Ch.I. south AMERICA. 5 



there is little danger of their receiving any damage 

 before they are carried to Tumbez. 



Here, as along the fides of all the creeks, the 

 mangrove trees ftand very thick, with their roots 

 and branches fo interwoven as to be abfolutely im- 

 penetrable tho' the fwarms of mofchetos are alone 

 fufficient to difcourage any one from going among 

 them. The only defence againft thefe infedts is, to 

 pitch a tent, till the beafts are loaded, and you again 

 move forward. The more inland parts, where the 

 tides do not reach, are covered with forefts of fmaller 

 trees, and contain great quantities of deer j but at 

 the fame time are infefted with tigeis ; fo that if the 

 continual flinging of the mofchetos deprives tra- 

 vellers of their reft, it alfo prevents their being fur- 

 prized by the tigers, of the fury of which there are 

 many melancholy examples. 



Qn the 9th in the morning I arrived at the town of 

 Tumbez, fituated feven leagues from the Salto ; the 

 whole country through which the road lies is intirely 

 wafle, part pf it being overflowed by the tides, and 

 the other part dead fands, which lefled the rays 

 of the fun fo intenfely, as t6 render it necelTary in 

 general to perform this journey in the night ; for 

 travelling feven leagues thither, and as many back 

 without either water or fodder, is much too laborious 

 for the mules to undergo in the day time. A drove 

 of mules therefore never fets out from Tumbez for 

 the Salto, till an account arrives, generally by one of 

 the failors belonging to the vefTel, of the goods being 

 landed, and every thing in readinefs^ as it would 

 otherwife be lofl labour, it being impoffible that the 

 mules fhould make any flay there. 



Don George Juan had reached Tumbez on the 

 8th, and though he did every thing in his power to 

 provide mules for continuing our journey, we were 

 obliged to wait there fome time longer. Nor could 

 we make any advantage of our flay here, except to 



B 3 obfvivc 



