GUAYAQUIL', a term of various application in Ecuador, South America, indicates at once a river, a bay, a department, and a city.--1. The river is the only stream on the western coast of South America, which can, without qualification, be said to be navig able for sea-going vessels. It is navigable for about 110 m. to Corned, and is known in its upper course successively as the Caracol and Babahoyo.-2. The bay which receives the river, stretches in s. lat. between 2° and 4°, and in w. long. between 80° and 81°. It receives also the Hanle and the Tuntbez.-3. The department extends from the Pacific on the w. to the departments of Quito and Assuay on the e., comprising a much wider belt of low and level land than is generally found further to the s., between the Andes and the sea.-4. The city, the capital of the department, stands on the right hank of the river, at the distance of 40 m. from its mouth. It is divided into two parts, the old and the new. The houses are mostly of wood; the principal are the cathedral, the two hospitals, and the two colleges, the last of which have faculties of theology, philosophy, and law. Guayaquil possesses the best, perhaps the only really good harbor on the
Pacific shores of South America, the naturally deep channel being aided by a tide which sometimes rises and falls 24 feet. Occupying such a position, and being in lat. 2° 11' s., the place is necessarily unhealthy. Still it has a population of 25.000, and carries on an extensive trade. In 1873 (besides the steam-packets), 128 vessels, of 113,034 tons, entered, and 118, of 110,662 tons, cleared the port. In 1870 the imports amounted to £760.500, the exports to £783,000. In 1869 the imports were £405.200; the exports, £504,500. In 1876 the exports were £673,925. The chief articles of import are cottons (more than a quarter of the whole), woolens, wines, spirits, grocery, soap, etc., metals, flour, and linens; and of export, cocoa, straw-hats, timber, bark, hides, orchilla, tobacco, sarsparilla, canes, India-rubber, and coffee.