CHAPTER XVI. 



QUITO. 



Situation of the Capital. — Delightful Climate. — History of the City. — 

 Modern Quito. — Houses. — Plazas. — Traces of Earthquakes. — Popula- 

 tion. — Eesults of Amalgamation. — No Progress. — Keligiou. — Future 

 of the City. — Hacienda of Chillo. 



Crossed by the equator, and fenced round by lofty, 

 snow-clad mountains, lies the beautiful valley of Quito. 

 It is over two hundred miles in length, and twenty to 

 thirty in breadth. The scenery of that mountain-walled 

 valley is of unrivalled grandeur. Thi-ee degrees south of 

 the equatorial line the Andes divide into two Cordilleras, 

 which, running parallel to each other until again united 

 north of the equator by the mountain-knot of Los Pastos, 

 encircle those lofty table-lands. Set round upon those 

 trachytic walls are the noblest peaks of the Andes, which, 

 wrapped in their shrouds of eternal white, standing against 

 the horizon, seem in their majestic repose to be the faith- 

 ful guardians of the once favorite home of the Incas. 



Here, fifteen miles south of the equator, close under the 

 shadow of the Western Cordillera, and resting partly upon 

 the flank of the volcano Pichincha, lies the far-famed city 

 of Quito, Its altitude is nine thousand five hundred and 

 forty feet ; just three thousand two hundred and fifty feet 

 higher than the summit of Mount "Washington. Upon 

 the north and south are unfolded the plains of Anaquito 



