JI4 A VOYAGE TO Book.VI. 



ropean kinds sold in that city, the temperature of the 

 air being peculiarly adapted to the perfection of those 

 friuts. ' 'Í Vii^ 



VÍ. On tbeHV. sideof the jurisdiction of Riobann- 

 ba, betweenit and Guayaquil, lies that of Chimbo, 

 whose jurisdiction consists of an assiento and seven 

 villages : the former, being the capital, is called 

 Chimbo, and was the residence of the corregidor, till 

 it was thought proper, for the conveniency of com- 

 merce, to remove it to Guaranda. This assiento does 

 not contain above eighty families; some of which are 

 Spaniards, but all poor. The names of the villages 

 are, 



I. San Lorenzo. V. Guaranda. 



II. Asaneoto. VI. Guanujo, 



III. Chapacoto. VII. Tomabelas. 



IV. San Miguel. 



The most 'Considerable of their villages is that of 

 Guaranda, though the inhabitants are generally Mes- 

 tizos ; there are some Indians, but very few Spaniards. 



The jurisdiction of Chimbo, being the first of the 

 Serrania, or ridge of mountains, bordering on that 

 of Guayaquil, carries on, by means of innumerable 

 droves of mules, the whole trade of Quito and the 

 other provinces, by the way of Guayaquil, carrying 

 the bales of cloth, and stuffs, together with the meal, 

 corn, and other products of the country, from the 

 former to the latter; and returning with wine, brandy, 

 salt, cotton, fish, oil, and other goods wanted in the 

 provinces of the mountains. This traffic is of in- 

 conceivable benefit to the inhabitants ; but it can 

 only be carried on during the summer, the roads in 

 the winter being absolutely impracticable to beasts of 

 any kind. This intermission of tra'de they call 

 'Cerrarse la montana,' The shutting up of the moun- 

 tains. 



The' 



