i66 A VOYAGE TO Book IV 



and includes the towns of Monte Chriflo, Picoala, 

 Charapoto, and Xipijapa. Thefe have their parti- 

 cular prieils, who are likewife the fpiritual direétors 

 of all the fmaller villages in this diílriél. 



The town of Monte Chriito flood at firfl: in the 

 bay of Manta, and was called by that name. It had 

 then a confiderable commerce by means of velicls 

 pafling from Panama to the ports of Peru ; but, hav- 

 ing been pillaged and deftroyed by fome foreign ad- 

 venturers, who infefted thofe leas, the inhabitants re- 

 moved it to the foot of Monte Chrifio, where it now 

 llands, and from whence it has its name. 



Some tobacco is planted in this juriídiélion, but is 

 not much efteemed; and the reft of its producís, as 

 wax, cotton, and pita, are barely fufficient to fupport 

 its inhabitants, though they are far from being nu- 

 merous ; occaiioned by the general poverty which 

 reigns through all its towns and villages. The kinds 

 of timber natural to fuch hot and moifl: countries 

 grow here in prodigious quantities. 



Formerly along the coaft, and in the bay belong- 

 ing to this lieutenancy, was a confiderable pearl 

 filliery; but it has been totally difcontinued for fome 

 years; occafioned partly from the dangers the divers 

 were expofed to, from the mantas and tintóreas already 

 defcribed ; and partly from the poverty of the in- 

 habitants of this country, who, being in general In- 

 dians and Cans, want ability to piirchafe Negroes for 

 this occupation. The bay has probably its name 

 from the great number of mantas in thofe parts, efpe- 

 cially as the common employment of the inhabitants 

 is the taking of that fifh, which they fait, and carry 

 into the inland provinces, I'he Europeans cannot 

 help admiring their dexterity in this kind of filliery, 

 which they carry on in the following manner: they 

 throw into the water a log of vvooci, fuch as they ufe 

 in making a balza, being about five or fix yards in 

 length, and near a foot in diameLer, and fufficient tP 



bear 



