412 



leagues *. It is only in the knots of the moun- 

 tains, that is, where the Cordillera is swelled by 

 counter-forts, or divided into several chains 

 nearly parallel, and that are rejoined at inter- 

 vals, for instance, on the south of the lake of 

 Titicaca, that it is more than 100 to 120 leagues 

 broad, in a direction perpendicular to its axis. 

 The Andes of South America bound the plains 

 of the Oronooko, the Amazon, and the Rio de 

 la Plata towards the west, like a rocky wall 

 (Crete de Jilori) which had been raised across a 

 crevice 1300 leagues long, and stretching from 

 south to north. This heaved up part (if it be 

 permitted to use an expression founded on a 

 geogonic hypothesis), comprises a surface of 

 58,900 square leagues, between the parallel of 

 Cape Pillar, and the northern Choco. In order 

 to form an idea of the variety of rocks which 

 this space may furnish for the observation of 

 the traveller, we must recollect that the Pyre- 

 nees, according to the observations of M. Char- 

 pentier-f-, occupy only 768 square marine 

 leagues. 



* The breadth of this immense chain is a phenomenon 

 well worthy of attention. The Swiss Alps extend in the 

 Grisons and in the Tyrol, to a breadth of 36 and 40 leagues, 

 both in the meridians of the lake of Como, and the canton 

 Apenzell, and in the meridian of Bassano and Tegernsee. 



: f Nearly 1200 square leagues of France. See Essai sur 

 les Pyrenees, p. 6. 



