CHAP. VI. THE PROJECT. 121 



experienced at the third camp, namely, about 16 inches. To 

 settle this matter, so far as it could be done in Ecuador, I had 

 intended to ascend Chimborazo again, perhaps several times, and 

 had even projected a residence on the snow plateau at its 

 summit. This now could not be done. The stores and baggage 

 which had cost so much time and trouble to take up had all 

 been brought down again, the camps were broken up, and the 

 information which was desired could only be obtained by begin- 

 ning afresh in some other quarter. 



All the other Great Andes of the Equator were believed to 

 be lower than Chimborazo, and consequently we were not likely 

 to add materially to what we had already learned concerning 

 the effects of diminished atmospheric pressure by simple ascents 

 and descents of them. Moreover, two of the loftiest — Antisana 

 and Cayambe — were as yet unclimbed, and, even should we 

 get up them, it was probable that we should be unable to 

 remain on their summits. So my thoughts naturally turned 

 to the great volcano Cotopaxi. It was reported that there was 

 a large slope of ash at the apex of its terminal cone, and I 

 proposed to encamp upon it, close to the top of the mountain. 

 If this could be done, and if we should find that we could 

 remain at this height (19,500 feet) for a length of time without 

 suffering inconvenience from the low reigning pressure, it would 

 substantially advance our information, and would give good 

 grounds for hope that one might carry exploration elsewhere 

 as high as 24,000 or 25,000 feet above the level of the sea ; 

 though it would still leave in uncertainty the possibility of 

 attaining the very highest summits in the world. It is idle to 

 suppose that men will ever reach the loftiest points on the 

 globe, unless they are able to camp out at considerably greater 

 elevations than twenty thousand feet. 



The chance of having a nocturnal view of the interior of 

 the crater, though a secondary, was a powerful attraction. 

 Those who had hitherto ascended Cotopaxi had remained a very 



