425 ULLOa's voyage to south AMERICA. 



labourers, when we were relieved by the honefl fervant mentioned above, who had 

 withftood the feduftion of his countrymen, and informed us of the defertion'of the four 

 others. After great difficulty, he opened a way for us to come out, when we all fell 

 to clearing our habitation from the maffes of fnow. We then fent the Indian to the cor- 

 regidor of Quito with advice of our condition, who, with equal difpa'tch, fent others, 

 threatening to chaftife them feverely if they were wanting in their duty. 



But the fear of puniihment was not fufficient to induce them to fupport the rigour of 

 our fituation ; for within two days we miffed them. On this fecond defertion, the cor- 

 regidor, to prevent other inconveniences, fent four Indians under the care of an alcalde, 

 and gave^orders for their being relieved every fourth day. 



Twenty-three tedious days we fpent on this rock, viz. to the 6th of September, and 

 even without any polfibility of finifhing our obfervations of the angles ; for, when it was 

 fair and clear weather with us, the others, on whofe fummits were erected the lignals 

 which formed the triangles for meafuring the degrees of the meridian, were hid in 

 clouds ; and when (as we conjectured, for we could never plainly difcern them) thofe 

 were clear, Pichincha was involved in clouds. It was therefore neceflary to ere£t our 

 fignals in a lower fituation, and in a more favourable region. This, however, did not 

 produce any change in our habitation till December, when, having finilhed the obferv- 

 ations which particularly concerned Pichincha, we proceeded to others ; but with no 

 abatement either of inconveniences, cold or fatigue, the places where we made all our 

 obfervations being neceifarily on the highefl parts of the deferts ; fo that the only refpite, 

 in which we enjoyed fome little eafe, was during the Ihort interval of palling from one 

 to the other. 



In all our ftations fubfequent to that on Pinchlncha, during our fatiguing menfura- 

 tion of the degrees of the meridian, each company lodged in a field-tent, which, though 

 fmall, we found lefs inconvenient than our Pinchincha hut, though at the fame time we 

 had more trouble, being oftener obliged to clear it from the fnow, as the weight of it 

 would otherwife have demolifhed the tent. At firft, indeed, we pitched it in the moft 

 Sheltered places ; but, on tajdng a refolution that the tents themfelves fhould ferve for 

 fignals, to prevent the inconvenience of thofe of wood, we removed them to a more ex- 

 pofed fituation, where the impetuofity of the winds fometimes tore up the piquets, and 

 blew them down. Then we were not a little pleafed with our having brought fupernu- 

 merary tents, and with our dexterity in pitching another inflead of that which the wind 

 had torn away. Indeed, without this precaution, we Ihould have been in the utmofl 

 danger of perilhing. In the defert of Afuay we particularly experienced the benefit of 

 this expedient ; three tents belonging to our company being obliged to be pitched one 

 after another, till at laft they all became unfit for ufe, and two ftout poles were broken. 

 In this terrible condition our only refource was to quit the poll, which was next lo the 

 fignal of Sinafaguan, and fhelter ourfelves in a breach or chafm. The two companies 

 were both at that time on this defert, fo that the fulferings of both were equal. The 

 Indians who attended us, not willing to bear the feverity of the cold, and difgulled with 

 the frequent labour of clearing the tent from the fnow, at the firft ravages of the wind, 

 deferted us. Thus we were obliged to perform every thing ourfelves, till others were 

 fent us from a feat about three leagues diftant at the bottom of the mountain. 



While we were thus labouring under a variety of difficulties from the wind, fnow, 

 frofl;, and the cold, which we here found more fevere than in any other part ; forfaken 

 by our Indians, little or no provifions, a fcarcity of fuel, and in a manner deftitute of 

 ihelter, the good prieft of Cannar, a town fituated at the foot of thefe Cordilleras, fouth- 

 weft from the fignal of Sinafaguan, about five leagues from it, and the road very diffi- 



1 cult. 



