The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-07-24
IN THE ANDES.
A famous Mountain.C Climber i'm the
Clouds in South Afrtca-Es.
cape from Pumas.

The London Spectator publishes the fol-
lowing letter from Mr.. Whymper, the
famous mountain. climber, written to friend
in London. He is in south Africs, and is
accompanied by the two Carrels, the we'll
known Swiss guides. Jean Antoine Carrel
is the man who made the first ascent of the
Mstterhorn on the south of Breuil slide, Mr..
Whymper says:
after an absence of forty.one days, |
have just returned to Quito. During this
time had six nights in bed, passed seven
without any shelter whatever, and the re-
mainder in tents at attitudes varying from
10000 to $4,000 feet. We were drenehed
every day, and everything became SO hope
lessly sodden with water that it
was impossible to get dry. On Sar-
aurcu 1t rained on one occasion for
seventy hours without cessing for minute,
and for more than six and half days out Of
seven consecutive ones. The constant expos
ure and considerable variations in the tenn
perature threw me on my back, and / had
constant diarh@a, which it was impossible
to check, as all our medicines were exhausted.
/ returned to Quito five inches less round the
waist than when started, and SO weak that
could scarcely ride or walk. Strength is
returning now, but am not up TO the mark
for high ascents, and shall have to wait here
until better. Our objects on this last north
ern journey were the exploration and accents
of Cayambe, Saraurcu and Cotocachi and
the collection Of Inca antiquities. We sue
ceeded completely, but as you see, at ssome.
what severe cost Cayambe is $4,000 feet,
Saraurcu is 1900, and Cotocschi 1920
feet high. The ascent of the highest noun
tain gave us least trouble, and the lowest gave
US most. l waited for fourteen days before
l could see il, as II is almost perpetaally en-.
veloped in mist To arrive at II we had to
force our way through virgin Forest for /,
lies well away to the east of the other Andes
and is beyond the region of paths or tracks
All its waters descend to the Amazon. A
variety Of cane which is found there, growing
nine and ten feet high, forms an almost i'm
penetrable jungle, and you have to force
your way through II as best you can. The
leaves cut like razors, and their points pierce
like needles. The mountains hereabouts are
eVeryWutTo lihe shturutcu epOnbee, tuTouSl
the incsssant rains, and for days W,
waded, rather than walked, over them. Tn,
puma, tapir, and bears are common arounc
Saraurcu, and their tracks are very numer
Gus. / saw one magnificent bear crashing
through the cane, as though it quite enjoyed
it, and others of my party saw tapirs. On,
morning we found puma tracks round GU
tent, but we did not see the brute. WIKI
and savage cattle are also numerous arount
Saraurcu, and are sometimes of great siz
and power. They are escaped cattl
Tor the descendants of escaped cattle
from the farms around Cayambe, an,
are sometimes very ferocious. There wer,
two immense bulls that we saw several times
which trotted about at an amazing pace, and
which took leaps like channels. J. A. Car
rel was out one day trying to do a little bit O
exploration, and was attacked from the rea
by these beasts. He was looking over pre-
cipice, peering into the fog, when hearin,
some noise he turned round and saw then
approaching from opposite directions wit
lowered heads, ready TO give him lift over
He bolted up a little peak, with both in clos
pursuit, and they kept him q prisoner for,
think, two hours. Whenever he tried TO Q.
cape they rushed at him, but at last he sue
oeeded by feint in snticing them both I
the same side, and scrambled down the oths
aud outwitted them.