64 
. assent to what we could not explain, namely, 
the sudden metamorphosis of a cascade 
into an ice-column. On the opposite side 
of the ravine, the snow had fancifully ar- 
ranged itself into tent-like draperies, the 
festoons of which had a tint of blue; the 
colour of the rocks is also singularly varied, 
passing from a light umber through various 
tints of brown and red, to grey, purple, 
and yellow combinations, which, during 
sunshine, give a brilliancy to the scene, 
little to have been anticipated at an eleva- 
tion where the forms and combinations of 
nature are generally few and monotonous. 
In the variety of the colours we cannot but 
acknowledge the action of fire on the tra- 
chytes which constitutes the mass of the 
mountain. 
Although the common belief of the 
country is, that it has never burnt, we 
found abundant specimens of calcination, 
to show that anciently its flanks have been 
rent by volcanos. 
On our descent in the afternoon, we 
were saluted by a violent hail-storm, and 
observed another danger to which the vi- 
sitors of Chimborazo are exposed, arising 
from the action of the wind, which repeat- 
edly separated from the cliffs lamellar 
fragments of rock, and whirled them through 
the air almost with the force and rapidity 
of cannon balls, The frequency of hail- 
storms, accompanied by thunder, at these 
elevations, may be considered a strong ar- 
gument in favour of the agency of electri- 
city in the formation of hail-stones. It is 
impossible here that rain should have 
from a warmer into a colder stratum 
of air, since the atmosphere, be 
by currents which fluctuate in the lower 
regions, grows constantly and uniformly 
colder in proportion to the elevation. The 
clouds, moreover, are formed so very close 
to the mountain summits, that we can con- 
ceive oes space nor time sufficient for 
congelation to take place by a mere change 
of temperature. 
The next day, on our return to Riobam- 
ba, we examined the extinguished volcano 
called. ee. near the 
village of C it is a conical hill, or ra- 
EXCURSIONS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF QUITO. 
5 
ther mound, covered with black scorim, - 
but without any trace of a crater. Close 7 
to the spot is an aperture in a ledge of 
rocks, from which issues the sound of wa- 
ter or air, rushing below, probably caused. 
by a stream which has worked a subterra- | 
nean passage through the light porous soil | 
from the mountains above, and finds a vent — 
in the ravines below. Springs of a similar | 
nature are numerous in the vicinity of Rio- | 
bamba, especially in the hamlet of Elen, - 
and they seem common to all the volcanic | 
soils of the country. ; 
We returned to Riobamba, not dissatis- | 
fied with the result of our expedition, . 
though we had failed to accomplish the : 
great object of our ambition—to tread the - 
virgin snows on the summit of Chimborazo. - 
It is a curious propensity in man to feela ` 
pride in doing what has never been done - 
before, even though the result should — 
n" compensate the labour: however, — 
en Nature is in any way the object of - 
our researches, they are very rarely pro- — 
ductive of regret or disappointment to our- - 
selves, however unimportant they may ap- 
pear, and perhaps nally are, to others. $ 
The plants d at a height supposed 
far above the limits of vegetation, the spe- 
cimens of minerals collected by none but | 
ourselves, the frozen falls we alone have . 
admired, the rarefied atmosphere we have - 
breathed, at the elevation of 19,660 feet, 
wil ever be pleasurable remembrances, 
more than sufficient to compensate the time 
and trouble expended, though they add no 
important fact to science; nor can be said 
to influence the general interests of hu- : 
manity. : 
On the 23d of December, M. Boussin- - 
gault left Riobamba for Guayaquil, where _ 
he intended to embark, and crossing the _ 
isthmus of Panama, to return to Europe. | 
1eonvoror 
AT 
the ndr regret with which I —— him 
not i, and those who olor them, a 
