Under the Southern cross in South America . resents a view ofspires, domes and roofs surmounting apparently handsome build-ings. The houses give one an idea of solidity, and look as if theywere constructed in the solid masonry of stone and marble, but inreality they are mere shells, fashioned of split-bamboo, laths andwooden joists, and covered over with stucco, fashioned into manyshapes and designs. A person might easily jab the blade of aknife through the walls. In fact, the greater portion of nearly allthe .South American cities and towns are built on the same flimsylines. There is little o
Under the Southern cross in South America . resents a view ofspires, domes and roofs surmounting apparently handsome build-ings. The houses give one an idea of solidity, and look as if theywere constructed in the solid masonry of stone and marble, but inreality they are mere shells, fashioned of split-bamboo, laths andwooden joists, and covered over with stucco, fashioned into manyshapes and designs. A person might easily jab the blade of aknife through the walls. In fact, the greater portion of nearly allthe .South American cities and towns are built on the same flimsylines. There is little of solidity about them, they have the semblance,but that is about all. The architecture for the most part is patternedafter the old Spanish—open patios, latticed balconies overhead andcorrugated roofs. The buildings are low, one and two story, toprovide against earthquakes—they may shake, but they do notfall. Guayaquil was founded by Orellana, the explorer of the Amazon,in 1537 on a site much farther inland than where it now stands. The. ALON(; THE WESTERN COAST 83 present location was chosen in 1693. Its population to-day is about60,000. It is called a city L} courtesy, but town would be a morefitting appellation. However, Quito, the capital, has only 20,000more people and is not by any means so important a commercialcenter. Guayaquil extends along the river for at least two miles. It hasa custom-house, town-hall, cathedral, and some very good ware-houses. The mode of transit is represented by mule speaking, the streets are narrow and unpaved. With the exception of Valparaiso, Guayaquil is the most populousand important port south of San Francisco. It is the entrepot forthe interior region as well as much of the coast. Fully ninety per-cent, of all the commerce of Ecuador passes through it. Threehundred foreign vessels enter and clear the port every year. Theimports annually amount to upward of $7,000,000 while the exportsfor the same time figure up more
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidcu3192402042, bookyear1914
