Se ee ae eae - 
nae Fe aman ; 
rohege too a ae anh Se aenaeia 
reer eae re se 
150 ASCENT OF THE SILLA. 
vernor having ordered the proprietor of a plantation 
to furnish the philosophers with negro guides who 
knew something of the way, they prepared = the 
ascent. 
~ As in the whole noni of Dekéntie: the moun- 
tain had appeared only five times without clouds, 
and as at that season two clear days seldom succeed 
each other, they were advised to choose for their 
excursion an interval when, the clouds being low, 
they might hope, by passing through them, to enter 
into a transparent atmosphere. They spent the 
night of the 2d January at a cofiee-plantation, near 
a ravine, in which the little river Chacaito formed 
some fine cascades. At five in the morning they 
set out, accompanied by slaves carrying their instru-: 
ments, and about seven reached a promontory of the — 
Silla, connected with the body of the mountain by 
a narrow dyke. The weather was fine and cool. 
They proceeded along this ridge of rocks, between 
two deep valleys covered with vegetation ; the large, 
_ shining, and coriaceous leaves, illumined by the sun, 
presenting a very picturesque appearance. Beyond 
this point the ascent became very steep, the ac-. 
clivity being often from 32° to 33°.. The surface was _ 
covered with short grass, which afforded no support 
when laid hold of, and it was impossible to imprint 
steps in the gneiss. The persons who had accom-: 
panied them from the town were discouraged, and 
at length retired. 
Slender streaks of mist began to issue from the 
woods, and afforded indications of a dense fog. The 
familiar loquacity of the negro creoles formed a 
striking contrast to the gravity of the Indians who 
had attended the travellers in the missions of Ca- 
