A VOYAGE TO Book VIL 



crolTing a place called Malpaflfo, about fix leagues 

 from Tumbez ; for being a high fteep rock, wafhed 

 by the fea during the flood, and the top of it im- 

 paflable from the many' chafms and precipices, there 

 is a necefBty of pafTing between the fea and its bafis, 

 which is about half a league in length. And this 

 rnufl be done before the flood returns, which foon 

 covers this narrow way, though it is very fafe at lovf^ 

 water. During the remainder of this journey, it is 

 equally necefiary to confult the tide, for the whole 

 country being fandy, the mules would, from their 

 finking fo deep in it, be tired the firft league or two. 

 Accordingly travellers generally keep along the fhore, 

 which being waflied by the breaking of the waves, 

 the fand is more compadt and firm ; and confequently 

 much eafier to the beads. During the winter, there 

 runs thro' Mancora a fmall rivulet of frefh water, to 

 the great relief of the mules ; but in fummer the 

 little remaining in its courfe is fo brackifh, that no^ 

 thing but abfolute neceflity can render it tolerable. 

 The banks of this rivulet are fo fertile by its water, 

 that it produces fuch numbers of large Algarrobales, 

 as to form a fhady forefl:. 



From Mancora, the road for fourteen leagues runs 

 between barren mountains, at fome diftance from the 

 coafl:, with very troublefome afcents and declivities, 

 as far as the breach of Parinnas ; where the fame 

 cautions are to be obferved as at Mancora, and is the 

 fecond ftage from whence the road lies over a fandy 

 plain, ten leagues in length, to the town of Amotape, 

 and at fome diftance from the coafl. 



This town, which ftands in 4^ 51' 43 "South lati- 

 tude, is an appendix to the Parifii of Tumbez, be- 

 longing to its lieutenancy, and in the jurifdidion of 

 Piura. The houfes are about 30 in number, and 

 compofed of the fame materials with thofe of Tum^ 

 bez ; but the inhabitants are only Indians and Mefti- 

 ZQS. A quarter of a league from it is a river of the 



