Leave Lima for Guayaquil...._Amortajado_....Puná....Arrival of the
Spaniards, and Conquest of....Village of....Inhabitant....Passage
up the River Guayaquil...._Punta de Arena_....Guayaquil....
Foundation and Description of....Buildings....Inhabitants....
Amusements....Market....Fruit....Climate....Insects and Reptiles
....Dock Yard....Project of Sawing Mills....Balsa, Description of
....Navigation of....Canoes....Merchants of Guayaquil.
On my arrival at Lima, his Excellency the Count Ruis de Castilla
solicited me as an attendant to accompany him to Quito, the King having
appointed him the President, Captain-general, &c. I immediately embraced
the proposals, and in June, 1808, we embarked at Callao for Guayaquil,
where his Excellency being detained by an indisposition, I enjoyed a
month's leisure to visit different parts of the province.
At the entrance of the river Guayaquil is an extraordinary rock, called
_el amortajado_, the shrouded corpse, from the resemblance which it
bears to a body shrouded in the Franciscan habit; the head, the body,
the arms folded on the breast, and the rising of the feet, as the whole
seems to lie on its back, are very correctly seen at the distance of
from two to five miles.
Having arrived at the island of the Puná, we anchored for the purpose of
waiting for the next tide, having had a pilot, _practico_, to bring us
hither. The island stretches S.W. and N.E. about eight leagues, and is
about four leagues broad in its widest part. In 1530 Don Francisco
Pizarro landed here, at which time it was governed by a chief or
Cacique; Pizarro was tempted to visit this island by the accounts he had
received from the Indians at Tumpis, who were at war with those of the
Puná, that these latter were in possession of immense quantities of
gold. On the arrival of Pizarro, the natives opposed his landing; but
having effected it, a sharp engagement ensued, in which a considerable
number of Indians were slain; three Spanish soldiers also were killed,
and several more were wounded, among whom was Don Hernando Pizarro. At
the time of the first landing of the Spaniards on this island, in 1530,
it was inhabited by upwards of twenty thousand Indians; but from the
persecution which they suffered for having bravely opposed their
invaders--when a census was taken in 1734, only ninety-six remained; and
since that period those few have all retired to Machala.
Near to the anchorage is a small village, inhabited chiefly by mulattos;
there is a Spanish church, and a house, called _del rey_, which, when
vessels unload, serves as a custom-house. On the arrival of a person who
is unacquainted with the beauties of a tropical climate, or who has been
accustomed to the dreary scenery of the coast of Peru, he is almost
enchanted with the luxuriant prospect presented to his view. The whole
of the surrounding country is covered with woods, with here and there a
few small houses, starting, as it were, from the green foliage on the
margin of the river, which has here the appearance of an extensive lake.
The houses are built of canes, and have an upper story, but are without
a ground floor. They are constructed by placing four or more logs of
timber in the ground, and at the height of ten feet a floor of large
split canes is laid, supported by a frame-work of mangroves; a roof of
palm or other leaves is then formed, which descends to within five feet
of the ground-floor; a rude varanda of canes encloses the whole
building, which, in the larger houses, is divided by canes into two or
three apartments; but in the smaller houses they have only one room.
The ascent is by a ladder, sometimes merely the trunk of a tree with
steps cut in it. The houses in this village rise gradually behind each
other, without any order or regularity, interspersed with some large and
beautiful tamarind trees, equal in size to our largest oaks: beneath
these the pompous banana waves its huge leaves, and droops with the
weight of its golden fruit; while above towers the majestic cocoa palm,
laden with its numerous branches of nuts, hanging beneath a cupola of
feather-like foliage.
The inhabitants of Puná leave their houses during part of the year, and
retire to other places, where they cultivate maize, pumpkins, tobacco,
&c.; after which they return to sell such produce as they are possessed
of, to the merchants who come to purchase it. They also employ
themselves in cutting mangroves, which are sent to Lima and other parts
of Peru, and in fishing. Owing to a want of water in the island, for
irrigation, there being no rivers, and from the scarcity of rain during
the last ten years, the plantations of cocoa have failed; and, although
formerly upwards of twelve hundred quintals were collected here
annually, not one, at present, is harvested. Owing to the same cause,
all cultivation has ceased on the island, and the inhabitants are
obliged to dig wells to supply themselves with good water in summer;
for, although there is a small spring near to the village, for want of
proper attention the water is undrinkable. It is only used for washing,
which operation is performed on the margin; and by throwing near to it
the soapy water, the spring is rendered useless, except for the purpose
to which it is applied.
After waiting at the Puná for the following tide, we weighed, and stood
up the river: we sometimes passed so near to the mangroves which grow on
the different islands, and even in the water (the trees being supported
by their almost innumerable roots, which cross each other in all
directions), that it appeared as if the branches would become entangled
with the ropes of the ship. On the roots, as well as on the branches of
the mangroves, many beautiful white storks were perched, which
contributed very much to heighten the novelty and beauty of the scene.
Navigation in its primitive state was here presented to us on our
passage:--the unwieldy and creeping balsa lagged behind us, and the next
abrupt turn in the channel hid it from our view, the high trees, of
some small island usurping its place in the prospect; while the light
canoe skimmed along on the surface of the water, as if in mockery of our
ship, which might justly boast its superiority over the balsa.
About seven leagues from the Puná there is a small battery, or rather a
breast-work, formed of the trunks of the _palo de balsa_ and the
_ceibo_, mounting six guns. The projection of a small promontory, called
sandy point, _punta de arena_, commands the channel for about two miles,
and this point of defence might easily be made the protecting place of
the city, even against large vessels; while boats and balsas might go up
to the city by another channel of the river, formed by an island
opposite to punta de arena, without any molestation from this battery.
It was late in the evening when we came to an anchor off the city, and I
never beheld a more brilliant view than the one before us. The long
range of houses by the river side presented a double row of lights, one
from the shops below, and another from the upper stories, where the
inhabitants reside: in a few places three rows appeared, some of the
houses having a low story between the shops and the dwelling rooms. At
the extremity of this line of lights the houses in the old city, _cuidad
vieja_, rose one above another, while the many balsas at anchor, or
passing along the river, with fires on board, formed altogether a very
dazzling but pleasing prospect.
The first town, called Guayaquil, was founded in 1533 in the bay of
Charapotó, by Don Francisco Pizarro; and by the date of the title
granted by Charles V. it was the second town founded in Peru; however
the first was entirely destroyed by the Indians. In 1537, Francisco de
Orrellana built another town on the west side of the river, which was
afterwards removed to the site where cuidad vieja now stands; and,
lastly, in 1793, to its present situation. Its name is taken from that
of its original chief or Cacique, Guayas. The city is divided into two
distinct wards, by a wooden bridge eight hundred yards long; this bridge
crosses several estuaries, and some low ground that is flooded by the
river. The new town, or that part called Guayaquil, extends half a
league along the side of the river, on a plain, having the dock yard at
the southern extremity on the same level; and cuidad vieja, or the old
city, at the northern extremity; one part of which is built on the
acclivity of the hill, and the other on the top of it, where the convent
of Santo Domingo now stands. The principal street, called the Malecon,
runs along the side of the river; about the centre of it stands the
custom-house; at the back of this street another runs the whole length
of the city, which, with the intersecting streets, forms the chief part
of Guayaquil.
This city is the capital of the province, and the residence of the
Governor; it has a municipal authority invested in two alcaldes, and
other officers; the custom-house, _aduana_, has an accomptant,
treasurer, and inferior officers. The military department is subject to
the Viceroy of Peru; the civil to the Audience of Quito, and the
ecclesiastical to the bishop of Cuenca.
Here are two parish churches, one in the new town, the other in the old;
both dedicated to Santiago, the patron of the city; also a convent of
Franciscans, one of Augstinians, and one of Dominicans; the hospital is
under the care of the order of San Juan de Dios. The matris as well as
the other churches are built principally of wood, and have tiled roofs.
A custom prevails at the churches here on the days of particular
festivals, which I never observed in any other part of the colonies. Men
go up the belfries or steeples, with drums and trumpets, and accompany
the tune rung on the bells by striking them, as the Chinese do their
gongs, with hammers or stones, making a strange, but not altogether
disagreeable kind of music; it is certainly ridiculous, however, to hear
marches and dance tunes played in a church steeple, for the purpose of
calling the people to prayers.
The greater part of the houses in the principal streets have an upper
story, where the inhabitants reside, the ground floor being occupied as
shops and warehouses. The upper stories have long balconies about four
or five feet wide, with canvass curtains, which are very useful, because
they form an agreeable shade against the scorching rays of the sun; and
when a little breeze springs up, one end of the roller is passed between
the ballustrades of the varanda, and the other end projects outward, so
that the breeze is thus caught, and a current of air is guided into the
apartments of the house, which at any time is very desirable; There are
no buildings in Guayaquil that particularly attract the attention of a
traveller, either by their size or beauty; but however the generality of
the houses are large, commodious, and have a very good appearance,
particularly those along the Malecon, which face the river; as they are
all built of wood, the risk of being burnt is very great. In the years
1692, 1707, and 1764 the city was nearly reduced to ashes; besides
which conflagrations it has suffered eleven other partial ones, which
destroyed many houses and much property. Notwithstanding the danger to
which the city is exposed, the dreadful examples which it has
experienced, and the easy means by which water may be procured in any
part of the town, for the prevention of general conflagrations, there is
not one engine for the extinction of fire, nor any regular body of
firemen.
An indispensable part of the furniture of a house is the _hamaca_,
hammock; and I have frequently seen five or six in one room; they are
made of pita, agave thread, or a kind of straw, dyed of various colours;
they are so woven or matted, that they extend to a great width, and hold
two, three, or four persons. They are stretched across the rooms, and
along the sides and ends, and the inhabitants prefer them to any other
seat: indeed, they possess peculiar advantages, for, by being put in
motion, the current of air which is thus produced is refreshing; and the
motion prevents the possibility of the person being bitten by the
mosquitos, as the least draft or motion in the air obliges these
blood-suckers to seek for safety in some quiet corner.
The population of Guayaquil amounts to about twenty thousand souls; the
inhabitants are composed of all the different classes which are found in
the various towns of South America, but there is an excess of mulattos.
A phenomenon presents itself here which greatly surprises all
foreigners; the complexion of some of the white natives is extremely
delicate, the lily and the rose are blended as enchantingly as on the
cheek of any European beauty, accompanied also with blue eyes and light
coloured hair; yet the climate is extremely hot, and the town is
surrounded with low swampy grounds. The ladies are not only remarkably
fair, but they have also very delicate regularly formed features; they
are tall genteel figures, have an elegant gait, walk well, and dance
gracefully; they are also very lively and witty in their conversation,
and on the whole the female society of Guayaquil exceeds that of any
other town in South America that I visited;--their private characters
being as free from levity as their public demeanour is from prudery. The
men are more enterprising in their commercial concerns, and the lower
classes are more industrious than the people generally are in the other
colonies; indeed every thing here bears the marks of exertion and
activity.
The favourite amusements are bull fights, excursions on the water in
_balsas_, and dancing; of the latter all ranks appear passionately fond,
and in the evening the harp, the guitar, or the violin may be heard in
almost every street, and, contrary to what might be expected in a
country lying between the tropics, the reel, the waltz, and the country
dance are preferred to any other.
The market of Guayaquil is but indifferently supplied with flesh meat,
although the horned cattle is well fed on the _savanas_ and
_gamalotales_. Before the beef comes to market it is deprived of all its
fat, and cut into shreds about an inch thick, called _tasajo_; the fat
is melted and sold as lard for culinary purposes, but this however might
be easily remedied if the inhabitants would come to a resolution not to
buy the beef in such a mangled state. Very fine ribs of beef, called
chalonas, are salted and dried in the province of Monte Christe, and
brought to this market; they are very fat, and of an excellent flavour.
The quantity of salt used in curing them being small, the meat is not
too salt to be roasted. Mutton is a very scarce commodity, and seldom to
be had. Veal and lamb are unknown. Pork is tolerably good, and in
abundance. The tame poultry is good, but generally dear; and although
the woods abound with game, and the rivers and creeks contain plenty of
water fowl, none of these are scarcely ever brought to market. The
supply of fish is tolerably abundant, but generally speaking it is not
good; the exceptions are the _lisa_, a kind of mullet, the _vieja_, old
wife, _ciego_, or blind fish, (about nine inches long, with only the
spinal bone) and a species of anchovies or sardinas. Oysters are very
plentiful, and the rock oysters though large are good, while those found
among the mangroves are very muddy.
The bread made here is generally of an inferior quality, although the
flour is good, both that procured from Chile, and that from the
provinces of Quito and Cuenca. Rice, _garbansas_, a species of pea,
brought from Lambayeque, beans, quinua, lentils, and other pulse are
cheap; European vegetables are scarce, the yuca, camote, pumpkins, and
other gourds, are very plentiful, but the natives prefer the plantain to
any vegetable, using it baked, boiled or fried; green, half ripe, or
ripe, at every meal; and many foreigners after residing here a short
time become equally partial to it. The Guayaquileños are often ridiculed
by strangers on account of their predilection for plantains; they are
reported as having imitations of rolls made of wood on their tables,
and their real plantains under the napkins. Some of the butter of this
province is well tasted, but the greater part used, as well as the
cheese, is brought from the _sierra_, mountains.
The fruit market at Guayaquil is most abundant; here are enormous
melons, and water melons, which may be cut and tasted before they are
purchased; several varieties of the pine apple, and cashew nuts, which
resemble a small kidney growing at the end of an apple; thus, unlike
other fruit, the seed grows on the exterior of the apex; the very
astringent taste of this nut is destroyed by roasting it. The _anona_,
or _cabesa de negro_, is similar to the chirimoya, but it is neither so
large nor so delicate as that fruit: _badeas_ are very large and highly
flavoured: the _jobos_ are a fruit in size and shape like a large
damson, of a yellow colour, very juicy, with an agreeable acidity; when
green they make excellent tarts: the _mameis_ are an egg-shaped fruit,
with a fibrous rind, covering a pulpy substance, of a delicately sweet
taste; each contains one or two large rough kidney-shaped seeds:
_marañones_, a fruit somewhat like a lemon; they have a smooth yellow
skin, striped with red; the pulp is very acid but agreeable, and is
sucked on account of its being very fibrous; in size and shape the seed
is like the cashew nut, but it is united to the fruit where this joins
the branch; the seed is more delicate than an almond, and it is used by
the confectioner as well as the fruit: _nisperos_, an egg shaped fruit
about four inches long; the rind is brown and rough; the pulp in some is
white, in others reddish, very sweet, and somewhat resembling the taste
of a delicious pear; each contains three long hard seeds--this fruit is
in season during the whole year: _zapotes_, a round fruit about five or
six inches in diameter, having a soft, downy, yellowish rind; the pulp
in some is a very deep yellow, in others it is white, in others almost
black, but the yellow kind is considered the best; they are very sweet,
but fibrous; in the centre is a large kernel, to which all the fibres
appear strongly attached. Oranges, limes, lemons, paltas, lucumas,
palillos, tamarinds, guavas, coconuts, and other intertropical fruits
are also in very great abundance.
What may be termed a separate fruit market is the astonishing quantities
of plantains which are sold, because they constitute the principal
support of the lower classes, and are always to be found at the tables
of the higher. Large canoes and balsas, carrying five or six hundred
bunches of this fruit, arrive every day from different parts at the
city, and if the supply happen to be scanty for two or three days, the
arrival of canoes or balsas is hailed as a Godsend. Besides the quantity
of plantains consumed by the inhabitants, the country ships give rations
of them to their crews, instead of bread; and the natives feed their
poultry and pigs on the ripe ones. What adds greatly to the curiosity of
the market altogether, is the originality of the sight; it is
principally held on board the numberless canoes and balsas which arrive
from the country, and which remain close to the river side till they
have delivered their cargoes.
The winter season, which commences here in the month of December, and
continues till the latter end of April, is very disagreeable, owing to
the heat, the constant want of a refreshing wind, the unceasing rains,
the frequent thunder storms, and the abundance of troublesome insects,
all of which seem to combine to incommode the human species; the
natives, however, appear to withstand the joint attack with wonderful
composure. During the remaining eight months of the year, which is
called the summer, the climate is not oppressive; a breeze from the
south-west, called the _chandui_, because it comes over a mountain of
this name, generally sets in about noon, and continues to blow till
five or six o'clock the following morning. The natives may be seen about
noon looking out for the breeze, and on the first appearance of it the
rollers of the blinds are placed between the ballustrades of the
varandas to catch it: along the Malecon, when it is observed to ripple
the water in the river, a general salutation often takes place, and
"yonder comes the chandui," may be heard on every side. During the
summer all kinds of provisions and fruit are abundant, and of a better
quality, and the city is then very healthy; but during the winter
intermittent fevers, dysenteries, and diseases of the eyes, are very
common, and often prove fatal.
Strangers at Guayaquil are much annoyed by the troublesome insects, as
well as the most poisonous reptiles, which abound there. During the
rainy months the mosquitos appear in such swarms, that it is impossible
to avoid them; and, besides the bite, the continued humming noise which
they make prevents a person, unaccustomed to such music, from sleeping,
although his bed may be furnished with curtains to protect him against
their bite. Another small insect, called _jejen_, is extremely
troublesome: it is so diminutive, that it can pass the bed-curtains,
unless they be made of some close fine material; and its bite causes a
greater degree of irritation than that of the mosquito. Ants creep about
the houses in such prodigious numbers, that it is almost impossible to
prevent them from mixing with the victuals, particularly sweetmeats; and
it is no uncommon thing, when you take off the crust of a tart, or open
ajar of preserves, to find that the whole has been consumed by these
insects, and the despoilers in complete possession of the cup or jar. I
have frequently seen a cold fowl brought to the table, and on carving it
the ants would sally forth in droves, and run all over the table; even
the beds are invaded by them, and that person would smart for it who
should unwarily lay himself down, without the necessary precaution of
well examining the premises.
Another very small insect, called the _comejen_, although not
troublesome in the same manner as the foregoing, is more so in other
respects. Its destructive qualities are so active, that in the space of
one night it will penetrate the hardest wood, or any other similar
substance. I have been assured, that in the same space of time, it has
been known to perforate a bale of paper, passing quite through
twenty-four reams. This insect builds its nest under the eaves of the
houses, of a glutinous clay, similar to that used by the swallows in the
fabrication of their nests; but the comejen continues his for several
yards in length. The greatest care is necessary to prevent their
entering a store or any such place, where their depredations would cause
a considerable decrease in the value of the contents. The natives
sometimes daub their nests with tar, which destroys the whole swarm; for
if disturbed, they will divide into different Societies, and each will
separately search for a convenient place in which to form a new one.
In the archives of Quito, there is a curious royal decree of Carlos III.
respecting this insect. A number of cases of gun-flints had been sent to
Panama from Spain, for the purpose of being forwarded to Lima; but their
non-arrival at this place caused the Viceroy to repeat his request to
the court for the supply; this produced an investigation--the flints
were traced to Panama, and the governor was ordered to account for them.
In his answer to the minister, he stated, that the comejen had destroyed
the cases in the royal magazine. The minister being ignorant of what the
comejen was, an order was issued under the royal seal, commanding the
governor of Panama to apprehend the comejen--to form a summary process
on the crimes which he had committed, then to send the prisoner and
documents, with the necessary guard, in custody to Spain, that he might
be dealt with according to the extent of his criminality!
The _nigua_, called _piqui_ in Lima and other parts of Peru, is a
diminutive insect, in appearance like a small flea. They generally
introduce themselves under the cuticle of the feet, which causes a
slight itching: when they have thus established their residence, they
deposit a great number of eggs, the whole increasing to the size of a
pea; if not carefully taken out they continue to breed, and, corroding
the neighbouring parts, they produce malignant ulcers, which sometimes
terminate in gangrene. The greatest care is necessary in taking out
these diminutive but disagreeable insects; no part should be left
behind, and the whole of the bag which contains the ovii should be
extracted; when they have been suffered to remain several days they
occasion great pain. Negroes are most troubled with them, on account of
their going barefoot, and of their inattention to cleanliness.
The reptiles that frequent the houses in Guayaquil are the _alacran_,
which in shape resembles a lobster: the body is about an inch long, and
the tail, which has nine joints, is of the same length; the end of the
tail is armed with a small hooked instrument, with which the animal can
inflict a sting so poisonous, that it causes violent pain in the part
affected; considerable degree of fever, excessive thirst, hardness of
the tongue, and sometimes delirium ensues; but all the effects generally
cease within twenty-four hours. The remedy usually applied is
cauterizing the part with a lighted segar.
The _ciento pies_ are from three to six inches long; they have thirty
articulations or joints, and sixty feet; they are covered with small
scales of a brownish hue, and have organs suited for biting, both at the
head and at the tail, either of which cause violent pain, and a
considerable degree of fever. The remedy used by the natives is the same
as for the bite of the alacran.
Many _salamanquecas_, small chameleons, run about the houses, at which
the natives are very much alarmed, fancying that their scratch is
mortal; and certainly it must be fancy, for there is no record of any
person having been scratched by them. On account of the insects and
reptiles, and during the rainy season, when a few snakes introduce
themselves into the houses, all the inhabitants smoke segars, being
persuaded that the smoke of tobacco drives them away; so that even the
females and the children become habituated to the use of this herb,
which in Guayaquil is cheap, and of a good quality.
The most important part of Guayaquil is the dock yard; it produces
employment for a great number of mechanics, promotes labour, and
consequently independence in a considerable portion of the inhabitants.
It also promotes the circulation of money in the neighbourhood, by
encouraging the consumption of wood, which is brought from the
surrounding country; and the effect caused by giving, through the medium
of labour, the greatest possible value to the natural produce of the
country is no where so visible as in this city, heightened undoubtedly
by the contrast to be met with in the other colonial districts. Here the
working mechanic is sure of employment; he can calculate with certainty
on his earnings, and by being indispensably necessary he acquires a
personal independence, totally unknown where labour is scarce, or
population excessive.
Some of the vessels built here have been very much admired by foreigners
capable of appreciating their architectural merits; and particularly
schooners of a hundred and fifty or two hundred tons burthen. The
largest ship ever built in this dock yard was the San Salvador, of seven
hundred tons; but vessels of from three to five hundred tons are very
common. The master ship builder is a mulatto, a native of Guayaquil, as
well as the masters caulker and rigger. Excepting the wood, all the
other materials are procured from Europe; thus the most extensive market
for iron, sheet copper, and all kinds of naval stores, is furnished at
Guayaquil.
Very great economical improvements might undoubtedly be made in this
yard, and particularly, in the timber. A foreign carpenter would be much
surprised to see a man take a solid log of wood, and chalk out a curved
plank for the bow or stern of a boat, and cut it with an axe, forming
but one plank out of each log, and this by no means so durable as a
straight plank would be when curved by artificial means: this is
observable in the durability of the wood in the different parts of their
boats. The introduction of sawing mills here would be of the greatest
importance, as well as at Talcahuano, in Chile, and would amply repay
the speculator who should establish them. The rise and fall of the tide
would furnish, at very little expence, the necessary power for the
machinery. The sum paid for the sawing of a single plank, twelve inches
broad and sixteen or eighteen feet long, is six reals, or three-quarters
of a dollar: this will convey an idea of the importance of such an
establishment as the one just mentioned. At present (1824) the
objections that would formerly have been started during the domination
of the Spaniards necessarily disappear, not so much perhaps from an
increase of knowledge as from an increase of work, and a diminution of
workmen; this being the unavoidable result of the war in Peru, and that
the consequence of the flattering prospect which the emancipation of the
colonies now presents. Many other improvements which are generally
adopted in the English arsenals would be found of vast importance in the
ship yard at Guayaquil; which, from its situation, must ever remain the
principal station for ship building on the shores of the Pacific.
The balsa is one of the most early specimens of the art of
ship-building, if simplicity of construction can warrant the assertion
in general terms; it certainly, however, was the only large vehicle in
possession of the natives when the Spaniards arrived in this part of the
New World. Of the conveniency of this rude vessel, both Asara and Acosta
speak, when Orellana transferred the city of Guayaquil from the bay of
Charapota, near to where the town of Monte Christi now stands, to the
western shores of the river, because it served to transport his
soldiers, auxiliaries, and stores, when the indians burnt that town in
1537.
The balsa is formed by laying together five, seven, or more large trunks
of the _palo de balsa_ or _ceibo_, which is so porous and light, that a
man can carry a log thirty feet long and 12 inches in diameter; pieces
of cedar, about six inches square, or large canes, are next laid
crossway upon these, and the whole are tied together with the tough
pliant stems of a creeping plant, called _bejuco_; split canes are
afterwards laid along these rafters, to form what may be termed the deck
of the balsa. Instead of a mast, the sail is hoisted on two poles, or
sheers, of mangrove wood, inclining a little forward, being supported by
two backstays. The sail is a large square lugsail, with halyards and
braces. For propelling the balsa along during a calm, the natives use a
long paddle, broad at the lower extremity; they let this fall
perpendicularly at the stern of the balsa, and then drag the end
forwards, by which means the broad end of the paddle sweeps through the
water as it rises, and impels the balsa forward, though very slowly.
The rudder is formed of one of these paddles lashed astern, and is
managed by one or two men; besides which they have several boards, each
three or four yards long and two feet broad, called _guaras_; these they
insert between the main or central logs, and allow them to dip more or
less into the water: these boards serve for a keel, and prevent the
balsa from upsetting or making much lee-way. By raising or lowering
these boards in different parts of the balsa, the natives can perform on
their raft all the manoeuvres of a regularly built and well rigged
vessel, an invention which I believe is not generally known, and the
utility of which might be very great in cases of shipwreck, where the
seamen have to betake themselves to rafts, without being acquainted with
so easy a method of steering them, and of preventing them from
capsizing.
All the balsas have a small shed built on them, which serves the
purposes of a cabin; they are formed of canes, and the roof is covered
with palm leaves, or those called _vijao_, which are similar in shape to
those of the banana, but not so liable to break or split. Some of the
large balsas have a comfortable house built on them, composed of four,
five, or more rooms; the sides and roof being lined with chintz, with
mats on the floors; and are most comfortable conveyances for passengers
or parties of pleasure.
The balsas are used in the river for loading and unloading the vessels,
for carrying the produce of the country from one part to another; also
as stages for careening ships, and for heaving them down, besides many
other similar purposes: with them also the natives perform voyages to
Paita, Sechura, Pacasmayo, and even Huanchaco; beating up against the
wind and current a distance of four degrees of latitude, having on board
five or six hundred quintals of goods as a cargo, besides a crew of
indians and their provisions.
The canoes of Guayaquil are, although unornamented, very handsomely
constructed; they are generally made of cedar, _huachapeli_, or _ceibo_:
some of them are upwards of twenty feet long, and three feet wide. A
large canoe built upon with two or three rows of planks is called a
_chata_, and is used for bringing down the cocoa and other productions
from the plantations; where, owing to the narrowness of the creeks, and
the many turns and windings, the balsas are useless: these also have a
lugsail and a jib.
Many persons have been surprised at not finding the Guayaquil merchants
possessed of very large capitals: this may be attributed to various
causes; the repeated fires have destroyed considerable stocks of
merchandize, and as there are no insurance companies, the whole loss has
fallen on the individual proprietors. The merchants are also generally
supplied with European manufactures from the Lima and Panama markets,
which increases the price of the commodity; and the decrease in the
consumption is necessarily in the inverse ratio of the price. Goods
manufactured in the neighbouring provinces are commonly brought to
market by the manufacturers themselves, from whom the inhabitants
purchase them at high prices. The produce of the province is generally
purchased by commission from Peru and Mexico, so that the merchants of
Guayaquil are in some degree, only brokers. Small speculations and
activity will insure to any one most excellent profits, and hence the
considerable number of persons in this city who enjoy a comfortable
independence; and probably this is another objection to the amassing of
large fortunes by commerce.