ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 493 



abundance of aromatic parts it contains ; and this favours an opinion, that the trees 

 duly cultivated might be made in every refped equal to thofe of the ifland of Ceylon. 



The other produds in the ifland of Quixos are the very fame with thofe in all the 

 other lands in the fame climate as this government. The like may be faid of fruits, 

 roots, and grains, as wheat, barley, and others, which, requiring a cold air, feldom 

 thrive much in any of an oppofite quality. 



The other diftrid of Macas is bounded on the eall by the government of Maynas ; 

 fouthward by that of Bracamoros and Yaguarfongo ; and weftward, the eaft Cordillera 

 of the Andes divides it from the jurifdiclion of Rio Bamba and Cuenca. Its chief town 

 bears the fplendid title of the city of Mucas, being the common name given to the whole 

 country. And this is better known than its proper ancient name of Sevilla del Oro, 

 It lies in 2° 30" S. lat., and 40" E. of Quito. Its houfes, which do not exceed one 

 hundred and thirty, are built of timber, and thatched. Its inhabitants are reckoned 

 at about one thoufand two hundred ; but thefe, and it is the fame all qver this dif- 

 trid, are generally Meftizos with Spaniards. The other towns belonging to this jurif- 

 di£tion are : 



» # 



I. San Miguel de Narbaes. V. Zuna. 



II. Barahonas. VI. Payra. 



III. Yuquipa. VII. Copueno. 



IV. Juan Lopez. VIII. Aguayos. 



The fpiritual government of them all is lodged in two priells ; one of whom refiding 

 in the city has the care of the four firft : and to the latter, who lives at Zuna, belong 

 that town and the three others. At the conqueft, and for fome time after, this 

 country was very populous, and, in honour of the great riches drawn from its capital, 

 was diftinguiflied by the name of Sevilla del Oro ; but at prefent only the memory 

 of its former opulence remains. Such an extreme declenfion proceeded from an in- 

 furredion of the natives, who, after fwearing allegiance to the King of Spain, took 

 arms, and made themfelves mafters of the city of Logrono, and a town called 

 Guamboya, both in the fame jurifdidlion, and very rich. Thefe devaftations have fo 

 difcouraged any further fettlement there, that the whole country lies as a wafte ; no 

 money goes current in it, and the only way the wretched inhabitants have to provide 

 themfelves with neceflTaries is by bartering their home produ6ts. 



The nearnefs of Macas to the Cordillera of the Andes caufes a fenfible difference 

 betwixt its temperature and that of Quixos : for though it be alfo a woody country, 

 the diverfity betwixt the two moft diflant feafons of the year is manifeft ; and as its 

 territory is different from that of the jurifdiclion of Quito, fo the variety in the periods 

 of the feafon is alfo great. Thus winter begins here in April, and lafts till September, 

 which is the time of fummer betwixt the Cordilleras : and at Macas the fine feafon is in 

 September, and is the more delightful on account of the winds which are then moftly 

 northward : and thus charged with the frigorific particles which they have fwept away 

 from the fnowy mountains over which they have paffed. The atmofphere is clear ; 

 the {kj fcrene ; the earth clothed in its various beauties ; and the inhabitants, gladdened 

 by fuch pleafmg objefts, rejoice that the horrors of winter are paffed, as they are no 

 lefs dreadful and detrimental here than at Guayaquil. 



In grains and other produdls which require a hot and moift temperature, the country 

 is very fruitful ; but one of the chief occupations of the country people here, is the 

 culture of tobacco^ which, being of an excellent kind, is exported in rolls all over 



PeriK 



