342 TRAVELS A3I0NGST THE GREAT ANDES, chap. xix. 



was a considerable initial error in the determination of the height 

 of his base ; and from simple inspection of the figure upon p. 340 

 it will be apparent that a very slight mistake in the identification 

 of the true summit, at either of his stations A, B, would have 

 produced a marked effect upon the distance of a from A B, and 

 a serious error in the deduced value of the angle of elevation, 

 which was calculated from the distance. 



Humboldt's wish that his observations might be repeated has 

 been fulfilled by his countrymen Messrs. Reiss and Stiibel. In 

 their Alturas, which were printed at Quito in 1873, the height 

 of Ohimborazo is stated to be (according to Dr. Reiss) 20,703 

 feet. By a private communication I know that these travellers 

 adopted for this measurement similar methods to those which 

 were employed by La Condamine and Humboldt. 



There are therefore five diiferent determinations of the height 

 of Ohimborazo, namely : — 



La Condamine 



. 20,592 feet 



Juan and Ulloa . 



. 21,615 ,, 



Humboldt . 



. 21,425 ,, 



Keiss and Stiibel . 



. 20,703 „ 



Whymper . 



. 20,498 ,. 



The first four of these were obtained by similar methods, 

 and the fifth is derived from three observations of the mercurial 

 barometer upon the summit of the mountain. 



The order in which the Great Andes of the Equator should 

 be placed {so far as I am acquainted with tliemi) will be seen in 

 the accompanying table. Several others, which are not included, 

 should perhaps come before Pichincha. There was no opportunity 

 of measuring the mountains of Llanganati [see pp. 97, 110], or the 

 highest points in the range to the south of Ohimborazo. Some 

 of the loftiest peaks in the former group seemed to me to rise 

 well above 16,000 feet, and the latter were not much inferior in 

 elevation, although destitute of snow. 



