, 1890-10-09
SPOKANE BOY AFL0AT.
Canoeing in the Interior of
Ecuador.
IN The HEART OF The JUNGLE
Pleasing Pen Pictures of South
American Soenery--Beautiful
Rivers and Lakes.

Written for the REVIEW by Jesse Kiscr.
As very little Is ever said Of the
republic Of Ecuador, South America
n few lines by an old Spokane boy
may bc of Interest to some of the
REVIEW readers.
| left Spokane I'm the spring OF 80,
sailing from Seattle OH the ship
Esteila for Guayaquil, Ecuador.
After bracing the storms for l22
days, being dismasted and short OF
provisions, we at last arrived all
safe.
/ shall not dwell on the sights to
be seen at GuayaqYil, but will in.
troduce to you my friend and part
ner, Joe-Ir. Joe Moore, miner
who has seen all the mineral coun.
try of the United States. You may
then "follow our trailn and we will
take you through an interesting
country.
Guayaquil Is the only seaport OF
any Importance In Ecuador. 1t Is
situated on the Guayaquil river, 10O
miles from the Pacific ocean, and
has tide water. We here secured
two natives with two canoes, and
after getting together our traps, con.
sisting of hammocl<s, guns, ammu-
milton, mosquito nettings, quinine
and brandy, etc, we started up the
river with the flood tide at about
I A. NJ. We hoated for four hours
when the tide changed, then we
had to work hard and made very
little headway for four hours more,
when we again had the advantage
OF the tide.
This last tide was very small, and
night found US in fresh water.
The scenery all day had been
grand, but now 1t became grander.
There is nothing 30 beautiful rs a
tropical sunset or moonrise. This
night found US among hundreds of
alligators, and different wild ami
mals began to make hideous noises.
OF course we felt "out of place" but
we camped on point of rocks, ate
n cold lunch, swung our bammocks
and tried to sleep. think | slept
about thirty minutes altogether I;
Joe ditto" but the natives snored
all night. L never saw so many
mosquitoes. Our nettings seemed
to do no good.
Next morning we made our coffee
and were moving upstream at Z
M al
merous. You can imagine our feel
ings as we picked our way among
them, some of which were as large
as our canoes. Our two natives
hardly noticed them, and we at
last became accustomed to them.
Thousands of richly plumed birds
flew around us, and the trees on
either side were alive with monkeys
and snakes, the latter often meas
uring more than twenty feet. We
lid not land all day. The country
was impenetrble, so thickly did
the mangrove, banyan, bamboo and
fern trees grow.
The river, which is three or four
miles wide at Guayaquil, Is at this
place not over 1000 feet, but very
deep and rapid.
Night overlook us In the swamp.
AS we could not land we anchored
in the stream and passed hard
night. In the first place, of course,
we could build no fire. Then a
warm rain set In which lasted two
hours. When it quit raining the
mosquitoes commenced feasting on
American blood. We tried every
way to fix our MEETINGS, but could
not make them mosquito proof.
Night birds of probably 100 differ
ent kinds kept up their horrible
noises, which together with the ami
mails made it very unpleasant.
think ] slept about one hour.
don't think that our natives were
awake one minute all night.
We were moving at daylight the
third day. The country was about
the same until night, when we
came to the mouth OF the Rio de Orc
river of gold. Here we again
camped, and, after shooting some
large blue snipe, cooking good
supper, and making camp as snug
as possible, we passed very fair
night, We were so sleepy that we
had to sleep, in spite Of the awful
noises, and we were getting accus-
toned to them also.
We now headed UP the Rio do
ORC, which was not more than q
brook In width, but carried IA great
volume of water. Our guides had
been n short distance up the stream
some time before, and told us won
derful things about it-how at one
time people had gone there for gold
and all died with fever.
AT noon we came TO some gravel
banks where the miners some years
ago had been placer mining I'm n
rude way. Joe and | wanted to
stop, but we could not induce the
natives to do so; the very idea scared
them. SO To keep them from turn
ing back we gave 1t up aud .Inoved
on. | think this gravel must have
been very rich.
After leaving this place the river
gets very rapid and we made very
little Roadway. The following day,
however, we again struck smooth
water. The river resembles IA
crooked canal and we made splendid
time, only stopping To shoot some
thing once in IA while. This smooth
stretch of water terminated in II
lake, at the head of which was a
great falls. Our guides said that
was as far as we could possibly go;
that the water came straight down
from the Andes mountains. They
did not know it, lpt 1t was what
every one supposed. We thought
we would see, as we were out TO see