*^^' '^— 





CHAMPIONS. 



CHAPTER XII. 



THE FIRST ASCEN^T OF CAYAMBE. 



Two roads lead out of the northern end of Quito. One, passing 

 to the east of the Observatory, descends through a narrow gorge 

 rather rapidly on to the Plain of Tumbaco, and is used by 

 persons going to the village of the same name, to Pifo, or to 

 Papallacta. The other, on the west of the Observatory, is the 

 road to the North, and it was this one we took on the 27th 

 of March, on our way to the great Equatorial mountain Cayambe. 

 I had seen Cayambe from the cone of Cotopaxi, and at 

 Quito from the Panecillo, but these views were obtained at too 

 great distances (62 and 43 miles respectively) to distinguish 

 details ; and enquiries were made at Quito to learn the names 

 of inhabited places, contiguous to the mountain, where informa- 

 tion might be procured as to the best manner of approaching, 

 it. From Seflor Carlos Aguirre I heard that one of the properties 

 belonging to his family, a large farm called Guachala, was situated 



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