44€ ULLOA*S VOYAGE TO SOUTH AMERICA. 



nity, they drefs themfelves in a doublet, a fhirt, and a woman's petticoat, adorned in 

 the fineft manner poffible. Over their ftockings they wear a kind of pinked bulkins, 

 on whidi are faftened a great number of bells. Their head and face they cover with 

 a kind of mafk, formed of ribbands of feveral colours. Drefled in this fantaftical 

 garb, they proudly call themfelves angels, unite in companies of eight or ten, and 

 Ipend the whole day in roving about the ftreets, highly delighted with the jingling of 

 their bells; and frequently ftop and dance, to gain the applaufes of the ignorant 

 multitude, who are ftrangers to elegant dancing. But what is really furprifmg, is, 

 that without any pay, or view of intereft, unlefs they think it a religious duty, they 

 continue this exercife a whole fortnight before the grand feftival, and a month after 

 it, without minding either their labour or their families ; rambling about, and dancing 

 the whole day, without being either tired or difgufted, though the nu.mber of their 

 admirers daily decreafe, and the applaufc is turned into ridicule. 



The fame drefs is worn by them in other proceffions, and at the bull-feafls, when 

 they are excufed from labour, and therefore highly pleafed with them. 



The corporation and cathedral chapter keep, by vow, two annual feflivals in 

 honour of two images of the Virgin, which are placed in the villages of Guapulo and 

 Quinche, belonging to this jurifdiftion. They are brought with great folemnity to 

 Quito, where a feftival is celebrated, with great magnificence and rejoicing, and is 

 fucceeded by nine days' devotion, the Audience and other courts alfifting at the fefti- 

 val. The ftatues are afterwards returned with the fame folemnity to their refpedive 

 churches, the firft of which is one league from Quito, and the other fix. Thefe feftivals 

 are held in commemoration of the mercy and afliftance vouchfafed by the Holy Virgin 

 at the tiqieof an earthquake and terrible ejeftions from Pichincha, by which Latacunga, 

 Hambato, and a great part of Riobamba, were utterly deftroyed j while the prayers 

 offered up at Quito to the holy Virgin, induced her to interpofe in fo fmgular a man- 

 ner, that not the leaft misfortune attended this city, though apparently in equal danger 

 with thofe which fuffered. 



CHAP. V. — Of the Inhabitants of Quito, 



THIS city is very populous, and has, among its inhabitants, fome families of high 

 rank and diftindion ; though their number is but fmall confidering its extent, the 

 poorer clafs bearing here too great a proportion. The former are the defcendants 

 either of the original conquerors, or of prefidents, auditors, or other perfons of cha- 

 rafter, who at different times came over from Spain invefted with fome lucrative poft, 

 and have ftill preferved their luftre, both of wealth and defcent, by intermarriages, 

 without intermixing with meaner families though famous for their riches. 



The commonalty may be divided into four claffes ; Spaniards or Whites, Meftizos, 

 Indians or Natives, and Negroes, with their progeny. Thefe laft are not proportionally 

 fo numerous as in the other parts of the Indies ; occafioned by its being fomething 

 inconvenient to bring Negroes to Quito, and the different kinds of agriculture being 

 generally performed by Indians. 



The name of Spaniard here has a different meaning from that of Chapitone or Euro- 

 pean, as properly fignifying a perfon defcended from a Spaniard without a mixture of 

 blood. Many Meftizos, from the advantage of a frefh complexion, appear to be Spa- 

 niards more than thofe who are fo in reality j and from only this fortuitous advantage are 



I accounted 



