374 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I02 



SO famous and celebrated in that Kingdom because its Indians, who 

 lived in great comfort, defended themselves from the Inca kings. 

 They gather great quantities of sarsaparilla there, among the best 

 and most highly prized to be found in the Indies. The island raises 

 much cotton and other valuable products ; its chiefs and lords were 

 very powerful and lavish. 



1120. On the mainland across the river from Guayaquil [and] 

 near the sea lies the village of Tumbes, which was the starting point 

 of the greatness and wealth which the Spaniards discovered ; here 

 the Inca kings had [some] royal castles and a temple to the Sun, 

 with great wealth of silver and gold to be consecrated to the Sun, 

 together with a house of maidens of the nobility dedicated to him, 

 through the blindness due to the Devil. The magnificence that 

 existed here is described at length by the Inca Garcilaso and other 

 historians. Today it is a little Indian village, where religious instruc- 

 tion is dispensed by Mercedarian friars. It has a hot climate, but 

 although it rains a great deal in Guayaquil, it does not rain here ; 

 this is where the plains begin, and it does not rain for a distance of 

 600 leagues, as far as Coquimbo in the Kingdom of Chile [as I shall 

 note more particularly in its proper place]. [Much] Excellent cassia 

 is grown here, which is exported all over the Kingdom, and there 

 are other valuable products ; but of what it was in the days of the 

 Inca kings in its heathendom, there are only indications and ruins 

 to convince one. 



[Chap. 13. Of the City of Puerto Viejo.] 



1121. From Guayaquil it is more than 30 leagues over level country 

 or wooded ground covered with groves [and many sorts of trees], 

 to the city of Puerto Viejo, ENE. of Guayaquil ; it was founded 

 by Capt. Francisco Pacheco at the direction of Commander Don 

 Diego de Almagro in the year 1535 on the 12th of March. It lies 

 almost under the Line, since it passes through Pasado, which is in 

 its district and the first port in Peru. From Puerto Viejo E. to 

 Quito over the traveled road it is 120 leagues, whereas by air it is 

 not 50, but one cannot go directly on account of the numerous rivers 

 and mountains [and the great swamps there are]. As one comes 

 from the Spanish Main, it is the first city in Peru. It has a hot 

 climate ; it will have 60 Spanish residents, a parish church and [a] 

 Mercedarian convent. They raise much corn [and beans and many 

 root crops] and other products of the soil. Seven leagues away is 

 the port of Manta, which is the usual port of repair for the ships 



