Chai>. VI. CUEVILLAS— LA COMPUERTA. 91 



storm, brought us to the " alto de Toledo," the highest part of 

 the road, and 15,590 feet above the level of the sea.^ Some 

 glorious snowy peaks appeared through the gloom at sunset, 

 and after several weary hours in the darkness we at length 

 arrived at the post-house of Cuevillas. 



In the neighbourhood of Cuevillas there are large sheep- 

 farms, one called Toroya, near the " alto de Toledo," and 

 another called Tincopalca farther on. The sheep, at this 

 enormous height, lamb in March and July, and, of the IMarch 

 lambs, usually about fifty per cent, survive. Beyond Cuevillas 

 there are two large Alpine lakes, whence a river flows down 

 into Titicaca, and we thus passed the watershed between 

 the Pacific and tlie great lake. The scenery is grand and 

 desolate, reminding me, in some respects, of the interior of 

 Cornwallis Island in the Arctic regions. The road passes 

 between the two lakes, and we reached the post-house of La 

 Compuerta as the afternoon rain commenced. The hills are 

 covered with tufts of coarse grass {Stipa ychu), of which the 

 llamas eat the upper blades, while the sheep browse on the 

 tender shoots underneath ; and with two kinds of shnibby 

 plants, one a thorny eomposita called ccanlli, and the other 

 called tola or ccapo, wliich is a resinous Baccharis,^ and is 

 used for fuel.^ 



The gorge in which the La Compuerta post-house is situ- 

 ated is the only outlet for the waters of the lake. Moun- 

 tains of great height rise up on either side, clothed, at this 

 season, with herbage of the richest green, while ridges of 

 scarped cliffs of dark porphyritic rock crop out at intervals. 



- At this elevation grows an ascle- A)idina,i.'p. 162. And an oxalis in the 

 piad {Pentagonium fiavum), a little | crevices of the rocks near La Compn- 

 lowly plant with yellow flowers. — i erta. — Oxalis Nubigena, ii. p. 291. 

 Chloris Andina, ii. p. 49. In the neighhourhood of La Compn- 



3 Baccharis Tncarum of WeddeU. — erta there are several other lowly alpine 

 Chloris Andina, i. p. 170. ! plants — a St. John's wort {Hypericum 



* Dr. Weddell mentions a eomposita j hrevisfylum), another oxalis, and two 

 {Metope pijjtolepis) as being common 1 mallows, &c. &c. 

 near the shores of these lakes. — CMoris ! 



