The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-15
by FRANK &. CARPENTER.
GuayaQuil EcuadO,

He Guayas River is to South
America what the Columbia and
the Yukon arc to our continent.
1t is the biggest stream which flows
into the Pacific: and in the rainy sea-
son It turns the lowlands from hore TO
the Andes into Il great swamp or lake.
Who're the ships come In from the
ocean the river IS sixty miles wide. and
as you sail up TO Gunyaquil you seem
TO be passing through II great inland
sea. The water is as thick az pea
soup and of much the same color. The
Andean foods bring down patches OF
green, and great trees may be seen
hoating out to the sea. In coming In
you pass the Island of Puma where
1'izarro first landed; and about sixty
miles farther up you find yourself IN
front Of this port.
The river IL now mile wide and
twenty six feet IN depth; and IL gives
Il good and safe harbor for steamers
Just now 1t has but little shipping on
account of the plague, but there are
hundreds OF duRouts. canoes RATS and
cargo boats in which the Indians brini;
their wares from the interior TO sell.
The ocean vessels anchor far out In the
atrean. and are unloaded by lighters.
The only wharves OF the city are thoHe
for small craft. Nevertheless. they
extend for a mile OF two uD and down
the west bank of the river. and are
backed with great warehouses and
stores. which are open ut the front SO
that you can see everything in them
RS you go along the street.
From the ships deck Guayaouil is
imposing. 1T is town Of about 100
600 people, and, as the most Of its
houses are Of only one or two stories.
IL covers great deal OF ground 1t
has wide streets and buildings that at
hTst sight seem to be OF stone or OF
brick covered with stucco. The are
az Al "A
painted. md most OF them have walls
OF bamboo and cane. upon which mud
has been spread and smoothcd down
with trovel. The city has some pub
lie improvements. II has an electric
street car line and electric lights IT
has public squares, which arc bcauti-
fully kept. and its hospitals are as
good "A can be found in south Ameri-
ca. IL has a half dozen newspapers.
several gh-priced hotels, and II does
nn export and import business amount
ing 10 SiS.000,000 or s20.0co.000 n
year. 1t is. in fact. the New York Of
Ecuador. and II II could be made as
Healthy az Panama. IL might he a
Eroat resort for tourists and trade.
Bot before go further. let me tell
you something of this South American
republic which is to he hrought to
our doors by the Panama canal Here
lantir Coast have had TO ,;o more than
1899" miles around by the Strait OF
Magellan TO reach II When che cana
Is open. New York Will % nearer hy
ship TO this port than 1t is now TO
Great Britain. Boston will he only n
ntilc over week from any part oil
Ecuador. and our Gulf ports wall /
still nearer. AS It is now. Guayaouil
is less than 500 miles from Balboa.
and the railroad that is building from
the Bay Of Caraauez TO Quito will
bring the capital OF Ecuador to with
In three days of Panama. The CON
tract for that road has besn let to a
French company The trains We're in
operation last year over about forty
miles of traSk. and the road should y"
completed by the time OF the opening
OF the great ditch AT Panama.
The word Ecuador means equator.
and Ecuador Is a land of the equator.
That hottest line on the globe passes
through ii, and the whole of II lies in
the tropics The country is triangle,
surrounded by Colombia. Brazil and