236 NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
their ends. The brown hill-sides began to be 
diversified by an arborescent Cactus, with polygonal 
stems and white dahlia-like flowers, which, Briareus- 
like, threw wide into the air its hundred rude arms. 
Lower down, at about 6000 feet, I saw specimens 
full 30 feet high and 18 inches in diameter. Along 
with it grew frequently a Caesalpinia and a Tecoma, 
both of which are abundantly planted near Ambato 
and Guano, the former for the sake of its bark, 
used in tanning, and the latter because it bears a 
profusion of ornamental yellow flowers, and is 
supposed to possess wonderful medicinal virtues. 
About two leagues below Alausi the road 
descends to the margin of the river, where it meets 
the Chanchan, a larger stream coming from the 
Eastern Cordillera, near the volcano Sangay ; the 
two united take the name of the latter, and 
preserve it until issuing into the plain, where, 
joined by the Chimbo from Chimborazo, they form 
the river Yaguachi, which empties itself into the 
gulf just above the city of Guayaquil. Crossing 
the Chanchan by a rude bridge near its junction 
with the Pumachaca, we entered on a beach clad 
with a grove of Acacias — low spreading trees with 
very odoriferous yellow flowers and binate spines 
sometimes 3 inches long. Near this place, which 
was still some 8000 feet above the sea, we came 
on the first sugar-cane farm. The road again 
leaves the river, and we had finally to climb a long 
cuesta to reach the village of Chiinchi, which is 
full 1500 feet above the river. 
^Chiinchi is the last village on the slope of the 
Cordillera, and 1 had calculated on making it my 
head-quarters, though the forest is still a day's 
