332 TRAVELS AMONGST THE GREAT ANDES, chap, xviii. 



Upon leaving the fifth camp^ we steered away from the 

 summit for forty minutes, to turn the north-west ridge ; and then 

 bore round to the S.W., S.S.W., and for a long distance went nearly 

 due South, below the Glacier de Stlibel — the broadest glacier 

 upon Ohimborazo. After passing this, solely at the instigation of 

 the aneroids, I changed the course to S.E. by E., and about 4 p.m. 

 had the satisfaction of pointing out to my people (through a gap 

 in the ridge on the north side of the Vallon de Carrel) the place 

 where we had encamped on the 26th of December. 



The part of Chimborazo traversed on this day was barren to 

 the last degree, covered with beds of sand, extending upwards (as 

 we had found in the Vallon de Carrel) nearly to the snow, and 

 downwards farther than could be seen. All fissures and minor 

 inequalities were entirely effaced. 



These sandy slopes and plains are not perceived while crossing 

 Chimborazo by the ordinary route, or from Guaranda, and they 

 extend uninterruptedly from a little to the west of Tortorillas right 

 round the western and north-western sides of the mountain, nearly 

 to Abraspungo. The portion which at present is called ' The 

 Great Arenal ' is, in reality, only a small part of them. They 

 are an important feature which has not hitherto been pointed out, 

 produced by the same cause as the slope of ash on Cotopaxi [see 

 pp. 146-8], namely, by the predominance of easterly winds, which 

 scour the volcanic dusts from the eastern sides of the mountains, 

 and deposit them on the leeward or western ones ; and they form 

 a most convenient highway, although sterile, infinitely more 

 agreeable to travel over than the established route, through 

 Chuquipoquio. 



^ We scoured the surroundings before departure, and discovered sixteen smaU 

 beetles of six species, three of which {Bembidium Andintmi, Bates, Colpodes oreas, 

 Bates, and ErwrMnoides distinctus, Olliff) were obtained only at this locality. The 

 others {Helicorrhynchus vulsus, Olliff, Naupactus parvicollis, Olliff, and 3facrops 

 coelorum, Olliff) had previously been found at similar altitudes upon Pichincha 

 and Cayambe. Descriptions of these beetles are given in the Supplementary 

 Appendix. 



