1 
| 
EXCURSIONS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF QUITO. 
Towards the South, — 
Vela ER ge 8,021 
Peniperivi. s. ,264 
Riobamba .... 9,189 
The northern basin of Quito is disposed 
in a similar manner, to give exit to the 
Guaillapamba towards the woods of Esme- 
raldas. The lowest point is the village of 
Penicho :— 
a REPRE 9,524 feet 
Pomasqui ..... 8,697 
Pencho. ors 6,350 
El Quinichi.... 8,772 
Cayambe...... 9,724 
A tradition is attached to the mountain 
of Llanganati, as having been the spot 
where the subjects of Atahualpa threw 
away the treasures they were transporting 
for his ransom, when they heard of his 
murder. 
Although this mountain is now a path- 
less desert, it is certain that in the time of 
the Incas, a high road extended along the 
ridge of the Cordillera of Quito; traces of 
which still exist, and the curate of Pillaro 
as been recently employed in opening a 
communication towards the head of Llan- 
ganati, with the hope of discovering the 
golden spoil. At any rate, the road may 
be useful, as affording a readier communi- 
cation with the rich forests of Canelos, 
than that which at present follows the out- 
let of Achacubo. 
On the 4th of December, we left Banos 
to proceed to Riobamba; so instead of 
passing the bridge of Casua, we continued 
along the right bank of the river, to the 
hamlet of Peula. On the road, we gathered 
a Lobelia with whitish flowers I had not 
seen before; and, among the fragments of 
T a, a species of Orchideous plant, 
remarkable for preferring a dry, exposed 
situation. We took up our quarters in a 
cottage at Puela, for the purpose of making 
an excursion to Tungaragua, and having 
procured a guide, we set out next morn- 
ing. We rode about a mile to the com- 
mencement of the woods, which cover its 
base: here it was necessary to alight, and 
continue the journey on foot. i 
59 
retired situation, and the scanty population 
of the valley, the forests of Tungaragua 
have not yielded to cultivation. They 
form a barrier to the ascent, so much the 
more impenetrable, as that the Payonales 
above have not been converted into graz- 
ing lands; there is, consequently, no road, 
nor even a path by which to reach the 
summit. We were obliged to creep and 
crawl through the dense vegetation, for 
about five hours, when we came to a ter- 
mination of our journey by no means anti- 
cipated. e had directed our guide to 
conduct us £o the snow ; now, all our for- 
mer experience taught us to consider the 
snow, and the summit of the mountain, as 
synonymous: we were, therefore, not a 
little surprized when we had extricated 
ourselves from the central region of forests, 
our guide announced to us the snow. In 
effect, we found ouselves in a long narrow 
valley or ravine, called La quebrada de 
Granelisagua, completely filled with it, 
while the barometer indicated only 11,122 
feet of elevation: thermometer, 46°. We 
continued to asoend, and found the head 
of the valley to be 13,317 feet high. The 
snow extending about two miles from the 
first point to the second, and bridging over 
a small stream, which ran under it, the 
temperature of which was 42°, we were 
forced to consider it an avalanche hurled 
down at the period of some volcanic com- 
motion; yet its existence for some time in 
a mean temperature, so much above that 
of congelation, and surrounded by vegeta- 
tion, generally unused to such company, 
must be considered as curious. When we 
had arrived at the head of the glen, we 
found it impossible to get out, but by re- 
turning by the same path. Perpendicular 
bales of rock baffled all our attempts to 
scale them, and M. Boussingault was, on 
one occasion, in serious difficulties. We 
were now convinced of the impossibility of 
reaching the summit, without making pre- 
parations for much more than a day’s jour- 
ney, and we accordingly returned to Puela. 
The forest, through which we passed, was 
of considerable botanical interest. Towards 
the upper part we found Baccharis genis- 
