i86 NOTES OF A BOTANIST CHAP, 



the mountains and valley around, as noted in his 

 " List of Excursions " given at the beginning of 

 this chapter. The letters to Mr. Bentham and 

 Sir William Hooker treat chiefly of botanical and 

 other matters connected with his scientific work, 

 and these are arranged in order of date so as to 

 form as far as possible a consecutive narrative.] 



To Mr. John Teas dale 



AMBATO, NEAR QUITO, March 13, 1858. 



... I came hither from Banos two months ago. 

 My labours there were brought to an abrupt 

 termination in consequence of having filled all my 

 paper and the non-arrival of a further supply I had 

 sent for to Guayaquil. Ambato is conveniently 

 situated for communicating both with the coast and 

 the capital ; but the low grounds at the western 

 foot of the Andes are now inundated, and the road 

 will not be passable for beasts of burden until July, 

 up to which time Ambato will be my head-quarters. 

 As soon as I shall have dispatched my collections 

 to the coast I shall probably move on to Quito ; 

 for, although Ambato is the prettiest town in 

 Ecuador, and the most abundantly supplied with 

 all sorts of provisions, it is a miserable place for a 

 botanist. It stands on a plateau, half- way down the 

 slope of a deep narrow valley, at the bottom of 

 which runs the river Ambato, a considerable 

 stream, coming from Chimborazo. There is a 



O 



broad green band of gardens, orchards, and plots 

 of lucerne on each side of the river, but outside the 

 valley the eye rests on little else than hills and 

 rolling plains of sand ; streaked here and there 



