208 BENEATH THE FOREST. 



roof of a vast mountain-range, that lifts its ridge to an 

 average elevation of almost three miles, and which per- 

 mits scarcely a shigle drop of water to pass its summit. 

 All the vapors gathered by the equatorial trade-winds, as 

 they sweep from the Atlantic over the teeming valley of 

 the Amazons, are thrown down upon the eastern side of 

 this great refrigerator. Of the severity of tropical storms 

 we have already spoken. After a short continuance every 

 rivulet is converted into a mountain-torrent, and the great- 

 est danger attending the descent of the Andes is the lia- 

 bility to be suddenly cut oif from retreat or advance by 

 swollen rivers. Although the general descent of the orien- 

 tal slope of the Andes is more gradual than the occidental, 

 yet the flanks of the ranges, which stand as gigantic but- 

 tresses along the main longitudinal cordillera, seem quite 

 as precipitous ; and frequently, upon their almost vertical 

 declivities, could be seen the long scar of the land-slide, 

 which had torn its way down from a great height, throw- 

 ing a vast pile»of debris — rocks and crushed trees — across 

 our trail. 



At an early hour of tlie afternoon of our first day's 

 march, we halted for the night. We had made a consid- 

 erable descent, indicated by the vegetation, which was 

 more tropical than that of Papallacta, many palms being 

 interspersed through the forest. Our Indians quickly con- 

 structed for us a rancho, simply a roof formed of palms, 

 or the broad leaves of a parasitic plant that grows here in 

 abundance. Our natives always encamped near us, and, 

 building a large fire before their rude shelter, would stretch 

 themselves side by side in a semicircle, with their little 

 ponchos drawn up over their heads, and their naked limbs 

 extended toward the fire. Our day's march had been a 

 fatiguing one, although we had made scarcely a dozen 

 miles, which was our average day's journey. We were 

 drenched by rain, and soaked from fording rivers and 



