New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-11-30
The First Accent or ane Urusayla..a.

To those who love to dwell on the horrors and
dangers of an ascent Of Mont Blanc, We would re
commend a perusal Of the Scenes ct paysaaes
dams les Andes,n by III. Paul Marcey, In the y Re-
utte Coaten.poraiae." Our space does not allow
us to give the entire thrilling description of the
ascent of the Urusayhua, mountain Of Peru Sit
uated in the neighborhood Of Gnzco, but the fol-
lowing extract will give q sufficient idea Of the
peFilous exploit
At first sight, both sides Of the mountain ap-
peared absolutely the same, and equally inaocessi-
Bile; but upon closer scrutiny, we found that,
while TO the right it presented all but vertical
plane, the left side displayed certain reddish lines
which had much the appearance of natural Aighs
of stairs. We therefore resoivedSt to attempt Inc
escalade on this side.
On the third day we arrived at that point of tho
Urusayhua which had often examined from be-
low, and where vegetation having ceased, the bare
rock appeared but what had been unable to dis
tinguish, and what appeared to me at this moment
an iusurmountahe object, was the expansion III
the summit. which gave it, fifty feet higher np, the
| appearance of mushroom. We had no longer to
cope with vertical wall, but with one projecting
1 over our heads. For moment we ssos.d srlast:
4 but, on examining the ruck, [ remarked certain
projections just large enough for mans foot and
situated at Intervals SO that, by bold stride, ona
might pass from one TO the other, and thus Feaeh
4 the opposite side of the mountain, where further
ascent might be practicable. The distance to be
/ got over did not exceed fifty PAGES, but as the
/
which to hold the slightest false step must preeipi-
tate the adyenurer into the valley where fhe Tor.
| rent Hnllcamayo dashing along at the rate Of
| ten knots an hour. Nevertheless, / took of my
| shoes, fastened rope round my body, giving the
| other end to Gaspard to held, and gradually
reached the third projection.
/ As was trying TO get to the fourth, the rope
| was dragging after me was caught by something.
turned my head to see what it was, and in so
/ doing my eyes cempassed the empty space below
me- / was like fash Of lightning. j confused
mass Of verdHre danced before me- inteiseeted by
4 the Huioamayo, glitterng in the sun like thread
! of mercury. closed my eyes to avoid tho her-
rible vision, but the vision remained In me, ana
continued to see it. Then was seized with sing~
/ ng in my ears an insunpaftable blast Of heat rose
from my entraii5 to my brain theitl felt my legs
tremble aud my wrists lose strength if under e
| influence Of an electric pile ; an unaown force
| superior to my will, inade me open my eyes and
| look again at that river Of liquid silver, which
seemed to writhe in the sun. Dizziness the demon
| Of the abyss, had seized upon me, and was draw
/ ing me down.
AT this last moment when thousands Of red atoD,s
were whirling before my eyes. still had strength
enough left to call-"Gaspard! Hep!n The brave
4 fellow had seen the look had involuntary east
| into the abyss. and, guessing what might neear,
had, imprudently for himself, bat happily fer m
the daring to follow me. AS my hands, congul.
sively closed, were about to lose their hold, he
seized me BY the nap of the neck, calling to me to
take courage. regained my self possession, sue
ceeded in retraeng my steps, aud, feeling the
4 ground once more under my feet, sweoned away.
The adyenturers at length reached the top Of the
mountain, which they found to consist of space
not more than 800 square yards, scooped out in the
middle if it had once been the bed OF a lake,
The only proof of the existence OF the latter at
some remote period was the peat formed Of en-
twined branches of trees, whose enormous trunks
lay scattered about in various stages of decay.
And yet, even on this desolate spot, some beauti-
ful flowers were in bloom-two kinds of heath of
the uaceinitna genus an aadroaneda or marsh cis.
tus, a gentida, purple barberry, an d.tiaophyt
t,sfa, some isiponaias, kind Of wood sorrel, and
thin blackish reeds. The descent to the plain
did not take the tourists more than sx hours