. The earth and its inhabitants ... d by the lofty parallel ridge of the CordilleraNegra, which extends like a screen along the seaboard, and thus prevents thesnows of the great Cordillera from melting. The Cordillera Negra ( Black Range ) has no passes lower than 13,800 feet,while some of its peaks exceed 16,500 feet, that is, rise above the snow-line of thegreater Sieri-a. Nevertheless, the range still remains black, being deprivedof snow by the influence of the hot winds ascending from the coast to their sum-mits. But the ravines in both ranges show traces of extensive glaciers, theremains
. The earth and its inhabitants ... d by the lofty parallel ridge of the CordilleraNegra, which extends like a screen along the seaboard, and thus prevents thesnows of the great Cordillera from melting. The Cordillera Negra ( Black Range ) has no passes lower than 13,800 feet,while some of its peaks exceed 16,500 feet, that is, rise above the snow-line of thegreater Sieri-a. Nevertheless, the range still remains black, being deprivedof snow by the influence of the hot winds ascending from the coast to their sum-mits. But the ravines in both ranges show traces of extensive glaciers, theremains of whose moraines are still visible. 280 SOUTH AMERICA—THE ANDES REGIONS. The deep valley separating the Cordillera Negra from the Cordillera Nevadais commonly known as the Callejon (Road, Path) of Huaylas. It consists,in fact, of a long guUey between two chains which seem quite distinct, but whichwere formerly united in a single rampart. At the source of the Hio de Santa, Fig. 108.—Drainage Area of 1 : 1,500, where they have their common origin, it is easy to observe the cohesion at onetime presented by both geological formations, which became gradually separatedby the action of the snows, ice and running waters. The whole valley has beenexcavated step by step, forming at first a series of lakes connected by a river THE PERUVIAN CORDILLEEAS. 281 flowing from one to another. Then the sills between each basin were slowlveroded by the stream till all the intervening rising grounds were , the observer may still recognise the several terraces of the oldlakes, now transformed to verdant basins. The Central Cordilleras. South of the source of the Maranon all the converging chains, connected bylofty intermediate ridges, form the knot or group of the Cerro de Pasco, so namedfrom the neighbouring city. Nevertheless, the two main ranges, Andes andCordillera, may still be clearly distinguished in this section of the orographicsj^stem. Huaylillas
Size: 1306px × 1913px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectgeography, bookyear18
