VOL. XL.] I'lllLOSOl'HICAL TRANSACTIONS. 143 



within, and ought in medicines to be rejected. This sort and the blanca grow 

 plentifully in the province of Ayavaca, 50 leagues from Piura, and 62 from 

 Payta, a port in the South Sea; as also in Cariamango, Gonsonama, and Xim- 

 buro, whence they commonly send it to Payta, and there sell it as the best. 

 The blanca likewise grows in the province of Quenca, and in the mountains of 

 Caxamarea: but the true and genuine fine Jesuit's bark, which is of a reddish 

 or yellowish colour, is only found from 5 to about 14 leagues round the city of 

 Loxa, in the province of Loxa, called generally by the Spaniards, Provincia de 

 las Calvas. This city is situated between 2 rivers, that run into the great river 

 Marannon, or of the Amazons, and lies about lOO leagues from Payta, and in 

 a direct line about 1 10 leagues south-east from Guayaquil, though by the com- 

 mon road near 200. The places about Loxa, where this fine sort is found, are 

 La Sierra de Caxanuma, Malacatos, Yrutasinga, Yangana, Mansanamace, La 

 Sierra de Boqueron, and a place called Las Monsas. 



The bark trees do not grow all together in one spot, but intermixed here and 

 there with many others, in the woods; it happens indeed sometimes, that 

 clusters of them are found together, though at present they are much scarcer 

 than in former times, a great many of the fine large bark trees having been 

 entirely cut down, that their bark might the more easily be sliced off. 



The soil where the best sort thrives, is generally in red clayey or rocky 

 ground, and very frequently on the banks of small rivers descending from high 

 mountains. 



That this tree flourishes and bears fruit at the same time all the year round, 

 is certainly owing to the almost uninterrupted rains, that fall in those high 

 mountains where it grows, which continue with little or no intermission: 

 though about 3 or 4 leagues down in the low country, where it is excessively 

 hot, there are wet and dry seasons, as in other hot countries, the rains begin- 

 ning in December and ending in May; this season the Spaniards who live there 

 call temporal, and it is general all thereabouts; whereas what they call paroma 

 is a cold rainy season, that lasts in all the mountainous places of these coun- 

 tries from June to November, but especially in the city of Loxa and places 

 adjoining, where Mr. Arrot has passed 23 or 30 days without once seeing the 

 sun, and felt the air so extremely cold, that he was obliged always to be wrapped 

 up in his cloak, and to be in continual motion to keep himself warm. Such 

 excessive cold so near the line, appears to Europeans incredible; but many 

 places in these latitudes are so, by their situation and vicinity to high 

 mountains. 



The properest season for cutting the bark is from September to November, 

 the only time in the whole year of some intermission from rain in the moun- 



