5 o8 NOTES OF A BOTANIST CHAP. 



of Viteri to the east, and several mines of copper 

 and silver which are not assigned to any particular 

 owner. Not far to the east of the Destacamento is 

 another tambo, with a cross, where I find written, 

 " Discordia y Consonancia con Guzman," showing 

 that at this place Guzman's fellow-miners quarrelled 

 with him and were afterwards reconciled. East- 

 north-east from this, and at the same distance from 

 it as the Destacamento, is the last tambo on this 

 route, called El Sumadal, on the banks of a lake, near 

 the Rio de las Flechas. Beyond that river, and 

 north of the Curaray, are the river and forests of 

 Gancaya. 



Another track, running more to the north than 

 any of the foregoing, sets out from the village of San 

 Miguel, and passes between Cotopaxi and Los 

 Mulatos. Several tambos or huts for resting in 

 are marked on the route, which ends abruptly near 

 the Minas de Pinel (north-east from Los Mulatos), 

 with the following remark by the author " Con- 

 spiracion contra Conrado y su accelerado regreso," 

 so that Conrado ran away to escape from a con- 

 spiracy formed against him, but who he was, or who 

 were his treacherous companions, it would now 

 perhaps be impossible to ascertain. 



Along these tracks travelled those who searched 

 for mines of silver and other metals, and also for the 

 gold thrown away by the subjects of the Inca. That 

 the last was their principal object is rendered obvious 

 by the carefulness with which every lake has been 

 sounded that was at all likely to contain the supposed 

 deposit. 1 



The soundings of the lakes are in Spanish varas, each near 33 English 

 inches. 



