PERUVIAN REGIONS. 



205 



5. The Alpine Region of the Peruvian Andes. 



On the 19th of May, after entering the alpine region, marked by 

 the more depressed character of the vegetable growth, a farther 

 ascent of a few hundred feet brought us to the crest of the Andes; 

 at the Northern base of the before-mentioned La Vidua Peak. The 

 crest itself proved nearly a league wide, with the surface very uneven ; 

 sufficiently elevated for banks of snow to remain here and there in a 

 few spots sheltered from the sun ; while hundreds of feet below were 

 lakes, each at the bottom of a pit-like basin devoid of an outlet. 

 We encountered a slight fall of hail and snow, which continued at 

 intervals during the remainder of the afternoon, the quantity insuffi- 

 cient to cover the ground, and melting rather rapidly. Passing the 

 crest, we came upon a streamlet flowing Eastward, one of the thousand 

 sources of the Amazon; following this for "two leagues" along a 

 very gentle declivity, we arrived at dusk at Casa-Cancha. This station 

 for the shelter of travellers consisted of three small buildings, little 

 better than sheds ; where too the cold must be endured, fuel proving 

 so scarce as to require economy even in cooking. 



The weather was fair on the morning of the 20th ; and we sepa- 

 rated into two parties, proposing to spend the day in examining the 

 alpine vegetable growth ; but after about an hour, snow began to fall 

 fast and thick, and covering the face of the country, put an end to 

 botanizing. We were forced to return, and keep within doors until 

 near nightfall ; when the snow, which increased to the depth of an 

 inch or more before melting, finally disappeared. 



On the 21st, we left at an early hour, riding over a gently- 

 undulating grassy country ; at the end of " two leagues," we turned 

 aside, and visited the silver mine on the Alpamarca mountain ; pro- 

 curing during the ascent many remarkable alpine plants. In the 

 afternoon, we resumed our journey ; the path leading over the crest of 

 the Andes at the commencement of a series of majestic snowy peaks, 

 stretching contiguously Northward. The crest proved somewhat nar- 

 rower than farther South at our first crossing-place, but in like man- 

 ner contained a lake at the bottom of a deeply-sunk pit-like basin. 

 The elevation seemed much the same, the path leading very near the 

 limit of perpetual snow; and at the base of a precipice, being once 



52 



