A JOURNEY IN ECUADOR 
245 
however, the cook. The water rose thirty feet, and then gradu- 
ally subsided, having just missed canying away our entire camp. 
After we left the river one high ridge was reached onl}" to 
plunge again into a ravine on the other side, for the trail carried 
us across the many forks of the Sapa}^ Grande. We made only 
four or five miles a day. One day, having a particularly rough 
and difficult journe}' to make, we failed to reach our camp and 
remained all night upon the cordillera. The darkness fell 
rapidly. Suddenly a peal of thunder was heard, followed by a 
sound like a rushing, furious wind through the tree-tops, the 
signal of approaching rain. It came in torrents, wetting us 
through and through, and putting out our fire. The earth, like 
a sponge filled to repletion, received and gave off’ its additional 
moisture, making the air intensely humid. We sat up the rest 
of the night, clinging to the roots of the trees, hearing the whirr 
of innumerable birds, the buzz of countless insects, and the howl- 
ing of wild cats, while large firebugs and a phosphorescent gleam 
from decayed vegetation spread a weird glow that only served to 
intensify the darkness. 
On the fourth day we reached the main divide or cordillera 
overlooking Rio Santiago, 8,000 feet above the sea, and leading 
direct to the summit of Cotocachi. This peak is included in 
the scheme of triangulation and observation of Juan and Ulloa, 
Humboldt and Pissis. At this point the Andes begin to show 
their power; numerous streams fall in beautiful cascades over 
the cliff's and disappear in the vegetation below, while not far 
away looms up a snowy summit, 17,000 feet above sea level. 
After extending our reconnaissance to the river we returned 
over our trail and down the Cayapas to the headquarters at Bor- 
bon. For some reason we were avoided by the natives, and even 
treated with o)>en signs of enmit 3 ^ Plowever, we had accom- 
plished all we wished in limiting the areas containing gold gravel 
and in making a rough but interesting trip in a very short time. 
