IN THE CINCHONA FORESTS 303 



cause fearful ravages. A few days ago we had 

 within twenty-four hours two fires and a smart 

 earthquake. The latter did slight damage here, 

 but half destroyed the town of Tumbez, which lies 

 farther south and is the first port in the Republic 

 of Peru. In the month of October we had several 

 earthquakes, in one day no fewer than four. So 

 you see that what with commotions below and 

 above ground earthquakes, revolutions, fires, etc., 

 -people live here in continual alarm. Guayaquil 

 is, in fact, a town purely commercial, and the people 

 work as if at the bottom of a mine, seeking gold, 

 and in the hope of one day emerging to the light 

 in some place where they may live in peace and 

 comfort. 



Since I came to Guayaquil, I have been a day's 

 journey up one of the numerous rivers that empty 

 themselves into the Gulf, to visit a large village 

 called Daule, where I had been recommended to 

 pass the winter. The river Daule is exceedingly 

 pleasant at least now in the dry season and 

 almost Chinese in its character. At every turn, 

 groups of Coco palms, Orange trees, Plantains, etc., 

 come in sight, with their accompanying cottage of 

 bamboo-cane or perhaps a more substantial edifice 

 with a tiled roof, on some sugar plantation. The 

 object of my journey was to inspect a house which 

 is offered me by a gentleman, Dr. Aguirre, who has 

 travelled much in Europe and speaks English, 

 French, and Italian. The house is new- neat 

 and commodious but I can see that in winter the 

 whole surrounding country will be inundated, which 

 means abundance of mud and stagnant pools at 

 the beginning of the dry season. My present 



