IN THE ECUADOREAN ANDES 175 
known village of Banos, and of the surrounding 
mountains, with their more interesting botanical 
features.] 
To Mr. George Benthmn 
Banos, Ecuador, Sept. i, 1857. 
The last part of the journey, namely, the over- 
land part of it, was by far the worst. 
• • ' • • . . 
Road there is none, but only the merest sem- 
blance of a track, such as the tapir makes to its 
feeding- and drinking-places ; often carried along 
the face of precipices, where had it not been for 
projecting roots on which to lay hold, the passage 
would have been impossible. No one ever opens 
the road — no fallen trees have been cleared away 
— no overhanging branches cut off. From Canelos 
the rains set in with greater severity than ever — 
the dripping forest, through which I had to push 
my way, soaking my garments so that towards 
evening my arms and shoulders were quite be- 
numbed — and the mud, which even on the tops of 
the hills was often over the knees — made our 
progress very slow and painful. 
The Indians were little accustomed to carry 
burdens — some of them had never been out before 
— and though I had made the loads as light as 
possible, they grumbled much and often threatened 
to leave me. I had brought from Tarapoto a trunk 
full of paper for drying my plants, but when we 
reached the Jibaro settlement, where unceasing 
rains kept us three days, I found it absolutely 
necessary to throw all the paper away if I did not 
