Page 151
An. 1684
Houfes of Puna. Guiaquil River.
the fire inftead of Bellows, with many other Houfe- Implements, of Palmeto-Leaves. On the ridges where thefe Trees grow, the Indians have here and there Plantations of Maiz, Yams and Potatoes.
There are in the Town of Puna about 20 Houfes, and a fmall Church. The Houfes ftand all on Pofts, 10 or 12 foot high, with Ladders on the outfide to go up into them. I did never fee the like buildings; any where but among the Malayans in the Eaft Indies. They are thatched with Palmeto-leaves, and their Chambers well boarded, in which laft they exceed the Malayans. The beft place for Ships to lye at an anchor is againft the middle of the Town. There is 5 fathom water within a Cables length of the fhore, and good foft deep Oaze where fhips may ca- reen, or hale afhore: it flows 15 or 16 foot water up and down.
From Puna to Guiaquil is reckoned 7 leagues It is one league before you come to the River of Guiaquil s mouth, where it is above two mile wide; from thence upwards the River lies pretty ftreight, with- out any confiderable turnings. Both fides of the Ri- ver are low fwampy Land, overgrown with Red Mangroves, fo that there is no landing. Four mile before you come to the Town of Guiaquil there is a low Ifland ftanding in the River. This Ifland di- vides the River into two parts, making two very fair Channels for Ships to pafs up and down. The S. W. Channel is the wideft; the other is as deep, but nar- rower and narrower yet, by reafon of many Trees and Bufhes, which fpread over the River, both from the Main and from the Ifland; and there are alfo feveral great ftumps of Trees ftanding upright in the Water, on either fide. The Ifland is above a mile long. From the upper part of the Ifland to the Town of Guiaquil is almoft a league, and near as much from one fide of the River to the other. In that fpacious place Ships of the greateft burthen may ride