4«4 



ULLOA'S voyage to south AMERICA. 



bably I Ihould have had no better (uccefs than before, had not fome Indians affifted me 

 in the mofl fteep and difficult places.^ 



The ftrange manner of living which we were reduced to, may not, perhaps, prove 

 unentertaining to the reader ; and therefore I fhall, as a fpecimen of it, give a fuccincft 

 account of what we fuffered on Pichincha. For this defert, both with regard to the 

 operations we performed there, and its inconveniences, differing very little from others, 

 an idea may be very eafily formed of the fatigues, hardfhips, and dangers, fo which 

 we were continually expofed. The principal difference between the feveral deferts, 

 confifled in their greater or leffer diflance from places where we could procure pro- 

 vifions ; and in the inclemency of the weather, which was proportionate to the height of 

 the mountains, and the feafon of the year when we vifited them. 



We generally kept within our hut. Indeed, we were obliged to do this, both on 

 account of the intenfenefs of the cold, the violence of the wind, and our being con- 

 tinually involved in fo thick a fog, that an objeft at fix or eight paces was hardly dif- 

 cemible. When the fog cleared up, the clouds, by their gravity, moved nearer to 

 the furface of the earth, and on all fides furrounded the mountain to a vafl diflance, 

 reprefenting the fea, with our rock like an ifland in the centre of it. When this hap- 

 pened, we heard the horrid noifes of the tempells, which then discharged themfelves 

 on Quito and the neighbouring country. We faw the lightnings iffue from the clouds, 

 and heard the thunders roll far beneath us, ; and whilfl the lower parts were involved 

 in tempefls of thunder and rain, we enjoyed a delightful ferenity ; the wind was abated, 

 the Iky clear, and the enlivening rays of the fun moderated the feverity of the cold. 

 But our circumflances were very different when the clouds rofe ; their thicknefs ren- 

 dered refpiration difficult ; the fnow and hail fell continually, and the wind returned 

 with all its violence ; fo that it was impoffible entirely to overcome the fears of being, 

 together with our hut, blown down the precipice on whofe edge it was built, or of 

 being buried under it by the daily accumulations of ice and fnow. 



The wind was often fo violent in thefe regions, that its velocity dazzed the fight ; 

 whilfl our fears were increafed by the dreadful concuffions of the precipice by the fall 

 of enormous fragments of rocks. Thefe crafhes were the more alarming, as no other 

 noifes are heard in thefe deferts. And, during the night, our refl, which we fo greatly 

 wanted, was frequently diflurbed by fuch fudden founds. When the weather was 

 any thing fair with us, and the clouds gathered about fome of the other mountains 

 which had a connedion with our obfervations, fo that we could not make all the ufe 

 we defired of this interval of good weather, we left our hut, to exercife ourfelves, in 

 order to keep us warm. Sometimes we defcended to ibme fmall diflance, and at others 

 amufed ourfelves with rolling large fragments of rocks down the precipice ; and thefe 

 many times required the joint flrength of us all, though we often faw the fame per- 

 formed by the mere force of the wind. But we always took care, in our excurfions, not 

 to go too far, but that on the leafl appearance of the clouds gathering about our 

 cottage, which often happened very fuddenly, we could regain our fheiter. The door 

 of our hut was faflened with thongs of leather, and on the infide not the fmallefl 

 crevice was left unflopped ; befides which, it was very compa6lly covered with flraw. 

 But, notwithflanding all our care, the wind penetrated through. The days were often 

 little better than the nights; and all the light we enjoyed was that of a lamp or two, 

 which we kept burning, that we might diflinguifh one another, and improve our time 

 as much as poffible in reading. Though our hut was fmall, and crowded with in- 

 habitants, befides the heat of the lamps, yet the intenfenefs of the cold was fuch, that 

 every one of us was obliged to have a chafing dilh of coals, Thefe precautions would 



have 



