BOUCUER*S VOYAGE TO PERU. Ibf^ 



PART I. 



DESCRIPTION OP THE PART OF PERU COMPREHENDED BETWEEN THE SEA AND 1H\ 

 GREAT CHAIN OF MOUNTAINS KNOWN UNDER THE NAME OF CORDELIER. 



"T/yE embarked in a King's fhip in the road of Rochelle the 1 6th of May 1735, and 

 made our way very fuccefsfully to Saint Domingo, after having firft put into 

 Martinique, where we remained a few days. We made a variety of obfervatlons in 

 both thefe iflands, fome of which are noticed in the memoirs of the Academy. We 

 meafured the height of the different mountains we had occafion to afcend, to fatisfy our 

 minds in certain refearches we propofed to ourfelves ; we tried our ability, without being 

 fenfible of it, to fcale other mountains incomparably higher ; thofe which form the 

 famous chain known under the name of Cordelier, and of which but little Is knowni 

 than the name in Europe. We made a confiderable flay at Saint Domingo, and left 

 It the 30th of 0»5lober for Carthagena ; from whence we made our way to Porto Bello, 

 and having crofTed the iflhmus, we embarked at Panama on the South Sea, and on the 

 9th of March 1736, we faluted, for the firft time, the coaft of Peru, and anchored in 

 the road of Manta, where we propofed to ourfelves to harbour. It is already known 

 M. Condamine and myfelf feparated here from the reft of our companions, by reafon 

 that we believed we might make fome ufe of our time in this part of the coaft, on 

 which the heavy rains had already ceafed to fall, and we were affured it would be fome 

 time yet ere they abated to the fouthward, and that the way to Quito would be Impaf- 

 fable until the month of June. 



We faw M. Godin, with the reft of the company, fet fail for Guayaquil, and had no 

 caufe to regret the refolution we had taken to remain behind ; our ftay purchafed us a 

 perfe6l acquaintance with this coaft, which being the part jutting moft to the weft of 

 South America, required to be afcertained with particular exadnefs. We examined the 

 length of the pendulum under the equator, and I was myfelf much privately taken up 

 with aftronomical refradions. ^ 



The day after M. Godin's departure, we went to the village of Monte Chrifti, fitu- 

 ated at the foot of the mountain of that name, famed in thefe feas, and known to all 

 navigators coming from a diftant country ; it is the refidence of the antient inhabitants 

 of Manta, who, to fhelter themfelves from the infults of pirates, have removed from 

 the coaft where they formerly refided. We were lodged in the King's houfe *, 

 which Ihould be confidered as a Town-houfe f, though, Hke the reft of the cabins, only 

 conftrudled of bamboos ; it was raifed upon piles about feven or eight feet in height ; 

 we afcended it by a ftair formed of two bamboos of large fize, in which they had con- 

 trived notches to receive one's feet. On Thurfday the 15th, in the morning, the 

 Indians came to vifit us, preceded by their Alcades or magiftrates, carrying in their 

 hands their wands, as diftindive marks of their authority ; they prefented to us fome 

 fruits, and announced to us that they had orders, by letters from Don Jofeph de Olabes 

 y Gamoroa, commandant of Puerto Viejo, to fliew us the fame attention as to himfelf. 

 We chofe a more commodious ftation as an obfervatory, at about a third of a league 

 from the village; we there eftabllflied ourfelves under a roof, raifed by our good 



* La Cafa Real. t Hotel de Ville. 



VOL. XIV. N N f"<^nds 



