The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-05-19

III.
Tue cactus blooming crimson IN the sun
Lon, waving vines IN shifting beauty Tunj
All plants that IA odorous concert bring
Delight their revel IN perennial spring
Myflads Of howers, like gay-aressed sutor', there
Court Wiih sweet breath the pleased and passive air
As Chimborazo is approached The heights grow holder
and boder. though the most of them still covered
with pastures and grazing cattle The main road is thai
built by the early Spanards, and called the Royal road
II bears evidence OF having been noble structure, bu
the slow decay OF time, the neglect OF makins repairs
and the ranous force OF the torrents have had their due
effect and besides the natural ascents and descenis
the road is full OF loose broken rocks and has many dan
gerous creyces aud abrupt changes which Try TO The u
most the extraordinary instinct OF the mules and horses
Yet the uncomfortable mode OF travelling is accompa-
MED by the picturesque combinations which the zlgzag
wndngs of the path reveal. You pass along the edge
OF high peak, with another opposite equally hish,
and with deep though narrow valley between and you
look down upon travellers muleeers urging their
beasts up the intricate passages; and when you de-
scend you may yourself look upward upon horsemen
advancing slowly in places hundreds OF feet above
you. Sometimes the horse will be invisible, aud you
but see The head and shoulders of the horseman moving
slowly along the side OF the cliff like groiesqne figure
in magic lantern Here you pass over natural bridge.
made, probably by the ncessant pressure OF water now
places that inaccessible. Oae house forms con-
inuous line with the edge of precpce. which slopes
on the other side, ahordng pasture grounds There s,
doubt, room than appears between the house
and the edge OF the precpce but almost rembes IN
passing along lest some furious wind may quickly sweep
the dizzy structure with It's inmaes, INTO the yaWnng
Il III
OF many shapes Towers, domes, aud pinnaces, OF
Natures architecture, every side, AMI nearly all
with verdure clad, there being but lew rocky cliffs
TO disturb the general genrness OF view he majesty
OF the mountains sotened by attractive colorsa bright
sun, clear sky, and gisenng streams On coming sud-
denly to valley, the red roofs of the town OF Guaranda
are seen. and presently we enter the Town itself Saan-
teng about the squares and streets are men arrayed in
luminous ponChos, among which are prominent those oil
brgh, red. lined with brgh, yellow. Upon the wall
OF apartment OF the house where we are TO lodge is
dyuhI att
plain printed English letters, "Amoskeag Drilling ="
This token OF New England manufactures, under the
shadow of Chimborazo, takes away what LILLE pride we
may feel being lar out OF the usual course OF travel
Wherever on the broad earth citizen ot ihe United
States may go, countryman will probably have gone
before either in person IN the fruits OF his industry
The high tide OF civilization among the Andes is again
illustrated when teacher comes IN the evening 10 give
the lively children OF our host their music lesson.
For few mIautes in the morning appears, directly OPP
poste the house, the distant summit OF Chmborazo
The lofty base OF which lies The journey OF days but
clouds gather again. and eney conceal the inoun-
tain. AS We travel on the region becomes more wild
and solitary al every step. The ridges grow more and
more abrupt the descens and more precpous the
deeper and deeper, the day darker and darker the
whole face OF things and more dreay The horses
rembe and pant painfully they struggle up the steep
aud weary roads now using all their strength 10 keep
from falling the moist and slippery soil now SINK ing
in deep Iuts now climbing heavy rocks Some OF
the cliffs are barren hard and rough but, after climbing
TO their SUBMITS, cannot refrain from stopping 10 look
down upon the valley oil GuaFanda, growing more beau
fu with every successive height, and Tewarding the
fatigue with It's shifting coors and prospects There are
but few sharp outlines 10 the valley the elevations being
mostly graceful cuves contrasting with the fuder ridges
Immediately around us. The town OF Guaranda, with
its red tiles and white walls seen lar away among fields
OF constant spring. looks like brilliant island 10 an EN-
erald ocean One OF horses becomes exhausted and
il is worth while 10 attempt crossing The mountain
without al least interval OF rest we go back mile TO
rude Indian hut the only dwelling upon the mountains
for several leagues Clustering around re IN one corner
dozen Indian men, eating uncooked corn from the
Their faces look mahgn enough TO intend mischief
and completely in their power III The lonely
but they gaze and each other and continue ealing
their con except that understanding by Signs that
wish drink, with speed to procure some water.
After an hours waiting the laden mules arrive, and
of them taken in exchange for the disabled horse upon
which placed the lighest burden We again proceed.
Ii has been misty and cold through the day but,
90 ascending huge masses OF cloud ga her about the
oath and hide the scenery from view Close at hand may
be deep precpces concealed by the deceptive mist and
the consciousness OF this keeps the journey from being
dull and uninteresng We feel our way along among
The clouds barly able TO distinguish the road. Occa-
sonay traveller, after appearing like black, moving
monster, or like one OF those great hills, hurled as mis-
ses through The air, when Miions archangels fough
together reveals himself when very near, peaceful
human being plsddpg, like ourselves, along upon his
misty way
Then clambcring slowly, darkly, and with difficulty
over ci after clb gain last road, broader
aud lighter, where the horses be put upon the Tuf
over hick heavy sand The horses well ourselves
BY the change and we press on rapidly anc
"
rush on eagerly reach the house OF shelter before night
As thus hopefully urge our horses on we are startled
by seeing the mist rise slightly on the lett and disclose
thin edge of gtcrng snow. Oar eyes fixed IN
prise and the white line grows wider and wider The
curtain of mist slowly scends until lifts itself entirely
away and there, directly al our side - the snowy dome
OF Chmborazo. The plain where we stand bound IN
wonder and delight IS three times as high as Nesnvius
and The part covered with rises as Tar above this
as Mount Washington above the level OF The sea. ihe
sun is lust al It's setting and shines out with the promise
OF glldng The snowy peak with his last ehugence, but
clouds gather again and obscure the sum- but keep
consciously aloo from the dome OF the noun
tan daIi2g conceal from human eyes one OF Gods
most glorious earthly works.
Very soon the road divides into paths, so narrow
that without disnountng, can pluck the wild flower
growing the side Ridges aTse IN perspective on reach
ing the tops OF each OF which we hope TO see below the
small inn prepared for travellers upon the mountain but
the in vain the dreary expanse at the loot of
each peak long there is light 10 Night here
follows closely IN the steps OF day, and darkness
comes on apace. The mountain alter wearing IN the
quickly approaching night fearful palor, Is now entirely
obscured. We can hardly see ourselves except when
very near. Our sagacous animals are left TO their dis
crelon We 90 up and down these tedious ellis, wind
through intricate passages, snail bridges over deep
black assures in the earh which seen lndistncty IN
crossing them look fnghtiul than nj midday Now,
light Is seen showing, hope, the end OF the day
Journey bat it soon reels over the solitude, mere VIII
o. the Wsp, il intoxicated with Joy at The success OF
s aufu glare Others OF these moist exhalatons from
the marshes OF the mountain appear, and are at Times
stationary long to convince us oil Their beamlng
from some babatop but presently they stacger away,
like their orerunners in deceptive dances We seem 10
be etraeing our way and think that we must remain all
night in the dark open air. when the bark oil dog is
heard. The mules 20 faster at the sound Ascending
and descending another small RIDGE we see ibe gloomy
outlines OF building, visible only from being oacker
than the night itself We ask aloud II tbs be The tam
bo" The instant shrill reply, ST. senor, sounds more