IN THE CINCHONA FORESTS 303 
cause fearful ravages. A few days ago we had 
within twenty-four hours two fires and a smart 
earthquake. The latter did sHght damage here, 
but half destroyed the town of Tumbez, which lies 
farther south and is the first port in the Republic 
of Peru. In the month of October we had several 
earthquakes, in one day no fewer than four. So 
you see that what with commotions below and 
above ground — earthquakes, revolutions, fires, etc., 
— people live here in continual alarm. Guayaquil 
is, in fact, a town purely commercial, and the people 
work as if at the bottom of a mine, seeking gold, 
and in the hope of one day emerging to the light 
in some place where they may live in peace and 
comfort. 
Since I came to Guayaquil, I have been a day's 
journey up one of the numerous rivers that empty 
themselves into the Gulf, to visit a large village 
called Daule, where I had been recommended to 
pass the winter. The river Daule is exceedingly 
pleasant — at least now in the dry season — and 
almost Chinese in its character. At every turn, 
groups of Coco palms. Orange trees, Plantains, etc., 
come in sight, with their accompanying cottage of 
bamboo-cane — or perhaps a more substantial edifice 
with a tiled roof, on some sugar plantation. The 
object of my journey w^as to inspect a house which 
is offered me by a gentleman. Dr. Aguirre, who has 
travelled much in Europe and speaks English, 
French, and Italian. The house is new — neat 
and comimodious — but I can see that in winter the 
whole surrounding country will be inundated, which 
means abundance of mud and stagnant pools at 
the beginning of the dry season. My present 
