C. SKOTTSHERG 



I•'i^^ 7<S. Pta del liii.in and Playa del Buque Varado, seen from the sea looking S. — Photo 



C. Skottsberg ^^/g 191 7. 



level; another 50 — 100 m and the undulating grass-, fern- and pangue-covered 

 Mona plain, crossed by many little gullies, dry during the summer, lies open in 

 every direction (fig. 79). At one of the tributaries to O. Pasto, 1130m above 

 the sea, a pool of water in the rocky stream-bed made the place a convenient 

 camp site ("Campo Correspondencia"). A short walk brings us to the edge of 

 the i)lain and to Las Torres (Towers), c. 1370 m, and Co Correspondencia, 

 c. 1420 m. V\\r. 80 is a view of one of the Loberia gorges seen from Corres- 

 pondencia. ihe Alpine flora is well represented on these hills. Near the top of 

 the high western barranca some shallow depressions almost lack vegetation (fig. 81). 

 The soil is cla\-ey and the surface, which shows distinct signs of water erosion, 

 strewn with stones and cracked in places. Some small boulders rested on short 

 jMllars of cla>'. The ground is perhaps flooded during the winter. I was told that 

 {)atches of snow have been observed here, but this needs corroboration. Wind 

 erosion might be res[)onsible for the formation of the small "tables". 



Ai'ciiida dc las Cahras, "Goat Avenue", is a well-beaten track running along 

 the very edge of the abyss from C. Atravesado to Co Verde. From about 

 1100-125001 alt. one looks down on Buque Varado (fig. 82) and Q. del hndn 

 (Magnet gorge, fig. 83). One of the former inmates of the convict settlement told 

 me that he had been em{)loyed cutting a trail down the precipice to Buque 

 Varado, where also huts were built, but we saw no signs of either. There are 



