232 



VIEW FROM THE CUMBRE. 



immediately. It appeared to me that not a soul 

 had been there but ourselves, and I could not 

 but picture to myself the difference of my feel- 

 ings at that time^ and the present moment. Here 

 I stood observing the mules as they came up ; firsts 

 a man's head would appear like a little black spot 

 rising up from the glittering snow, which had a 

 most singular and beautiful appearance, while 

 looking down upon it; like thousands, or fields of 

 crystals, in the form of sugar loaves, showing 

 various prismatic colours sparkling in the glaring 

 sun ; in the midst of these would rise up a mule's 

 head, and by degrees the whole came up, travel- 

 ling, as it were, amidst sparkling diamonds : we 

 arrived at the summit at half past ten, making an 

 ascent, I should say, of at least five thousand 

 feet since six o'clock. 



From the casucha, I walked up to the summit 

 purposely to try the effect of the puna again, 

 but felt nothing of it ; thermometer stood at 38° 

 at top in the shade, in the sun 89°. 



I now ascended the highest rock I could get 



