^20 ULLOa's voyage to south AMERICA. 



five in the evening. The prefident of the province was Don Dionefio de Alzedo y 

 Herrera, who, befides providing apartments for us in the palace of the Audencia, en- 

 tertained us the firft three days with great fplendour, during which we were vifited by 

 the bifhop, the auditors, the canons, the regidcyes, and all other perfons of any dif- 

 tindion, who feemed to vie with each other in their civilities towards us. 

 ' In order to form an adequate idea of this country, it will not be amifs, after being fo 

 particular in defcribing the difagreeable parts, and the many dangers to'which travellers 

 are expofed, to add a defcription of the mofl remarkable productions of nature. The 

 lands between the cuftom-houfe of Babahoyo, or Caracol, and Guaranda, are of two 

 kinds : the firft, which extends to Tarigagua, is entirely level ; and the fecond, which 

 begins at that part, wholly mountainous. But both, and even two leagues beyond 

 Pucara, are full of thick forefts of various kinds of large trees, differing in the foliage, 

 the difpofition of their branches, and the fize of their trunks. The mountains, which 

 form this chain of the Andes, are, on the weft fide, covered with woods ; but on the 

 eaft entirely bare. Among thefe mountains is the fource of that river which, being in- 

 creafed on all fides by brooks, makes fo grand an appearance between Caracol and 

 Guayaquil, and proves fo advantageous to the commerce of the country. 



In the level part of this woody extent are a great number of animals and birds, of 

 the fame kind with thofe defcribed in our account of Carthagena, except that to the 

 laft may be added wild peacocks, buftards, pheafants, and a few others, which are here 

 in fuch abundance, that, did they not always reft on the tops of the trees, where, 

 either from their enormous height, or being covered with leaves, they are fecure, a 

 traveller, with a good fowling-piece and ammunition, might at any time procure himfelf 

 an elegant repaft. But thefe forefts are alfo terribly infefted with fnakes and monkeys, 

 particularly a kind called Marimondas, which are fo very large, that, when ftanding on 

 their hind legs, they are little lefs than fix feet high. They are black, and, in every 

 refped, very ugly ; but eafily tamed. None of the forefts are without them ; but they 

 feem moft common in thofe of Guayaquil. 



Among the vegetable produftions, I fhall MeO. three, which to me feemed worthy 

 of a particular defcription ; namely, the cana, vijahua, and the bejuco ; as they are not 

 only the materials of which the houfes in the jurifdidion of Guayaquil are built, but 

 alfo applied to various other ufes. 



The canas, or canes, are remarkable both for their length and thicknefs, and the 

 water contained in their tubes. Their ufual length is between fix and eight toifes ; and 

 though there is a difference in their fize, the largeft do not exceed fix inches diameter. 

 The wood or fide of the tube is about fix lines in diameter ; fo that, when the cana is 

 opened, it forms a board near a foot and a half in breadth ; and hence it will not ap- 

 pear ftrange, that houfes fhould be built of fuch materials. From the time of their 

 firft appearance, till they attain their full perfeftion, when they are either cut down, or 

 of themfelves begin to dry, moft of their tubes contain a quantity of water ; but with 

 this remarkable difference, that at full moon they are entirely, or very nearly, full ; 

 and with the decreafe of the moon the water ebbs, till at the conjundion little or none 

 is to be found. I have myfelf cut them at all feafons, fo that I here advance nothing 

 but what I know to be true from frequent experience. I have alfo obferved that the 

 water, during its decreafe, appears turbid, but about the time of the full moon it is as 

 clear as cryftal. The Indians add another particular, that the water is not found 'in all 

 the joints, one having water, and another not, alternately. All I can fay to this fin- 

 gularity is, that on opening a joint which happens to be empty, the two contiguous ones 

 have water j and this is commonly the cafe in almoft all the canes. This water is faid 



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