Notice of Active and Extinct Volcanos. 309 



Being a groupe of distinct volcanos, constitute a single swollen 

 mass, an immense volcanic wall, stretching from south to north, 

 the crest of which exhibits a surface of more than six hundred 

 square leagues. Cotopaxi, Tunguragua, Antisana, and Pichinca, 

 are placed on this immense vault, and are to be considered rather 

 as the different summits of one and the same volcanic mass, than 

 as distinct mountains. The fire finds a vent sometimes from one, 

 sometimes from another of these apertures. The obstructed 

 craters appear to us to be extinguished volcanos ; but we may 

 presume, that, since Cotopaxi and Tunguragua have only one or 

 two eruptions in the course of a century, the fire is not less con- 

 tinually active under the town of Quito, under Pichinca, and Im- 

 baburu." 



In Chili it is said there are sixteen active volcanos ; their 

 range is nearly parallel to the coast, near the summit of the 

 middle of the Cordilleras ; the lava and ashes which they 

 discharge never extend beyond the Andes. " Only two 

 volcanos are found among the maritime and midland moun- 

 tains ; one at the mouth of the river Rapel, which is small 

 and emits only a little smoke at intervals ; the other, the great 

 volcano of Villarica distinguishable at the distance of one hun- 

 dred and fifty miles, and said to be connected at its base 

 with the Andes." 



" It continues burning without intermission, but its eruptions 

 have seldom been violent. The base is covered with forests, 

 and its sides with a lively verdure, but its summit reaches above 

 the line of perpetual snow. 



" The most remarkable eruption of the Chilian volcanos was 

 that of Peteroa, on the 3d of December, 1760, when the volca- 

 nic matter opened for itself a new crater, and a mountain in its 

 vicinity experienced a rent of several miles in extent. A large 

 portion of the mountain fell into the Lontue, and having filled 

 its bed, gave rise to a lake in consequence of the accumulation 

 pf the water. 



" Thus a line of volcanic mountains may be traced at inter- 

 vals from the 5th to the 40th degree of south latitude, running 

 nearly parallel to each other ; whilst the intervening spaces ex- 

 hibit, in the frequent earthquakes that occur, phenomena of an 

 analogous kind. 



" This apparent communication, or at least similarity of con- 

 stitution, subsisting between the several parts of this tract, is 



