Personal Narrative Of Travels To The Equinoctial Regions Of America During The Years 1799-1804 - Volume 1 - By Alexander Von Humboldt And Aime Bonpland.
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It Made Us Dread The Sound Of The
Bell That Summoned Us To The Refectory.
We departed at length on the 22nd of September, followed by four
mules, laden with our instruments and plants.
We had to descend the
north-east slope of the calcareous Alps of New Andalusia, which we
have called the great chain of the Brigantine and the Cocollar. The
mean elevation of this chain scarcely exceeds six or seven hundred
toises: in respect to height and geological constitution, we may
compare it to the chain of the Jura. Notwithstanding the
inconsiderable elevation of the mountains of Cumana, the descent is
extremely difficult and dangerous in the direction of Cariaco. The
Cerro of Santa Maria, which the missionaries ascend in their
journey from Cumana to their convent at Caripe, is famous for the
difficulties it presents to travellers. On comparing these
mountains with the Andes of Peru, the Pyrenees, and the Alps, which
we successively visited, it has more than once occurred to us, that
the less lofty summits are sometimes the most inaccessible.
On leaving the valley of Caripe, we first crossed a ridge of hills
north-east of the convent. The road led us along a continual ascent
through a vast savannah, as far as the table-land of Guardia de San
Augustin. We there halted to wait for the Indian who carried the
barometer. We found ourselves to be at 533 toises of absolute
elevation, or a little higher than the bottom of the cavern of
Guacharo.
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