Physical geography. By Mary Somerville ...

CIAP. VIII. THE ANDES. 101
volcanic cones are visible from one spot. Although the Andes are
inferior in height to the Himalaya, yet the domes of trachyte, the
truncated cones of the active volcanoes, and the serrated ruins of those
that are extinct, mixed with the bold features of primary mountains,
give an infinitely greater variety to the scene, while the smoke, and
very often the flame, issuing from these regions of perpetual snow,
increase its sublimity. Stupendous as these mountains appear even
when viewed from the plains of the table-land, they are merely the
inequalities of the tops of the Andes, the serrated summit of that
mighty chain.
Between the large group of Los Pastes, containing several active
volcanoes, and the group of Las Papas, in the second degree of north
latitude, the bottom of the valley is only 6920 feet above the sea;
and north of the latter mountain-knot the crest of the Andes splits
into three Cordilleras, which diverge not again to unite. The most
westerly of these, the chain of Choco, which may be considered the
continuation of the great chain, divides the valley of the river Cauca
from the Pacific; it is only 5000 feet high, and the lowest of the
three. Though but 20 miles broad, it is so steep and so difficult of
access, that travellers cannot cross it on mules, but are carried on
men's shoulders: it is rich in gold and platina. The central
branch, or Cordillera of Quindiui, runs due north between the Magdalena and Cauca, rising to a great height in the volcanic Peak of
Tolima. The two last chains are united by the mountain-knot of
Antioquia, of which little more is known than that it forms two
great masses, which, after separating the streams of the Magdalena,
Cauca, and Atrato, trends to the N. W., greatly reduced in height,
and with the chain of Choco forms the low mountains of the
Isthmus of Panama. The most easterly of the three Cordilleras,
called the Sierra de la Summa Paz, spreads out on its western declivity into the table-lands of Bogota, Tunja, and others, the ancient
Cundinamarca, which have an elevation of about 9000 feet; whilst
on its eastern slope rise the rivers of Guaviari and Meta, which form
the head waters of the Orinoco. The tremendous crevice of Icononzo occurs in the path leading from the city of Santa Fe de Bogota
to the banks of the Magdalena. It probably was formed by an
earthquake, and is like an empty mineral vein, across which are two
natural bridges: the lowest is composed of stones that have been
jammed between the rocks in their fall.' This Cordillera comprises
the Andes of Cundinamarca and Merida, and goes north-east through
New Grenada to the 10th northern parallel, where it joins the
coast-chain of Venezuela or Caraccas, which runs due east, and ends
at Cape Paria in the Caribbean Sea, or rather at the eastern extremity of the island of Trinidad. This coast-chain is so majestic
1 Baron Humboldt.
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