Ch. VIII. SOUTH AMERICA. 173 



The country of this jurifdidion, being level and low< 

 on. the firil Iweilings of the rivers Caluma, Ujiba, and 

 Caracol, is overflowed to a prodigious diilance, though 

 at different depths, particularly at Babahoyo, where the 

 v/aters rife to the firit ilory of the houfes ; fo that dur- 

 ing the winter it is entirely forfaken. 



The country of this jurifdidlion, as well as that of 

 Baba, contiguous to it, abounds in fuch numbers of 

 cacao plantations, that many are negledled^ and their 

 fruit left to the monkies and other animals, which 

 are thus happily provided for by the fpontaneous fer- 

 tility of the ground, without any a (Tifcance from 

 agriculture. It alfo produces cotton, rice, Guiney 

 pepper, and a great variety of fruits. It has likewife 

 large droves of black cattle, horfes, and mules, which, 

 during the time the country is under water, are kept 

 in the mountains but, as foon as the lands arc dry, 

 are driven down to fatten on the gamalotes, a plant 

 of fuch luxuriance, as to cover entirely the ground ; 

 its height exceeds tv/o yards and a half. It alfo 

 grows fo thick, as to preclude all paffage^ even along 

 the paths made by the traders. 



The blade of the gamalote refembles that of barley, 

 but longer, broader, thicker, and rougher. The green 

 is deep, but lively, and the ftalk diverfified with knots, 

 from which the leaves, which are ilrong, and fome- 

 thing above two lines in diameter, have their origin. 

 When the gamalote is at its full growth, the height of 

 water, during the floods, by rifing above its top, pref- 

 fes it down, and rots it; fo that, when the waters 

 ebb away, the earth feems covered v/ith it ; but at 

 the fir ft imprefiion of the fun it ilioots again, and, 

 in a few days, abounds in the fame plenty as before. 

 One thing remarkable in it is, that, though it proves 

 fo nourifhing to the cattle of this diflridt, it is very 

 noxious to thofe from the Cordillera, as has been 

 often experienced, 



Baba 



