XIX IN THE ECUADOREAN ANDES 191 
South America near upon thirty years. He was 
formerly medical attendant to ex-President Flores, 
and lecturer on Anatomy in the University of 
Quito ; but he married several years ago a young 
Peruvian in Cuenca, the widow of one of Bolivar's 
generals, and he has since then resided in Cuenca 
and Riobamba. He has but one child living — 
a boy of about fifteen. Dr. Taylor is a native of 
Cumberland, and has had a good education when 
young ; he has still Greek enough to read and 
enjoy Anacreon ; and what is much better, he is a 
very kind-hearted, honourable man, which can't be 
said of many Englishmen I have met in South 
America. 
I found it a rather fatiguing day's ride to 
Riobamba. Instead of starting at five in the morning, 
as we ought to have done, it was ten when we got off, 
in consequence of a delay in bringing in the horses. 
The first 17 miles was mostly over loose sand, 
where the horses sometimes sank to the knees. 
This brought us to Mocha, a small village, some 
1500 feet higher up than Ambato, and with a very 
chilly climate. The chief industry of its scanty 
population is the keeping of horses and mules for 
hire to Quito and Guayaquil. From Mocha there 
is a steep descent to a stream, and then we begin 
to reascend towards Chimborazo. The ground 
becomes firmer, and grassy, and at about two-thirds 
of the ascent a road branches off to the right, 
which leads to Guayaquil. It crosses the southern 
shoulder of Chimborazo, at a height of over 14,000 
feet. We keep straight on ; and up, up, up, till we 
come out on an elevated grassy plain (the Paramo 
