58 TRAVELS AMONGST THE GREAT ANDES. chap. hi. 



a basin occupied by a glacier (the Glacier de Debris, about which 

 I shall speak more particularly presently) terminating in a vdllon 

 leading down to the Arenal. On the farther or eastern side of 

 this glacier there was another ridge that carried, opposite to our 

 camp, a rather prominent secondary peak, which we dubbed — 

 from its situation and from a fancied resemblance to the Mont 

 Blanc aiguille — the Aiguille du Midi. This, and another smaller 

 one that we called the Aiguille du G6ant, being higher than our 

 station, shut out much of the vista to the east. The ridge of 

 which they formed part did not extend to so great a height as 

 our own. It became lost amid the snow and scattered rocks 

 shewn upon the right of the view facing p. 24, and over its higher 

 extremity, in the early morning, we could occasionally see some of 

 the tumultuous glacier which covers a great part of the eastern 

 side of Chimborazo, with its numerous crevasses and gigantic 

 schrunds. Over these slopes and schrunds clouds gathered cease- 

 lessly, tantalizing us when they were whirled aloft and torn into 

 shreds, only to be replaced in a few seconds by equally impene- 

 trable mists manufactured from invisible vapours. 



On the left or west of our ridge there was the Vallon de 

 Carrel, up which we had come ; and at the head of this there was 

 glacier E (Glacier de Thielmann) of my map, that has its origin 

 in the crown of the western dome. The farther or northern side 

 of this glacier was bounded by a long and serrated ridge which 

 terminated the view in that direction. 



Above the camp, rising 500 feet higher at an angle of about 

 35°, our ridge was covered with disintegrated lava mingled with 

 patches of sand ; a stony waste, easy enough to traverse, — Mr. 

 Perring, indeed, could ascend or descend it by himself. Up to 

 this elevation (nearly 17,200 feet) Chimborazo could be ascended 

 in the month of January without touching snow ! The crest or 

 arete of the ridge then rose for some distance at a less abrupt 

 angle, and w^as occupied by jagged blocks or pinnacles of lava 

 which concealed its continuation in the rear. Except by looking 



