252. A VOYAGE TO Book V. 



caused by wind? confined in its bowels, which cannot 

 fhil of recalling to their minds the terrible destruction 

 formerly caused by its f^ructacions, when the '.vhole 

 city and neighbouring country vAere often, as it were, 

 buried under a deluge of ashes, and the light of the 

 sun totally intercepted, for three or four days siícces- 

 sively, by impenetrable clouds of du=t. In the cen- 

 tre of the plain of Inno-Quico is a place called Rnmi- 

 bambp, i. e. a srony plain, being full ot large irag- 

 Kienrs of rrcks thrown thither by the ejections of the 

 mountain. We have already observed, that the h-igh- 

 eit part of Pichincha is covered with ice and snow, 

 considerable quantities of which are brought down to 

 the city, and mixed with the liquors drunk by people 

 of fashion. 



Th e principal squa'"e in Q^ito has four sides, in one 

 of which stands the cnthedraj, and in the opposite the 

 episcopal pa'ace; the th'rd side is taken up by the 

 toivn house, and the fourth by the palace of the audi- 

 ence. It is very spaciotis, and has in the centre an 

 elecrant fountain. It is indeed rather disfte"ured than 

 adorr^d by the palace (<f the audience ; which instead 

 of being kept in repair conforinab!,e to the dignity of 

 government, the greatC'^t part of it has been >uifered 

 to fall into ruins, and onlv a few halls and offices taken 

 any care of ; so tliat even the outward walls conti- 

 imafly threaten to demolish the parts now standing. 

 The four street^^ terminatingat the angles of thesquare 

 are st'raight, broad, and handsome^ but ac the distance 

 of three or four quadra?(or the distance between every 

 two corners, or stacks of b'?ild-ing, and which here 

 consists of about a hundred yards, more or le-s) be- 

 gin the troublesome declivities. This inequality de- 

 prives the inhabitants of the use of coaches, or any 

 other wheel-rarriage. Persons of rank, however, to 

 distinguish ♦hemseives, are attended by a servant car- 

 rying a large umbrella: and ladies of the first quality 

 ^re carried in sedans. Except the four streets abova 



