438 



by the Paramos of Pitatumba and Paraguay, 

 and the separation of the two chains appeared 

 to me indistinct as far as the parallel of Alma- 

 guer (lat 1° 54' ; long-. 79° 15'). The general 

 direction of the Andes, from the extremity of 

 the basin of the province of Quito to the vici- 

 nity of Popayan, changes from N. 8° E. to N. 

 36° E. ; and follows the direction of the coast 

 of Esmeraldas and Barbacoas. 



On the parallel of Almaguer, or rather a little 

 north-east # of that town, the geological con- 

 stitution of the land displays very remarkable 

 changes. The Cordillera, which we have just 

 marked by the name of the eastern, that of the 

 lake of Sebondoy, widens considerably between 

 Pansitara and Ceja. The knot of the Paramo de 

 las Papas and of Socoboni, gives birth to the 

 great rivers of Cauca and Magdalena, and is 

 divided into two chains, latitude 2° 5" on the east 

 and west of la Plata Vieja and Timana. These 

 two chains remain nearly parallel as far as 5° 

 of latitude, and bound the longitudinal valley 

 through which winds the Rio Magdalena. We 

 shall give the name of the eastern Cordillera of 

 New Grenada, to that which stretches towards 

 Santa Fe de Bogota, and the Sierra Nevada de 

 Merida, east of Magdalena; that of central Cor- 



* See my map of the Rio Magdalena, pi. 24 of the Mas 



geographique et physique. 



