158 



THE ADVENTURES OF 



and a few miles had brought us on to a granite soil where 

 we felt even unpleasantly cold ; it was no longer the up- 

 roar, but the silence, which awoke in my mind the rever- 

 ies of loneliness. 



We rose before dawn, perfectly benumbed and hardly able 

 to move our lips. L'Encuerado stirred up the fire so as to 

 get the coffee ready. The first ray of light showed the 

 ground covered with a white shroud of bright hoar-frost. 

 Lucien had never seen this phenomenon before, and was 

 never tired of admiring it. Sumichrast explained to him 

 that the drops of dew, which every morning may be seen 

 glittering on the grass in hot countries, freeze in situations 

 of great altitude, and produce those beautiful transparent 

 globules which, owing to the refraction of light, assume so 

 beauteous an appearance. 



The rays of the sun warmed us but little, so I hastened 

 our preparations for departure. After skirting the edge of 

 the lake, we once more found ourselves among rocks. The 

 summit which we had traversed was doubtless the crater 

 of some extinct volcano. I took a farewell look at the gi- 

 gantic semicircle, edged with mountain crests, ere com- 

 mencing a journey quite as difficult as that of the day be- 

 fore, through the immense stones which had been vomited 

 forth by the burning mountain. More than once we got 

 into a cul-de-sac, and we sat down utterly discouraged. 



For the last time I examined the horizon. "We were now 

 standing on the highest summit of the Cordillera; opposite 

 us, as far as we could see, rose verdure-clad peaks, which 

 gradually diminished in height. We were again about to 

 meet with tropical vegetation, and should ere long reach 

 the plains and forests of the Terre-Chaude. The way 

 seemed direct and easy ; but how many obstacles must be 

 overcome, how many valleys must be crossed, ere we could 

 reach our destination ! 



