YOLCANOES OF QuiTO. 125 



Garcilazo, and Herrera, indorsed bj Hnmboldt. Except- 

 ing the traditional eruption in 1534, which probably is con- 

 founded with that of Pichincha, Cotopaxi did not open till 

 171:2 ; then followed the eruptions of 1743, 1744, 1746, 

 1766, 1768, 1803, 1851, and 1855. We must mention, how- 

 ever, that, since the recent awakening of Pichincha, Coto- 

 paxi has been unusually silent. There is also a remarkable 

 coincidence (which may not be wholly accidental) in the 

 renewed activity of Pichincha, and the great eruption of 

 Mauna Loa, both occurring in March, 1868. It is general- 

 ly believed by the natives that Cotopaxi and Tungm*agua 

 are sympathetic. 



There are fifty-one volcanoes in the Andean chain. Of 

 these, twenty girdle the Yalley of Quito, three active, five 

 dormant, and twelve extinct.* Besides these are numer- 

 ous mountain peaks not properly volcanic. Nowhere on 

 the face of the earth is there such a grand assemblage of 

 mountains. Twenty-two summits are covered with perpet- 

 ual snow, and fifty are over ten thousand feet high.f All 



* The altitudes of the most important Ecuadorian volcanoes are : 



Western Chain. 



Chimborazo, 21,420 feet (Humboldt). 



Caraguairazo, 19, 183 feet (Humboldt). 



It is variously estimated from 15, 073 



feet to 19,720 feet; 18,000 feet is 



not far from the truth. 



Hiniza, 17,370 feet (Wisse) ; 16,300 



(HaU). 

 Cotocachi, 16,440 feet (Humboldt) 



16,409 (Wisse). 

 Pichincha, 15,922 feet (Humboldt) 

 15,827 (Orton). 



t The snow-limit at the equator is 15,800 feet. No living creature, save 

 the condor, passes this limit ; naked rocks, fogs, and eternal snows mark the 

 reign of uninterrupted solitude. The following is the approximate limit of 

 perpetual snow in different latitudes : 



0° 15,800 feet. I 40° 8,300 feet. 



27° 13,800 " I 54° 3,700 " 



33° 12,780 " i 70° 3,300 '• 



Eastern Chain. 

 (7a^/a??^6^, 19,648 feet (Humboldt); 



19,358 (Wisse). 

 Antisana, 19,148 feet (Humboldt) : 



19,279 (Wisse). 

 Cotopaxi, 18,880 feet (Himaboldt) : 



18,862 (Wisse). 

 Altar, 17,400 feet. 

 Sangai, 17,120 feet (Wisse). 

 Tunguragua, 16,579 feet (Humboldt). 

 Sincholagua, 16,434 feet (Humboldt). 



