The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-10-22
Humbold,., Ascent Of chimborazo.

On the ed of June, the birthday Of his
brother, Humboldt commenced his ascent
OF Chimborazo, accompanied by Bunpland
and Carlos de Montufar, a young Spanish
naturalist. They started from the plain
of Tapia, at an elevation of over nine
thousand feet. This arid table-land was
near the village of Lican, the ancient res
idence of the sovereigns of Quito. From
Lican to the summit of Chimborazo was
nearly five leagues in straight line
They followed the plain, leaving behind |
them. groups of Indians bound to the |
market of Liean, and slowly ascending, |
halted for the night at the little village of
Calpi. They were now at the foot of the
Chimborazo. 1t rose before them stu
pendously, in the light of the setting sun.
The foreground was veiled in the vapo-
rous dimness that striped the lower strata
of the air. but as they cast their eye to-
ward the summit it detached itself from
the deep blue sky. They saw above the
region of ligneous plants and alpine shrubs
a broad belt of grass like gilded yellow
carpet Beyond this was a region of por-
phyrite rocks, and beyond these rocks,
eternal ice and snow. As the earth be-
low grew darker, the heaven above
seemed to grow brighter; their sight was
dazzled with the refulgent splendor Of
| the snow.
Early the next morning their Indian
guides awoke them, and they began to
climb the mountain on the south western
side, traversing the great plains which
rose like terraces, one above another, un-
til they reached the plain of Sisgun,
twelve thousand four hundred feet above
the level of the sea. Here Humboldt
wished to make trignometrical meas
urement to ascertain the height of the
summit, but it was shrouded in thick
clouds. From time TO time they caught
a momentary glimpse of it, through open
ings in the clouds, but the sky was grad
ually darkening. They continued to as
ceud until they reached the little lake of
Yans Cocha, circular basin one hundred
and thirty feet in diameter. 1t was the
most elevated spot yet reached by man
on the ridge of mountains, three thousand
three hundred feet higher than the sum-
NIT of Mont Blanc. Here they left their
f mules. The barometer showed hight
of fourteen thousand three hundred and
. fifty feet. Crossing the yellow belt of
grass which they had seen over night,
they came to a region of augite. Here
, rocks rose in columns fifty or sixty feet
high, and looked like the trunks of trees.
| Traversing the isles of this enchanted for
est of stone, over fields of new-fallen
r snow, they gained a narrow ridge which
led directly to the summit of Chimbora.
20, and by which alone they might hope
to reach it; for the snow around was toe
. soft and yielding to be ventured upon. -
\ The path became sleeper and narrower
and at last the guides refused to go any
0 farther. When they were sixteen thou
e sand five hundred feet high, all but on,
e left them. Nothing daunted, however
C the travellers went on, enveloped in {
thick mist The path in which they wer'
ascending was, in many places, not NOR
than eight or ten inches broad {; the ma
A tives call it "knife-b blade" On one sid,
$ was declivity of snow covered with
: CLASSY coating of ice, on the other chasn
one thousand feet deep, the bottom o
which was covered with masses of naket
rocks. They inclined their bodies owe
) the chasm, dangerous as it was, for the,
i dared not trust themselves to the snow,
: pitch on the opposite side. Had the
If stumbled, they would either have bee
buried in the mingled snow and ice, O
e would have rolled headlong down tn
}, steep. The character of the rock, whic
e was brittle and crumbling, increased tn
| l,4so,lt,, af Tho ap1
3. they were obliged to crawl on their hand
st and feet; the sharp edges of the roc
: wounded them, and they left behind
in bloody trail. They marched in singl
h file, testing with their poles the stabilit
is of the rocks before them. This precau
is tion was very necessary, as many of tn
ct rocks were lying loose on the brink of th
so precipice DESTROYS of knowing no
8. much of the mountain remained to be a!
n- cended, for the summit was continual
ID hidden from their sight, Humboldt opel
s. ed the barometer on point where ii
lis path was broad enough to allow two pc
lie sons to sit side by side; the mercury ind
ID. Gated hight of $3.50 feet. The ten
lie perature of the air was SO deg, and tn
c. of the earth 107 deg.
Ig, They proceeded for another hour, ar
as found the rocky path less steep; Il
&C. mist, however, was thicker than ever
er They now began to suffer severely fro
ey the extreme ratification of the air. Thu
or breathed with difficulty, and what W
he still more disagreeable, felt like vomitin
Their heads swan, their lips and CUR
bled profusely, and their eyelids and ey
balls were charged with blood
at From time to time great birds, prob
an bly, condors, came swooping down the Il
Of rible pass, sailing grandly away; and
full tie winged insects, resembling flies, lt
ol- tered gaily around. 1t was impossible
catch them, owing to the narrowness
IN the ledge; but Humboldt judged Il
he they were Dipteras. Bonpland saw y
Tho low butterflies, little lower down, fyi
ce, very near the ground.
;ed Finally the belts of cloud parted, a
aid they saw, on the sudden, the vast do
he of Chimborazo. 1t seemed near them,
nth near that in few minutes they mie
i'm reach it. The lodges, too, seemed to
es' vor them by becoming broader. Til
her hurried on for a short distance, excl
ars, with the hope of soon standing on
will pinnacle. All at once the path was ST
all ped by chasm 400 feet deep and 60 I
to broad. There was no way by which Il
aid could cross it; the difficulty was ins
of mountable. To tantalize them still I
y ther, they saw that the path went forw
-ere on the other side of the ledge, evider
nee, reaching the summit. If they could b
on but crossed tina. chasml
tly. 1t was one O'Clock in the afternoon,
they were benumbed with cold. II
were 19, 200 feet above the level of
sea
rom The belt of clouds closed again,
ties the peak was lost. The mist grew thi
, of -er and thicker, and everything indica
coin a Storm There was nothing left Il
cks, but to descend. Hating long enough
3 to them to collect few specimens Of I
ious they retraced their steps. A storm Of