Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 3Humboldt, Alexander von
History
Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 3
Humboldt, Alexander von
Natural history -- South America; Scientific expeditions; South America -- Description and travel
North-west of the valleys of Salcabamba, in the parallel of the ports
of Huaura and Guarmey, between 11 and 10 degrees latitude, the two
chains unite in the knot of the Huanuco and the Pasco, celebrated for
the mines of Yauricocha or Santa Rosa. There rise two peaks of
colossal height, the Nevados of Sasaguanca and of La Viuda. The
table-land of this knot of mountains appears in the Pambas de Bombon
to be more than 1800 toises above the level of the ocean. From this
point, on the north of the parallel of Huanuco (latitude 11 degrees),
the Andes are divided into three chains: the first, and most eastern,
rises between Pozuzu and Muna, between the Rio Huallaga, and the Rio
Pachitea, a tributary of the Ucayali; the second, or central, is
between the Huallaga, and the Upper Maranon; the third, or western,
between the Upper Maranon and the coast of Truxillo and Payta. The
eastern chain is a small lateral branch which lowers into a range of
hills: its direction is first north-north-east, bordering the Pampas
del Sacramento, afterwards it turns west-north-west, where it is
broken by the Rio Huallaga, in the Pongo, above the confluence of
Chipurana, and then it loses itself in latitude 6 1/4 degrees, on the
north-west of Lamas. A transversal ridge seems to connect it with the
central chain, south of Paramo de Piscoguanuna (or Piscuaguna), west
of Chachapoyas. The intermediary or central chain stretches from the
knot of Pasco and Huanuco, towards north-north-west, between Xican and
Chicoplaya, Huacurachuco and the sources of the Rio Monzan, between
Pataz and Pajatan, Caxamarquilla and Moyobamba. It widens greatly in
the parallel of Chachapoyas, and forms a mountainous territory,
traversed by deep and extremely hot valleys. On the north of the
Paramo de Piscoguanuna (latitude 6 degrees) the central chain throws
two branches in the direction of La Vellaca and San Borja. We shall
soon see that this latter branch forms, below the Rio Neva a tributary
stream of the Amazon, the rocks that border the famous Pongo de
Manseriche. In this zone, where North Peru approximates to the
confines of New Grenada in latitude 10 and 5 degrees, no summit of the
eastern and central chains rises as high as the region of perpetual
snow; the only snowy summits are in the western chain. The central
chain, that of the Paramos de Callacalla, and Piscoguanuna, scarcely
attains 1800 toises, and lowers gently to 800 toises; so that the
mountainous and temperate tract of country which extends on the north
of Chachapoyas towards Pomacocha, La Vellaca and the source of the Rio
Nieva is rich in fine cinchona trees. After having passed the Rio
Huallaga and the Pachitea, which with the Beni forms the Ucayali, we
find, in advancing towards the east, only ranges of hills. The western
chain of the Andes, which is the most elevated and nearest to the
coast, runs almost parallel with the shore north 22 degrees west,
between Caxatambo and Huary, Conchucos and Guamachuco, by Caxamarca,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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