152 A VOYAGE TO Book IF, 



river, which is the iifual paffage. There is indeed 

 a road by land ; but at all times extremely difficult 

 and dangerous, on account of the many bays and 

 large rivers which muft be paiTed ; fo that no perfon 

 travels this road but in fummer, and then only fuch as 

 have no baggage, and are, befides^ well acquainted 

 with the country and the ferries, 



C H A P. IV, 



Defcription of Guayaquil, 



THOUGH there is no certainty with regard to 

 the time vvhen Guayaquil w^as founded, it is uni- 

 verfally allowed to be the fecond city of Spanifh origin^ 

 both in its own province and the kingdom of Peru , 

 it appearing, from ancient records preferved in its 

 archives, that it v/as the next city founded after San 

 Miguel de Piura ^ and the foundation laid of Los Reyes, 

 RemaCj or Lima, being in 1534, or, according to 

 others, in 1535, the building of Guayaquil may be 

 fixed between thofe two years ; but the profperity it 

 attained under its governor Belalcazar was of no long 

 continuance, being, after feveral furious attacks, en- 

 tirely deflroyed by the neighbouring Indians. It was, 

 hovs^ever, in 1537, rebuilt by captain Francifco de 

 Oreliana. The firft fituation of Guayaquil was in the 

 bay of Charapoto, a little to the northward of the place 

 where the village of Monte Chrifto nov/ ftands from 

 whence it was removed to the prefenr fpor,, which i^ 

 on the weft bank of the river of Guayaquil, in 2*^ 

 11^21-' of fjuth latitude, as appeared from, our ob- 

 fervations. Its longitude was not determined by any 

 accurate obfervations j but, by computing it from 

 thofe made at Qi]ito, it is 297"^ 17' reckoning frorn 

 the meridian of TenerifF. On its removal by Orle- 

 lana, frorn ks iiril fituation, it was built on the de- 

 clivity 



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