438 A YEAR OF COSTA RICAN NATURAL HISTORY 



perhaps because of the very strong wind which prevailed 

 here also. 



While at the fumaroles, in a fleeting break of the clouds 

 the Cerro de la Vieja was pointed out, lying somewhat west 

 of north. I tried to learn why this volcano is called "Rin- 

 con de la Vieja" — Corner of the Old (Woman) — but without 

 much success. The explanation that "perhaps sometime 

 an old woman lived somewhere up here and that her resi- 

 dence came to be referred to as the corner where the old 

 woman lived," may have been invented after the name came 

 into use. At best the story is exceedingly vague. I was 

 sorry that we had not time and opportunity to attempt the 

 ascent of this volcano but owing to its distance from any 

 house it would be necessary to take supplies for four days 

 on packhorses and to go in April or May; then only was the 

 summit free from clouds, according to Espinoso, who had 

 lived three years at Hacienda Guachipehn. 



The geologist Karl von Seebach has given an account of 

 an ascent which he made on January 9, 1865, of what he 

 termed "Rincon de la Vieja," but whether of Cerro Gua- 

 chipelin or of Cerro de la Vieja, I am unable to determine. 

 He came to Guachipelin in company with the Governor of 

 Guanacaste, Don Manuel Esquivel, and describes it as "the 

 picturesquely situated Guachipehn, a farm of the extensive 

 hacienda of Don Manuel's, 'La Queva.'" He speaks of 

 "Hornillos, Salsen und Solfataren" at the foot of Rincon 

 and, as his map places them to the north of the Rio Blanco, 

 they are doubtless those of which we were told but did not 

 see. He continues: "From here I rode up with three men on 

 one of the small ridges into which the bare western part of 

 the long drawn out Rincon divides, to about ^j^ of the entire 

 height, where we were obliged to dismount and go on foot. 

 The way continued up the ridge which is not very steep and 

 only rendered difficult by the constantly increasing ashes 



