ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA, 47^; 



inferior to that of Europe ; and accordingly there is a very confiderable demand for if 

 all over thefe parts. 



The village of Atun-canar, or Great-canar, is famous for its extenfive corn fields, 

 and the rich harveft they afford. It is alfo remarkable for the riches concealed in its 

 mountains, the bravery of its ancient inhabitants, and their unfliaken loyalty to Ynca 

 Tupac- Yupanqui, to whom, when his army intended for thi^ country was arrived near 

 the frontiers, fenfible of their inability of making any effe£tual refiftance, they fub- 

 mitted, and paid him all the honours which denoted a voluntary fubjedlion ; and thefe 

 marks of loyalty fo prepoffeffed the emperor in their favour, that, to encourage them to 

 cherifh fuch good difpofitions, he ordered feveral magnificent temples, fplendid palaces, 

 and forts, all of flone, to be built here, in the manner of thofe of Cufco, and the 

 infide of the walls to be plated over with gold. And of thefe works fome monuments 

 ftill remain in a fort and palace, and of which neither time nor accidents have obli- 

 terated their aftonilhing magnificence ; a defcription will be given of both in another 

 place. Thefe works had fuch happy effects on the grateful inhabitants, that they fell 

 at lafl victims to their loyalty ; for, having fided with the Ynca Huefcar, their lawful 

 fovereign, againfl his brother Ata Huallpa, and the former lofmg a decifive battle, the 

 conqueror inhumanly abufed his viftory, by deflroying thofe unhappy perfons who had 

 done no more than their duty, no lefs than 60,000 of them being maffacred in cold 

 blood. 



Thefe Indians were united with the Guafantos, and thofe of Pamalla£ta, in which 

 diftri6; are flill to be feen the ruins of another fort, built by the Yncas. The intimacy 

 between the inhabitants of thefe countries was fo remarkable, that they were all called 

 Canarejos, that under one name they might form one body. 



The afTiento of Alaufi, the chief place of the fecond department, is not very popu- 

 lous, though among its inhabitants are fome Spanifh families of the firfl rank. The . 

 other inhabitants are Meftizos and Indians, but both claffes in mean circumftances. 

 The parochial church is the only ecclefiaftical flrudure j nor has this the ornaments 

 which decency requires. 



The village of Ticfan, which flood in this department, was totally deftroyed by an 

 earthquake, and the inhabitants removed to a fafer fituation. The marks of thefe 

 dreadful convulfions of nature are ftill vifible in feveral chafms among the mountains, 

 many being two or three feet broad, a convincing proof of the violent concuflions in 

 the bowels of the earth at the time of that cataftrophe. The temperature of the air is 

 here fomething colder than at Cuenca j but not in a degree fuflicient to lefTen the 

 exuberant fertility of the foil. 



Among the great variety of mines in the jurifdidion of Cuenca, and which I fhall 

 confider more at large in the fequel, thofe of gold and fdver, according to the com- 

 mon opinion, are not the leaft numerous. Report has indeed magnified them to fuch 

 a degree, that, to prove the aftonifhing quantity of thofe metals, the inhabitants relate 

 the following ftory, the truth of which I do not pretend to warrant. It exhibits indeed 

 an inftance fo contrary to the common order of things, as to be fcarce reconcileable to 

 reafon. I fhall, however, venture to relate it, becaufe, if the reader fhould think it 

 incredible, it will at leaft ferve to convey an idea of the riches fuppofed to be concealed 

 in the bowels of the mountains. 



Between the valleys of Chugui-pata, which extend from the village and jurifdidion 

 of Los AzogueS fouthward, and that of Poute running eaftward along the banks of 

 the fame name, are feveral eminences which divide the two plains, and among thefe, 

 one higher than the reft, called Supay-urco, a name faid to have been given it on the 



2 P 2 follov^dng 



