ARRIVAL AT LIMA. 287 



adorned by pyramids, in one of which an immense chap.xxiii 

 quantity of gold was discovered in the eighteenth century. AncienT 

 Descending the western slope of the Andes they beheld Mansiche. 

 for the lirst time the Pacific Ocean, and the long narrow 

 valley bounded by its shores, in which rain and thunder 

 are unknown. From Truxillo they followed the arid 

 coast of the South Sea, and arrived at Lima, where they 

 remained several months. At the port of Callao, 

 Humboldt had the satisfaction of observing the transit 

 of Mercury, although the thick fog which prevails 

 there sometimes obscures the sun for many days in 

 succession. 



In January 1803 the travellers embarked for Guaya- GaayaquiL 

 quil, in the vicinity of which they found a splendid 

 forest of palms, plumerise, tabernse-montanae, and scita- 

 minese. Here also they heard the incessant noises of the 

 volcano of Cotopaxi, which had experienced a tremen- 

 dous agitation on the 6th January. From Guayaquil 

 they proceeded by sea to Acapulco in New Spain. At 

 first, Humboldt's intention was to remain only a few 

 months in Mexico, and return as speedily as possible to 

 Europe, more especially as his instruments, and in 

 particular the chronometers, were getting out of order 

 while he found it impossible to procure others. But Hospitable 

 the attractions of so beautiful and diversified a country, treatmenL 

 the great hospitality of its inhabitants, and the dread of 

 the yellow fever of Vera Cruz, which usually attacks 

 tliose who descend from the mountains between June 

 and October, induced him to remain until the middle pi 

 winter. 



After making numerous observations and experiments observaHons 



on the atmospherical phenomena, the horary variations ^"'^ experi 



rnGiits. 



of the barometer, magnetism, and the natural produc- 

 tions of the country, our travellers set out iu the direc- 

 tion of Mexico ; gradually ascending by the burning 

 valleys of Mescala and Papagayo, where the thermometei 

 rose to 89'6° in the shade, and where the river is crossed 

 on fruits of Crescentia pinnata, attached to each other by 

 ropes of agave. Reaching the elevated plains of Chil- 



