44 



A HISTORY OF 



; The ruggedness of the road from Tarigu- 

 agua, leading up the mountain, is not easily 

 described. In some parts, the declivity is so 

 great, that the mules can scarcely keep their 

 tooting; and in others, the acclivity is equally 

 difficult. The trouble of having people going 

 before to mend the road, the pains arising 

 from the many falls and bruises, and the being 

 constantly wet to the skin, might be support- 

 ed, were not these inconveniences 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- 

 roAV, that the mules are obliged to slide down, 

 without making any use of their feet whatso- 

 ever. On one side of the rider, in this situa- 

 tion, 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 an hoar frost; and an 

 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 stand* 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 temperature 

 and advantages of perpetual spring; their 

 fields being always covered with verdure, and 

 enamelled with flowers of the most lively co- 

 lours. However, although this beautiful re- 

 gion 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 seemed 

 piled one upon the other, and rise to a most 

 astonishing height, with great coldness. How- 

 ever, at a determined point above the surface 

 of the sea, the congelation is found at the 

 same height in all the mountains. Those 

 parts which are not subject to a continual 

 frost, have here and there growing upon them 



a rush, resembling the genista, but much more 

 soft and flexible. Towards the extremity of 

 the part where the rush grows, and the cold 

 begins to increase, is found a vegetable, with 

 a round bulbous head, which, when dried, 

 becomes of amazing elasticity. Higher up, 

 the earth is entirely bare of vegetation, and 

 seems covered with eternal snow. The 

 most remarkable mountains are, that of Co- 

 topaxi, (already described as a volcano,) 

 Chimborazo, and Pinchincha. Colopaxi is 

 more than three geographical miles above 

 the surface of the sea: the rest are not much 

 inferior. On the top of the latter was my 

 station for measuring a degree of the meri- 

 dian; where I suffered particular hardships, 

 from the intenseness of the cold, and the vio- 

 lence of the storms. The sky round was, in 

 general, involved in thick fogs, which, when 

 they cleared away, and the clouds, by their 

 gravity, moved nearer to the suriace of the 

 earth, they appeared surrounding the loot of 

 the mountain, at a vast distance below, like a 

 sea, encompassing an island in the midst of 

 it. When this happened, the horrid noises of 

 tempests were heard from beneath, then dis- 

 charging themselves on Quito, and the neigh- 

 bouring country. I saw the lightnings issue 

 from the clouds, and heard the thunders roll 

 far beneath me. All this time, vshile the tem- 

 pest was raging below, the mountain top, 

 where I was placed, enjoyed a delightful se- 

 renity; the wind was abated; the sky clear; 

 and the enlivening rays of the sun moderated 

 the severity of the cold. However, this was 

 of no very long duration, for the wind returned 

 with all its violence, and with such velocity 

 as to dazzle the sight; whilst my fears were 

 increased by the dreadful concussions of the 

 precipice, and the fall of enormous rocks ; 

 the only sounds that were heard in this fright- 

 ful situation." 



Such is the animated picture of those moun 

 tains, as given us by this ingenious Spaniard : 

 and I believe the reader will wish that 1 had 

 made the quotation still longer. A passage 

 over the Alps, or a journey across the Pyre- 

 nees, appear petty trips or excursions in the 

 comparison; and yet these are the most lofty 

 mountains we know of in Europe. 



If we compare the Alps with the mountains 

 already described, we shall find them but lit- 



