CITY OF GUAYAQUIL.

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soldiers seen in passing the barracks, on duty at the prison and at the guard-house, were negroes. An idle military life, and inflated sense of self-importance, are congenial to their lazy inclinations and love of show; their ignorance and incapability of appreciating the principles and blessings of constitutional government, make them ready and fit instruments of usurpation and arbitrary power; and their brutal nature adapts them to deeds of cruelty, and to the hireling task of disturbing the public peace, and murdering those especially whose attributes of superior race they cannot hope to rival, and whom therefore they would destroy. But for the prompt movement of my cicerone in turning aside the bayonet, I should have been pinned to the wall of the guardhouse by one of these black ruffians, for simply looking in the gateway as we passed by. My guide told me that personal safety was more secure with a darker complexion, a white skin being cause of mortal offence to them.

There is one college in little more than nominal existence; and one public school, with forty pupils, who receive instruction from a foreign teacher; while one hundred priests in seven churches solemnize daily masses, without, as is said, an inculcation of good will and charity toward Protestant Christians, beyond the concession of burial when dead; but without the privilege of the humblest building where two or three might gather together in His name who is the God and Father of us all.

I learned from an intelligent source that in this, as in all the other South American countries, nearly all those young men who are ambitious of education seek it abroad, most of them spending several years in France for that purpose; and it was further stated that they generally return home regarding Voltaire rather than the clergy as authority for religious subjects. Indeed, educated men, and those of the highest respectability and influence, have no respect for the church, nor do they attend its ceremonies, except from policy on rare public occasions. They plainly perceive the fact that the priest, ignoring the Deity in practice, puts himself in His stead in regard to actual prerogatives and authority, and the deference and obedience due to Him. And although in early life they are taught to regard His teachings with reverence, yet the experience of more mature

years exposes the worthlessness of the whole scheme as devised and maintained for the benefit of a selfish and too commonly licentious clergy. Women cling to the formulary, some from love of the virtue which if preached from the pulpit is sadly violated in practice; others from idle ceremony, a solemn mockery of both mind and heart; others again from ignorance and superstition; although the great mass, the lower classes of these, are unrestrained in their depravity, and as acknowledged by the candid of the clergy, do not hesitate to rob and cheat the curate himself—who, it is no libel to say, they have learned is not immaculate.

A newspaper publication has been projected at Guayaquil, and the benighted people were a few days since startled by the full blaze of a weekly a foot square. I saw a copy. It has a portentous look of an early doom, for it contains a criticism of a recent executive proceeding!

From the top of the Cerro de Santana, at the foot of which lies the northern or old Spanish part of the town, the two large affluents, the Bodegas and the Daule, may be seen rolling down their muddy torrents from the north to unite at the base of the Cerro to form the river Guayaquil. Both these branches are navigable for light draught steamboats a considerable distance into the interior; the larger stream, the Bodegas, to the distance of eighty-five miles. Rafts were seen descending both streams, on which were built family huts, and storehouses containing cacao, the great product of the country, on its way to market. This height having several pieces of artillery upon it was recently stormed by General Flores, after he had penetrated the city from the opposite side by a strategical movement. From the steep and otherwise difficult ascent an American would have considered such a feat impracticable, if Franco's men had stood to their guns. But the redoubtable darkies did not stop running until they had pitched down the precipitous descent on the opposite side from their enemy, and plunged up to their necks in the river, where, revolutionary ardor becoming cooled, they cheerfully capitulated.

At the eastern foot of the Cerro del Carmen is situated the ostentatious Pantheon, to which I last night saw a señora, but

four hours dead, borne to a hurried interment, on a bedizened hearse, driven by a liveried postilion in gold lace and cocked hat, and lighted by many lanterns carried by a procession of chattering boys of all sizes, colors, and costumes, who seemed to consider the ceremonial of sepulture a clever amusement. And not far off is the little spot where Protestants are now allowed burial, but without the performance of religious rites.

To the northeast, from eighty to ninety miles off, may be seen on a clear day the snow-clad summit of Chimborazo, twentyone thousand two hundred and forty-two feet high; consecrated by the genius of Humboldt, and long venerated by tyros as the greatest of mountains; but sadly fallen from its high estate, since science has announced the greater altitudes of the lofty peaks of the Himalayas in Asia, Sahama and Perinacota in Peru, Llimani and Sorata in Bolivia, and Tupungato and Aconcagua in Chile.

The industry of this town is confined almost entirely to the extensive manufacture of cigars from native tobacco, showing a large growth and consumption of that weed; and the cleaning, by means of large perforated ox-hide sieves, of the cacao, another and valuable product of Ecuador. The latter is extensively exported, as are also Panama hats, baled in hide zurones of fifty dozen each; sarsaparilla, cinchona (Peruvian bark), called by the natives cascarilla, and orchilla weed, now used in Europe as a valuable dye. Ecuador abounds in fine timber, several species of which are largely exported. A merchant in the lumber trade kindly exhibited to me specimens of many of these. Besides the light and dark canes extensively used for building purposes, there are the Madera Negra (black wood), not excelled in durability even when exposed to weather. After having been planted in the earth as posts for houses for one hundred years, my informant told me that he had found this wood perfectly sound. Guayacan of like qualities with the last mentioned, but of lighter color. Algaroba, a dark and very heavy wood, commonly called from its weight and impenetrability, iron wood. Amaria, the most beautiful veined wood of this country, used principally for ornamental furniture. Figuiroa, of a dark brown color, close fibre, receives a fine polish, and is used for

the interior of buildings. Roble, Guayaquil oak, of a white color, and used also for building purposes. Suche, of a beautiful yellow, close fibre, and susceptible of polish, used in building. I saw columns for the interior of the cathedral being made of this wood to replace others, which, I was assured, had been destroyed in a few years by the ravages of very destructive large white ants. Guachapeli, something like North American white oak, used principally in ship building. Knees of any curve or angle can be had of this timber. Maria, used principally for masts and spars; these can be obtained of any desirable size, but the tree grows in mountainous districts, and the transportation to market is very costly. Manglé grows near salt water, is tall and straight, but is too heavy for ordinary uses; the larger trees are frequently seen three feet in diameter and one hundred and fifty feet long, and are used for keels of vessels; the smaller are used for house rafters. Palo de Vaca, a very hard, closegrained wood, used chiefly for furniture, being susceptible of a high polish. Moral, of a light yellow color, grows to a great length, and is very durable. Guasango grows on the seacoast, is very hard, and much used when great exposure to weather is to be encountered. Pachiche, very durable, and used chiefly in the construction of water-tanks and wells. Ebony is scarce and highly prized. There are also other woods, the names and uses of which I had not the opportunity of learning. But these are sufficient to show the importance of Guayaquil as a timber mart. The market for the sale of meats, fish, vegetables, and fruits, is well attended by sellers and buyers. The vegetable kingdom is especially well represented on the stalls. But the hour of departure having come notings were abruptly brought to an end. Going aboard the steamer she slipped her moorings, and in a short time Guayaquil faded in the distance, and was soon garnered in memory with other parts of this southern hemisphere.

CHAPTER XXI.

CAPE ST. HELENA-CAPE SAN LORENZO-MANTA-MONTE CHRISTI-ESMERALDAS-ISLAND OF MORRO GRANDE-TUMACO-TRUE BOUNDARY BETWEEN THE PACIFIC PROVINCES OF ECUADOR AND NEW GRANADA-ISLAND OF GORGONA-BUENAVENTURA-BRITISH PACIFIC STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY-DEFECTIVE CHARTS OF THIS PART OF THE COAST-NEW SURVEYS NEEDED.

Ar dawn next morning we were steering between the islands of Puna and El Muerto; and when, pursuing a northwest course, we stretched further out into the Gulf of Guayaquil, the close resemblance of the latter island to a shrouded corpse became very apparent. At six P. M. we doubled St. Helena, one hundred and sixty-six miles from Guayaquil, the northern limit of the Gulf, a bold, barren, and distinctive headland extending far out into the ocean; and connected to the coast line by a long, narrow, low, sandy tongue of land. Bearing away to the north by west, we kept on that course during the night, leaving the Isle de la Plata on the west, and passing Cape San Lorenzo. Then changing our course to the eastward we anchored next morning in the open roadstead of the little town of Manta nearly two hundred miles from Cape St. Helena, having one large store-house and about forty huts for a population of one hundred and fifty or two hundred people. This is the seaport of two interior towns; one, also called Manta, being an Indian settlement four or five miles to the southeast; and the other, and larger town, Monte Christi, containing a population of fifteen hundred, situated nine miles to the eastward, at the foot of a hill of the same name, fourteen hundred and twentynine feet high. The exports of the port of Manta are hats, orchilla weed, starch made from the yuca, which is of two species, viz., the iatropha manihoc, and the iatropha curcas-the