THE SOUTH AMERICAN BELIEF— THE ANDES. 19 



these natural features. Thus the three republics of the ancient province of 

 Colombia (Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador), Peru, Bolivia, and Chili, all belong 

 to the western (Andes) section ; while the Guianas, Brazil, and the Argentine 

 States form part of the eastern section, sloping towards the Atlantic. The limits, 

 however, of the respective physical and political divisions are far from coinciding 

 with any approach to accuracy. With the exception of Cliili, comprised entirely 

 within the Pacific slope, all the Andean states encroach considerably on the inland 

 plains. The whole of the Orinoco basin, although lying in the Atlantic area of 

 drainage, is, nevertheless, comprised within the two Andean republics of Venezuela 

 and Colombia. But these frontiers, laid down by diplomatists, run for nearly their 

 entire length through regions inhabited only by the aborigines and a few half- 

 castes. Even in the eyes of the geographer their importance is but slight. 



The Andes Orographic System. 



The characteristic feature of South America, as compared with other continents, 

 is the remarkable regularity of the orographic system which forms its backbone. 

 From east Venezuela to the Strait of Magellan the line of the Andes nowhere 

 presents a single break. Throughout its vast extent, however, it ramifies into 

 two or more foldings, for the most part parallel, and enclosing extensive elevated 

 and level tablelands. The system develops two main curves — the first, intersected 

 by the equator, turns its convex side towards the Pacific, and projects its 

 most advanced point at the headland of Punta Pariiia in north Peru ; the second, 

 sweeping round to the south-east and south, has the centre of its concave side at 

 the point where now stands the city of Arica. 



South of Arica the system runs parallel with the coast nearly in a straight line 

 from north to south. But towards the extremity of the continent it develops a 

 second convex curvature, traced as if with the compass, which is continued sea- 

 wards by a submarine ridge connecting Tierra del Fuego with the archipelago of 

 South Georgia. 



Everywhere the Andes hug the coastline, and in many places, as at Guayra, 

 in Venezuela, the escarpments plunge sheer into the sea, where they are con- 

 tinued, without any intermediate terraces, down to the abysses of the oceanic 

 cavities. No real plains occur between the foot of the mountains and the seashore, 

 except in the northern provinces of Colombia, where, thanks to the abundant 

 rainfall, the eroded rocks have been transformed to broad alluvial flats. On the 

 Pacific side, where the rainfall is much lighter, there are scarcely any plains, 

 but only a series of terraced lands between the mountains and the sea. Here also 

 the marine waters deepen rapidly, abysses of 1,000 fathoms occurring normally 

 within 120 miles of the coast. Thus the submerged roots of the Andes present 

 an aspect analogous to that of the upraised slopes, except that their incline is 

 considerably less abrupt. Evidently the coast ranges and the coastline are due 

 to the same cosmic phenomenon. 



But, however regular it maybe in its main outlines, the Andes orographic system 

 presents great difierences in its several sections, which vary in breadth and altitude 



