180 MR. R. SPRUCE’S VISIT TO THE CINCHONA FORESTS 
covered the whole hill-side with а mass of aromatic flowers, which 
was an agreeable change from the sterile paramo. The road ran 
parallel to the Pumacháca, but at a vast height above it. It was 
well on in the afternoon when we reached the village of Ticsán, 
still in the cool region, and, as we calculated on finding more com- 
fortable quarters in Alausí, which was two leagues ahead, we 
resolved to try to reach it, which we accomplished just after night- 
fall, having in the day made ten leagues. With some trouble we 
succeeded in getting a little food for ourselves; but food for our 
beasts was of more importance, and we could get none. At four 
o'clock the following morning I roused my people and sent еш 
out to the neighbouring farms in quest of alfalfa (lucerne). They 
returned bringing a mule-load, which, though an insufficient quan- 
tity, was better than none, and we delayed our journey until 
eight o'clock, in order that the poor animals might eat, for we 
had this day only five leagues before us. 
.. Our road now turned to the right, while that to Cuenca con- 
tinues southward and crosses the elevated ridge of Azuáy. We 
still followed the course of the Pumachaca, which gradually turns 
westward, and bursts through the Cordillera in a gorge so deep 
and narrow, that with difficulty has a narrow path been cut along 
the declivity on the southern’ side. The whole five leagues from 
Alausí to Chünchi consists of steep ascents and descents, and of 
perilous crossings of precipitous slopes, not to be passed without 
а shudder; for the track is in many places so narrow that two per- 
sons mounted could not pass each other without endangering the 
life of one of them. Fortunately our beasts were sure-footed and 
the road was dry ; in fact, from Ticsán, where we fairly began to 
descend the western slope of the Cordillera, we found we had got 
into the height of summer, having left mid-winter behind us at 
Ambato and Riobamba. The hill-sides were well covered with 
grass, but all completely withered up by nearly two months of 
dry weather; so that except near the streams, where there was a 
margin of scrub or low forest, the eye rested on nothing green. 
Alausí stands at about the same height as Ambato, but is sub- 
ject to still more violent winds, so that even the crops of maize 
are rarely to be seen standing erect. As а town, it bears no com- 
parison with Ambato either for size or neatness, and, like all the 
other pueblos of the canton (of which it is the chef-liew), seems to 
have been for several years in a state of decadence: the houses 
begin to fall and are merely propped up, not repaired or rebuilt ; 
and yet there are all around valuable farms of wheat and maize. 
