296 BOUGUER's V0YAG2 TO PERU. 



over the eaftem Cordelier, which maintains its height, its fummits at certain diftances 

 all along being covered with fnow, keeping its firft direftion, and terminating at about 

 one hundred leagues northwards, towards the confluence of the rivers Cauca and 

 Magdalene, between which it pafles from Papayan. The Pafs of Gouanacas is never 

 -hazarded without the utmoft dread, particularly when it is taken approaching the caftern 

 (ide. It is neceflary to encamp as high as one can, or rather to flop at a village, which 

 <is of the fame name, on the exterior of it ; and it is alfo neceflary abfolutely to refolve 

 to wait there, if the blacknefs of the clouds fufpended above us gives indication of bad 

 •weather. The mules, which are ufed always in thefe journeys, on account of their fure- 

 footednefs and fl:rength, are ft:ill more expofed to the dangers of this pafs ; they have not 

 only, like their mafliers, to guard againll the intenfenefs of the cold, but they are worn 

 out with fatigue : for more than two leagues on this way, the bones of thefe animals 

 that have died in the journey lie fo thick, that it is not poflible to fet a foot down with- 

 out treading on them. I have been obliged to encounter this defile in order to embark 

 on the river Magdalene for Carthagena, on my return to Europe. As I crofTed it from 

 the interior of the Cordelier, I muft neceffarily have been in a fituation more able to 

 buffet with the labour of the paflage, on the fouth fide of which, and at a difl:ance of 

 from four to five leagues, there is a very high mountain covered with fnow, called 

 Cocounoucou, an old volcano, now abfolutely extinguiflied, and on the north another 

 mountain, covered in the fame manner with fnow, which is that of Houila. Upon the 

 fummit of the defile is a fmall lake, the water of which was not frozen ; and, at 

 lefs than one hundred toifes from each other, on one fide are found the fources of 

 the Cauca, and on the other the fources of the Magdalene. I faw many packages 

 that had been left by travellers on their route, but we chofe to leave, them to an- 

 other time, preferring this to the not getting out of this dangerous pafs between 

 fun-rife and funfet. I eftimate the diftance between Popayan and La Plata at from 

 nineteen to twenty leagues, while the journey commonly requires tv/enty or twenty- 

 two days. 



Although the mountains are rendered inaccefTible by the fnow, above the lower 

 freezing boundary, yet M. Condamine and myfelf afcended the volcano of Pichin- 

 cha in the month of June 1 742, which is another fummit more elevated than the firfl, 

 behind which, with refpett to Quito, it is fituated. We found ourfelves furrounded 

 with fnow ; it blocked up for fome days all the road to us, and we were fometimes 

 obliged to exert ourfelves very much to prevent it Crufhing our tents down upon 

 us, under which we were flieltered ; from its recent- fall, and yielding to the pref- 

 fure of our fleps, the declivity, too, not being precipitous, nor the diftance long, we 

 were able to reach the height and the edge of the volcano, whofe different eruptions 

 had proved fatal to Quito. The extreme fharpnefs of the cold would not allow us to 

 remain little more than half a quarter of an hour. It occurred to us, in our infpe(5lion 

 of the places, that two obftacles had fufpended the great effect of the volcano upon the 

 town ; one was the interpofition of the flony fummit, upon which we made the long 

 and diftreffing flay ; the other, the half-circle of rocks upon the mouth of the volcano, 

 to the fide of Quito, the refiftance of which determined the direftion of the erupted 

 matter generally another way. It is fingular,, while we were in the midfl of our exami- 

 nation, another yolcano in the eaflern chain flamed beneath us, Cotopaxi, which, by 

 melting its fnows, recalled to our recolleftion its ancient ravages, and one of the mofl 

 remarkable epochs in the hiftory of thofe countries. 



M. Condamine and myfelf afcended once more above the lower boundary of perpetual 

 ihow, upon Choulfalong, or Le Cora9on de Barionuevo, another mountain, one of the 



hills 



