assengers, near half a mile long. It is situated in low
boggy ground, so dirty in winter that it is difficult to go from house
to house. There is but one regular street along the river side, leading
to the bridge, and from it along the old town. Besides this, there is a
handsome parade or square in front of the church of St Jago, but that
church is in ruins. Besides this, there are three other churches, St
Augustin, St Francis, and St Dominic; before which last is another
parade, and a half-moon battery fitted for mounting six guns, but there
were none while we were there. There is also a chapel, and there had
been a church dedicated to St Ignatius, belonging to the jesuits, but it
was burnt down in the great fire. These were all decently adorned with
altars, carved work, and pictures, and that dedicated to St Augustin had
an organ, but all their plate had been carried away by the priests and
students, who fled into the woods. Some of the houses were of brick,
particularly about the parades, and the rest of timber or split bamboos,
and some of them were decently furnished. Some of the inhabitants had
calashes, but I know not what use they could be of, all the
neighbourhood being so boggy that there was not road for them.

The boggy ground about Guayaquil was full of the largest toads I ever
saw, some being as big as an English two-penny loaf. The town was said
to contain 2000 inhabitants of all sorts, including Indians, Negroes,
and Mulattoes. An Englishman who joined us here, told us that, in the
preceding December, on occasion of a public rejoicing for the birth of
the prince of the Asturias, which lasted for three weeks, they had
mustered 1100 foot and 500 horse, all armed, which came from the
surrounding country, besides a much greater number unarmed, the greater
part of whom must have been Indians. Guayaquil is well situated for
trade and ship-building, being fourteen leagues from Point Arena and
seven from Puna, up a large river, into which fall several smaller ones,
and on which there are many villages and farms. The water of this river
is fresh for four leagues below the city, and all along its banks grow
great quantities of mangroves and _sarsaparillas_, and on account of
this last the water is thought salutary against the lues. But during
floods, when it brings down many poisonous plants from the mountains,
among which is the _manchinilla_ apple, it is not reckoned wholesome.
All birds that eat of this apple ar