Ch.II. south AMERICA. 215 



heat, our greatefl pain was caufed by the excefTivenefs 

 of the cold, the intenfenefs of which may be con- 

 jectured from the following experiments made by the 

 thermometer, carefully fnekered from the wind, on 

 the top of Pichincha j the freezing point being 

 at 1000. 



On the 15th of Auguil 1737, at twelve at noon, 

 the liouor was at the heij/ht of 1002, At four in 

 the evening, at tooi}. At fix in the evening, at 998I. 



On the i6th of Auguil, at fix in the morning, at 

 997. At ten in the forenoon, at 1005. At twelve 

 at noon^ at 1008. At five in the evening, at looi-j. 

 At fix in the evening, at 9991. 



On the 17th, at three quarters after five in the 

 morning, at 996. At nine in the morning, at 100 r. 

 At -1 after twelve, at 1010. At J after two in the 

 afternoon, at 1012J. At fix in the evening, at 999. 

 And at ten in the evening, at 998. 



Our firft fcheme for (belter and lodging, in thefe 

 uncomfortable regions, was, to pitch a field-tent for 

 each company; but on Pichincha this could not be 

 done, from the narrownefs of the fummit; and we were 

 obliged to be contented with a hut, fo fmall, that we 

 could hardly all creep into it. Nor will this appear 

 flrange, if the reader confiders the bad difpofition and 

 fmailnefs of the place, it being one of the loftiefl crags 

 of a rocky mountain, one hundred toifes above the 

 highefl part of the defert of Pichincha. Such was the 

 fituation of our manfion, which, like all the other ad- 

 jacent parts, foon became covered with ice and fnow. 

 The afcent up this ftupendous rock, from the bafe, 

 or the place where the mules could come, to our ha- ' 

 bitation, was fo craggy, as only to be climbed on foot, 

 and to perform it, coil us four hours continual la- 

 bour and pain, from the vioknt efforts of the body, 

 and, the fubtility of the air-, the latter being fuch, as 

 to render refpiration difficult. It was my misfortune, 

 ^hen I climbed fomething above half way, to be fo 



- P 4 wei'r 



