ULLOA*S VOYAGE TO SOUTH AMERICA. 



453 



fatigue, merely to enable their fucceflbrs to bury them in a pompous manner. The 

 deceafed muft have died in very mean circuniflances indeed, if all the religious com- 

 munities, together with the chapter of the cathedral, are not invited to his funeral, and 

 during the proceflion the bells tolled in all the churches. After the body is committed 

 to the earth, the obfequies are performed in the fame expenfive manner, befides the 

 anniverfary which is folemnized at the end of the year. Another remarkable inftance 

 of their vanity is, never to bury in their own parifli church ; fo that any one feen to be 

 buried in that manner may be concluded to have been of the lowed clafs, and to have 

 died wretchedly poor. The cuftom of making an offering either at the obfequies or 

 anniverfary, is ftill obferved, and generally confifts of wine, bread, beafls, or fowls, 

 according to the ability or inclination of the furvivor. 



Though Quito cannot be compared to the other cities in thefe parts for riches, yet 

 it is far removed from poverty. It appears from feveral particulars, to have been in a 

 much more flourifhing ftate ; but at prefent, though it has many fubftantial inhabitants, 

 yet few of them are of diftinguifhed wealth, which, in general, confifts in landed eftates, 

 applied to feveral ufes, as I fhall fhow in the fequel. Here are alfo no very fplendid 

 fortunes raifed by trade. Confequently it may be inferred, that the city is neither 

 famous for riches, nor remarkable for poverty. Here are indeed confiderable eftates, 

 though their produce is not at all equal to their extent : but the commerce, though 

 fmall, is continual. It muft alfo be obferved, to the credit of this city, that the more 

 wealthy families have large quantities of plate, which is daily made ufe of; and in- 

 deed, through the feveral claffes, their tables are never deftitute of one piece of plate 

 at leaft. 



CHAP. VI. — Of the Tetnperature of the Air at Quito ; Difiin6lion between Winter and 

 Summer ; Inconveniences y Advantages^ and Dijiempers. 



TO form a right judgment of the happy temperature of the air of Quito, experience 

 muft be made ule of, to correft the errors which would arife from mere fpeculation ; as 

 without that unerring guide, or the information of hiftory, who would imagine, that 

 in the centre of the torrid zone, or rather under the equinoftial, not only the heat is 

 very tolerable, but even, in fome parts, the cold painful ; and that others enjoy all the 

 delights and advantages of a perpetual fpring, their fields being always covered with 

 verdure, and enamelled with flowers of the moft lively colours ! The mildnefs of the 

 climate, free from the extremes of cold and heat, and the conftant equality of the 

 nights and days, render a country pleafant and fertile, which uninformed reafon would, 

 from its fituation, conclude to be uninhabitable : Nature has here fcattered her bleflings 

 with fo liberal a hand, that this country furpafl^es thofe of the temperate zones, where 

 the viciiTitudes of winter and fummer, and the change from heat to cold, caufe the ex- 

 tremes of both to be more fenfibly felt. 



The method taken by Nature to render this country a delightful habitation, confifts 

 in an aflTemblage of circumftances, of which, if any were wanting, it would either be 

 utterly uninhabitable, or fubje£l: to the greateft inconveniences. But by this extraor- 

 dinary aflTemblage, the effed of the rays of the fun is averted, and the heat of that 

 glorious planet moderated. The principal circumftance in this aifemblage is its elevated 

 fituation above the furfaee of the fea ; or, rather, of the whole earth ; and thus, not 

 only the reflection of the heat is diminiflied, but by the elevation of this country, the 

 winds are more fubtile, congelation more natural, and the heat abated. Thefe are fuch 



1 2 natural 



