. The Andes and the Amazon :|bor across the continent of South America. e beautiful and, fortunately, now silent volcano of can be more picturesque than the view of thissymmetrical mountain from the Grand Plaza, as its snowydome reflects the morning sun. It is a first-class mount-ain, rising 18,538 feet. The altitude of Arequipa is 7560feet,* and the climate is delightful; although in June,July, and August there is sometimes a frost, and water isslightly frozen over. But scarcely any spot in Peru ismore famous for frequent earthquakes. The fearful shakein 1868 has left indelible
. The Andes and the Amazon :|bor across the continent of South America. e beautiful and, fortunately, now silent volcano of can be more picturesque than the view of thissymmetrical mountain from the Grand Plaza, as its snowydome reflects the morning sun. It is a first-class mount-ain, rising 18,538 feet. The altitude of Arequipa is 7560feet,* and the climate is delightful; although in June,July, and August there is sometimes a frost, and water isslightly frozen over. But scarcely any spot in Peru ismore famous for frequent earthquakes. The fearful shakein 1868 has left indelible marks, and to-day the city pre-sents a Pompeian appearance, as if the event had hap-pened yesterday—demolished churches, tottering arches,houses filled with rubbish, and merchants keeping shopunder tents in front of their ruined dwellings. The ca- * As deterrnined by Friesach, in 1858, by the Torricellian experiment,Arequipa is 8840 feet! Pentland made Misti 18,300 feet. Chithani is19,535 feet. Misti was active in 1858. and again in 1868 during the The City of Akequipa. 419 tliedral, which occupies one side of the Plaza, is quite im-posing even without its towers, which were thrown downby the earthquake. The eight massive Ionic columnswhich decorate the fagade stood the shock. The cathe-dral, the university (now a heap of ruins), and all the bet-ter class of public and private edifices, are of white tra-chyte ; the rest are of whitewashed adobe. The roofs andceilings are vaulted with stone, so that when the earth-quake comes, down go the domes. Galvanized iron isnow coming into use, and hereafter the earthquake willnot have such a fair chance. The dwelling-houses areall of one stamp, single-storied and domed, with windowsbarred with iron. The wide, arched entrance leads to anopen, quadrangular court^ or ^atio. Two hotels have re-cently been opened. The streets are generally broad andpaved, and provided with sidewalks and gutters. Founded by Pizarro in 1540,
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