34<> A VOYAGE TO Book VÍ. 



quality, that it never wca'-s off, nor tjecomes fnoist, 

 thongh rubbed with spittle. The cabinets, tables, 

 ike. made by the Tndi^in'^ of this country, and thus 

 varni.-^hed, me carried to Quito, where they arc highly 

 valued. 



PopAYAN is one of the besttradingcountries within 

 the tirovinre of Quito, as ail the vast variety of Spanish 

 gu.ids from Carrh igena are consigned thither and 

 forwarded to Quito; and great numbers of traders go 

 their rounds through the severa! jurisdictions, to the 

 great conveniency of the towns andviilages, which thus 

 supp'y thcmF%;lves. Besides this transitory commerce, 

 it has another reciprocal with Quito, to which it ex- 

 ports horned caitle and mules, and receives in return 

 cloths and bays. Its active commerce consists in dried 

 beef, salted pork, roll-tobacco, hogs-lard, rum, cot- 

 ton, pita, ribbon?, and other Siuall wares, which are 

 brought to Choco, and there exchanged for gold ; 

 sugar and snuff are imported from S'.uta Fé and sent 

 to Quito ; and the returns to Santa Fé are home-made 

 cli.ths and bays. Flere is also another traffic, which 

 consists in bartering silver for gold ; for, there being 

 an abundauceof the latter, andascarcity of the former, 

 silver is brought to exchange for gold ; of which great 

 proñt is made by converting it into doubloons ; the 

 like is also practised at Choco and Barbacoas, which 

 are in the s<ime case as to metals. 



PoPAYAN being ihe centre of all these several kinds 

 of commerce tht; most wealthy persons of the whole 

 jurisdiction are here, and fíve or six of its inhabitants 

 are reckoned to be masters of above 100,000 dollars; 

 twenty to be worth betwixt 40 and 80,000, besides 

 many of smaller, yet handsome, fortunes : and this 

 exclusive of their iarms and mines, with which this 

 country abounds. The former are the same with 

 those I have had occasion to mention in the other 

 parts of this province, according to the quality of the 

 temperature. 



West 



