454 ULLOA*S VOYAGE TO SOUTH AMERICA. 



natural effe^is as muft doubtlefs be attributed to its fituation ; and is the only circum- 

 ftance from whence fuch prodigies of nature, as are obferved here, can proceed. In 

 one part are mountains of a flupendous height and magnitude, having their fummits 

 covered with fnow ; on the other, volcanoes flaming within, while their fummits, 

 chafms, and apertures, are involved in ice. The plains are temperate ; the breaches 

 and valleys hot ; and, laflly, according to the difpofition of the country, its hjgh or 

 low fituation, we find all the variety of gradations of temperature, pollible to be con- 

 ceived between the two extremes of heat and cold. 



• Quito is fo happily fituated, that neither the heat nor cold is troublefome, though -the 

 extremes of both may be felt' in its neighbourhood ; a fmgularity fufficiently demon- 

 flrated by the following thermometrical experiments. On the 31ft of May 1736, the 

 liquor in the thermometer flood at loii ; at half an hour after twelve at noon, at 

 1014; on the firflof June, at fix in the morning, at 1011 ; and, at noon, at ioi2|. 

 But what renders this equality flill more delightful, is, that it is conftant throughout 

 the whole year, the difference between the feafons being fcarce perceptible. Thus the 

 mornings are cool, the remainder of the day warm, and the nights of an. agreeable 

 temperature. Hence the reafon is plain, why the inhabitants of Quito make no differ- 

 ence in their drefs during the whole year ; fome wearing filks or light fluffs, at the fame 

 time others are dreffed in garments of fubftantial cloth j and the former as little incom- 

 moded by the cold as the latter are by heat. 



The winds are healthy, and blow continually, but never with any violence. Their 

 ufual fituations are north and fouth, though they fometimes fhift to other quarters, with- 

 out any regard to the feafon of the year. Their inceffant permanence, notwithftanding 

 their conftant variations, preferves the country from any violent or even difagreeable im- 

 prefHons of the rays of the fun. So that, were it not for fome inconveniences to which 

 this country is fubjeft, it might be confidered as the moft happy fpot on the whole earth. 

 But when thefe difagreeable incidents are confidered, all its beauties are buried in obfcu- 

 rity ; for here are dreadful and amazing tempefts of thunder and lightning, and the ftill 

 more deftrudive fubterraneous earthquakes, which often furprife the inhabitants in the 

 midft of fecurity. The whole morning, till one or two in the afternoon, the weather is 

 generally extremely delightful ; a bright fun, ferene and clear fky, are commonly Teen ; 

 but afterwards the vapours begin to rife, the whole atmofphere is covered with black 

 clouds, which bring on fuch dreadful tempefts of thunder and lightning, that all the 

 neighbouring mountains tremble, and the city too often feels their dreadful effe6ts. 

 Laitly, the clouds difcharge themfelves in fuch impetuous torrents of rain, that in a very 

 fhort time the ftreets appear like rivers, and the fquares, though fituated on a flope, like 

 lakes. This dreadful fcene generally continues till near fun-fet, when the weather clears 

 up, and Nature again puts on the beautiful appearance of the morning. Sometimes, 

 indeed, the rains continue all the night, and they have been known to lafl three or four 

 days fucceffively. 



On the other hand, this general courfe of the weather has its exceptions, three, four, 

 or fix, or even eight fine days fucceeding each other ; though, after raining fix or eight 

 days in the manner above mentioned, it is rare that any falls during the two or three 

 fucceeding. But, from the moft judicious obfervations, it may be concluded, that thefe 

 intervals of fine or foul weather make up only one fifth of the days of the year. 



The diftindion of winter and fummer confifts in a very minute difference obfervable 

 between the one and the other. The interval between the month of September, and 

 April, May, or June, is here called the winter feafon ; and the other months compofe 

 the fummer. In the former feafon the rain chiefly prevails, and in the fecond the inhabit- 

 ants frequently enjoy intervals of fine weather j but whenever the rains are difcontinued 



8 for 



