At The Extremity Of Each Of
These Is A Single Leaf, Which At First Resembles A Fan Plaited Together,
And Then Opens Out Like A Large Unfolded Fan.
The houses in the town of
Puna are built on posts ten or twelve feet high, and are thatched with
palmito leaves, the inhabitants having to go up to them by means of
ladders.
The best place for anchorage is directly opposite the town, in
five fathoms, a cable's length from shore.
[Footnote 164: Puna is nearly forty English miles from N.E. to S.W. and
about sixteen miles from N.W. to S.E.]
From Puna to Guayaquil is seven leagues, the entrance into the river of
that name being two miles across, and it afterwards runs up into the
country with a pretty straight course, the ground on both sides being
marshy and full of red mangrove trees. About four miles below the town
of Guayaquil, the river is divided into two channels by a small low
island, that on the west being broadest, though the other is as deep.
From the upper end of this island to the town is about a league, and the
river about the same in breadth, in which a ship of large burden may
ride safely, especially on the side nearest the town. 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.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 200 of 431
Words from 104037 to 104552
of 224764
