GCHAIN Of ALPS IN AMERICA. cxxxik 
This exalted fituation is part of the Shining Mountains, which are branches Of Cuain or Atps 
the vaft chain which pervades the whole continent of America. It may be fairly 1% AMERICA. 
taken from the fouthern extremity, where Staten Land and Terra del Fuego rife 
out of the fea, as infulated links, to an immenfe height, black, rocky, and mark- 
ed with rugged fpiry tops, frequently covered with fnow. New Georgia may be 
added, as another, horribly congenial, rifing detached farther to the eaft. The 
mountains about the ftreights of AZagellan foar to an amazing height, and infi- 
nitely fuperior to thofe of the northern hemifphere, under the fame degree of la- 
titude. From the north fide of the ftreights of Magellan, they form a continued 
chain through the kingdoms of Chili and Peru, preferving a courfe not remote 
from the Pacific Ocean. The fummits, in many places, are the higheft in the 
world. There are not lefs than twelve which are from two thoufand four hun- 
dred toifes high, to above three thoufand. Pichincha, which impends over 
Quito, is about thirty-five leagues from the fea, and its fummit is two thoufand 
four hundred and thirty toifes above the furface of the water; Cayambé, imme- 
diately ‘under the equator, is above three thoufand ; and Chimborazo higher than 
the laft by two hundred. Moft of them have been vulcanic, and in different 
ages marked with eruptions far more horrible than have been known in other 
quarters of the globe. They extend from the equator, through Chili; in which 
kingdom isa range of vulcanoes, from lat. 26 fouth, to 45. 30*, and poffibly 
from thence into Terra del Fuego itfelf, which, forming the ftreights of Magellan, 
may have been rent from the continent by fome great convulfion, occafioned by 
their laborings; and New Georgia, forced up from the fame caufe. An un- 
paralleled extent of plain appears on their eaftern fide. The river of Amazons runs 
along a level cloathed with forefts, after it burfts from its confinement at the 
Pongo of Borjas, till it reaches its fea-like difcharge into the Atlantic Ocean. 
In the northern hemifphere, the Audes pafs through the narrow ifthmus of 
Darien, into the kingdom of Mexico, and preferve a majeftic height and their 
vulcanic difpofition. The mountain Popocatepec made a violent eruption during 
the expedition of Cortez, which is moft beautifully defcribed by his hiftorian, 
Antonio de Solis +. ‘This, poffibly, is the fame with the vulcano obferved by 
the Abbé d@’ Autercche, in his way from Vera Crux to Mexico, which, from the na- 
kednefs of the lavas, he conjectured to have been but lately extinguifhed f. 
From the kingdom of Mexico, this chain is continued northward, and to the 
eaft of California; then verges fo greatly towards the weft, as to leave a very 
© Ovalli, Hift. Chili, in Churchill's Coll. iiis 13. + Congqueft of Mexico, book iit. ch. ive 
} Voy. to California, 33. 
inconfiderable 
