234 A VOYAGE TO Book V. 



farms ; but the acclivity is fo ileep, that the fafeft 

 way is to afcend it on foot. 



XIII. Signal of Chichichoco. 



The fignal of Chichichoco was erefted on the fide 

 of the mountain of that name, v/hich is a branch of 

 the famous fnowy mountain of Carguairafo. Here 

 we flayed only from the 24th to the 29th of September. 

 Though the fpot where v^/e placed the fignal was of a 

 very inconfiderable height, when compared with that 

 of the other mountains, yet, from its proximity to Car- 

 guairafo, when the wind blew from that quarter, it 

 was confiderably cold, but not comparable to that Vv^e 

 felt on the deferts, where every part was covered v;ith 

 ice, hail, or Inow. The day we left this place, while 

 our Indians were loading the mules, and we in the tent 

 ready to fet out on our journey, an earthquake was 

 felt, which reached four leagues round the country. 

 Our tent rocked from fide to fide, in conformity to 

 the undulating motion obferved in the earth ; this 

 fhock was only one of the fmail concuffions frequent 

 in thofe parts. 



XIV. Signal of Mulmul. 



This fi!2;nal, and the three foUowin.o:, occafioned 

 feveral journies from one to another •, as, for the 

 greater accuracy of the obfervations, auxiliary trian- 

 gles were to be formed, in order to verify the dillances 

 refulting from the principal. The diiliculty alfo of 

 reciprocally diftinraiifiiino; fome fi^^nals from others, 

 obliged us to change their pofition, till they ftood in 

 proper places and confequently laid us under a ne- 

 celTity of going often from one ftation to another. 

 On the 8th of November, having iiniihed all our ob- 

 fervations, the company removed to Riobamba, where 

 I myfelf had been confined ever fince the 20th of 

 Odlober, wich a critical difcafe, v/hich at firii: at- 

 tacked 



