Ch. IX. SOUTH AMERICA. 443 



regard to himself, and not that relating to others. 

 The diameter of the arches gradually altered with the 

 ascent of the sun above tiie horizon ; and the pheeno- 

 menon itself, after continuing a long time, insensibly 

 vanished. In the beííinnino;. the diameter of the in- 

 ward iris, taken from its last colour, was about five 

 degrees and a half; and that of the white arch, which 

 circumscribed the others, not less than sixty-seveji 

 degrees. At the beginning of tlie phienomenon, the 

 arches seemed of an oval or elhptical figure, like 

 the disk of the sun ; and afterwards became per- 

 fectly circular. Each of the least was of a red co- 

 lour, bordered with an orange; and the last followed 

 by a bright yellow, which degenerated into a straw 

 colour ; and this turned to a green. But in all, the 

 external colour remained red. 



On the mountains we also had frequently the plea- 

 sure of seeing arches formed by the light of the moon ; 

 particularly one onthe4tli of April, 1/38, about eight 

 at night, on the plain of Turidjamba. But the most 

 singular was one seen by Don George Juan, on the 

 mountain of Quinoa-loma, on the 2Sid of May, 1739, 

 at eight at night. . These arches were entirely white, 

 M^thout the mixture of any other colour; and formed 

 along the slope or side of a mountain. That which 

 Don George Juan saw, consisted of three archer, 

 touching in the same point: the diameter of the inner 

 arch was sixty degrees ; and the breadth of the 

 white mark, or delineation, took upa space of five 

 degrees'; the two others were, in every respect, of the 

 same dimensions. 



The atmosphere, and the exhalations from the soil, 

 seem more adapted than in any other place for kind- 

 ling the vapours; meteors being here more frequent,, 

 and often very large; last longer, and are nearer the 

 earth, than the like phienomena seen in other ¡)arts. 

 One of these inflammations, of a very extraordinary 

 laro'cness; was seen at Quito whilst we were there. 



I can- 



