ower-bed in the centre, and surrounding arches of
sun-burned bricks, were lofty mountains towering up into the sky. From
one of them, called Pichincha, which looked quite close through the
clear atmosphere of that region, I remember seeing flames of fire and
dark masses of smoke, intermingled with dust and ashes, spouting forth.
Now and then, when the wind blew from it, thick showers of dust fell
down over us, causing great consternation; for many thought that stones
and rocks might follow and overwhelm the city. All day long a lofty
column of smoke rose up towards the sky, and at night a vast mass of
fire was seen ascending from the summit; but no harm was done to the
city, so that we could gaze calmly at the spectacle without
apprehension. Pichincha is, indeed, only one of several mountains in
the neighbourhood from the tops of which bonfires occasionally blaze
forth. Further off, but rising still higher, is the glittering cone of
Cotopaxi, which, like a tyrant, has made its power felt by the
devastation it has often caused in the plains which surround its base:
while near it rise the peaks of Corazon and Ruminagui. Far more dreaded
than their fires is the quaking and heaving and tumbling about of the
earth, shaking down as it does human habitations and mountain-tops,
towers and steeples, and uprooting trees, and opening wide chasms,
turning streams from their courses, and overwhelming towns and villages,
and destroying in other ways the works of men's hands, and human beings
themselves, in its wild commotion.

These burning mountains, in spite of their fire and smoke, appear but
insignificant pigmies compared to that mighty mountain which rises in
their neighbourhood--the majestic Chimborazo. We could see far off its
snow-white dome, free of clouds, towering into the deep blue sky, many
thousand feet above the ocean; while on the other side its brother,
Tunguragua, shoots up above the surrounding heights, but, in spite of
its ambitious efforts, has failed to reach the same altitude I might
speak of Antisana, and many other lofty heights with hard names? but I
fancy that a fair idea may be formed of that wonderful region of giant
mountains from the description I have already given.

I used often to think that I should like to get to the top of
Chimborazo, the way up looked so easy at a distance; but no one has ever
reached its summit, though several valiant philosophers and others have
made the attempt.

The