Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-16

country for miles and miles into a vast
lake. Where we entered it from the Pa
cific just opposite the Island of Puma where
Pizarro landed. the river is sixty miles
wide, and as We sailed up it to GuayacuiI
We seemed to be passing through an in
land sea- The waters were of the color
and thickness of pea soup, and upon the
fast flowing flood were patches of green,
great trees and other debris which were
floating down from the Andes to the sea-
AT Guayaquil the river is more than
mile wide, and twenty-six feet deep, fur
nishing good and safe harbor for the
largest of the Pacific ocean steamers. The
river there is filled with shipping and
thers are hundreds of dugouts, canoes, great
RATS and cargo boats used b. the natives
to bring their wares from the interior for
sale.
1 left Guayaquil two days ago and in the
little Amerioan-built steamer Puigml
took an all-nights sail up the Guyas into
the interior. l am now far away from the
coast. almost at the foothills of the Andes
Chimborazo frowns down upon me- and
can almost hear the rumbing of the vol.
cano CotopdNi l am in the city of Bahia.
hoyo, or Bodegas, city which like Bang
kok, is almost all afioat upon the water
The whole land is flooded, and many of the
houses are so built that the people live in
the second stories and go from one place
10 another in canoes. The town proper
which contains about 5000 people has
streets which are now little more than nv
ers, and in coming from the boat 1 hired
an Indian to carry me to the high lands OF
the shore on his back. AS l went my
whisky flask. which l always carry here
for medicinal purposes fell out of nv
pocket into about five feet of water, and 1
hired another peOn to dive for 1t. He did
SO, bringing up first the bottle and then
the drinking cup which had slipped of
when it fell. / made him happy by giving
him 10 cents for his trouble. The business.
part OF Babahoyo Is a few feet higher
than the rest of the place, and just now
the stores are free from water. though il
crossing the streets you must hug tbs
buildings and balarce yourself on the logs
and bamboo bridges put across from side
walk to sidewalk. The houses are all o.
two stories. the ground floors being taken
up with the cave-Iike stores and the sec.
ond stories forming the living quarters.
There are of course, no Davements nor
modern improvements. Babahoyo has not
sewer nor gutter in it. Its only
bath room Is floating shed upon the
wharves of the river. in which you may
dip yourself down into the water with. the
serious danger of losing leg by the nil
of an alligator. There Is not a fireplace
nor chimney in the whole town. There
Is not glass window for the houses ar,
ventilated on the second floors by means O
lattice work running about the ceiling.
The whole front walls of the stores are
thrown back in the daytime and the ground
floors are as open as those of Japan. The
houses now on the water few weeks ago
were high and dry. The ground floor was
then used for II chickens. donkeys and
cattle. Now these are either On platforms
higher UP or are living with the family
on the second floor which is built upon
piles so high up that the floods do not
reach II.
I'm an EcuadOrinn House.
There are hundreds of houses here which
can only be reached in canoes. The chill
dren go to school in canoes and the mar
keting Is done In boats. The most of these
houses belong to the poorer classes. though
I shall describe further on my visit to
millionaire planter. who cannot now walk
ten steps from his house without drown
ing. The poorer houses consist of little more
than one m, about six feet square, built