THE PERUVIAN COEDILLERAS. 279 



appellation of cordlllera, which, as so used, is to be carefully distinguished from 

 the Western Cordillera, or coast range. 



Beyond all these parallel ranges the little-known eastern slope of the high- 

 lands disappears under the vast forests which merge in the Amazonian wood- 

 lands. The whole of this eastern section of Peru constitutes the so-called 

 Montana, whether it be "mountainous" or not, a region of great fertility, abounding 

 in the most diverse natural products. 



The Northern Cordilleras. 



In the northern parts of Peru the mountains are of relatively low elevation, 

 and of somewhat irregular form. In these regions the axis of the Andean system 

 might seem to be indicated, less by any particular chain of heights, than by the 

 deep valley of the upper Maranon, regarded as the main headstream of the 

 Amazons. This axis is continued northwards by the Rio Chinchipe, which 

 descends from the Loja uplands and flows in the opposite direction to the 

 Maranon. Below their confluence the united waters, trending round to the east, 

 pierce the easternmost chain of the Andes. Another crest, forming a southern 

 extension of the Loja mountains, skirts the west side of the upper Maranon 

 valley, beyond which it merges, south of the Cajamarca basin, in another Cordil- 

 lera rising immediately above the coastlands. Several summits iu these various 

 ranges exceed 10,000 feet. 



But as they advance southwards the two mountain barriers rising between 

 the upper Maranon and the Pacific attain in some of their precipitous spurs 

 heights of 20,000 feet and upwards. The loftiest summits occur in the Ancachs 

 section, although their names are still but little known. Such are the Cerro 

 Huandoy above Caraz, the double-peaked Cerro de Huascan, and the Cerro de 

 Hualcan. As measured by Hindle, the loftiest peak of Huascan (22,080 feet) 

 overtops Chimborazo by about 1,350 feet. 



On these uplands the lower limit of persistent snows descends lower than on 

 any of the other Peruvian cordilleras. On the Yangunaco Pass, above Yungay, 

 the snowy zone begins at 15,750 feet, whereas on the other Peruvian mountains, 

 even those farthest removed from the equator, it scarcely reaches down to 

 16,500 feet. Usually the snowlields of the eastern slopes, exposed to the moist 

 trade winds, are more extensive than on the relatively drier west side. Here the 

 tepid sei breezes are intercepted by the lofty parallel ridge of the Cordillera 

 Negra, which extends like a screen along the seaboard, and thus prevents the 

 snows of the great Cordillera from melting. 



The Cordillera Negra (" Black Range ") has no passes lower than 13,800 feet, 

 while some of its peaks exceed 16,500 feet, that is, rise above the snow-line of the 

 greater Sieri-a. Nevertheless, the range still remains "black," being deprived 

 of snow by the influence of the hot winds ascending from the coast to their sum- 

 mits. But the ravines in both ranges show traces of extensive glaciers, the 

 remains of whose moraines are still visible. 



