ULLOa's voyage to south AMERICA. 48 1 



The inhabitants of Loja, who are known all over this province by the name of 

 Lojanos, do not exceed ten thoufand fouls, though formerly, when the city was in 

 its greatefl profperity, they were much more numerous. Their character is much 

 better than that of the inhabitants of Cuenca ; and befides their affinity in cuftoms and 

 tempers to the other villages, they cannot be branded with the character of being 

 flothful. In this jurifdidtion, fuch numerous droves of horned cattle and mules are 

 bred, that it fupplies the others of this province, and that of Piura in Valles. The 

 carpets alfo manufadured here are of fuch remarkable finenefs, that they find a ready 

 fale wherever they are fent. 



The corregidor of Loja is alfo governor of Yaguarfongo, and principal alcalde of 

 the mines of Zaruma ; and, as fuch, a chair of ftate is placed for him at all public 

 folemnities of the church, where he is prefent ; a diftinguifhing honour allowed only 

 to the prefidents or governors of thofe provinces. The pofl of governor of Yaguar- 

 fongo is at prefent a mere title without any jurifdi£tion ; part of the villages which 

 formed it being loft by the revolt of the Indians, and the others added to the govern- 

 ment of Jaen ; fo that the corregidor of Loja enjoys only thofe honours intended to 

 continue the remembrance of that government. 



The town of Zeruma, in the jurifdiftion of which are thofe mines of gold I fhall 

 mention in another part, has prefented the corregidor of Loja with the title of its alcalde 

 major. It was one of the firfl towns founded in this province, and at the fame time 

 one of the mofl opulent ; but is at prefent in a mean condition, owing chiefly to the 

 decay of its mines, on which account moft of the Spanifh families have retired, fome 

 to Cuenca, and others to Loja ; fo that at prefent its inhabitant-s are faid not to exceed 

 fix thoufand. The declenfion of thefe mines, which is not fo much to be imputed to 

 a fcarcity of metal, as to the negligence of thofe concerned in working them, has been 

 difadvantageous to the whole department of Loja ; and confequently diminifhed the 

 number of its inhabitants. 



Having thus defcribed thofe nine jurifdidions which form the moft wealthy part of 

 the province of Quito, I fhall, in the following chapters, treat of the governments. 



CHAP. III. — Account of the Governjnents of Popayan and Atacames^ belonging to the 



Province of Quito, 



WE have already given a juft account of every thing worthy notice in the jurifdic- 

 tions within the audience of Quito. To render the narrative complete, it is neceffary 

 that we now proceed to the governments within the limits of that audience, as they 

 jointly form the vaft country of the pr6vince of Quito. And though they generally 

 give the name of province to every government, and even to the departments into which 

 both are fubdivided, we /hall not here follow this vulgar acceptation, it being in reality 

 founded only on the difference of the notions of Indians who formerly inhabited this 

 country, every one being governed by its curaca, or defpotic fovereign. Thefe nations 

 the Yncas fubdued, and obliged them to receive the laws of their empire ; but the 

 curacas were confirmed in all thofe hereditary rights of fovereignty compatible with the 

 fupreme prerogative. Were we indeed to ufe the name of province in this fenfe, eVery_ 

 village^muft be called fo ; for it may be eafily fhown, that in the time of heathenifm, 

 every village had its particular curaca : and fometimes, as in Valles, in this jurifdic- 

 tion of Popayan, in Maynas, and the Maragnon, there was not only a curaca in each 



VOL. xiv. 3 Q '* village, 



