The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-10-19

or miserable subsistence among the woods,
they were necessarily tormented by mosquitoes
and countless varieties OF noxious and loathsome
insects Nor yet could they venture TO procure re-
lief, by bathing their Parched bodies in the food.
since voracious crabs & crocodiles watched them
on every side. After escaping such complicated
evils, and the dangerous effects of the exhalati
ons fomented under burning sun, Humboldt. &
Bonpiand returned to Cumana. by the plains OF
Carl, and the mission of the Caraihs, race of
men quite distinct from any other. and perhaps,
next to the Patagonisns, the largest & stoutest in
the known world.
A few months repose was necessaryto recruit
their enfeebled strength.-Our travellers next
proceeded to the island of Cuba. aud had nearly
suffered shipwreck III their passage. There they
remained three months during which interval
Humboldt settled the longitude of HavaAnal,,
and assisted the planters in constructing stoves
for the preparation of their sugars. 1t was his
Intention, at this time, to go to Vera Cruz, and
thence by Mexico and Acapulco to the Philippine
islands, in the view of returning, If possible. by
Bombay and Aleppo, to Constantinople. ---But
false reports with respect to the sailing OF cap
tain Baudin, induced him again to charge his
route. ~
Toguard against the risk of accidents. Hum.
bcldt now transmitted his collections and manu-
scripts directly to Europe. In March, 1901, he
hired small vessel, with which he sailed from
Batabano for Carthagena but owing to continu.
cd cains and adverse currents, the voyage pro
we'd uncomnonly tedious, and he arrived too late
in the season for crossing the sthmus OF Pana-
ma, and reaching Guyaquil or Lima, where he
had expected to meet with the French circumna-
vgator. This scheme was therefore abandoned,
and Humboldt being very DESTROYS of becoming
acquainted with Nuts, Accelerated American
naturalist, and of examining his superb coliecti-
on, resolved to proceed to his residence in the in.
terror ofthe country. Our travellers plunged in
to the woods of Turbago, and tracing up the
banks of the fine river Magdaiena, reached the
village of Honda; and pursuing their journey
through tail forests of oak, n,eldsto,na and chin
coma, they arrived at Santa Fe de Bogota, the ca
Pitai of the viceroyalty of New Granada, situated
on beautiful plain at an elevation of $500 En-.
glish feet above the level of the sea- Every thing
here was calculated to crafty the taste, & trans.
port the imagination The mines of Mariauta,
St Ann and Tipaquira, lay in the neghborhood !;
the natural bridge of Scononza, composed of
three fragments of rock, disrupted by an earth
quake, formed striking object and the tremen
dous cataract Of the Tequendama, which falls
from height of 600 feet, presented one of the
grandest spectacles in nature.
In September, 1901, though the rainy season
was not yet over, Humboldt and Bonpland began
their journey to Quito. They crossed the An.
des OF Qundiu, chain of mountains partly CO.
vered with snow, yet bearing in profusion. the
sforas, the wax. palm, the passion. flower, & the
bamboo For the space of thirteen days, they
were obliged to travel on foot over dreary, track
less swamps. Arrived at Carthage, in the fine
vale of Cauca, they assembled along the banks of
the Choco, meeting in their progress with roun.
ded masses OF basalt, greensboro and fossil wood
From Buga they passed to Popayan, the capital
OF the province and seat of bishoprick, planted
at the foot of aporphyritck hill, near the voIca.
nos OF Purace and Sotara, in most charming &
picturesque situation, and enjoying a delightful
from 6S to u degrees Fahrenheit's
scale. Thence they advanced through the dan.
gerous detiles of Almaguer, {avoiding, however,
the pestient vale of Patia) to the town of Pasro,
built on beautiful plain, besides volcano whose
summit IS at times covered with snow. Crossing
the Rio Guaitara, by bridge thrown over ra.
vine which is more than half mile in perpendi-
cellar height, and forms altogether one of the
widest and most magnificent sites in the Andes,
they journeyed over the level, cultivated country
81 Fsstos, fertile IN European grain, though ele
waited 8, 500 feet above the sea, and reached the
village of Tulcan, not far from castle of the In
cas-, beside the rock of Romichaca. From this
point, they now descended and having crossed
the vale OF Chota, which, though only two miles
wide, is nearly mile in depth, and again the ale
Of Guallabamba, half mile deep, and of suf.
locating heat, our travellers arrived, in 1902, at
The. celebrated city of Quito
Humboldt could at length repose from his "a.
tigues, and enjoy the pleasures of hospitality and
refinement, surrounded by the grandest produc.
lions OF nature. He remained about months
in the kingdom of Quito, making different excur-
sions to the neighboring VOLCANOES, and the lofti-
est SUBMITS OF the Andes. After three several
attempts, he twice succeeded, at imminent ha-
zard of his life, in reaching the peak of the era
ter OF Pichinca, carrying with HIM the requisite
Instruments to the height of Is, $40
feet above the level of the sea. He next visited
the porPhyrtick mountain Antisana, from which
rises crater, in the midst of perpetual snow, at
an elevation of 1871 so feet above the sea The
mouth OF the volcano of Cotopaxi was found to be
only $50 feet lower.
1t was now resolved to attempt still more ar.
duous journey. Humboldt, Bonpland and Car.
los Montutar, son of the Marquis of Salyaalegre,
a youth, whose ardent love of science had led
him TO accompany them since their first arrival
at Quito, set out, near midsummer for the vol.
cano of Tunguragua, and the Nevada del Chin
borazo. They traversed the frightfui ruins of
and other villages, destroyed, on the
9TH OF February, 1877, by an earthquake, which
in few moments swallowed up more than forty
thousand persons. Passing noble group Of
porphyritick columns, they crossed the Puela
BY bridge of cords, and climbed to the Cuchil.
la de Cuandlsays, sharp ridge of burnt rocks,
which, before the dreadful earthquake, were
covered with fine forest of odorous cedar -.
From tina. base, they estimated the yocanick
cone OF Tunguragua to have the height Of Is 500
feet above the sea. Al last, after incredible ex.
eriion, they reached, on the 23d of June, the
eastern slope of Chimborazo, and planted their
instruments on narrow ledge of porphyrtick
rock, which projected from the vastfieid of TN.
Iatbomed snow. A chasm, 500 feet wide, pre-.
vented their further ascent. The air was re,ln.
ced TO half its usual density, and felt intensely
cold and picrcinp. REMUNERATION 1yac I,L