VARIOUS TRAVELLERS. 



221 



April, by our first sight of the Cordillera of the 

 Andes. Nobody can imagine the effect the 

 view of this stupendous barrier of mountains 

 produces on the traveller. I discovered it quite 

 by accident ; for^ while the peons went for 

 horses, our time was spent in rambling in the 

 neighbourhood. At last, my eye was caught by 

 what appeared, on a transient glance, to be sta- 

 tionary white pillars of clouds. However, hav- 

 ing been practised a little at sea in looking out 

 for land, I thought that there was a resemblance 

 to it ; and the intervening mists clearing away, 

 a spectacle was presented which I shall never 

 forget. The enormous mountains were entirely 

 covered with snow, and rose to such a height, 

 that we were obliged to strain our necks back 

 to look up at them. They seemed to belong to 

 a different world, their heads only being seen, 

 for the sky was perfectly bright above, while 

 the horizon was somewhat obscured. We were 

 at this time certainly not less than one hundred 

 and seventy miles from the Cumbre, or summit 



