306 MOUNTAINS OF ASSUY. 



valley of Cuenca. This separation continues for a length 

 of only 12 leagues ; for in latitude 2 27', the two Cordilleras 

 again re-unite in the knot of Assuy, a trachytic group, ol 

 which the table-land, near Cadlud (2428 toises high) nearly 

 enters the region of perpetual snow. 



The group of the mountains of Assuy, which affords a 

 very frequented pass of the Andes between Cuenca and 

 Quito (lat. 2^ to 40' south) is succeeded by another divi- 

 sion of the Cordilleras, celebrated by the labours of Bouguer 

 and La Condamine, who placed their signals sometimes 

 on one, sometimes on the other of the two chains. The 

 eastern chain is that of Chimborazo (3*350 toises) and Car- 

 guairazo ; the western is the chain of the volcano Sangay, 

 the Collanes, and of Llanganate. The latter is broken by 

 the Bio Pastaza. The bottom of the longitudinal basin that 

 bounds those two chains, from Alausi to Llactacunga, is 

 somewhat higher than the bottom of the basin of Cuenca. 

 JN"orth of Llactacanga, 40' latitude, between the tops oi 

 Yliriiza (2717 toises) and Cotopaxi (2950 toises), of which 

 the former belongs to the chain of Chimborazo, and the latter 

 to that of Sangay, is situated the knot of Chisinche ; a kind of 

 narrow dyke that closes the basin, and divides the waters 

 between the Atlantic and the Pacific. The Alto de Chisinche 

 is only 80 toises above the surrounding table-lands. The 

 waters of its northern declivity form the Bio de San Pedro, 

 which, joining the Bio Pita, throws itself into the Gruala- 

 bamba, or Bio de las Esmeraldas. The waters of the 

 southern declivity, called Cerro de Tiopullo, run into the 

 Rio San Felipe and the Pastaza, a tributary stream of the 

 Amazon. 



The bipartition ot the Cordilleras re-commences and con- 

 tinues from 40' lat. south to 20' lat. north ; that is, as 

 far as the volcano of Imbabura, near the villa of Ibarra. 

 The eastern Cordillera presents the snowy summits of Anti- 

 sana (2992 toises), of G-uamani, Cayambe (3070 toises), and 

 of Imbabura; the western Cordillera, those of Corazon, 

 Atacazo, Pichinca (2491 toises), and Catocache (2570 

 Voises). Between these two chains, which may be regarded 

 as the classic soil of the astronomy of the 18th century, is 

 a valley, part of which is again divided longitudinally by the 

 hills ot' Ichiiubio and Poisnasi. The table-lands of Pueinbo 



