76 AMERICAN LUMBER IN FOREIGN MARKETS. 



IMPORTS AND PRICES. 



The lumber imported at Guayaquil during the year 1893 amounted to 

 1,600,000 feet, all from the United States and all dressed lumber. 

 E. Rohde & Co. were the importers. Very little lumber is imported at 

 the other ports of the Eepublic. 



DUTY AND PRICES. 



The import duty on lumber is one-half centavo (say one-fourth cent, 

 American gold) per kilogram, plus 30 per cent ad valorem. 



Lumber sells in Guayaquil at from 7J to 9 centavos per foot, say 

 $37.50 to $45 per thousand. 



CLIMATE. 



This country is called Ecuador because the equator covers it Quito, 

 the capital, being almost on the line, and Guayaquil being scarcely two 

 degrees south of it. The vegetation, however, is not tropical ; at least it is 

 not tropical in the great valley of the Guayas. The climate is hot, but 

 from May to December, the dry season, the heat is tempered by an almost 

 constant southwest breeze, the Ghonduy, and by clouds. For months 

 at a time, the sun will not be seen, although during that time, it does not 

 rain a drop. From December till May, the rainy and sickly season, 

 when it is not raining the sun frequently comes out with great force 

 right overhead, but during the dry season, there are weeks of weather 

 which one word will probably describe delicious. 



GENERAL BUILDING. 



Houses are constantly being built in Guayaquil, but the amount of 

 imported lumber used in their construction is not very great. Ship- 

 building is limited to small craft. The river steamboats and the launches 

 used in the port are generally imported from the United States and put 

 together here. 



Eailroad building, it is thought, will soon begin. There are only 

 about 50 miles of railroad in operation in the Eepublic that which runs 

 from Durau (across the river from Guayaquil) to Chimbo, at the foot- 

 hills of the mountains. There is a short line in course of construction 

 at Mochala, and a survey has recently been made for the extension of 

 the line from Chimbo towards Quito. This is a great undertaking 

 which awaits capital and enterprise. 



GEO. G. DELLATCD, 



Consul- General 

 GUAYAQUIL, April 24, 1894. 







