The Town Of
Guayaquil Stands Close To The River, Being Partly Built On An Ascent,
And Partly At The Foot Of A Small Hill, Having A Steep Descent To The
River.
It is defended by two forts on the low grounds, and a third on
the hill, and is one of the best ports belonging to the Spaniards in the
South Sea.
It is under the command of a governor, and is beautified by
several fine churches and other good buildings. From this place they
export cocoas, hides, tallow, sarsaparilla, drugs, and a kind of woollen
cloth called Quito-cloth. The cocoas grow on both sides of the river
above the town, having a smaller nut than those of Campeachy.[165]
Sarsaparilla delights in watery places, near the side of the river.
[Footnote 165: The cacao, or chocolate-nut is probably here meant, not
the cocoanut. - E.]
Quito is a populous place in the interior of the country, almost under
the line, being in lat. 0 deg. 12' S. and long. 78 deg. 22' W. from Greenwich.
It is inclosed by a ridge of high mountains, abounding in gold, being
inhabited by a few Spaniards, and by many Indians under the Spanish
dominion. The rivers or streams which descend from the surrounding
mountains carry great abundance of gold dust in their course into the
low grounds, especially after violent rains, and this gold is collected
out of the sand by washing. Quito is reckoned the richest place for gold
in all Peru,[166] but it is unwholesome, the inhabitants being subject
to headaches, fevers, diarrhaes, and dysenteries; but Guayaquil is
greatly more healthy. At Quito is made a considerable quantity of
coarse woollen cloth, worn only by the lower class all over the kingdom
of Peru.
[Footnote 166: Quito was annexed to the empire of Peru, not long before
the Spanish conquest, but is now in the viceroyalty of New Granada. - E.]
Leaving our ships at Cape Blanco, we went in a bark and several canoes
to make an attempt on Guayaquil, but were discovered, and returned
therefore to our ships, in which we sailed for the island of Plata, in
lat. 1 deg. 15' S. where we arrived on the 16th December. Having provided
ourselves with water on the opposite coast of the continent, we set sail
on the 23d with a brisk gale at S.S.W. directing our course for a town
called Lovalia, in the bay of Panama. Next morning we passed in sight
of Cape Passado, in lat. 0 deg. 28' S. being a very high round point,
divided in the middle, bare towards the sea, but covered on the land
side with fruit-trees, the land thereabout being hilly and covered with
wood. Between this and Cape San Francisco there are many small points,
inclosing as many sandy creeks full of trees of various kinds. Meaning
to look out for canoes, we were indifferent what river we came to, so we
endeavoured to make for the river of St Jago, by reason of its nearness
to the island of Gallo, in which there is much gold, and where was
good anchorage for our ships. We passed Cape St Francisco, whence to the
north the land along the sea is full of trees of vast height and
thickness.
Between this cape and the island of Gallo there are several large
rivers, all of which we passed in our way to that of St Jago, a large
navigable river in lat. 2 deg. N.[167] About seven leagues before it reaches
the sea, this river divides into two branches, which inclose an island
four leagues in circuit. Both branches are very deep, but the S.W.
channel is the broadest, and the other has sand-banks at its mouth,
which cannot be passed at low-water. Above the island the river is a
league broad, having a straight channel and swift current, and is
navigable three leagues up, but how much farther I know not. It runs
through a very rich soil, producing all kinds of the tallest trees that
are usually met with in this country, but especially red and white
cotton-trees, and cabbage-trees of large size. The white cotton-tree
grows not unlike an oak, but much bigger and taller, having a straight
trunk, without branches to the top, where it sends out strong branches.
The bark is very smooth, the leaves of the size of a plum-tree leaf,
dark green, oval, smooth, and jagged at the ends. These trees are not
always biggest near the roots, but often swell out to a great size in
the middle of their trunks. They bear silk-cotton, which falls to the
ground in November and December, but is not so substantial as that of
the cotton-shrub, being rather like the down of thistles. Hence they do
not think it worth being gathered in America; but in the East Indies it
is used for stuffing pillows. The old leaves of this tree fall off in
April, and are succeeded by fresh leaves in the course of a week. The
red cotton-tree is somewhat less in size, but in other respects
resembles the other, except that it produces no cotton. The wood is
hard, though that of both kinds is somewhat spongy. Both are found in
fat soils, both in the East and West Indies.
[Footnote 167: Nearly in the indicated latitude is the river of Patia,
in the province of Barbacoas. The river St Jago of modern maps on this
coast is in lat. 1 deg. 18' N. in the province of Atacames, or
Esmeraldas. - E.]
The cabbage-tree is the tallest that is found in these woods, some
exceeding 120 feet in height. It likewise is without boughs or branches
to the top, where its branches are the thickness of a man's arm, and
twelve or fourteen feet long. Two feet from the stem come forth many
small long leaves of an inch broad, so thick and regular on both sides
that they cover the whole branch.
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