an Attempt to ascend Chimborazo. 93 



isolated peaks, with which the Andes are as it were sown, rise 

 gradually to the foot of these mountains. Numerous and deep 

 clefts, which furrow these plateaus, seem all to be directed to 

 one common point, and they become narrow in proportion as 

 they are more distant from this centre. One cannot describe 

 them better than by comparing them to a cracked glass (verve 

 etoile). 



At two o'clock we halted, in order to breakfast, under the 

 shadow of an enormous block of trachyte, to which we gave the 

 name of Pedro del Almuerzo, Here I made a barometrical ob- 

 servation, as I hoped to make another at four o'clock, and so 

 learn the daily barometrical variation. This station is at a 

 height of 4325 metres. We passed the snow limit, sitting on 

 our mules. When we dismounted, we were at a height of 

 4945 metres. The surface was now quite impassable for mules. 

 Besides, these animals endeavoured to make us sensible of their 

 fatigue with a truly remarkable instinct ; the ears which are 

 generally erect, were now turned downwards, and during the 

 numerous pauses they made for the purpose of breathing, they 

 did not cease looking on the plain beneath. Probably few riders 

 have reached so great a height, but several years 1 instructions in 

 riding on the Andes are necessary, in order to enable one to 

 arrive at the insecure surface beyond the snow limits. 



After an examination of the locality in which we were, we 

 saw that in order to ascend to the ridge which leads to the sum- 

 mit of Chimborazo, it would be necessary to clamber up an un- 

 usually steep acclivity before us. It consisted chiefly of blocks 

 of rock of all dimensions heaped on one another. Here and there 

 these fragments of trachyte were covered with more or less exten- 

 sive surfaces of ice, and at several points it could be perceived 

 that the rocky debris rested on hardened snow. These masses, 

 therefore, owed their origin to recent fallings down of the rock 

 which had taken place in the upper part of the mountain. 

 These descents of rocky masses occur frequently, and take place 

 in the midst of the glaciers of the Cordilleras, so that one might 

 almost doubt whether the avalanches consisted more of stone or 

 of snow. 



It was a quarter from eleven when we dismounted from our 

 mules. So long as we walked over rocks, we experienced no 



