358 SOUTH AMERICA— THE ANDES REGIONS. 



section, formed by the convergence of the Carabaya range with the crests stretching 

 north of Lake Titicaca, usually takes the name of the " Apolobamba Knot," one of 

 whose peaks rises to a height of 17,620 feet. Farther on the system broadens 

 out in the direction of the south-east, rising from 6,500 to 8,000 feet above the 

 eastern plains of the lacustrine basin, and penetrating above the snow-line, which 

 in the Cordillera Heal, as this section is called, stands at the enormous altitude of 

 17,250 feet. Towards the middle of the chain the three-crested Sorata, so named 

 from the town at its foot, or lUampu, from a Quichua word meaning " snow," 

 shoots up to 21,300 feet, according to the lowest estimate. 



Illampu is followed along the main axis by other snowy peaks, such as 

 Chachacomani, Huaina Potosi, Cacaca, Mesada and Illimani. Although it is now 

 known to be overtopped by Illampu, Illimani, the second highest of Bolivian peaks, 

 still remains the first for its imposing aspect and variety of outline.* Encircled at 

 its base by tropical plantations, higher up by forests and crops of the temperate 

 zone, it lifts into the clear atmosphere high above the clouds its three snowy 

 peaks, one of which (not the highest) was scaled by Wiener in 1877, and by him 

 named the *'Pic de Paris." 



At the foot of Illimani the Cordillera Real is interrupted by a deep fluvial 

 valley, which, rising on the plateau west of the chain, pierces the main axis in an 

 oblique direction close to La Paz, capital of Bolivia. Beyond the gorge Illimani 

 is faced by Quimsa Cruz, the " Three Crosses." Here is the starting point of the 

 southern section, which at a distance of about 200 miles from La Paz ramifies into 

 two branches — the main range, which is deflected southwards parallel with the 

 Western Cordillera and coastline, and an eastern chain trending away irregularly 

 in the direction of the plains. The Cochabamba Knot, where the bifurcation takes 

 place, culminates in the Cerro Tunari, 16,185 feet high. The whole space 

 enclosed by the two ranges develops east of the western plateau a chaotic system 

 of ridges and masses carved into numerous fragments by the headwaters of the 

 streams, ramifying like the ribs of a fan, in one direction towards the Madeira, in 

 the other to the Paraguay. 



The southern continuation of the Cordillera Real, skirting the west side of the 

 central Bolivian tableland, comprises several isolated groups and rocky ridges, 

 which in some places run in two parallel lines. Here a number of peaks exceed 

 16,500 feet; Asanaque (16,840) is followed farther south by the still more 

 elevated Michaga (17,390), and Cuzco (17,900) in the Cordillera de los Frailes. 



Farther on broad gaps occur, beyond which the peaks fall to a lower altitude ; 

 Ubina is only 14,360 feet high, but Tuluma, culminating point of the Sierra de 

 Chichas, overtops it by nearly 1,300 feet. East of the main axis Chorolque towers 

 to a height of 18,450 feet, and this is exceeded by Guadalupe (18,870), Todos 



* Measurements of Illampu and Illimani : — 



Illampu: 21,310 feet 



21,490 



21,500 



21,430 



21,300 



(Pentland) 

 (Minchin) 



Illimani: 24,220 feet 

 22,230 ,, 

 21,990 „ 

 21,246 ,, 

 20,970 ,, 



(Pentland) 



(Ondarza) 



(Reck) 



(Minchin) 



(Wiener) 



