192 A VOYAGE TO Book IV. 



in the province of Quito. To thefc may be added 

 cotton, rice, and filli, both talied and dried ; the two 

 firft of which dclcrve to be nientioned, as they are ex- 

 ported both to the maritime and inland provinces. 



The fourth and lail article of the commerce of this 

 jurifdiélion, is the trade in horned cattle, mules, and 

 colts, of which great numbers are bred in the ex- 

 tenfive favaunahs of this province. Thefe turn to 

 good account in the provinces of the mountains, 

 where there is not a fufficienay to anfvver the necef- 

 fary demands. 



Í3ESiDts thefe four capital articles, there are others, 

 though fingly of little confequence, yet jointly are 

 equal to any one of the former, as tobacco, wax, 

 Guiney pepper, drugs, and lana de ceihb, by which 

 great numbers of the lower clafs of people acquire a 

 comfortable fubiiflence. 



The lana de ceibo, or ceibo wool, is the produ6l 

 of a very high and tufted tree of that name. The 

 trunk is firaight, and covered with a fmooth bark ; the 

 leaf round, and of a middling fize. At the proper 

 feafon the tree makes a very beautiful appearance, 

 bcina: covered with white bloiloms ; and in each of 

 thefe is formed a pod, which increafes to about an 

 inch and a half or two inches in length, and one ia 

 thicknefs. In this pod the lana or wool is contained. 

 When thoroughly ripe and dry, the pod opens, and 

 the filamentous matter or wool gradually fpreads 

 itfclf into a tuk relemhling cotton, but of a reddifh 

 cafi. This wool is much more foft and delicate to 

 the touch than cotton iticlf, and the filaments fo very 

 tender and fine, that the natives here think it can- 

 pot be fpun ; but I am pcrfuaded that this is entirely 

 owing: to their ignorance : and if a method be ever 

 difcovered of fpinning it, its finenefs will entitle it ra- 

 ther to be called ceibo filk than wool. The only ufe 

 they have hitherto applied it to, is to fill matralfes ; 

 and in this particular, it muA be allowed to have no 



equal. 



