Ch. i south AMERICA. m 



flexile, that no bending or twisting can break them. 

 But if not cut at the proper time, they grow of an 

 unwieldy bigness. The sienderest of them are about 

 four or five lines in diameter, but tlie most com- 

 iTion size is between six and eight j though there are 

 others mucli thicker, but of little or no use, on ac- 

 count of the hardness contracted in their long growth. 

 The chief use of them is for lashing, tying, or fasten- 

 ing different things together; and, by twisting se- 

 veral of them in the nature of ropes, they make ca- 

 bles and hawsers for the balzas and small vessels; and 

 are found by experience to last a long time in the 

 \yater. 



In these forests also grows a tree, called very pro- 

 perly Matapalo; i. e. kill-timber. It is of itself a 

 weak tree ; but, growing near another of considera- 

 ble bulk, and coming into contact with it, shoots 

 above it, v/hen, expanding its branches, it deprives its 

 neighbour of tiie rays of the sun. Nor is this all ; 

 for, as this imbibes the juices of the earth, the other 

 withers and dies. After which, it becomes lord of 

 the soil, and increases to such a bulk, that very large 

 canoes arfe made of itj for which its wood is, of all 

 others, the l>est adapted-, being very light and ñbrous. 



CHAP. n. 



I)iffÍ£ulties attending our making the necessary Ohserva>- 

 lions for measuring the Length cf an Arch of the 

 Meridian^ and the Manner cf cur Living during 

 ike Operations. 



ALL the progress made during one whole year, 

 v'hich we spent in coming to Quito, was the 

 surmounting the difficulties of the passage, and at 

 length reaching thac country v/here vve were "to enter 



P 2 Oil 



