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AMBATO 225 



country has prevented me leaving the higher 

 grounds. The facilities of getting about and of 

 procuring provisions have also limited the explora- 

 tions of all previous travellers almost entirely to 

 the central plain " callejon " (lane) they call it here 

 -of the Ouitonian Andes, and to the adjacent snowy 

 summits ; but I am certain that the forests on the 

 eastern and western slopes are still almost entirely 

 unexplored, from a height of 3000 to Sooo feet. I see 

 scarcely any real trees described among Hartweg's 

 plants. These forests contain also the finest ferns. 

 That they are still almost intact is not to be won- 

 dered at, when their exploration involves the risk 

 of life, health, and everything ; especially those on 

 the eastern side. I hope by little and little to go 

 over them and send you their gleanings. 



To Mr. John Teasdalc 



AMBATO, Afn-n 14, 1859. 



. . . The introduction of the Christian religion 

 among the South American Indians I have visited 

 has been, for the most part, a decided injury to 

 them. Formerly they had either no religion at all 

 or they were nearly pure theists ; now they art- 

 decided idolaters, as many Catholic priests have 

 candidly admitted to me. Among the vices they 

 have contracted in their "civilised" state, not the 

 least frightful is the readiness to sell or hire their 

 wives and daughters to the lustful white man. At 

 from 50 to 100 miles from where I am writing, on 

 the eastern slope of the Andes, there are still 

 powerful independent tribes who refuse to receive 



VOL. II '.' 



