486 ulloa's voyage to south America. 



betwixt thefe two governments : whereas it is otherwife with that of Ahnaguer, from 

 the fmallnefs of its jurifdidion, and the little traffic there. That of Caloto, as its ex- 

 tent is confiderable, fo is it rich, and abounds in the produds of the earth, the foil 

 being fertile, and the country every where interfperfed with farms. That of El Rapofo 

 is on the fame happy footing as the two firft. That of Pafto is alfo large, but lefs 

 wealthy. Barbacoas is very fmall ; and in fuch a general want of provifions, that, ex- 

 cept a few roots and grains peculiar to hot and moift climates, it is fuppHed with^every 

 thing from other provinces. 



The temperature of this government is entirely the fame as that already fpoken of in 

 the other parts of the province of Quito ; that is, it varies according to the fituation of 

 places ; fome being more cold than hot, others the reverfe ; and fome, throughout the 

 whole year, enjoy a continual fpring, as particularly Popayan the capital. The like 

 may be faid of the foil, which exuberantly produces the grains and fruits proper to its 

 fituation : and the farms breed great numbers of horned cattle and fheep, for the con- 

 fumption of the towns and country people : and in the territory of Pallo graziery is a 

 very profitable article, large herds and flocks being driven to Quito, where ihey always 

 find a good market. The jurifdidion of Popayan is more fubje£t to tempefts of thun- 

 der and lightning, and earthquakes, than even Quito ; though in the latter, as we have 

 obferved, they are fo very frequent. No longer ago than iyT,s^ ^^ ^^^ ^" ^^^ after- 

 noon on the fecond of February, the greateft part of the town was ruined by one. 

 This remarkable frequency of tempefls and earthquakes, in the country of Popayan, 

 may be conje<Elured/to proceed from the great number of mines, in which it exceeds all 

 the others within the province of Quito. 



But of all the parts in this jurifdiftion Caloto is accounted to be the mofl fubje6t to 

 tempefls of thunder and lightning ; this has brought into vogue Caloto bells, which 

 not a few perfons ufe, being firmly perfuaded that they have a fpecial virtue againfl 

 lightning. And, indeed, fo many flories are told on this head, that one is at a lofs 

 what to believe. Without giving credit to, or abfolutely rejeding all that is reported, 

 leaving every one to the free decifion of his own judgment, I fhall only relate the mofl 

 received opinion here. The town of Caloto, the territory of which contains a great 

 number of Indians, of a nation called Paezes, was formerly very large, but thofe In- 

 dians fuddenly aifaulting it, foon forced their way in, fet fire to the houfes, and malTa- 

 cred the inhabitants : among the flain was the priefl of the parifh, who was particularly 

 the objedl of their rage, as preaching the Gofpel, with which they were fenfible their 

 favage manner of living did not agree, expofmg the folly and wickednefs of their 

 idolatry, and laying before them the turpitude of their vices. Even the bell of the 

 church could not efcape their rancour, as by its found it reminded them of their duty 

 to come and receive divine inflrudion. After many fruitlefs endeavours to break it, 

 they thought they could do nothing better than to bury it under ground, that, by the 

 fight of it, they might never be put in mind of the precepts of the Gofpel, which 

 tended to abridge them of their liberty. On the news of their revolt, the Spaniards 

 in the neighbourhood of Caloto armed; and, having taken a fmart revenge of the in- 

 furgents in a battle, they rebuilt the town, and having taken up the bell, they placed 

 it in the fteeple of the new church ; fmce which, the inhabitants, to their great joy 

 and aftonifhment, obferved, that, when a tempeft appeared brooding in the air, the 

 tolling of the bell difperfed it ; and if the weather did not every where grow clear and 

 fair, at leafl the tempeft difcharged itfelf in fome other part. The news of this miracle 

 fpreading every where, great folicitations were made for procuring pieces of it to make 

 clappers for little bells, in order to enjoy the benefit of its virtue, which, in a country 

 I where 



