being furmounted, the dignity of viceroy was again erected in the year 1739. Don Ebaftian de Efteba. lieutenant general, was appointed to that high office; all Terra Firma and the province of Quito, being included in his jurifdiction. We are now therefore to confider Quito as unconnected with the viceroyalty of Peru, though all the modern writers, and efpecially the English, place it within that divifion, appearing to be entirely ignorant of the late regulations we have mentioned upon the authority of Antonio de Ulloa, one of the most fenfible and intelligent writers that Spain ever produced ".

THE province of Quito is bounded on the north by the laft province defcribed, and limited on the fouth by Peru and Chuchupayas; eastward it extends to the river of Amazons and the meridian of demarkation, which divides the Spanish from the Portuguese dominions. To the weftward it is hemmed in by the fea, from the gulph of Puera to the bay of Gorgona, which will exactly fhew its dimenfions with the leaft attention to an accurate map. Ulloa reckons it fix hundred leagues in length from eaft to weft, and two hundred in breadth; but this is confiderably more than is allowed by the best geographers. Indeed all that is poffeffed of this vaft country by the Spaniards is very inconfiderable, in proportion to the whole. According to moft writers, the climate here is immoderately hot; an error founded upon fpeculation, that has fince been corrected by experience. In fo extenfive a country, lying in the very center of the torrid zone, it is impoffible to fuppofe but the fun has great power; yet Ulloa affirms, that not only the heat is very tolerable, but that in fome parts the cold is painful; while other places in this province enjoy all the advantage of perpetual fpring, the fields being conftantly covered with verdure, and enamelled with flowers of the moft lively colours. Nature has here, efpecially round the capital, been fo profuse of her bleffings, that Quito, lying almoft under the vertical fun, furpafles the countries in the temperate zones, where the viciffitudes of winter and fummer, and the tranfition from heat to cold, occafions both to be more fenfibly felt. Provident nature hath affembled a variety of circumftances to moderate the effects of the fun's beams, and give Quito all the advantages, without the inconveniencies, of that glorious luminary. The country ftands extremely high, by which elevation the winds are more fubtile, the atmosphere more rare, congelation more natural, and the heat lefs vehement. The mornings are cool, the middle of the day hot, the nights of an agreeable temperature, and the feafons fo equal, that through

m

ULLOA, L. vi. c. I.

the

the whole courfe of the year, the difference is fcarce perceptible. Yet we find all the gradations of temperature in this province, according to the difpofition of the country. In one part the mountains are covered with fnow and ice, while the valleys are parched up with the fun's intenfe rays, clouded over with thick fuffocating fogs, or deluged with rain. What reafon authors could have for calling this province fandy, barren, and unhealthy, we cannot conceive; as fome of the best writers celebrate it as the garden and Montpelier of America in fertility, beauty, and falutary air. Ulloa applauds in particular the country round the capital, and fays, that the curious European obferves with pleafure a perpetual fpring and verdure, fome flowers continually blowing, to fupply the place of thofe which were faded, and fill up all the chafms in the beautifully enamelled profpect. The fame inceffant fertility is confpicuous in the corn, both reaping and fowing going on together; that corn which has been recently fown fpringing up, that which has been longer fown in blade, and fome mellowed with ripenefs, and ready to receive the fickle; fo that the declivities of the hills, exhibit at one view all the beauties of the four feafons. Thus an article fo effential to life is in such abundance, that the pooreft perfons are never in want of bread, and horned cattle too are in fo great plenty, that beef is fold in the markets of the capital, at fixteen ryals the hundred weight. Fruits, herbage, and vegetables of every kind are in the utmost perfection; the fea coaft is well provided with fifh; but the extraordinary plenty and the beautiful scenes defcribed are chiefly confined to the neighbourhood of the capital, many other parts of Quito being defert, unwholsome, and fearce habitable.

QUITO is divided into five governments and nine juris dictions, which it would be unneceflary to fpecify, as we do not propofe a minute defcription. The capital, alfo called Quito, is a noble, large, and populous city, fituated almost under the equinoctial, in thirty minutes thirty-three seconds of north-latitude, according to the most accurate obfervations. Its diftance from the coaft of the South Sea being about thirtyfive leagues weft. It ftands on the declivity of the high mountain Pichinca, among other eminences of a moderate height, and a number of breaches or clefts, which occafion great part of the city to be founded upon arches, and the streets to be extremely uneven and irregular. With regard to magnitude, Quito may be compared to a city of the fecond order in Eurpe; but its unequal fituation is a great difadvantage to its appearance. It may feem extraordinary that fo inconvenient a foot thould be chofen, when there are two of the most beautiful

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beautiful plains in the world immediately contiguous; but the first founders would feem to pay more regard to preferving the memory of their conqueft, by building on the fituation of the antient capital of the Indians, than either to beauty or convenience. Formerly it was in much greater repute than at present; the inhabitants now decrease daily, and whole ftreets of Indian huts are entirely forsaken and in ruins. The principal fquare is fpacious, well built, and furnished with fome very magnificent public buildings, especially the great cathedral, epilcopal palace, and a beautiful fountain in the middle. The palace of the audience indeed rather disfigures than adorns the fquare, becaufe, inftead of being kept in repair, according to the dignity of the government, all, except a few offices, is fuffered to fall into ruins. The inequality of the ftreets prevents the use of coaches, fo that perfons of the first rank are attended only by a fervant carrying an umbrella, and the ladies are conveyed in fedans. Befides the great square, there are two others very fpacious, and a great variety of fmaller fquares, in which many opulent citizens take up their refidence. In these the greateft part of the convents are fituated, and make a handfome appearance, the fronts and portals being adorned with all the embellishments of architecture, particularly the convent of the Francifcans, which is an exquifite building entirely of fine free ftone, equally elegant in the contrivance and execution. In general the materials used in building are adobes, or unburned bricks or clay, cemented together by a certain fubftance called fangogua, a fpecies of mortar of uncommon hardness used by the ancient Indians.

AMONG the courts held at Quito, the principal is the royal audience, first established there in the year 1563, and compofed of a prefident, who is alfo civil governor of the province, four auditors, who are likewife civil and criminal judges, and a royal fifcal, who, befides the caufes brought before the audience, takes cognizance alfo of every thing relative to the revenue. There is another fifcal befides, called Protector des los Indies, who follicits for the Indians, and, when injured, pleads in their defence. The jurifdiction of this court extends to the utmoft limits of the province, with no other appeal than to the council of the Indies, and this only in cafe of a rejection of petition, or flagrant injuftice. This at least is the allegation of Ulloa, although we have reason to believe there is an appeal to the viceroy and his council. Here likewife is an exchequer or chamber of finances, the chief officers of which are an accomptant, a treasurer, and a royal fifcal. The revenues paid into the receipt of this ⚫ court are the tributes of the Indians, the taxes, and the cultoms;

toms; which fums are annually diftributed for paying the falaries of the officers of this province, and alfo of Carthagena and Santa Martha. There is likewife a treasury to receive the effects of perfons deceased, whofe heirs were in Spain; an inftitution of antient eftablishment all over the Indies, at first excellent and beneficial, but now productive only of mifconduct, villainy, and oppreffion.

THE cathedral church confifts of the bishop, dean, archdeacon, chanter, treasurer, a doctoral, a penitentiary, a magiftral, three canons by prefentation, four prebends, and two demi-prebends, with the following ftipends, which fufficiently fhew the wealth of the clergy. The bishop has 24,000 dollars per annum, and the dean, canons, and prebends, in the fame proportion; befides the fums levied on the ignorance and credulity of the people. The proceffion of the hoft is made with infinite pomp and magnificence at Quito. Every houfe of the streets through which it paffes is adorned with rich hangings, and fuperb triumphal arches are erected with altars, at ftated diftances, higher than the houses, in which, as on the arches, may be feen with admiration immenfe quantities of the richeft wrought plate and jewels, difpofed in fuch an elegant manner as to exhibit the grandeft profpect of opulence. This fplendour, together with the magnificent dreffes of the perfons who affift at the proceffion, render the whole extremely folemn, and the pomp and decorum are both continued to the end of the ceremony.

It is customary at Quito, that the priest, a month before the celebration of the feaft, felects a number of Indians, who are to be the dancers; and the perfons appointed immediately begin thofe dances which were ufed before their converfion to Chriftianity, to the mufic of a pipe and tabor. This dancing confifts entirely in a kind of aukward capering and ridiculous distortion, very little to the taste of an European. A few days before the folemnity they drefs themselves in a doublet, a fhirt, and a woman's petticoat, adorned in the handfomeft manner; and over their ftockings they wear a kind of pinked bufkins, to which are faftened a number of bells that keep ringing at every motion. Their heads and faces they keep covered with mafks formed of ribbands of various colours, in which fantaftical garb they proudly call themselves angels, unite in companies of eight or ten, and fpend the whole day in roving about the streets, highly delighted with the gingling of the bells, and frequently flopping to entertain ftrangers with a dance, and gain the applaufe of the fpectators. This they perform without any pay or view to intereft, regarding it as a religious duty, continuing it a

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fortnight before and a month after the grand feftival, without minding either their labour or families, without fatigue or difguft, though the number of their admirers daily decreases, and the applaufe is turned into ridicule. Notwithstanding the aftonishment which the Spanish writers exprefs at the abfurdity of this religious inftitution, from which they draw reflections to the difadvantage of the natural understanding of the people, we cannot upon the whole think it more ridiculous than the popifh folemnity above defcribed, and many other ceremonies of the church of Rome, which cannot very well be reconciled to found fenfe and clear reafon. It is therefore unfair to estimate the natural underftanding of any nation. from a few religious ceremonies, which have feldom failed to run into extravagance in every country.

WE may judge of the extent and populoufnefs of Quito from the computation given by Ulloa of the number of inhabitants, which, including all degrees, he reckons to amount to fixty thoufand, nine tenths of whom are Indians, mulattoes, and their defcendants. They are divided into four claffes, the principal of which are the Spaniards in dignity, but by no means in wealth, as they refufe to apply themfelves to any mechanic bufinefs, confidering it as a difgrace to that quality on which they fo highly value themfelves, and refting perfectly fatisfied with being more proud and more wretched than the Meztizos, whofe pride is regulated by prudence. They readily apply themselves to the arts, and arrive at great perfection in the more polite; fuch as fculpture and painting. A Meftizo, called Miguel de Santiago, acquired fo much reputation, that his paintings were applauded and bought at a great price in Rome, the fcene of the fine arts; and what renders many of the admirable pieces of painting and fculpture executed in Quito ftill more exquifite, is, that the artists are destitute of many of the tools and inftruments requifite to bring their works to the highest perfection. Young perfons of family are inftruted in philofophy and divinity; fome proceed to the study of the civil law, but follow that profeffion with reluctance. The belles lettres is entirely neglected and unknown; poetical and hiftorical knowledge is in no repute; but from the vivacity and fubtilty difplayed in the old fcholaftic metaphyfical jargon, we may venture to pronounce, that the Mestizes would become proficients in more ufeful and rational science, if it were once introduced, and the prejudice against innovation overcome.

THE fumptuous manner of performing the laft offices of the dead demonftrates how far the power of habit may prevail over reafon and the moft feeling experience. The often

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