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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 1 500 feet above the river.
Chunchi is the last village on the slope of the
Cordillera, and I had calculated on making it my
head-quarters, though the forest is still a day's