ULLOA*S VOYAGE TO SOUTH AMERICA. 



4hg 



^and molfl countries, very foreign to thefe, which nearly refemble thofe of Eurppe, and 

 excited in our minds the pleafing idea of our native foil. 



The corregidor entertained us in his houfe at Guaranda till the 21ft of the fame 

 month, when we continued our journey to Quito. The thermometer was for three 

 days fucceffively at 1 004! . 



On the 2 2d, we began to crofs the defert of Chimborazo, leaving the mountain of 

 that name on the left, and travelling over different eminences and heights, mofl: of 

 which were of fand, the fnow for a great diflance forming, as it were, the fides of the 

 mountain. At half an hour after five in the evening, we arrived at a place called Rumi 

 Machai, that is, a flony cave, an appellation derived from a vafl cavity in a rock, and 

 which is the only lodging travellers find here. 



This day's journey was not without its trouble; for, though we had nothing to fear 

 from precipices, or dangerous pafTes, like thofe in the road to Guaranda, yet we fuf- 

 fered not a little from the cold of that defert, then increafed by the violence of the 

 wind. Soon after we had paffed the large fandy plain, and being thus got over the 

 feverefl part of the defert, we came to the ruins of an ancient palace of Yncas, fituated 

 in a valley between two mountains j but thefe ruins are little more than the foundations 

 of the walls. 



On the 23d, at three quarters after five in the morning, the thermometer was at 

 1000, or the jfreezing point, and, accordingly, we found the whole country covered 

 with a hoar froft j and the hut in which we lay had ice on it. At nine in the morning 

 we fet out, flill keeping along the fide of Chimborazo. At two, in the afternoon, 

 we arrived at Mocha, a fmall, mean place j but where we were obliged to pafs the 

 night. 



On the 24th, at fix in the morning, the thermometer was at 1 006 ; and at nine we 

 fet out for Hambato, which we reached at one in the afternoon, after pafTmg feveral tor- 

 rents, breaches, or chafms of the mountain Carguairafo, another mountain covered 

 with fnow, a little north of Chimborazo. Among thefe chafms is one without water, 

 the earth remaining dry to the depth of twelve feet. This chafm was caufed by a 

 violent earthquake, which will be fpoken of in its place. 



On the 25th, the thermometer at Hambato, at half an hour after five in the morn- 

 ing, flood at loio, and on the 26th, at fix in the morning, at loogf. This day, 

 having paffed the river of Hambato, and afterwards that of St. Miguel, by help of a 

 wooden bridge, we arrived at Latacunga. 



On the 27th, at fix in the morning, the thermometer was at 1007, when leaving 

 Latacunga we reached in the evening the town of Mula-Halo, having in the way forded 

 a river called Alaques. 



On the 28th, the liquor of the thermometer was at the fame height as at Lata^ 

 cunga, and we proceeded on our journey, arriving in the evening at the manfion- 

 houfe or villa called Chi Shinche. The firfl part of this day's journey was over a large 

 plain, at the end of which we had the pleafure of paffing by a ftrudure that belonged 

 to the Pagan Indians, being a palace of the Yncas. It is called Callo, and gave name 

 to the plain. We afterwards came to an acclivity, at the top of which we entered on 

 the plain of TiopuUo, not lefs in extent than the firfl ; and at the bottom, towards the 

 north, is the houfe where we were entertained that night. 



On the 29th, the thermometer, at fix in the morning, was at 1003I. We fet out 

 the earlier, as this was to be our lafl journey, A road crofTmg feveral breaches and 

 beaten trads, brought us to a fpacious plain called Tura-Bamba, that is, a muddy 

 plain J at the other extremity of which flands the city of Quiljo, where we arrived at 



3 H 2 five 



