Ecuador. — Gtoveknment. 85 



CHAPTER V. 



Ecuador. — Extent. — Government. — Religion. — A Protestant Cemetery in 

 Quito. — Climate. — Regularity of Tropical Nature. — Diseases on the High- 

 lands. 



The republic of Ecuador looks like a wedge driven into 

 the continent between the Maranon and the Putumayo, 

 It has 600 miles of Pacific coast, and an area of about 

 two hundred thousand square miles, including the Gala- 

 pagos Islands. Peru, however, claims the oriental half, 

 drawing her northern boundary from Tumbez through 

 Canelos and Archidona ; and she is entitled to much of it, 

 for she has established a regular Hne of steamers on the 

 Maranon, while the Quito government has not developed 

 an acre east of the Andes. Ecuador is hung between and 

 upon two Cordilleras, which naturally divide it into three 

 parts: tlie western slope, the Quitonian valley, and the 

 Napo region. The fluvial system is mainly made up of 

 the Napo, Pastassa, and Santiago, tributaries of the Mar- 

 anon, and the Mira, Esmeraldas, and Guayaquil, flowing 

 westward into the Pacific. There are no lakes proper, but 

 the natives enumerate fifty-five lagunes, the largest of 

 which, Capucuy, is not over five miles long. 



Yillavicencio tells tlie world that his country has a total 

 population of 1,308,042, But Dr. Jameson believes it does 

 not exceed 700,000. The government is based on the 

 Constitution of 1845, amended in 1853. The president is 

 chosen by a plurality of votes, holds his ofiice for four 

 years, and has a salary of $12,000. He can not be re-elect- 



