Cu. VI. SOUTH AMERICA. 401 



CHAP. VI. 



Of the Genius, Customs, and Manners of the Indians 

 who are Natives of the Province of Quito. 



THE subject of this chapter, and its circum- 

 stances, are of such a nature, tliat, if what an- 

 cient histories deliver concerning them shoukl recur 

 to the memory, they will appear totally different. 

 Indeed -the disproportion between what I read, and 

 what I am going to relate, is so remarkable, that, on 

 a retrospect towards past times, I am utterly at a loss 

 to account for the universal change of things ; espe- 

 cially M'hen surrounded by such visible monuments of 

 the industry, polity, and laws of the Indians of Pei"u, 

 that it v/ould be madness to question the truth of the 

 accounts that have been given of them; for the ruins 

 of these ancient works are still amazing. On the 

 other hand, I can hardly credit my own e\'cs, when 

 I behold that nation involved as it were in Cimmerian 

 darkness, rude, indocile, and living in a barbarism 

 little better than those who havetheir dwelling among 

 the wastes, precipices, and forests. But what is still 

 more dillicult to conceive is, how these people, whose 

 former wisdom is conspicuous in the e(|uity of their 

 laws, and the estal)iishment of a government so sin- 

 gular as that under which they live, should at present 

 shew no traces of tliat genius and capacity which 

 formed so excellent an oeconomy, and so beautiful a 

 system of social duties : though undoubtedly they 

 are the same people, and still retain some of their an- 

 cient customs and manners. Leaving therefore this 

 intricate subject to be investigated by farther enqui- 

 ries, I shall proceed to give an account of the pre- 

 sent Indians, their genius, customs, and qualities, ac- 

 cording to the best information I could obtain from a 

 conmierce with those people of all ranks, during ten 

 Vol, I. D d \ears. 



