The Phyfical Geography of Peru. 
eaftern branches of the Cordillera of 
the Andes is terminated. Thus its 
ereateft extenfion, which is to be mea- 
iured in degrees of latitude, embraces 
a fpace of twenty-three degrees and an 
half, between Cape Palmar on ‘the 
confines of . Pato, and Morre-Moreno on 
thofe of the kingdom of Chile. Chofen 
to be the throne of light in the fouthern 
hemifphere, it {preads precifely over the 
whele of the {pace wnich the fun declines 
from the centre of the fphere, to animate 
129 
1220 eta RS fi 
them are covered with a fnow as ancient, - 
as the world ; and their volcanoes, which . 
vomit forth a perpetual fire in the region) 
‘of froft and cold,  prefent a terrific {pec- 
tacle to the philofopher who contemplates + 
them. i nd an 
If the worth of countries were’ tobe . 
eftimated by the greater or lefs,extenfion, , 
they afford to population and to agricul-.: 
ture, the Royal Cordillera, would dimi- » 
nify the value and eftimation of Peru, . 
fince its eminences and declivities,- far © 
it by its benign influence.. Its breadth, 
which we fhall place between 297 and 310 
degrees of longitude, the firft meridian 
being fixed at the Peak of Teneriffe, 
varies according as the coafts are at a 
greater or fimaller diftance from the Cor- 
dillera or chain of mountains. From 
the line to the eighth degree there is a 
feparation of about cone hundred and 
twenty leagues;- but from hence, in- 
fenfibly as it were, gaining ground, its 
greateft diftance to the eighteenth degree 
is reduced to feventy leagues only. By 
chuiing a middle term between thefe two’ 
extremes, and allowing twenty leagues 
to.the degree, the refult gives to Peru 
a plane fuperficies of 44.650 f{quare 
leagues *. ; 
‘The whole of this vaft fuperficies ferves 
asa bafis to.the great, Cordillera of the 
Andes, which, feparating majeftically 
beneath the equator, and dividing itielf 
mto..two branches, the one eaflen and 
the other weftern, parallel to each other, 
and for the greater part to the fouthern 
coals, proceeds on to the tropic of Ca- 
pricorn. In its way, the eaftern branch 
takes a bend towards the fouth eaft, and 
terminates in. the plains. . The wetern 
penetrates into the kingdom oi 
Chile}. The higheft points of each of 
ra 
asu 

* The limits which we afcribe to Peru, 
and which are deduced. from the contempla- 
tion of the equinoxes, tke folftices, and the 
varieties of the foil and climates, agree with 
thofe eftablifhed’ by the political demarca- 
tions executed hy the Yncas, as we fhall ex- 
piain more. fully when -we fhall proceed -to 
treat of them. ; 
+. To elucidate this fubje€& as much as 
pofiible, it is proper in this place to fate that 
the part of South America comprehended be- 
tween the equator and the tropic of Capri- 
corn is divided, north and fouth, by three 
Cordilleras, or chains of mountains.  Firft, 
-that of Brafil, which, commencing about 
the equinoétral line, rnns to the Sierras er 
roountains of Maldonado, in the river of 
LaPlata. Secondly, the eaftern one of Peru, 
which, originating in the fnow-clad moun- 
tains of Santa Martha, on the confines of 
from augmenting the proportion of cul- 
tivable land which would be found at the 
bafes.of this chain of mountains, dimi- . 
nifh them extremely {: but, in return, 

the northern fea, runs, as has been faid, to-= 
wards the Tropic, from whence it takes an 
inclined direétion towards the fouth eaft, and 
terminates in the plains of the great Chaco. 
Thirdly, the weftern one, which proceeds 
from North America, pafies the ifthmus of 
Panama, and redoubles the whole of the 
fouthern coaft to Cape Horn. Between the 
northern fea dnd the arft Cordillera liesBrazil; 
between the firft and fecond lie the great and 
lofty plains of the country of the ‘Amazons ; 
and in the line in which thefe plains terminate, 
the fecond Cordillera commences, as does alfo 
Peru, which is comprehended within this 
one and the’ third. The ancient Yncas gave 
to each of them the name of Ritifuyz, which 
fignifies a band of fnow: and as the four car- 
dinal points, which they called Tavantinfuyu, 
were denoted by the fubjugated — nations 
which they viewed towards them, that of 
the 4ntis, which is to the eaft of *Cuzed} 
gave the name as welt to the mountains 
which defcend from the fecond Cordillera” 
into the plains, as to this famevCordillera 
which precedes them.—We. ftill preferve: 
thefe titles, haying corrupted the word Autis, 
into Andes, and afterwards applied-the fame, 
term to the fouth Cordiilera. We fay. that 
both thefe Cordilleras lie beneath the equator, 
fince, notwithftanding in the province of’ 
Popayan they are already divided and parallel’ 
their mountains are fo low that at’ twode= 
grees to the north they have not thefourth 
part.of the elevation of ‘thofe ef the Youth: 
Hence it is that. the climate 1s very ‘differs’ 
ent from that of high Peru. 3 ets EM ery 
+ Taking it for granted that, ‘in confe- 
quence of the parched and dry ftate of the de- 
clivities of the fouthern mountains, and of 
the infalubrity of the fummits of the Cordil= 
lera, it would be impoffible to people ané 
cultivate them, we can venture to affert that, - 
even if it were practicable ‘to execute both, the 
curvatures, declivities, and hollows of the nicune 
tains would not add oxe bandful- of ufeful foil te 
that which their bajes coould afford, if they did 
not exift. This propofition, paradoxical as-it 
may appear, is an inconteftible truth, fince 
all the trees which are planted on the agnvex 
: fuperficies | 
Cy, or 
5 ea 
