435 



between the tops of Yliniza (2717 t.) and Co- 

 topaxi (2950 t.% of which the former belongs 

 to the chain of Chimborazo, and the latter to 

 that of Sangay, is placed the knot of Chisinche; 

 a kind of narrow dyke that shuts in the basin, 

 and divides the waters between the Atlantic 

 Ocean, and the South Sea. The Alto de 

 Chisinche is only elevated 80 toises above the 

 surrounding table-lands. The waters of the 

 northern declivity form the Rio de San Pedro, 

 which, joining the Rio Pita, throws itself into 

 the Gualabamba, or Rio de las Esmeraldas. The 

 waters of the southern declivity, designated 

 more particularly by the name of Cerro de Tio- 

 pullo, run to the Rio of S. Felipe and Pastaza, 

 a tributary stream of the Amazon. 



The bipartition of the Cordilleras re-com- 

 mences and continues from 0° 40' of south to 

 0° 20' of north latitude ; that is, as far as the 

 volcano of Imbabura, near the villa of Ibarra. 

 The eastern Cordillera displays the snowy sum- 

 mits of Antisana (2992 toises), of Guamani, Ca- 

 yambe (3070 toises), and Imbabura; the west- 

 ern Cordillera, those of Corazon, Atacazo, Pi- 

 chincha (2491 toises), and Cotocache (2570 

 toises). Between these two chains, which may 

 be regarded as the classical soil of the astrono- 

 my of the 18th century, is a valley, part of 

 which is again divided longitudinally by the 

 hilis of Ichimbio and Poignasi. The table-lands 



