Personal Narrative Of Travels To The Equinoctial Regions Of America During The Years 1799-1804 - Volume 3 - By Alexander Von Humboldt And Aime Bonpland.
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The Bottom Of The
Valley Of Cuenca, Between The Knots Of Loxa And Assuay, Is 1350
Toises; The Valley Of
Allansi and of Hambato, between the knot of the
Assuay and the ridge of Chisinche, 1320 toises; the valley of
Quito in
the eastern part, 1340 toises, and in the western part, 1490 toises;
the basin of Almaguer, 1160 toises; the basin of the Rio Cauca,
between the lofty plains of Cali, Buga, and Cartago, 500 toises; the
valley of Magdalena, first between Neiva and Honda, 200 toises; and
further on, between Honda and Mompox, 100 toises of average height
above the level of the sea.* (* In the region of the Andes
comprehended between 4 degrees of south latitude and 2 degrees of
north, the longitudinal valleys or basins inclosed by parallel chains
are regularly between 1200 and 1500 toises high; while the transversal
valleys are remarkable for their depression, or rather the rapid
lowering of their bottom. The valley of Patias, for instance, running
from north-east to south-west is only 350 toises of absolute height,
even above the junction of the Rio Guachion with the Quilquasi,
according to the barometric measures of M. Caldas; and yet it is
surrounded by the highest summits, the Paramos de Puntaurcu and
Mamacondy. Going from the plains of Lombardy, and penetrating into the
Alps of the Tyrol, by a line perpendicular to the axis of the chain,
we advance more than 20 marine leagues towards the north, yet we find
the bottom of the valley of the Adige and of Eysack near Botzen, to be
only 182 toises of absolute height, an elevation which exceeds but 117
toises that of Milan.
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