Miscellaneous. 157 



sprinkled with myriads of stars, and Chimborazo was delineated, 

 in all its splendour, on the azure and sparkling vault of the firma- 

 ment. 



" On the morning of the 3d of November, at five o'clock, when 

 day had not yet dawned in the equinoctial regions, we left our 

 camp in charge of our people, and departed on our exploring ex- 

 pedition, carrying with us a coffee pot, two thermometers, a com- 

 pass, matches, and tobacco. A steep hill, sandy and rough with 

 pebbles, which separated us from the perpetual snow, occasioned 

 us so much fatigue at our outset, that two of the natives who ac- 

 companied us became discouraged and turned back. 



" When we had surmounted this hill, we descended on some 

 soft sand to the bottom of a valley, which we followed, and from 

 the extremity of which we distinguished very clearly the summit 

 of the mountain, entirely free from snow. 



" After walking half an hour on the snow, vegetation suddenly 

 ceased, and we saw no other living thing but two large partridges, 

 and on the rocks a few lichens of the families Idiothalamus and 

 Hymenothalamus. At this point of our ascent we collected some 

 dry branches of chuquiragua, and made a bundle of them, which 

 we tied to our backs. We had still to scale an immense rock of 

 trachyte, from the top of which the summit of Chimbarazo ap- 

 peared to us so near, that we thought we could reach it in half an 

 hour. 



" Our ascent was so rapid, that we were soon obliged, from 

 fatigue, to make frequent stoppages to recover our breath. 

 Thirst also began to be severely felt, and in order to moderate it 

 we almost always kept snow in our mouths. But we felt no 

 symptoms of illness or any morbid affection, such as is spoken ot 

 by the majority of travellers who have ascended high mountains. 



" After halting a few seconds, without even seating ourselves, 

 we again started not only with renewed ardour, but even a kind 

 of furious determination inspired by so near a view of the sum- 

 mit. It appeared evident to us, by this new instance confirming 

 so many previous ones, that at those heights the atmospheric 

 column is still sufficient to prevent any impediment to respiration, 

 and that the shortness of breath and organic affections which are 

 so generally complained of at considerable elevations, must be 

 ascribed to some other cause. 



" Always rapidly ascending, we now began to overlook the 

 peaks of the Cordilleras, and to discover a distance furnished with 



