PLATEAU OF CAXAMARCA. 283 



vations differ 9900 (10551 English) feet. In a similar 

 manner, in the Amuich Chain of the Caucasian Daghestan, 

 the cretaceous beds rise from the banks of the Sulak, which 

 are hardly 530 English feet above the sea, to a height of fully 

 9000 (9592 English) feet on the Tschunum; while on the 

 summit of the Schadagh Mountain, 13090 (13950 English) 

 feet high, the Ostrea diluviana (Goldf.) and the same creta- 

 ceous beds are again found. Abich's excellent observations 

 in the Caucasus would thus appear to have confirmed in the 

 most brilliant manner Leopold von Buch's geological views 

 on the mountain development of the cretaceous group. 



From the lonely grazing farm of Montan surrounded by 

 herds of lamas, we ascended more to the south the eastern 

 declivity of the Cordilleras, and arrived as night was closing 

 in at an elevated plain where the argentiferous mountain of 

 Gualgayoc, the principal site of the celebrated silver mines 

 of Chota, afforded us a remarkable spectacle. The Cerro 

 de Gualgayoc, separated by a deep-cleft ravine or valley 

 (Quebrada) from the limestone mountain of Cormolatsche, 

 is an isolated mass of siliceous rock traversed by a multitude 

 of veins of silver which often meet or intersect, and terminated 

 to the north and west by a deep and almost perpendicular 

 precipice. The highest workings are 1445 (1540 English) 

 feet above the floor of the gallery, the Socabon de Espinachi. 

 The outline of the mountain is broken by numerous tower- 

 like and pyramidal points; the summit bears indeed the 

 name of " Las Puiitas," and offers the most decided contrast 

 to the " rounded outlines" which the miners are accustomed 

 to attribute to metalliferous districts generally. " Our mouu- 



