200 



BASE OF POPOCATEPETL. 



object of our attention. It appeared based upon a con- 

 fused chaos of hills and mountains, composed in a great 

 measure of volcanic substances, which had either been 

 ejected from the principal crater, when in violent erup- 

 tion, or which had found a vent on its flank, or at its 

 feet. 



On this side, the limit of the snow was considerably- 

 higher than on the other, as seen from Mexico. Heavy 

 forests of pine clothed the lower division, and a strag- 

 gling vegetation might be detected, perhaps to the height 

 of thirteen thousand feet or upward. Above that, a 

 zone of dark barrancas and rocks, intermixed with slopes 

 of black volcanic sand, rises far towards the region of 

 perpetual snow. A high and remarkable rock called 

 the Pico del Frayle, or the Monk, breaks the general 

 outline of the cone upon the southwestern slope. The 

 great fatigue attendant upon the ascent of the superior 

 part of the volcano, where the adventurer has not only 

 to struggle with the faithless nature of the footing, but 

 with the serious inconveniences attendant upon the ex- 

 treme rarity of the atmosphere, may be conceived ; and 

 to these, the failure of many attempts made by Euro- 

 peans of late years, to reach the crater, has to be as- 

 cribed. I have seen those who boast of their success, 

 but unfortunately, have not met with one who was suf- 

 ficiently alive on his gaining the summit to enable him 

 to convey to others the slighest idea of what he had be- 

 held. 



Since the earlier years of this century, the signs of 

 combustion in this volcano have been so slight, as to be 

 scarcely noticed. It was, however, said at Zacualpam 

 Amilpas, that smoke had been seen to rise from it occa- 

 sionally during the past month. 



In spite of the most careful observation bestowed upon 

 every part of the snowy summit this evening, and during 

 the morning of the 24th, w hen we continued to round 

 the base, 1 could not with any certainty detect anything 

 of the kind. The utmost that I could possibly assert, 

 was, that I observed that the outline of certain rocks 

 lining a deep crevice, a little below the summit, was 

 uniformly extremely fcunt, indistinct, and vaporous, 



