■zSo A VOYAGE TO Book V. 



to elegant dancing. But what is really surprising, 

 is, that without any pay, or view of interest, unless 

 they think, it a religious duty, they continue this ex- 

 ercise a whole fortnight before the grpnd festival, and 

 a month after it, without minding either their labour 

 or families; rambling about, and dancing the whole 

 day, without being either tired or disgusted, though 

 ^he number of their admirers daily decrease, and the 

 applause is turned into ridicule. 



The same dress is worn by them in other proces- 

 sions, and at the bull- feasts, when they are excused from 

 labour, and therefore highly pleased with them. 



The corporation and cathedral chapter keep, by 

 vow, two annual festivals in honour of two images of 

 theVirgin, which are placed in the villages of Guapulo 

 and Quinche, belonging to this jurisdiction. They 

 are brought with great solemnity to Quito, where a 

 festival is celebrated, with great magnificence and 

 rejoicing, and is succeeded by nine days devotion, the 

 Audience and other courts assisting at the festival. 

 The statues are afterwards returned with the same 

 solemnity to their respective churches, the first of 

 "which is one league from Quito, and the other six. 

 These festivajs are held in commemoration of the 

 mercy and assistance vouchsafed by the holy Virgin 

 at the time of an earthquake and terrible ejections 

 from Pichincha, by which Latacunga, Hambato, and 

 a great part of Riobamba, were utterly destroyed ; 

 while the prayers offered up at Quito to the holy 

 Virgin induced \\(¿v to interpose in so singular a 

 manner, that not the least misfortune attended this 

 city, though apparently in equal danger with those 

 which suffered. 



C7ÍAP. 



