Ch.VI. south AMERICA. 159 



when its intenfencfs had begun to abate, at fix in the 

 morning the liquor ftood at 1022 ; at noon at 1025; 

 and at three in the afternoon at 1027 ; which fliews 

 the heat in the middle of winter to be greater than at 

 Carthagena. The rains alfo continue day and night, 

 accompanied with frequent and dreadful tempefts of 

 thunder and lightning j fo that every thing feems to 

 confpire to diftrefs the inhabitants. The river, and 

 all thofe which join it, overflow their banks, and lay 

 under water the whole country. The long calm 

 renders the refrefhing winds very defirable ; and the 

 innumerable fwarms of infeds and vermjn infeft both 

 the air and ground in an intolerable manner. 

 ' The fnakes, poifonous vipers, fcorpions, and fcole- 

 pendrae, in this feafon find methods of getting into the 

 houfes, to the deftrudion of many of the inhabitants. 

 And though they are not adually free from them all 

 the reH of the year, yet at this time they are far more 

 numjcrous, and alfo more adive ; fo that it is abfo- 

 lutely neceflary to examine carefully the beds, fome 

 of thefe animals having been known to find their way 

 into them : and both as a fafeguard againft the dan-, 

 ger, and to avoid the tortures of the mofcitos and 

 other infeds, all perfons, even the Negro flaves and 

 Indians, have toldos or canopies over their beds. 

 Thofe ufed by the lower clafs of people are m.ade of 

 tucuyo, or cot'con, wove in the mountains : others ufe 

 white linen laced, according to the temper or ability 

 of the owner. 



Though all thefe hot and moifi: countries fvvarm 

 with an infinite variety of volatile infeds, yet the in- 

 habitants are no-where fo greatly incommoded as at 

 Guayaquil, it being impoffible to keep a candle burn- 

 ing, except in a lantern, above three or four minutes, 

 numberlefs infeds flying into its flame and extinguifii- 

 ing it. Any perfon therefore being obliged to be near 

 a light, is foon driven fi*om his poft by the infinite 

 numbers v/hicji fill his eyes, ears, and nortrils, Thefe 



inieds 



