PASSAGE OF THE QUINDIU. 



283 



^ 



mentioned The central chain, which parts the 

 waters between the basni of the Rio Magdalena 

 and that of the Rio Cauca, often attanis the hmits 

 of perpetual snow, and shoots far beyond it m the 

 colossal summits of Guanacas Baragan, and Qmn- 

 diu The western ridge cuts off the valley of Cauca 

 from the province of Choco.and the shores of the 

 South Sea In passhig from Santa Fe to Popayan 

 and the banks of the river now mentioned, the trav- 

 eller has to descend the eastern chain, either by the 

 Mesa and Tocayma or the bridges of Icononzo, trav- 

 erse the valley of the Rio Magdalena, and cross the 

 central chain, as Humboldt did, by the mountam of 



Thirmountain, which is considered as the most 

 difficult passage in the cordiUeras, presents a thick 

 uninhabited forest, which, in the finest season, can- 

 not be passed in less than ten or twelve days. 1 rav- 

 ellers usually furnish themselves Avith a rnonth s 

 provision, as" it often happens that the melting of 

 the snow, and the sudden floods arising from it, pre- 

 vent them from descending. The highest point of 

 the road is ll,499.i feet above the level of the sea, 

 and the path, which is very narrow, has in several 

 places the appearance of a gallery dug m the rock 

 and left open above. The oxen, which are the beasts 

 of burden commonly used in the country, can scarcely 

 force their way through these passages, some ot 

 which are 6563 feet in length. The rock is covered 

 with a thick layer of clay, and the numerous gullies 

 formed by the torrents are filled with mud 



In crossing this mountain the philosophers, lul- 

 lowed by twelve oxen carrying their collections and 

 instruments, were deluged wit^i rain Their shoes 

 were torn by the prickles which shoot out from the 

 roots of the bamboos, so that, unwilling to be carried 

 on men's backs, they were obliged to walk barefooted. 

 The usual mode of travelling, however, is in a chair 

 tied to the back of a carguero or porter. W hen one 



