The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-02-17

The Andes cross the country from
to south in two great ranges
between them a series OF
valleys, in which about nine
Of h natives now live. THESE
are higher o the sea than
Mexico City, and they have a climate
more like that Of New York or Ohio
than of the equator. Quito. the CAPT
tai, is situate in n of the highest
of these Andean valleys 1t is $500
feet above the sea, or almost two
miles above the altitude of Washing
ton city. In that city the weather Is
like October, or our Indian summers
all the year round.
On the eastern side of the Andes
the land slopes from this temperate
zone to a tropical wilderness. 1t
reaches the tributaries Of the Amazon,
and some of the streams of Ecuador
flow into that mighty river. Indeed.
it is said that Quito is only four days
by mule from streams hat f1ow into
the Amazon system. The government
is now building a railroad from the
plateau to one of the Amazon tribu-
taries, and this road will open up a
rich mining region with lands suited
for sugar cane, cacaO and coffee.
Ecuador has some of the greatest
volcanoes on earth. The great series
of valleys of which / ave written is
walled by twenty-one peaks, ranging
in height from three to four miles,
and there are seventeen other peaks
which are more than wv miles IN
height. When I last visited Guaya-
| quill the air was filled with ashes that
came from one of Ecuador's ten active
volcanoes. Fol- this reason the houses
| have to be small. They are built to
withstand the earthquakes. the wood
en- timbers being so joined that they
a sway with the trembling OF the
earth and not break.
One Of the great tourist routes OF
the future will, l believe, be to Quito.
The ships will come via Panama to
the Bay of CaraqueZ. and the tourists
distance Of 1876 miles up to the CAPT
tai, or they will come to GuayaQuil
and take the American-built road
from here over the Andes. Th>
GuayaQuil-Quito road is now in ope-
ration. The far is $3.50 each way
and the trains require two days fol
the journey. You cross the Guaya:
River early In the morning and by {
o'clock are moving from the railroad
station at Duran, through sevent.
miles Of tropical lowlands. There ar,
pastures containing herds Of fat cat
tie. roves, loaded with thei.
s~Quash-like fruit, which hangs clos.
to the trunk and branches, and man.
little villages with houses on piles s.
that the first floors have to be reache,
by a ladder. h houses are thatche,
with broad white leaves tied to
framework of bamboo cane Tn
floor are Of cane, and the cracks ar
{ SO many that h women do not nee
to sweep, for the dirt Of the house
4 the water. You pass little banan
plantations, go through forests loade
. with orchids, and finally stop at BIZ
cay, which is ~fifty-seven miles ava,
The speed Of the train so far has bee
S not quite twelve miles an hour. an
you have risen to an altitude Of les
than 1000 feet. In the next thre
: hours you rise 5000 feet, to Huigr;
0 and from there go on up, up, until {
last you reach Urbana, which
1854 feet above the sea. This is TT
n highest station on the road. You ste
s overnight during this journey, and
Y takes you about the whole of two da.
d to come to Quito. the Ecuadoria
capital.
r, I am told hat Quito is preparir
r. for a boom when the canal is con
IS pleted. 1t hopes to become a touri
n resort for both winter and summe
j. 1t is one of the healthiest cities {
Ill earth, and if j. c.. White & Co. CO
- Ao hSOAh- 6oeS - - Viii
a doubt have visitors and eXcursio
from all over the world. The CT
~ has nov 100000 population. 1t h
several hotels. 1t has electric ligh
lie and telephones, and there is talk
is putting in a street car line to be r,
1t by electricity generated from I
ay rivers nearby.
m The town lies On the slope of a ~
of cano, and there are a dozen other w
es canoes in sight, among which q
IS. Cotopaxi and ~Chimborazo, each
ia which rises about two miles abo
the plateau. l am told that you c
en- take an automobile in Quito and ri
is TO the crater of the volcano behind
DIS Quito has fine government bull
Is. inSs and enormous churches and CO