^0(3 ULLOA S VOYAGE TO SOUTH AMERICA, 



bitants, though they are far from being numerous ; occafioned by the general poverty 

 which reigns through all its towns and villages. The kinds of timber natural to fuch 

 hot and moift countries grow here in prodigious quantities. 



Formerly along the coaft, and in the bay belonging to this lieutenancy, was a confider- 

 able pearl fifhery ; but it has been totally difcontinued for fome years ; occafioned partly 

 from the dangers the divers were expofed to, from the mantas and tintoreas already 

 defcribed ; and partly from the poverty of the inhabitants of this country, who, being 

 in general Indians and cafts, want ability to purchafe Negroes for this occupation. 

 The bay has probably its name from the great number of mantas in thofe parts, efpe- 

 cially as the common employment of the inhabitants is the taking of that filh, which 

 they fait, and carry into the inland provinces. The Europeans cannot help admiring 

 their dexterity in this kind of filhery, which they carry on in the following manner : 

 they throw into the water a log of wood, fuch as they ufe in making a balza, being 

 about five or fix yards in length, and near a foot in diameter, and fufficient to bear the 

 weight ailigned it, which is a net lying acrofs one end of it, while an Indian (lands ia 

 an ered: pofition on the other ; and, by help of a. canalete or oar, puts off to fea, to the 

 diftance of half a league [or more, where he ihoots his net. Another Indian, who 

 follows him on a fimilar log, takes hold of the rope faftened to one end of the net j 

 and when the whole is extended, they both move towards the land, where their part- 

 ners wait to draw the net afhore. And here one cannot help obferving with aflonifh- 

 ment the dexterity and agility of the Indians, in maintaining an equilibrium on round 

 logs, where, by the continual agitations of the fea, they muft be always changing their 

 pofition, and making different motions with their body ; and what Hill heightens the 

 difficulty is, that he is obliged, at the fame time, to mind both his oar and the net, in 

 drawing it towards the land. They are indeed excellent fwimmers ; fo that if they 

 happen (which is very feldom) to flip off, they are foon on the log again, and in their 

 former pofture ; at leaft, they are in no danger of being Ihipwrecked. 



I Ihall place Punta de Santa Elena as the fecond lieutenancy, becaufe it joins to the 

 fouth part of the former. It extends all along the weftern coaft from the ifles of Plata 

 and Salango, to the fame Punta de Santa Elena ; from thence it ftretches along the 

 north coaft, formed by the bay of Guayaquil ; comprehending in this extent the towns 

 of Punta, Chongon, Morro, Colonche, and Chandui. At Chongon and Morro two 

 priefts refide, to whofe parifhes the others belong. The lieutenant, inverted with the civil 

 government, refides in the town of Punta, two leagues from the port, where there are 

 indeed warehoufes, or rather ftieds, for receiving fait and other goods, but no dwelling- 

 houfes. 



The port of Punta has fo many falt-works, that it fupplies the whole province of 

 Quito and jurifdiftion of Guayaquil. The fait is not the fineft, but remarkably com- 

 pact, and anfwers very well the principal intention, that of falling flefh. 



On the coaft belonging to this lieutenancy is found that exquifite purple, fo highly 

 efteemed among the ancients ; but the fifh from which it was taken, having been either 

 unknown or forgotten, many moderns have imagined the fpecies to be extlnft. This 

 colour, however, is found in a fpecies of ftiell-filh growing on rocks wafhed by the fea. 

 They are fomething larger than a nut, and are replete with a juice, probably the blood, 

 which, when expreffed, is the true purple ; for if a thread of cotton, or any thing of 

 a fimilar kind, be dipt in this liquor, it becomes of a moft vivid colour, which repeated 

 wafhings are fo far from obliterating, that they rather improve it ; nor does it fade by 

 wearing. The jurifdidion of the port of Nicoya, in the province of Guatemala, alfo 

 affords this fpecies of turbines, the juice of which is alfo ufed in dying cotton threads, 



8 and. 



