THE EARTH. . 63 



rated with frosts, or disturbed with tempests. All the ground hero. 

 wears an eternal covering of ice, and snows that seem constantly ac- 

 cumulating. Upon emerging from this war of the elements, he ascends 

 into a purer and serener region, where vegetation is entirely ceased ; 

 where the precipices, composed entirely of rocks, rise perpendicular- 

 ly above him ; while he views beneath him all the combat of the ele- 

 ments; clouds at his feet, and thunders darting upwards from their 

 bosoms below.* A thousand meteors, which are never seen on the 

 plain, present themselves. Circular rainbows ^ mock suns ; the shadow 

 of the mountain projected upon the body of the air;t and the travel- 

 ler's own image, reflected as in a looking-glass, upon the opposite 



Such are, in general, the wonders that present themselves to a 

 traveller in his journey either over the Alps or the Andes. But we 

 must not suppose that this picture exhibits either a constant or an in- 

 variable likeness of those stupendous heights. Indeed, nothing can 

 be more capricious or irregular than the forms of many of them. 

 The tops of some run in ridges for a considerable length, without in- 

 terruption ; in others, the line seems indented by great valleys to an 

 amazing depth. Sometimes a solitary and a single mountain rises 

 from the bosom of the plain; and sometimes extensive plains, and 

 even provinces, as those of Savoy and Quito, are found embosomed 

 near the tops of mountains. In general, however, those countries 

 that are most mountainous, are the most barrenand uninhabitable. 



If we compare the heights of mountains with each other, we shall find 

 that the greatest and highest are found under the line.|| It is thought 

 by some, that the rapidity of the earth's motion in these parts, to- 

 gether with the greatness of the tides there, may have thrown up those 

 stupendous masses of earth. But, be the cause as it may, it is a re- 

 markable fact, that the inequalities of the earth's surface are greatest 

 there. Near the poles, the earth, indeed, is craggy and uneven enough ; 

 out the heights of the mountains there, are very inconsiderable. On 

 the contrary, at the equator, where nature seems to sport in the 

 amazing size of all her productions, the plains are extensive, and the 

 mountains remarkably lofty. Some of them are known to rise three 

 aiiles perpendicular above the bed of the ocean. 



To enumerate the most remarkable of these, according to their size, 

 vr, shall begin with the Andes, of which we have an excellent descrip- 

 tion hv Ulloa, who went thither by command of the king of Spain, 

 <n company with the French Academicians, to measure a degree of the 

 mr.ruiian. His journey up these mountains is too curious not to give 

 an extract from it. 



After many incommodious days, sailing up the river Guayquil,he ar 

 rived at Caracol, a town situated at the foot of the Andes. Nothing 

 could exceed the inconveniences which he experienced in his voyage, 

 from the flies and moschitoes (an animal resembling our gnat.) " We 

 were the whole day," says he, " in continual motion to keep them ofT; 

 but at night our torments were excessive. Our gloves, indeed, were 

 some defence to our hands ; but our faces were entirely exposed ; nor 



Ulloa, vol. i. f ibid- I Phil. Trans, vol. v. p. 152. { Ulloa, vol. i. || Buflbn, fassun 



