Aside from the few railways, water ways and mule trails are the means of communication. The rivers, and the estuaries, tide water channels, are of great importance, even streams practicable only for canoes. On the Ecuador littoral 600 miles altogether are deemed navigable, these at present of greater use than the Amazon tributaries, which in the future will have a development of assured value. On the water ways of the Pacific system the steamboat, the flat boat or _chata_, the raft, and the canoe, all have their place. Steamboats of from 25 to 125 tons serve the Guayas River System above Guayaquil, this including nearly a dozen streams or estuaries, in winter penetrating to the foot of the Cordilleras. If the natural water ways were properly developed and a few artificial canals were opened, a much larger field of the richest territory would be accessible. The _chatas_, boats without sails carrying from 4 to 50 tons, are of lighter draught, the rafts too are important. Made of bamboo and _balsa_ wood they are very light, a single log 40 feet long being able to support 2 tons. Rafts of 20 or 30 logs, in part roofed over, carry the entire family as well as heavy freight. Thanks to the strong tide on the rivers they float down stream very rapidly, returning with a load up stream at turn of tide, more slowly, but without additional propulsion, far above Guayaquil. In this way 48 miles a day may be covered. Canoes of course have the same advantage and steamboats also, these being often delayed at Puná or Guayaquil to have the benefit of the tide which runs 8 miles an hour. The canoes, which are able to carry from 500 to 50,000 pounds of freight, bring from remote places valuable cargoes of cacao or other stuff and return laden with supplies. Few roads or trails exist in this section, but there are some, available in the dry season, especially in the better populated districts of Guayas. A trail through the jungle called a _trocha_, made with axe and machete, is soon overgrown again. In the Andine section there is one good cart road leading from Quito 115 miles south. The trails to the east are five in number; the most frequented, the one from the Pichincha Province (Quito) to the _pueblos_ or villages of the Napo (a high road is now being constructed), one from Tungurahua farther south through Baños to Canelas; one from Chimborazo to Macas; one from Azuay to Gualaquiza; one from Loja to Zumba and Chita, and on to Jaen in Peru.