ULLOa's voyage to south AMERICA. 433 



fignals fliould be placed, fo as to form the moft regular triangles, and whofe fides fliould 

 not be intercepted by higher mountains. 



During thefe operations, M. de la Condamine went to Lima, in order to procure 

 money on recommendatory letters of credit, which he had brought from France, for 

 defraying the exoences of the company, till remittances arrived; and Don George 

 Juan followed him, in order to confer with the viceroy of Peru, for amicably deter- 

 mining fome differences which had arifen with the new prefident. 



Thefe two gentlemen, having happily terminated their refpedive affairs, returned to 

 Quito about the middle of June, when both M. Bouguer and thofe who furveyed the 

 ibuthern parts had finifhed their plans. It was now determined to continue the feries 

 of triangles to the fouth of Quito ; and the company accordingly divided themfelves 

 into two bodies, confifting of French and Spaniards, and each retired to the part 

 afligned him ; Don George Juan and M. Godin, who were at the head of one party, 

 went to the mountain of Pambamarca ; while M. Bouguer, De la Condamine, and 

 myfelf, together with our afTiftants, climbed up to the higheft fummit of Pichincha. 

 Both parties fuffered not a little, both from t^ie feverity of the cold, and the impetuofity 

 of the winds, which on thefe heights blew with incelfant violence ; and thefe difficulties 

 were the more painful to us, as we had been little ufed to fuch fenfations. Thus in 

 the torrid zone, nearly under the equinoQial, where it is natural to fuppofe we had 

 mofl to fear from the heat, our greatefl pain was caufed by the exceffivenefs of the 

 cold, the intenfenefs of which may be conjectured from the following experiments 

 made by the thermometer, carefully fheltered from the wind, on the top of Pichincha ; 

 the freezing point being at 1000. 



On the 15th of Auguft, 1737, at twelve at noon, the liquor was at the height of 

 1003. At four in the evening, at iooi|. At fix in the evening, at 998I. 



On the 16th of Auguft, at fix in the morning, at 997. At ten in the forenoon, at 

 1005. At twelve at noon, at 1008. At five in the evening, at 1001 f. At fix in the 

 evening, at 9994- 



On the 1 7th, at three quarters after five in the morning, at 996. At nine in the 

 morning, at 1001. At three quarters after twelve, at 1010. At a quarter after two 

 in the afternoon, at ioi2|. At fix in the evening, at 999. And at ten in the even- 

 ing, at 998. 



Our firfl fcheme for fhelter and lodging, in thefe uncomfortable regions, was, to 

 pitch a field-tent foi* each company ; but on Pichincha this could not be done, from 

 the narrownefs of the fummit ; and we were obliged to be contented with a hut, fo 

 fmall, that we could hardly all creep into it. Nor will this appear flrange, if the 

 reader confiders the bad difpofition and fmallnefs of the place, it being one of the 

 loftiefl crags of a rocky mountain, one hundred toifes above the higheft part of the 

 defert of Pichincha. Such was the fituation of our manfion, which, like all the other 

 adjacent parts, foon became covered with ice and fnow. The afcent up this ftupend- 

 ous rock, from the bafe, or the place where the mules could come, to our habitation, 

 was fo craggy, as only to be climbed on foot, and to perform it, coft us four hours 

 continual labour and pain, from the violent efforts of the body, and the fubtility of 

 the air ; the latter being fuch, as to render refpiration difficult. It was my misfortune, 

 when I climbed fomething above half way, to be fo overcome, that I fell down, and 

 remained a long time without fenfe or motion ; and, as I was told, with all the ap- 

 pearances of death in my face. Nor was I able to proceed after coming to myfelf, 

 but was obliged to return to the foot of the rock, where our fervants and inftruments 

 remained. The next day I renewed the attempt of climbing the rock ; though pro- 

 bably 



