Western Kansas world., 1888-11-17
suB11n1rY OF AMER1cAx SCENERY.

mountains which, under the name Of Cer.
dilleras, Andes, and Rocky Mountain.
traverses the whole continent Of America.
both north and south, in the neighborhood
Of the Pacific Ocean. OF this prodigious
pile of rocks and precipices, Humboldt, IN
one of his works, has given the following
admirable account:
The immense chain of the Andes
sravereing its whole extent near the Pacific
Ocean, has stamped character upon South
American nature, which belongs to no other
country. The popularity which distin-
guishes the regions which belong to this
immense chain, are the successive plateSux,
like so many huge natural terraces, which
rise one above the other, before arriving at
the great central chain, where the highest
SUBMITS are to be found Such ia tho
elevation of some Of these plains that they
often exceed eight and nine, and sometimes
reach that Of twelve thousand feet above
the level Of the sea- The lowest of these
olateaux is higher than the summit Of the
Pass of the Great st. Bernard, the highest
Inhabited ground in Europe, which is 7545
FEET above the level of the sea. But such
u the benignity of the climate, that at
these prodigions elevations, which even In
eerpetual snow, are to be found cities and
owns, oorn-6elds and orchards, and al the
symptoms of rural felicity. The town OF
quito itself, the capital Of province Of tho
anne name. is situated on q plateaux, or
.levated valley, in the center of the Andes,
searly 5000 feet above the level of the sea.
Fet there are found concentrated q numer-
sas population, and it contains cities with
thirty, forty, and even fifty thousand m
sabitants. After living some months on
dais elevated ground, you experlence an
extraordinary illusion. Finding yourself
surrounded with pasture and corn-felds,
locks and herds, smiling orchards and
golden harvests, the sheep and the lamb,
The fruits of Europe and those of America,
sou forget that you are as it were sus-
pended between heaven and earth, and
elevated to height exceeding that BY
which the European traveller makes his way
trom France into Italy, and double that of
Gen Nevis, the highest mountain in Great
Britian.
''The different gradations of vegetation,
y might be expected in country where
ne earth rises from the torrid zone by
NV steep ascents to the regions of eternal
ssagelation, exhibit one Of the most re-
eaxkabIe features in this land Of wonders.
trom the borders of the sea to the height
4 two thousand feet, are to be seen the
magnificent palm-tree, the musa, the hele-
sosia, the balms Of Tolu, the large flower
De jasmin, the date-tree, and all the pro-
lGctions of tropical climates. On the arid
I'D burning shore of the ocean, flourish,
in addition to these, the cotton-tree, the
aa<nolias, the cactus, the sugar cane, and
II The luscious fruits which ripen under tho
gsn;al sun, and amid the balmy breezes OF
he West India Islands. One of the tropi-
al children of nature, the CarosyloI Ands-
as1o, il met with far in advance of the rest
4 it tribe, tossed by the winds at tie height
4 saven and eight thousand feet above the
~, On the middle ridges of the Cordllers
nnge. In this lower region, Is nature OK
hbits the riches, 60 she has spread the pes-
ulsncs, Of tropical climates. The humidity
q the atmosphere, and the damp heats
which are nourished amidits intricate thick.
sss, produce violent fevers, which often
prove extremely destructive, especially to
European constitutions But the patient
survives the first attack, the remedy e q
hand; . journey to tho temperate climate
Of the elevated plateaux soon restores
health and the sufferer Is as much revived
by the gales of the Andes, as the Indian.
valetudinarian is by return to Europe.
"Above the regions Of the palms, com.
mences the temperate zone. It il there
that vegetation appears in its most delight
full form, luxuriant without being rank,
majestic yet not impervious; it combines
all that nature has given to the grand, with
all that poets have figured of the beautiful.
The bark tree, which she has provided a
the only effectual febrifuge in the deadly
heats Of the inferior region the cyprus and
melastoma, with their superb violet bios
SONS gigantic fuchsias Of every possibly
variety, and evergreen trees of lofty stature,
covered with flowers, adon that delightful
zone. The turf is enameled by never-fad-
ing flowers moses Of dazzling beauty. fed
by the frequent rains attracted by the
mountains, cover the rocks; and the trem-
bling branches Of the mimosa, and others
of the sensitive tribe, hang in graceful pen
dants over every declivity. Almost all the
tories, are to be found there in primeval
beauty, and what to Europeans appears q
gigantic scale; magnificent arums Of many
different kinds spread their ample snowy
petals above the surrounding tbickets and
iuhuAACA0UAO SASOPCAo, uiku0S1 V1cCo, aAA&
diffuse perennial fragrance around.
The oaks and trees Of Europe are NOT
found in those parts of the Andes which lie
in the torrid zone, till you arrive 1T the
height Of five thousand feet above the sea.
1t it there you first begin to see the leaves
fan in winter, and bud in spring, - IN
European climates; below that level the
foliage is perpetual Nowhere are the trees
so large as in this region: not unfrequently
they are found of the height of hundred
and eighty or two hundred feet; their
stems are from eight to fifteen feet across
at their base, and sometimes rise q hundred
feet without single cross branch. When
SO great an elevation as the plains Of Quito,
however, which is nine thousand five hun.
drod and fifteen feet above the sea, il
reached, they become less considerable, and
not larger than those usually found in the
forests of Europe. If the traveller ascends
20o0 feet higher, to an elevation of eleven
or twelve thousand feet, trees almost en-.
tirely disappear but the frequent humidity
fourishes thick covering Of arbutus and
other evergreens, shrubs three or four feet
high, covered with flowers generally Of .
bright yellow, which form q striking con-
49, % $ha A~vI ell