150; A^ VOYAGE TO Book IV: 



The land álí along the coaíl; from Panama to Santa ' 

 Elena is of a middling height, except in foore pari-, 

 vvhere^ we difccrn mountains at a vail diftance, and 

 very high ; being part of the Cordillera. Monte 

 Ghriño is the land- mark of Manta, being a high 

 mountain, and havmg a village of the fame name at 

 its foot. 



In the bays along this coaíl, and particularly at the 

 mouths of rivers, it is dangerous to keep clole to the 

 fhorc, there being many ihallows not known even to 

 the pilots of the country. In the bay of Manta, there 

 is one at the diftance of three or four leagues from the 

 ihore, on which feveral fhips have ft ruck ; but the 

 water is here fo fmooth, that all the damage they 

 fullained was, their being obliged to be immediately 

 careened, in order to ftop the leaks occañoned by the 

 accident. 



In all this paiTage a rough fea is feldom met with ; 

 for, if it be fometimes agitated by fqualls and ihort 

 tempefts^ it foon lubiides after the ftorm is ' over. 

 Whilft the fouth winds prevail, fogs are very fre* 

 quent, and fometimes fo thick as totally to preclude 

 all fight of the coaft. This we ourlelvcs partly expe-' 

 rienced in our paiTage ; whereas, during the brifas, it' 

 is quite the contrary ; the air is lerene, and the coaft fo 

 dear as to be approached with coniidence and fafety.- 



CHAP. III. 



Of our Stay at Guayaquil, and the Meafures take?i 

 for our yourney to the Mou'h'tains. 



THE fhip St. Chrifiopher, which we left at 

 Puna, followed us lb foon, that on the 26tl\ in 

 the evening fhe came to an anchor before the city ; 

 the next day all our baggage and inftruments were 



landed, and we began our obfervations for deiermin- 



' irjci' 



