188 " COAST OF COLOMBIA— MOUNT CHIMBORAZO. [1825. 



January 23d. — On Sunday, the 23d, we left the Malabrigo Islands, 

 lying about north-west-by-west from Guanchaco, distant eight leagues, 

 and steered to the north-west, with a light breeze from the south-east, 

 and fair weather. On the following day we passed Point Aguja, which 

 projects from the main, in latitude 5° 58' S., long. 81° 1' W. The 

 coast to the south-east of the cape is low, until we come to the hill of 

 Eton. The land between the two last-mentioned places forms a part 

 of the Desert of Sechura. After passing Cape Blanco, the coast 

 tends to the north-east to the river Tumbez, which marks the boundary 

 between Peru and Colombia. 



January 26th. — Crossing the Gulf of Guayaquil, we continued 

 standing along shore to the north, until Monday, the 24th, when we 

 arrived at Salango Bay, at six, A. M., and after examining the islands 

 of Peledo and Salango, we steered for Callo Island. We found no 

 dangers round these islands, nor any thing else, except birds and hair- 

 seals ; we therefore directed our course for the Bay of Caraccas, where 

 we arrived on Wednesday, the 26th, and anchored near the mouth of 

 the river, in four fathoms of water, clay bottom; latitude 0° 31' S., 

 long. 80° 11' W. Variation per azimuth 8° 13' easterly. 



In entering this bay, strict attention must be paid to the lead, as 

 there are many shoals to the north and in front of the entrance ; and 

 there are some also on the south-west side of the bay. The water 

 being generally smooth here, these dangers seldom show themselves 

 on the surface, and therefore render the greater caution necessary. If 

 it be the navigator's wish to anchor near the mouth of the river, he 

 will approach it on the south-west side, where he may anchor within 

 half a mile of it, between two banks that are nearly dry at low water. 

 The western bank will completely shelter him from the seaward, and he 

 will have four fathoms of water at low tide, with sufficient room for 

 four or five other ships to lie in his company, with perfect safety. 



From this place we had a fine view of the gigantic Chimborazo, 

 towering in awful majesty, with his snow-crowned summit far above 

 the clouds. This mountain, like Mont Blanc of the Alps, in Savoy, 

 forms the extremity of a colossal group ; for in the ancient kingdom 

 of Quito, the capital of which is nearly due east of our anchorage, 

 the three chains of the Andes are intermingled into one cluster, com- 

 prising no less than sixteen lofty peaks, many of which are living vol- 

 canoes. The most elevated summits are ranged in two files, which 

 in some measure form a double crest to the Cordillera. These are 

 literally mountains piled upon mountains, for the highest ridge of the 

 Andes forms the bottom of the valleys which separate these volcanic 

 peaks ! The lowest level of these plateaus is still eight thousand 

 four hundred feet above the bosom of the bay on which the Tartar 

 was now riding at anchor ! It is in these aerial valleys, or on these lofty 

 plateaus, that the immense population of this wonderful country is 

 concentrated ; and there, too, are situated towns that contain from 

 thirty to fifty thousand inhabitants. 



That enterprising and scientific traveller Humboldt, who has thrown 

 more light on the physical geography of South America than any 

 other writer, expresses himself on this subject in the following terms : — 



