BOUGUER's voyage to PERU. 285 



one nor the other, but as a fhelter to this happy country ; where nature has traced out 

 in her gifts, to fay rather, in her profulions, the image of a terreftrial paradife. 



This country is comprehended between the double chain of the Cordelier, which, 

 like two walls, feparate it on the fides of eaft and weft from the reft of America. The 

 firft of the two chains is, as we have already mentioned, at from 40 to 45 leagues from 

 the fea ; the two are parallel to each other at about the diftance of feven or eight leagues ; 

 I mean their ridges ; fometimes they fly off, at others approximate, but always preferve 

 the fame direftion, which varies little from that of the meridian : from their extreme 

 vicinage, the land or plain which feparates them muft be very elevated. This plain is 

 five or fix leagues in breadth ; the two chains of the mountains, which, to thofe 

 on the outfide of them, appear but a fmgle mafs, are very vifibly diftindt to the 

 inhabitants living between them. Quito, and the largeft portion of the province, is 

 thus fituated in an extended valley, which is ever reputed a mountain, from being placed 

 between higher mountains, the moft of which are covered with fnow, or, if I may be 

 permitted an expreffion conformable to that in ufage in the country, fnowed. 



The Cordelier is not double in its whole length, though I know it to be fo, having 

 vifited the country, from the fouth of Cuenca to the north of Popayan, to an extent 

 of more than one hundred and feventy leagues ; and I know it to be double yet further 

 towards the north, altiiough the country, by its fmking, lofes by degrees the good 

 qualities it pjoflfelTes in the environs of Quito. , 



The fufficient width of the valley and its expofition to the fun would, it might 

 be fuppofed, render the heat of it infupportable : but, on the other hand, the great 

 elevation of the land, and the vicinage of the fnow, it muft be eafily conceived, muft 

 temperate the heat ; the two contraries, if one may fo exprefs onefelf, are intermarrifed, 

 and the ilTue of the connection can be no lefs a lafting autumn than a perpetual fpring. 

 They are ftrangers to many of the hurtful animals, the tiger and ferpent, fo fre- 

 quent in the forefts of the low countries; the heat in the higher country is not fuf- 

 ficient for them. The thermometer of Reaumur kept its fituation at fourteen or fif- 

 teen degrees ; the fields are always green, where grow the fruits of the torrid zone 

 with thofe of Europe, as apples, pears, and peaches : the trees there are almoft always 

 in fap ; every fpecies of grain, and particularly wheat, is there very produ6live. Wine 

 might be made there, had not Lima obtained an exclufive privilege to make it one of 

 the objects of her commerce, while Quito fubfifted on her commodities, and by her 

 manufa6lories of woollen cloths, calicoes, a^nd cottons. 



Years of fcarcity and dearth do not ordinarily furnifh proofs of the fertility or 

 goodnefs of the country in which it prevails, neverthelefs Peru is a fingular excep- 

 tion to this rule. Another example of a more rainy year than 1741, perhaps, a 

 century will not produce. The crops all failed, and the harveft did not yield fcarcely 

 a feventh or an eighth part of the average of other years ; the price of every thing 

 increafed, as may be imagined, enough ; for the inhabitants of the country of Peru 

 are unacquainted with magazines of referve to have recourfe to on fuch occafions. A 

 very moderate degree of labour is fufBcient to render the foil, which is there extremely 

 teeming, liberally productive ; yet is bread very dear, double and treble of what it is 

 with us, becaufe the views of the people of the province of Quito extend not beyond 

 the prefent wants, and leave much of their lands uncultivated. The fcarcity caufed a 

 rife nine times over in the price of wheat, maize, and all other grain, and even in 

 potatoes, which, with the maize, is the chief food of the Indians. It feems the public 

 calamity muit have been extreme, and it was, too, fpread widely round : ' in the 

 mean time fcarcely any body fulFered j the poorer fort were fomewhat inconvnoded, 



but 



