ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 395 



CHAP. V. — Of the Inhabitants i Cti/kms, and Riches of Guayaquil. 



GUAYAQUIL contains, in proportion to its dimenfions, as many inhabitants as any 

 city in all America ; the continual refort of ftrangers, drawn thither by commerce, 

 contributing very greatly to increafe the number, generally computed at twenty thou- 

 fand. A great part of its eminent families are Europeans, who have married there ; 

 befides which, and fubftantial Creoles, the other inhabitants are of different cafts, as 

 in the cities already defcribed. 



The inhabitants capable of bearing arms, are divided into companies of militia, 

 according to their rank and caft ; fo that on occafion they may be ready to defend 

 their country and property. One of thefe, confifting entirely of Europeans, and called 

 the foreign company, is the mofl numerous, and makes the moft fplendid appearance 

 among the whole militia. Without confidering their wealth or flation, they appear in 

 arms, and pay a proper obedience to their officers, who are chofen by themfelves from 

 their own body, being generally fuch as have ferved in Europe, and confequently more 

 expert in military affairs. The corregidor is the commander in chief} having under 

 bim a colonel and major, for difciplining the other companies. 



Though the heat here is equal to that of Panama, or Carthagena, yet the climate 

 diftinguifhes itfelf in the colour of the human fpecies ; and if a certain author has ftyled 

 it the equinoftial Low Countries, in allufion to the refemblance it bears to the Nether- 

 lands of Europe, it may, with equal propriety, bear that appellation from this fingu- 

 larity, namely, that all the natives, except thofe born from a mixture of blood, are 

 frefh-coloured, and io finely featured, as juftly to be ftyled the handfomeft, both in the 

 province of Quito, and even in all Peru. Two things are here the more remarkable, 

 as being contrary to common obfervation : one, that notwithftanding the heat of the 

 climate, its natives are not tawny ; the other, that though the Spaniards have not 

 naturally fo fair a complexion as the nothern nations, their children born here of Spa- 

 nifh women are very fair ; nor has this phenomenon hitherto been fufficiently explained. 

 To attribute it to the effluvia exhaling from the contiguous river, appears to me little 

 fatisfaftory ; other cities having the fame advantageous fituation, without producing 

 any improvement in the complexions of the inhabitants ; whereas here fair perfons are 

 the moft common, and the children have univerfally light hair and eye-brows, and 

 very beautiful faces. 



To thefe perfonal advantages beftowed by nature in a diftinguiftied manner on the 

 inhabitants, it has added the no lefs pleafing charms of elegance and politeneTs ; fo that 

 feveral Europeans, who intended only a fhort ftay here, have married and fettled ; 

 nor were their marriages owing to the immenfe fortunes of their ladies, as in fome 

 other cities of this country, the inhabitants not being at all famous for their riches. 



The drefs of the women at Guayaquil nearly relembles that at Panama, except 

 only when they either pay or receive a vifit ; inftead of the pollera, they wear a faldellin, 

 which is no longer than the pollera, but being open before, and croffing one fide 

 over the other, is adorned in the moft profufe manner. It is furbeloed with a richer 

 ftuff, near half a yard in depth, and bordered with fine laces, gold or fringe, or 

 ribands, difpofed with an air which renders the drefs extremely rich and becoming. 

 When they go abroad without a veil, they wear a light brown-coloured mantelet, 

 bordered with broad ftrips of black velvet, but without laces or any other decorations, 

 befides necklaces and bracelets, they wear rofaries, of the fame degree of richnefs as 



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