yield intertropical 

 productions in abundance, whilst in the higher the cereal grains of 

 Europe are raised. But all the valley* taken together do not cover 

 one-tenth of the surface of the region of the Despoblado Andes. It 

 would not be improper to say that this mountain region extend* 

 westward to the Pacific; for the Desert of Atacama, lying on the 

 west of it, seems to be an inclined plain which slopes from the edge of 

 the Andes towards the sea, still preserving an elevation of from 1600 

 DOO feet where it reaches its shores, though nearly 100 miles 

 from the ridge. This western declivity of the Despoblado is 

 oeMlluts not only of trees, but nearly of every trace of 

 although the steep slopes of the mountains toward the 

 , re elothsd with fine forests, and present, even in the driest 

 period of the year, a gnt luxuriance of vegetation. 



71* &** Amim extend from the Alturas de Lines northward, 

 between 2S and 14 a Ut, to the Sierra de Vilcanota, and consist of 

 two portions; the southern, or Andes of San Cristobal, and the 



m, or the Range* of Lake Titicacn. The Andes of San Cristobal 

 fill up the space between the Alturas de Lipex and the valley of the 

 Deeagnadero. Along the western edge the mountains constitute a 

 continuous range, which here begins to have a slight inclination to the 

 west of north. In this range the nevado* (or snow-capped mountains) 

 and the volcanoes re-appear. A nevado occurs near 21 30' S. Ut, and 

 a volcano, called Volcano de la Laguna and also Volcano de Atacama, 

 is found near 21 S. lat The mountains, as far as they constitute 

 the range, extend in width from west to east about 60 or 70 miles, 

 chiefly between 68 and 69 W. long. ; but 'on the east of them, as 

 far as 62 W. long., the country is a succession of ascents and 

 descents ; and though the rocky masses which cover it do not rise to 

 a comparatively great elevation, probably not much more than 10,000 

 feet above the sea, they are mostly quite barren ; whilst the valleys 

 and level places between them, which however do not occupy one- 

 tenth of the surface of the region, are fertile and tolerably cultivated. 

 This part of the Andes is traversed by a road leading from the Bolivian 

 port of Cobija to Calano, thence over the range to San Cristobal, and 

 hence to Potosi and Chuquisaca. 



That portion of the Andea which lies between 20 and 15 S. Int. 

 consists of two very elevated and broad ranges, including a level plain 

 of great extent, and of a mountainous country east of it which between 

 17 and 18 N. lat extends to 62 W. long. The total width of the 

 Andes in this part, including the mountainous region of Arequipa, 

 which lies between the Cordillera and the Pacific, i* not leas than 550 

 miles, or 100 miles more than tin- entire length of the Alps. The two 

 high ranges are united together on the south, near 20 S. lat, by a 

 transverse range, which extends about 160 miles from west to east, 

 and on its eastern extremity the famous Cerro de Potosi i* situated. 

 This mountain chain U about 50 miles across from south tu north, 

 and its highest point is 16,037 feet above the sea. There are two 

 roads over it, leading from San Cristobal and Potosi to Omro in the 

 valley of the Desaguadero. 



The western range of the Bolivian Andes is partly in Peru, and its 

 offsets extend over the province of Arequipa, even to the shore of the 

 Pacific, to which the range i* parallel. It is locally distinguished as 

 the Cordillera of the Coast Up to 19 20' it presents no summit 

 above the snow-line, and no volcano; but north of that parallel 

 several of its summits rise much higher, and here several volcanoes 

 occur. The volcanoes commonly attain the highest elevation. They 

 are, from south to north, the Gualatieri, or Sehama, near 19 20 , 

 which rises to 22,000 feet ; the Chungara, a little farther north, which 

 U somewhat lower; the Volcano de Chipicani, near 17 50', rise* to 

 18,898 feet, and hardly attains the limit of perpetual snow. Between 

 17 and 16 S. lat are the volcanoes Ornate, U vinos, and Areqnipii. 

 The last mentioned summit rises to 18,373 feet abovethesealevel.au.), 

 lies on the western side of the range, north of the town of Arequipa 

 but by a lower ridge it i* united to the Cordillera of the Coast North 

 of it, at a distance of about 20 miles, is the Nevado of Chuquibamba, 

 which attains 21,000 feet above the level of the sea. The Cordillera 

 of the Coast occupies in breadth a space of nearly 100 miles. 



The Eastern Cordillera of the Bolivian Andes is one of the most 

 magnificent mountain ranges in the world. South of 16 50' its height 

 does not exceed 17,000 feet, but near 16 40' S. lat the gigantic summit 

 of Illimani rises to an elevation of 21,181 feet, and the ice descends 

 on its sides to 16,500 feet above the sea. North of the Illimani, and 

 separated from it only by the valley or ravine of Totoral, which is of 

 vast depth, is the Nevado de Tres Cruces ; and from this point (16 

 35' S. lat) the chain may be said to form an almost continuous line 

 of snowy mountain* to the beginning of the Andes of Vilcanota, which 

 (between 14 and 15) run north-east and south-west, and unite both 

 ranges. The highest summits of this part of the eastern range are 

 the Nevado de Sorata,* on the eastern side of the lake Titicaca, which 

 attain* the height of 21,286 feet above the sea-level, ami the Nevado 

 de Yani, which is not much lower. The Vilcanota Mountains rise in 

 ports above the mum line. No volcano is found in either of these 

 ranges. On the slope of the Illimani i* a lake 15,950 feet above 

 the sea. 



The valley of the Desaguadero, which is screened by the Eastern 

 anil Western Cordillera*, i* more than 200 miles long, and varies in 

 width from 35 miles to above 60 miles. Its southern part is quite 

 level, but towards the north occur some ridges of low hills. Its surface 

 is 13,000 feet above the sea level. Towards the northern part, on the 

 boundary between Bolivia and Pent, lies the Lake of Titicaca, which 

 cover* 7000 square miles, and is 12,844 feet above the sea. The 

 island* and shores of the lake contain many antiquities, and are cele- 

 brated in the history of the Incas. The Desaguadero, issuing from 

 the southern extremity of the lake, run* southward through nearly 

 the whole of the valley, and loses itself in lake Uro, or tiros which 

 is said to have no outlet The valley i* above the line of trees, 

 nnd even <>f grain, except the quinoa, which is cultivated with a 

 few vegetables, potatoes, and barley ; the barley is cut green for fodder. 

 Both chains of the Bolivian Andes, including the valley of the Desa- 

 guadero, occupy in width towards the south more than 250 miles, and 

 towards the north not less than 200 mile*. The western chain is 



Tb peak of ftoraU until lateljr WM considered the culminating- point of 

 UM Andea, on the authority of Mr. 1'entland, who however gave it an elevation 

 too (net by about 4000 fret. 





