THE EARTH. 129 



inconveniencies augmented by the sight of such 

 frightful precipices, and deep abysses, as must fill 

 the mind with ceaseless terror. There are some 

 places where the road is so steep, and yet so nar- 

 row, that the mules are obliged to slide down, 

 without making any use of their feet whatsoever. 

 On one side of the rider, in this situation, rises 

 an eminence of several hundred yards ; and on 

 the other, an abyss of equal depth ; so that if he 

 in the least checks his mule, so as to destroy the 

 equilibrium, they both must unavoidably perish. 



" After having travelled about nine days in 

 this manner, slowly winding along the side of the 

 mountain, we began to find the whole country 

 covered with a hoar frost ; and a hut in which 

 we lay had ice on it. Having escaped many 

 perils, we at length, after a journey of fifteen 

 days, arrived upon the plain, on the extremity of 

 which stands the city of Quito, the capital of one 

 of the most charming regions upon earth. Here, 

 in the centre of the torrid zone, the heat is not 

 only very tolerable, but in some places the cold 

 also is painful. Here they enjoy all the tempe- 

 rature and advantages of perpetual spring; their 

 fields being always covered with verdure, and 

 enamelled with flowers of the most lively colours. 

 However, although this beautiful region be 

 higher than any other country in the world, and 

 although it took up so many days of painful 

 journey in the ascent, it is still overlooked by 

 tremendous mountains ; their sides covered with 

 snow, and yet flaming with volcanoes at the top. 

 These seem piled one upon the other, and rise to 



VOL. I. I 



