What I saw on the west coast of South and North America, and at the Hawaiian Islands.: By H. Willis Baxley, M.D.

CITY OF GUAYAQUIL.
The houses are very different from those seen elsewhere.
Mlost of them are higher, many having three stories, and framed
of the heaviest and strongest timber in which Ecuador abounds.
But it is manifest that, if instead of restricting themselves to
perpendicular and horizontal framing exclusively, their builders
were to use ties and braces also in the construction of houses, an
equal if not greater strength would be secured with much less
consumption of material. A balcony to the second-story of
each house, projecting over the sidewalk, supported by a rude
colonnade, with a plain arch thrown from one column to another,
gives the appearance of a continuous arcade in all the streets,
and shielters pedestrians both froml sun and storm. When a
third-story is built it projects beyond the second, and forms
either a room or open or curtained balcony, as desired. And as
an immensely heavy tile roof; of six pounds to every eight square
inlches, in all cases projects even beyond this, it follows that a
considerable portion of the street is shaded by the overhanging
building. Another feature of these more commodious houses,
described by an old resident, is, that in their joint-occupancy
the lower story is always used for store-rooms and shops; the
second floor is as invariably occupied by tenants of recognized
frailty; while those of reputable character and unimpeached
virtue pass the doors of the sinners to the higher apartments,
conventional usage conceding to them the merit and the post of
honor nearest'heaven. There are no gardens, or even yards,
and closets or corresponding conveniences for health and decency, are novelties; the consequent debasement of domestic
habits, the disregard of delicacy and cleanliness, may be inferred.
The population of Guayaquil is essentially Indian; that is
demonstrated wherever you wander, through and around the
city, by the copper color, straight black hair, small dark twilkling eyes, high cheek bones, flat occiput, and sinciput bevelled
to the low forehead, small stature, and graceless gait; with indolence, indifference to instruction, and superstition. And it;
in some instances, admixture of Caucasian blood has brought
with it a measure of intellectual and moral improvement, in
others amalgamation with the negro has degraded the Indian
below even the standard of his original nature. Most of the
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