29 



and rises from a table-land, the elevation of 

 which is more than one thousand five hundred 

 toises above the valley of the Magdalena. In 

 all the colossal mountains of Quito, of the pro- 

 vince of Los Pastos, and of Popayan, crevices 

 and valleys without number are interposed. It 

 cannot be admitted, under these circumstances, 

 that the noise could be transmitted through the 

 air, or by the superior surface of the Globe, and 

 that it came from that point, where the cone 

 and crater of Cotopaxi are placed. It appears 

 probable, that the higher part of the kingdom of 

 Quito and the neighbouring Cordilleras, far from 

 being a group of distinct volcanoes, constitute a 

 single swollen mass, an enormous volcanic wall, 

 stretching from South to North, and the crest of 

 which exhibits a surface of more than six hun- 

 dred square leagues. Cotopaxi, Tunguragua, 

 Antisana, and Pichincha, are placed on this same 

 vault, on this raised ground. They are diffe- 

 rently named, although they are only different 

 summits of the same volcanic mass. The fire 

 issues sometimes from one, sometimes from 

 another of these summits. The obstructed cra- 

 ters appear to us to be extinguished volcanoes ; 

 but we may presume, that, while Cotopaxi or 

 Tunguragua have only one or two eruptions in 

 the course of a century, the fire is not less con- 

 tinually active under the town Qf Quito, under 

 Pichincha and Imbaburu. 



