Chap. VII. LAKE TITICACA. 109 



nor^h-west comer. The Suchiz, formed by the rivers of 

 Cavanilla and Lampa, also flows into the lake on its north 

 side, as well as tlie Yllpa and Ylave ; while on the eastern 

 side are the rivers Huarina, Eseoma, and Achaeache, all 

 flowing from a low lateral chain, parallel with the great 

 eastern Andes, whose gigantic peaks of Illimani and Sorata 

 form the principal feature of the views from all parts of the 

 lake. Much of the water thus flowing iu is di-ained off by 

 the great river Desaguadero, which flows out of the south- 

 west corner, and disappears in the swampy lake of Aullagas, 

 in the south of Bolivia ; and perhaps a gTeater quantity is 

 taken up by evaporation ; for the volume of water which 

 flows in during the rainy season, when the sun travels 

 north, is drunk up again when the tutelar deity of the 

 lake returns, between April and September.^ Indeed it 

 is evident that the waters are steadily receding, under the 

 combined influence of evaporation and of the sediment 

 brought down by the rivers. Lake Titicaca is very deep 

 in some places, the deepest part being on the Bolivian 

 side ; but in others it is so shoal that there is only just 

 room to force the balsas through the rushes. The winds 

 blow from the eastward all the year round, sometimes in 

 strong gales, so as to raise a very heavy sea, during the day- 

 time ; but at night they are occasionally westerly. Along the 

 western shore there are acres of tall rushes, and the east 

 winds blow all the dead rushes to the western side, mixing 

 with the living beds, and forming a dense tangled mass. 

 The lake abounds in fish of very peculiar forms, and in 

 aquatic birds. 



The principal islands of the lake are those of Titicaca 

 and Coati, near the peninsula of Copacabana ; that of 

 Campanario in the east, opposite the town of Eseoma, and 

 nine miles fi-om the shore ; Soto, also in the northern 



1 Evaporation, however, goes on at all seasons, owing to the excessive ele- 

 vation of the waters. 



