Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-26
IN TROPICAL CLINICS.
Scenes in the City Of Santiago de
Guayaquil.
A COMMERCIAL METROPOLIS.
The Only Port Of Entry OF a Sister Re-
Public-The People OF Guayaquil and
Their HOmes-The Fashionable Prom.
enade-Lin,ited Civilization.
From TIE STARS Travelling Commissioner.

|
! N&BRexperiences are about the same-exag-
~ gerated ideas of oriental splendor,
when the city is first seen by the uncertain
| light OF gas or moon, rs the steamer arrives
after nightfall and drops her anchor mile
out in the river; of grievous disappointment
at a nearer daylight view and finally, after
mate of its advantages and oddities, filth,
| beauty and shabbiness.
Though tlris harbor is one OF the finest on
aquil has no manner of wharfage and vessels
of whatever tonnage must remain some dis
lance from shore and await the convenience Of
the captain of the port. the health and GUS
toms officials before being allowed to land any
thing or anybody. The principal street of the
city faces the river extending two miles or
more along its banks, other streets rising ter
race-like, one behind another. up the sloping
hillsides Over every door lamp is hung and
when thousands of these lights along the levee
and in the town are doubled by their own re-
Election in the water the effect is dazzling.
THE FASHIONABLE PROMENADE.
AS Guayaquil is the commercial emporium of
Ecuador and its one center of trade, the shops
are numerous and well stocked, aud this prin-
cipal street is its Broadway as well as the fash
ionable evening promenade. In the center OF
1t towers the three-stOried "Palacio' of its
government, uplifting quaint old tower with
clock, like warning finger pointing to the
flight OF time; and on either hand are long rows
of massive buildings, whose white walls CLEAN
like purest marble. Every upper story
has balcony. hung with canvas cur
talns, the latter rolled up when the
heat OF the day is over; and the balconies,
projecting outward, form long series of arches
over the sidewalks, precisely like the Ruegde
Rivoli, i'll Paris. The lower floors are occupied
by the shops, all gorgeous with lights and col
ors. and the whole population, who remain in
doors by day to escape the heat, turn out en-
masse IN the evening. Strains of martial mu-
sic from tue barracks, mingled with the clang
OF vesper bells, come floating the breeze,
and the river, like the streets, is alive with
gaily dressed people. padding about in narrow
gondOlas and broad-bosomed RATS. to the mu-
sic of guitars and mandolins, folk-songs and
happy laughter.
VISIONS DISPELLED.
But alas! The first peep of dawn dispels all
visions of oriental, Partisan or Venetian mag
nificence, even with mie-wide stretch of
water between, and when once on shore the
disenchantment is complete. Those stately,
marble-llke casas. with their curtained balconies
and beautiful arches, prove to be dilapidated,
earthquake-shaken structures of white-washed
mud and bamboo; the gondolas are mere dug
outs or primitive RATS made of logs lashed to-
gether with vines. and the ''gaily dressed popu-
lace" are mostly undressed Indians and dirty
haif-breeds SQUEEZING along in blankets and red
flannel petticoats,
Everybody arises with the lark in these trop-
ical regions, where long siestasat midday are the
rule. Before sunrise the officials had made
their formal round, counted noses in order to
be sure that no evil-disposed passenger was
bringing pestilence contraband goods to
peaceful Guayaquil, and then invited them
selves to breakfast with an evident eye to bust
ness In the line of sampling the ships good
wines and stores. Long before their tigurative
blessing had been bestowed, with gracious per-
mission to remain or depart. the vessel was be-
sieged by swarms OF native boatmen, who clam
bered up to the deck from their canoes RATS
and dug-ours all jabbering and gesticulating
like SO many lunatics, hoping to earn some
honest pennies by conveying freight and pas
sengers to shore.
sCANrY APPAREL.
The aquatic citizens of Ecuador seem quite
as much at home in the water as ont of it, and
the business of boatman appears to be the
most lucrative that can be engaged in. So far
as clothes are concerned they are about as
nearly I'm state of nature" as any humans
we ever came across-the best dressed among
them wearing nothing more than straw hat a
greasy string, with blessed medal or charm
attached, the latter about three inches square,
resting on the breast like a small lung pro-
tector or porous plaster, and scanty pair of
bathing trunks, as much resembling trousers
as the breech clout of a cannlbal. Among the
Spanish and Indian rabble noticed a few
Cinnamon and Italians and u good many negroes
who have probably drifted down here from the
mosquito coast or Jamaica. Most of them have
managed to pick up q few words of English,
which they hung In our faces regardless of con-
text, evidently considering that accomplish
ment the most powerful of recommendations.
Thus among the jargOn of strange tongues
could be plainly distinguished the words, 'All
right" Me Americana How do?" &C.,
yelled triuInphantly with all the power of
healthy lungs.
WATER MARKET.
The Guayas river at this point looks much
like the Mississippi in the neighborhood of
New Orleans We were surprised to find a
regular water market stretching all along the
edge Of the town. where boats laden with all
manner OF produce were drawn mp closely as
possible, while the owners stood on shore shout
ing the merits of their respective wares. All
the city 8 provisions, raised in outlying gardens
and plantations are brought down the river on
balsas, RATS. and thus exposed for sale. There
were vegetables Of all descriptions, fish whose
like we had never before, from
snaky cells TO enormous cow-bass, sold in
slices; poultry which kept up vigorous
cackling in their cane cages; and all varieties
of tropical fruits pertaining the air, in spite of
the rocking odors of their vendors and the
vicinage. Most noticeable of all were the pine
apples, for which Ecuador is particularly
famous as producing the best in the world
some of them large rs ordinary water
bucket, white as snow inside and sweet as
honey.
No sooner were we landed in the midst of
this Babel than the din of voices swelIed to q
roar and we were beset by porters. donkey
boys. cocheros, beggars and produce vendors.
male and female, each clamorous for money in
return for some commodity or service, real or
imaginary. One made dash at my hand bag,
another seized an umbrella and third actually
ran of with the only child of the party.
GUAYAoUIL.
BY the way, the name of the town and gulf
is pronounced as if spelled Y-ah-keel and of
the river as Y-as. the former accented on the
final syllable. the latter on the first. The city
has a present population of 10000 or there
abouts. The streets comparatively
straight, most OF them crossing each other at
right angles. few of them crooked and
narrow, lined with the most squalid of novels
and abounding in vile smells. There is not
and enough filth lies loose about its streets every
day to breed pestilence that would depOpu-
late the largest of our northern cities. But
| equator and on a level with the sea, Guayaquil
| IS reckoned among the most salubrious of
south American cities--barring occasional
brief epldemics of cholera yellow fever and
small pox. indigenous to these localities, con-
most as little feared.
That there is any degree Of healthfulness is
largely due to the buzzards, those useful and