2 3 o NOTES OF A BOTANIST CHAP. 



varied by a few shallow quebradas (ravines). The 

 soil is what in Yorkshire we used to call " a leight 

 blaw-away sand," which, when the sun and wind are 

 up, scorches and blinds the traveller, though it 

 produces scanty crops of maize, barley, peas, and 

 lupines (eaten here under the name of " chocchos "). 

 The indigenous vegetation is limited to a few 

 insignificant weeds, chiefly Composites, nestling 

 under the hedges of Yucca and Agave. The 

 flowers of the two latter plants so great a rarity 

 in England are here to be seen all the year round, 

 and their tall tree-like peduncles are the poles used 

 throughout the Cordillera for all common purposes, 

 such as fences, rafters, and even walls of houses, 

 etc. Long files of asses laden with them enter the 

 towns of Ambato and Riobamba every market-day. 

 Beyond Mocha we leave the sandy country, and 

 after passing two streams which descend from 

 Mount Carguairazo on our right, we begin to 

 ascend to the Paramo de Sanancajas, the grassy 

 meseta (plateau) which extends along the eastern 

 base of Chimborazo, at a height of from 11,000 to 

 12,000 feet. Near its commencement the road 

 leading from Quito to Guayaquil branches off to the 

 right, while that to Riobamba and Cuenca continues 

 straight on. The weather had been rainy for many 

 previous days, and we had had drizzling rain all the 

 way to Mocha, so that we were not without appre- 

 hension of suffering from the cold on the paramo. 

 Fortunately, just as we reached it, the sun shone 

 forth, the clouds cleared away, and the glaciers of 

 Chimborazo stood out against the blue sky like cut 

 marble ; but the ground was still so sloppy that 

 what I had formerly passed over in two hours now 



