EXCURSIONS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF QUITO. 
teresting, as such remains are extremely 
scarce in all the district of Quito. The 
only edifice of importance besides this, 
is the Fortress or Palace of Cañar, in the 
Department of Asuay. In the City of 
Quito, no vestiges remain of the Temple 
of the Sun, which stood on the Panecillo, 
nor of the House of the Moon, which rose 
on the opposite eminence of San Juan. 
The avarice of the conquerors, who left 
not a stone unturned in their search after 
hidden treasures, together with the inter- 
est of employing the old materials in the 
structure of their new city, have eradicated 
every trace of the capital of Atahualpa. 
The only relics I ever discovered, are two 
images of the sun and moon, sculptured 
in alto-relievo on two stones, one of which 
forms one of the portals of the Convent of 
St. Catharine, and the other part of the sill 
of an inner door of the same building. 
The shape of the stones, the style of 
sculpture, and the nature of the devices, 
leave no doubt of their being genuine re- 
mains of antiquity. It would be desirable 
to rescue them from their present neglect, 
and preserve them in a manner better 
worthy of their origin. 
About a quarter of a mile from Callo, 
betwixt the ruins and the ridge of Tio- 
pullo, rises a conical mound, 450 feet high, 
which, partly from tradition and partly 
from its symmetrical figure, was supposed 
to be a work of art. M. Boussingault and 
myself, however, after an accurate exami- 
nation, dissented from this opinion, chiefly 
from the appearance of part of the rock in 
situ, and from the circumstance of springs 
of water issuing from its base. Probably, 
however, the labour of the Incas may have 
helped to round it into its present symme- 
trical The elevation of Callo is 
10,092 feet. To the north-east, distant 
about four miles, rises the Volcano of Co- 
topaxi. The intermediate plain, for seve- 
ral leagues, is covered with immense 
masses of rock, projected by its eruptions, 
e the fragments of a bomb. Some of 
them are black and calcined; others su- 
perficially vitrified. The soil is bare and 
sandy, though not incapable of cultivation, 
53 
when irrigated. The landscape is dreary 
to desolation. Elenisa and Cotopaxi, like 
giant irae alternately enveloped in 
storms and darkness, thunder on opposite 
sides a the horizon. It rarely happens 
that the traveller crosses the ridge of Tio- 
pullo, without encountering a tempest, 
brewed by one or other of these formid- 
able neighbours. The rains, however, fall 
principally on the northern side, towards 
Machachi and Quito. 
On the 23d, we set out for the purpose 
of attempting the ascent of Cotopaxi. 
Crossing the plain, already described, we 
ascended towards the foot of the snow. 
A few shrubs grow in the hollow near the 
plain, but the place of the Pajonales, or 
“ Region of Grapes,” is supplied by a 
dreary extent of bare volcanic sands, of an 
iron colour, on which exists no trace of 
vegetation. We found the limit of conge- 
lation at 15,646 feet. The truncated cone 
of Cotopaxi is singularly regular and beau- 
tiful; a dark wall of rocks surround the 
crater, contrasting with the dazzling white- 
ness of the snows beneath it. Made wise 
by experience, we had provided ourselves 
with masks, which protected both the face 
and eyes. We found the ascent toilsome 
in the extreme: it cost us above four 
hour’s labour, to gain a point near the foot 
of the wall, where M. Boussingault’s ba- 
rometer indicated an elevation of 18,966 
feet. We were consequently only 500 feet 
from the summit, supposing this to be 
18,860 feet, as calculated by the Academi- 
cians. But here our progress was arrested, 
The snow, that had hitherto been hard and 
glassy, accumulated round the base of the 
crater, became so loose that we ran the 
risk of being buried in it; so that to pro- 
ceed was impossible. The sulphureous 
vapours of the crater were strongly per- 
ceptible, and we regretted our inability to 
look into the mighty laboratory of nature 
now so near us. The fatigue, however, 
we had undergone in the ascent, perhaps, 
reconciled us a little to the necessity of 
returning. Some idea may be formed of 
its steepness, from a trifling incident, Dr. 
Dosti and myself, on sitting down to rest 
