Commerce of Guayaquil. 31 



The coffee-tree is about eight feet high, and has dark green 

 leaves, white blossoms, and green, red, and purple berries 

 at the same time. Each tree yields on an average two 

 pounds annually. 



The other chief articles of exportation are hides, cotton, 

 "Panama hats," manufactured at Indian villages on the 

 coast, cinchona bark, caucho, tobacco, orchilla weed, sarsa- 

 parilla, and tamarinds.* The hats are usually made of the 

 " Toquilla" {Oarhcdovica palmata), an arborescent plant 

 about five feet high, resembling the palm. The leaf, which 

 is a yard long, is plaited like a fan, and is borne on a three- 

 cornered stalk. It is cut while young, the stiff parallel 

 veins removed, then slit into shreds by whipping it, and im- 

 mersed in boiling water, and finally bleached in the sun. 

 The same " straw" is used in the interior. The " Mocora," 

 which grows hke a cocoa-nut tree, with a very smooth, hard, 

 thorny bark, is rarely used, as it is difficult to work. The 

 leaves are from eight to twelve feet in length, so that the 

 " straws" will finish a hat without splicing. Such hats re- 

 quire, two or three months, and bring sometimes $150 ; but 

 they will last a lifetime. They can be packed away in a 

 vest pocket, and they can be turned inside out and worn, 

 the inside surface being as smooth and well finished as the 

 outside. " Toquilla" hats are whiter than the " mocora." 



The exports from Guayaquil bear no proportion to the 

 capabilities of the country ; Ecuador has no excuse for be- 

 ing bankrupt. Most of the imports are of English origin ; 

 lard comes from the United States, and flour from Chile, 



The Malecon and river present a lively scene all the 

 year round ; the rest of the city appears deserted in com- 



* In 1867 there were exported to Europe of cacao, 197,260 quintals ; cot- 

 ton, 10,247 do. ; caucho, 8011 do. ; sarsaparilla, 149 do.; orchilla, 10,247 

 packages; quinine, 5000 do. ; tobacco, 2000 do. ; coffee, 1611 do.; tama- 

 rinds, 65 bbls. ; sides of leather, 22,514 ; hats, 8397. 



