of Guaranda, that he might order carriages to the port of Caracol, for conveying them and their baggage to the mountains; but the passage being then impracticable, they were obliged to continue at Guiaquil till the summer, when, on receiving advice that the mules provided by that magistrate were on the road to Caracol, they immediately embarked, on the 3d of May, 1736, on board a large chata, and reached that place on the 11th. The tortures they endured on the river, from the mosquitoes, were beyond imagination. The most dismal night they spent in this passage, was when they came to an anchor near a large, handsome house, but uninhabited, for they had no sooner seated themselves in it, than they were attacked on all sides with innumerable swarms of mosquitoes, so that it was impossible for a person susceptible of feeling to be one moment quiet. In short, no expedient was of any use against their numbers. The smoke of the trees they burnt, to disperse these infernal insects, besides almost choaking them, seemed rather to augment than diminish their multitudes.

At day-break, they could not without concern look upon each other; their faces were swelled, and their hands covered with painful tumours, which sufficiently indicated the condition of the other parts of their bodies, exposed to the attacks of these insects. The following night they took up their quarters in a house inhabited, but not free from mosquitoes, though in much less numbers than before. On informing the host of the deplorable manner in which they had spent the preceding night, he gravely told them, that the house they so greatly complained of, had been forsaken on account of its being the purgatory of a soul: to which one of the company wittily answered, that it was much more natural to think it was forsaken on account of its being a purgatory for the body.

All the road, from Caracol to the Ojibar, is so deep and boggy, that the beasts, at every step, sunk almost up to their bellies; but along the banks of that river, they found it more firm and commodious. The house they lodged in had been for sometime forsaken, like that already mentioned on the Guiaquil river, and was become a nest of mosquitoes of all kinds, so that it was impossible to determine which was the

worst. Some, to avoid the torture of these insects, stripped themselves and went into the river, keeping only their heads above water; but the face, being the only part exposed, was immediately covered with them, so that those who had recourse to this expedient, were soon forced to deliver up their whole body to these tormenting creatures.

On the 16th, at noon, they passed by a place called Memarumi, or Mother of Stone, where there is an inconceivably beautiful cascade. The rock, from which the water precipitates itself, is nearly perpendicular, and 50 fathoms in height; and on both sides bordered with lofty and spreading trees. The clearness of the fluid dazzles the sight, which is, at the same time, charmed with the lustre of the volume of water formed in its fall; after which it continues its course in a bed along a small descent, and is crossed by a road. From thence they continued their journey, and after crossing the river twice on bridges, but with equal danger as in fording it, they arrived, at two in the evening, at a place called Tarigagua, where they rested in a large structure of timber, covered with vijaua leaves, built for their reception.

At Tarigagua the traveller often sees instances of the effects of two opposite temperatures, in two persons happening to meet, one of them coming from Guiaquil, and the other from the mountains; the latter finds the heat so great, that he is scarce able to bear any clothes, while the former wraps himself up in all the garments he can procure. The one is so delighted with the warmth of the water of the river, that he bathes in it; the other thinks it so cold, that he avoids being spattered by it. Nor is the case very different, even in the same person, who, after a journey to the mountains, is returning to Guiaquil; or vice versa, provided the journey and return be made at the same season of the year.

At a quarter past nine in the morning, they began to ascend the mountain of San Antonio, the foot of which is at Tarigagua, and at one, reached a place called, by the Indians, Guamac, or Cross of Canes, where they halted. The ruggedness of the road from Tarigagua, leading up this mountain, is not easily described. It gave our artists more trouble VOL. I.

and fatigue, besides all the dangers they were every moment exposed to, than all they had experienced in their former journies. In some parts the declivity is so great, that the mules can scarce keep their footing; and in others the acclivity is equally difficult. In many places, the road is so narrow, that the mules have scarce room to set their feet; and in others a continued series of precipices. Besides, these roads, or rather paths, are full of holes, or camelones, near three quarters of a yard deep, in which the mules put their fore and hind-feet; so that sometimes they draw their bellies and rider's legs along the ground. Indeed these holes serve as steps, without which the precipices would be in a great measure impracticable. But should the creature happen to put his foot between two of these holes, or not place it right, the rider falls, and if on the side of the precipice, inevitably perishes.

The manner of descending from these heights is not less difficult and dangerous. The mules themselves are sensible of the caution requisite in these descents; for coming to the top of an eminence, they stop, and having placed their fore-feet close together, as in a posture of stopping themselves, they also put their hinder-feet together, but a little forwards, as if going to lie down.

In this attitude, having, as it were, taken a survey of the road, they slide down with the swiftness of a meteor. All the rider has to do, is to keep himself fast in the saddle, without checking his beast; for the least motion is sufficient to disorder the equilibrium of the mule, in which case, they both unavoidably perish. The address of this creature is here truly wonderful, for in this rapid motion, when they seem to have lost all government of themselves, they follow exactly the different windings of the road, as if they had before accurately reconnoitred, and previously settled in their minds, the route they were to follow, and taken every precaution for their safety amidst so many irregularities.

But the longest practice of travelling these roads, cannot entirely free the mules from a kind of dread or horror, which appears when they arrive at the top of a steep declivity: for they stop without being checked by the rider; and if he inad

vertently endeavours to spur them on, they continue immoveable; nor will they stir from the place till they have put themselves in the above-mentioned posture. Now it is that they seem to be actuated by reason; for they not only attentively view the road, but tremble and snort at the danger; which, if the rider be not accustomed to these emotions, cannot fail of filling him with terrible ideas. The Indians go be fore, and place themselves along the sides of the mountain, holding by the roots of trees, to animate the beast with shouts, till they at once start down the declivity.

They now began to descend with more ease towards the province of Chimbo, attended by the provincial alcade, and the most eminent persons of the town. After complimenting them in the most cordial manner on their arrival, they proceeded together, and within a league of the town were met by the priest, a Dominican, accompanied by several of his order, and a number of the inhabitants, who also left the town on the same friendly occasion: and, to heighten the ceremony, had brought with them a troop of chalos, or Indian boys. In this manner the cavalcade entered the town, on which all the bells in the place were rung, and every house resounded with the noise of trumpets, tabors, and pipes.

On expressing to the corregidor their surprize at this reception, as a compliment far above their rank, he informed them, that it was not at all singular, being no no more than what was commonly practised, when persons of any appearance entered the town; and that there was no small emulation between the several towns in paying those congratulations.

After they had passed the mountains beyond Pucara, the whole country, within the reach of the eye, during a passage of two leagues, was a level and open plain, having neither trees nor mountains; and being covered with fields of wheat, barley, maize, and other grain, naturally gave our artists great pleasure.

The corregidor entertained them in his house at Guaranda till the 21st of the same month, when they continued their journey to Quito; whither they arrived, without meeting with any remarkable occurrences, in a few days. At the extremity

of a spacious plain, called Tura Bamba, stands the city of Quito; on which they entered at five in the evening on the 29th. The president of the province, besides providing apartments for them in the palace of the audencia, entertained them the first three days with great splendour, during which they were visited by the bishop, the auditor, the canons, the regidores, and all other persons of any distinction, who seemed to vie with each other in their civilities.

Our artists found, from accurate observations, that the city of Quito is situated in latitude 0 deg. 13 min. 38 sec. south, and in 298 deg. 15 min. 45 sec. or 61 deg. 44 min. 15 sec. west longitude, from the meridian of Teneriffe. It stands in the inland parts of the continent of South America, and on the eastern skirts of the West Cordillera of the Andes. Its distance from the coast of the South sea is about 35 leagues west. Contiguous to it, on the north-west, are the mountains of Pichincha, not less famous among strangers for their great height, than among the natives for the great riches they are imagined to contain. The city is built on the acclivity of that mountain, and surrounded by others of a middling height, among the breaches, or guaycos, as they are called here, which form the eminences of Pichincha. Some of these breaches are of a considerable depth, and run quite through it, so that great part of the buildings stand upon arches.-This renders the streets irregular, and extremely uneven, some parts of the city being built on the ascents, descents, and summits of the breaches. The city, with regard to magnitude, may be compared to one of the second order in Europe; but the unevenness of its situation is a great dis-advantage to its appearance.

The principal square in Quito has four sides, in one of which stands the cathedral, and in the opposite the episcopal palace; the third side is taken up by the town-house; and the fourth by the palace of the audience. It is very spacious, and has in the centre an elegant fountain. The principal streets are paved; but those which are not, are almost impassible after rain, which is here very common. Beside the principal square, there are two others in Quito, and both very