Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-07-21

in THE MOUNTAIN Tops.-Edward
Whymper, the brave explorer. of the
towering mountains of South America
and The first man who climbed the Mat
lefIorn on the south side, one of the most
u"i.ns s ieats IN mountaineering, thus
writes OF MS experience to friend:
After an absence of forty.one davs 7
nave Just returned to Quito. Daring this
lImG 1 had SIX nights in bed, passed seven
l,lShls without any shelter whatever, and
.ne ,n remainder in attitudes varying from
lo'ooOsto l4,500 feet. We were drepched
every day, and everything became so
hopelessly sodden with water that it was
impossible to get ourselves drv. On
Saraurcu 1t rained on one occasion for
seven.y hours without ccasipo for n
minute, and for more than six and a half
oays out OF seven consecutive ones. The
constant exposure, and considerable yari.
aIlonS IN the temperature threw me on
my Dack, and had Il constant diarrbea.
WllcL IL was impossible to check, as ali
our medicines were exhausted | returned
to Quito five inches less around the waist
than when | started. and so weak that 7
could scarcely ride or walk. Srenolh il
returning now, but am not up to the
marx lor high aScents and shall have to
want here until Letter. Our objects on
lnls last northern journey were the ex-
ploratlon and ascenls of Cayambe, Saraur.
Gu, and Cotocachi, and the collection of
inca antiquities. We succeeded com
pleteiy, but us you see at II somewhat
severe cost. Cayambe is 16,2OO feet,
oaraurcu is l5,GO0, and Cotocach l6,2OOI
leet high. The ascent of the highest
mountain gave us least trouble, and the
lowest one gave us most. | waited for
fourteen days before / could see it, as it is
almost perpetually enveloped in mist.
10 arrive at it we had to force our wav
through virgin forest, for it lies we'll awav
TO the east side of the Andes, and is
beyond the region of paths or tracks
All lts waters descend to the Amazon. A
variety OF cane which is found here,
growing nine to ten feet high, forms nm
almost impenetrable jungle, and you have
to cut or force your way through AS hest
you can. The leaves cut like razors, and
their points pierce like needles. The
mountains hereabouts are everywhere
ike saturated sponges through the inces.
SAINT rains, and for days we waded rather
tilan walked over them. The puma, tapir
ana bears are common around Saraurcu.
ana their tracks are very numerous. /
'tw one magnificent bear crashing
through the cane as though it quite en-
Ioyed 1t, and others of my party saw
-aplrs. One morning we found puma
racks round our tent, but we did not see
-be brute. Wild and savage cattle are
Always numerous arouud Saraurcu,, and
IRE sometimes of great power. They are
escaped cattle(or the defendants of es-
'aped cattle)from the farms around
Jayambe, and are sometimes very fero.
'ious. There are two immense bulls that
We saw several times which trotted around
1t an amazing pace, and took leaps like
;hamois. j. A. Carroll was out one dav
rying to do little bit of exploration, and
vas attacked from the rear by these beasts
lie was looking over a precipice, peering
nto the fog, when, hearing noise behind,
lie turned round and saw them approach
ng from opposite directions with lowered
reads, ready to give him lift over. He
'olted up little peak, with both in close
pursuit, and they kept him prisoner. for
think, couple of hours. Whenever he
rled to escape they rushed at him,
'ut ut last he succeeded by feint in
nticing them both to the same side, and
erambed down the other and outwitted
hem."