Cn.II. SOUTH AMERICA. ^2S 



who had not seen it were alarmed, and imac^ining it 

 to be a cannon fired by some ship arrived in the port, 

 ran to arms, and hastened on horseback to the shore, 

 in order to oppose the landing of the enemy. But 

 iiiidina; all quiet, they returned to the town, only 

 leavinp; some sentinels to send advice, if any thing; 

 extraordinary should happen. These igneous phai- 

 nomena are so far from being uncommon all over 

 Valles, that they are seen at all times of the night, 

 and some of thcra remarkably large, luminous, and 

 continuing a considerable time. 



This town and its neighbourhood are terribly in- 

 fested with moschitos. There are indeed some parts 

 of the vear v\ hen their numbers decrease, and some- 

 times, though very seldom, none are to be seen ; but 

 they generally continue during the whole year. The 

 country from Piura upwards is free from this trou- 

 blesome insect, except some particular towns, situat- 

 ed near rivers ; but they swarm no wheie in such in- 

 tolerable numbers as at Santa, 



Leaving this town on the 8th, we proceeded in 

 Guaca-Tarabo, a plantation so called, eight leagues 

 distant from Santa, and contiguous to it is the Tam- 

 bo, an inn built by the Yncas for the use of travellers. 

 It has a shed for the convenience of passengers, and 

 a rivulet running near it. 



On the 9th we came to another plantation known 

 by the name of Manchan, within a league of which 

 we passed through a village called Casma la Baxa, 

 having a church, with not more than ten or twelve 

 houses. Halfway betwixt this and Manchan is ano- 

 ther i;ivulet. The latter plantation is about eight 

 leagues distant from the former. From Manchan on 

 the tíMíth we travelled over those stony hills called the 

 Culebras, extremely troublesome, particularly to the 

 litters, and on the following day being the 11 th, we 

 entered Guarmev, 16 leagues from Manchan; and 

 iiftcr travelling about three leagues further we reached 



the 



