or CAEXHAOEXA. 
223 
(iloi)g tlie CordiUeras, by Santa Fo de Bogota, Popayaii, 
Quito, and Caxaiuarca, would be preferable to the sea-voyage, 
aud would furnish an immense field for exploration. The 
predilection of Europeans for the iicrras fnas, that is to say, 
the cold and temperate climate that prevails on the back of 
the Andes, gave further weight to these counsels. The 
distances were known, but we were deceived with respect to 
the time it would take to traverse them ou mules’ backs. 
We did not imagine that it would require more than 
eighteen months to go from Carthagena to Lima. Not- 
withstanding this delay, or rattier owing to the slowness 
" ith which we passed through Cundinamarea, the provinces 
of Popayan, aud Quito, I did not regret having sacrificed tlie 
passage of the isthmus to tlie route of Bogota, for every step 
of the journey was full of interest both geographically and 
botanically. This change of direction gave me occasion to 
trace the map of the Eio 3Iagdalena, to determine astrono- 
mically the position of eighty points situated in the inland 
country between Carthagena, Popayan, and the upper course 
of the river Amazon and Lima, to discover the error in the 
longitude of Quito, to collect several thousand new plants, 
and to observe on a vast scale the relations between the 
rocks of syenitic porphyry and trachyte, with the fire of 
Volcanoes. 
The result of those labours, of which it is not for me to 
appreciate the importance, have long since been published, 
hly map of the Bio Magdalena, multiplied by the copies of 
the year 1802 in America and Spain, and comprehending 
the couiitrv between Almagiier and Santa Marta, from 
1° 54' to 11° 15' lat., appeared in 1810^ Till that period 
no traveller had undertaken to describe Now Grenada ; and 
the public, except in Spain, knew the navigation of the 
Magdalena oiily by some lines traced by Bouguer. That 
learned traveller bad descended the river from Honda ; but, 
being iu want of astronomical instruments, he liad ascertained 
but four or five latitudes, by means of small dials hastily 
constructed. The narratives of travels in America are novv 
singularly multiplied. Political events have led numbers of 
persons to those countries : and travellers have perhaps too 
hastily published their journals on returning to Europe. 
They have described the towns vvliere they resided, and 
