i86 NOTES OF A BOTANIST CHAP. XIX 
the mountains and valley around, as noted in his 
" List of Excursions " given at the beginning of 
this chapter. The letters to Mr. Bentham and 
Sir William Hooker treat chiefly of botanical and 
other matters connected with his scientific work, 
and these are arranged in order of date so as to 
form as far as possible a consecutive narrative.] 
To Mr. John Teas dale 
Ambato, near Quito, March 13, 1858. 
... I came hither from Banos two months ago. 
My labours there were brought to an abrupt 
termination in consequence of having filled all my 
paper and the non-arrival of a further supply I had 
sent for to Guayaquil. Ambato is conveniently 
situated for communicating both with the coast and 
the capital ; but the low grounds at the western 
foot of the Andes are now inundated, and the road 
will not be passable for beasts of burden until July, 
up to which time Ambato will be my head-quarters. 
As soon as I shall have dispatched my collections 
to the coast I shall probably move on to Quito ; 
for, although Ambato is the prettiest town in 
Ecuador, and the most abundantly supplied with 
all sorts of provisions, it is a miserable place for a 
botanist. It stands on a plateau, half-way down the 
slope of a deep narrow valley, at the bottom of 
which runs the river Ambato, a considerable 
stream, coming from Chimborazo. There is a 
broad green band of gardens, orchards, and plots 
of lucerne on each side of the river, but outside the 
valley the eye rests on little else than hills and 
rolling plains of sand ; streaked here and there 
