The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-12-11
lies. is strikingly behindhand in everything
that pertains to civilization aid progress
ANrERIcANS ARE FEW.

lies. is strikingly b~ehindhand in everything
that pertains to civilization aid progress
AMERICANS ARE FEW.
The English and Germans practically con-
troll the commerce of the country, and the
Americans are few and far between. Most
Of the butter consumed is brought all the
way from Copenhagen and Lombardy. The
reason European supplies are preferred to
those of the United States seems TO be
that the former are shipped ready TO be
packed on mules. while the latter are not.
the town of Quito, there are no wheeled
vehicles In the whole country. .
Leaving our miscellaneous equipages at
the head of the Cayapas, We decided 10
take the trail and examine the rocks ana
general typographical features OF the coun-
try between US and the high SUBMITS OF
the Andes. No white man had ever petore
gone so high up the river or a
journey of so much interest.
the Cordillera from the Cayapas to the
head OF the Santiago. where the company
was engaged in mining, a distance OF
twenty-five miles, and thus connect the
two portions of the estate. -Four or i've
natives, under the charge of an assistant,
were sent ahead With provisions, ana with
three others brought up the rear: We We
Andes, and the vegetation changed 10
semi-tropical. Among the trees the red
cedar predominated, n although there
the underbrush was very thick and kept
our men busy with their machetes cutting
zone day, after I had sent two Of my
men to follow the course of the main
stream. we started to climb over a ridge
and, night falling, were obliged to camp
on the mountain side. Suddenly we heard
a sound like the fierce rush Of wind through
the tree tops-the signal Of an approaching
storm. The rain came in torrents, putting
out our fires and drenching us to the skin.
The rest OF the night We sat up clinging 10
the roots of trees, listening to the whirr
OF birds, the buzz of myriad insects ana
the growing of many wildcats.
SNOW-COVERED COTOCACHL.
ION the third day we reached the main
divide, leading direct to the snow-covered
summit of Cotocachi. 1900 feet above the
level Of the sea- After extending our sur
vey to the Santiago, we retreated over our
trail and returned to the coast.
ST hope on my next trip to Ecuador to
continue the survey to the, very SUBMITS
of the Andes and add to the knowledge
on the subject of those glorious mountains.
Edward Whymper, the English Alpine
traveller, has done much recently to popu-
larize the Andes; but for years Few, IL any,
travellers have explored the higher portions
OF the range, and it has been many decades
since surveys in the interest OF science have
been a / should like to connect with
the triangulation work performed by Juan
and Ulloa in 1870. In connection with the
work of this expedition, which was made
on behalf OF the Spanish government to
ascertain by actual measurement the shape
and magnitude of the earth, a good story
is told in Quito.
'rAfter minute trigonometric surveys Juan
and Ulloa determined a base on the equator
In longitude rs degrees Is minutes from
Greenwich. Afterward ReisS and Stubel
verified the base and erected a monument
at the point where the equator crossed the
meridian. All scientists, in visiting Quito,
wish TO know the location of this point
An engineer of the recent Intercontinental
| railway, desiring TO adjust his work to this
base, asked a hotel keeper in Quito fol-
horses In order to visit the nun
"'You need not go out so far the hotel
keeper replied. L moved myself tina monu.
ment into the plaza a few years ago.
Here was enterprise for you, even In
the land of POGO tempo. For the accom-
mediation of his guests the man had actu-
ally moved the equator"