Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VI.djvu/404

396 ECUADOR ments of the husbandman of to-day differ little from those used by his forefathers at the time of the conquest. Three species offelidce infest the great forests at the east, the jaguar, puma, and a kind of wild cat. There are also bears, tapirs, several varieties of wild hogs, deer, hares, rabbits, squirrels, armadillos, and mon- keys. Among the reptiles are caymans, liz- ards, adders, and vipers; the great boa, the rattlesnake, coral, equis, tayas, and tigre. Mosquitoes and other noxious insects infest the marshes and coast region. The shores abound in turtles. There are two or three species of condor. Of fishing birds, the principal are the albatross, sea gull, and kingfisher; and there are cranes and ducks of many kinds, pheasants, partridges, pigeons, and a host of others. In the forests are the nightingale, blackbird, thrush, corregidor, and a variety of parrots, parroquets, and other birds of brilliant plu- mage. The rivers afford an abundant supply of excellent fish. Salt-water fishing is carried on to a considerable extent. Horses, asses, and mules are abundant. The rearing of cattle and sheep forms an extensive industry ; and numer- ous herds of llamas pasture on the paramos. Manufacturing industry is not extensive in the interior, and still less so on the coast. The natives of the highlands make furniture, sad- dles, earthenware, and cotton and woollen goods. In Otabalo and elsewhere are factories for linen cloths, damasked quilts, carpets, and drapery for beds, highly esteemed for the deli- cacy and durability of their colors. About 6,000 ponchos are made monthly at Cotacache, Hatuntaqui, and Guano. There are a few silk- weaving establishments, for which the raw material is mostly imported from France ; but some attempts have lately been made to ac- climatize the silkworm, which are likely to prove successful. Gold lace is manufactured at Quito, where the women make fine embroi- dery, needlework, and lace. The manufacture of jipijapa hats constitutes an important in- dustry; some of the hats bring $40 on the spot where they are made. Large quantities of cheese are made for exportation. Numerous sugar mills are in operation, as also tanneries and iron founderies. Cuenca has many sugar refineries, and is celebrated for its hams and sweetmeats. In Esmeraldas and Guayas im- mense quantities of cacao are prepared, that of the latter province being among the most es- teemed in America. Rum is made from the juice of the sugar cane, and chicha from the yuca and other plants. The production of in- digo bids fair to become a source of wealth. Ropes, mats, sackcloth, hammocks, and other articles are made from the fibre of the pita or AiiK-rican aloe. Ship building is carried on to a limited extent at Guayaquil. The imple- ments employed in the foregoing manufactures are for the most part very imperfect; but some of the factories, especially those for cot- ton, are fitted with American machinery. The leading articles of export from Ecuador are cacao, hats, tobacco, cascarilla, leather, In- dia rubber, timber, cundurango, and precious metals and stones. The export trade has been steadily increasing for the last few years; and the value of the exports in 1871 was $3,045,684, distributed as follows: cacao, $1,707,400; cascarilla, $92,102 ; hats, $74,256; India rubber, $693,376; cotton, &c., $30,816. There were exported in the same year 1,700 quintals of cundurango ; and in 1870 precious metals and stones to the value of $681,280. The imports consist chiefly of manufactured goods, principally from Great Britain, the value of which in 1870 was $285,040. Cotton fabrics from the same country to the value of $64,505 were imported in 1871. The total value of the imports is about $2,500,000 per annum. Some coarse cotton goods are imported from the United States; wines, liquors, cloths, fancy articles, glass, chinaware, hardware, cutlery, &c., from England and France ; and, owing to bad mills and worse roads, flour from Chili, and lard from the United States, have to be imported, while wheat and lard are exported from the high lands. The number of vessels which entered the port of Guayaquil in 1870, inclusive of 66 British packets, was 125, with an aggregate of 55,310 tons. There is an im- portant coasting trade between the ports of the republic and those of Chili, Peru, and Colom- bia. Hitherto the roads of Ecuador have been among the rudest in South America, and espe- cially those from the coast to the interior ; the only one worthy of the name of highway being that from Quito to Bogota in Colombia. Three roads lead from Quito to the Amazon, and sev- eral from the more important cities of the high- lands to those on the coast. All are extremely bad, even in the dry season, and become im- passable in the wet. The roads to Guayaquil are mule paths; but those to the other sea- ports have to be traversed on foot. The gov- ernment has recently decided to build suitable roads, of which some are in process of con- struction. A cart road, the first in the repub- lic, has been finished as far as Sibambe, where it will unite with the railway of Milagro, soon to be undertaken by the government. Other railways are projected. Steamers already ply between Guayaquil and Babahoyo. There are three joint-stock banks in Guayaquil, and many private banking houses. The national bank was abandoned in 1872 in consequence of an unfavorable banking law passed in 1871. Ecuador is divided into 13 provinces, which with their respective capitals are as follows : PROVINCES. CAPITALS. Asuay Cuenca. Chimborazo Riobamba. Esmeraldas Esmeraldas. Galapagos Albemarle. Guayas Guayaquil. Imbabura Ibarra. Leon Latacunga. PROVINCES. CAPITALS. Loja Loia. Los Rios Babahoyo. Manabi Portoviejo. Oriente Archidona. Picm'ncha Quito. Tunguragua Arnbato. The population, according to the census of 1854, was 1,065,500; to which maybe added 517,824 for the increase during 18 years, at the