494 ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 



Peru. Sugar canes alfo thrive well here ; and confequently cotton. But the dread 

 of the wild Indians, who have often ravaged their country, difcourages them from 

 planting any more than what juft fuffices for prefent ufe ; they being here in the fame 

 unhappy fituation as in Quixos, the villages having in their neighbourhood bands of 

 thofe favage Indians ; and when they imagine them to be furtheft off, are often fud- 

 denly aflaulted by them, fo that they muft be ready at every inftant to take arms. 



Among the infinite variety of trees which crowd the woods of this country, one of 

 the moll remarkable is the ftorax, the gum of which is of a mofl exquifite fragrancy ; 

 but is rare, the trees growing in places at fome diftance from the villages ; and it is 

 dangerous going to them, by reafon of the favage Indians, who lie in wait like wild 

 beafts. The like may be faid with regard to the mines of Polvos Azules, or Ultra- 

 marine, from which, by reafon of that danger, very little is brought ; but a finer colour 

 cannot be imagined. * 



The territory belonging to Macas alfo produces cinnamon-trees, which, as the Reve- 

 rend Don Juan Jofeph de Lozay Acuna, priell of Zuna, a perfon of eminent learning, 

 and perfeftly verfed in natural hiftory, told me, is of a fuperior quality to that of 

 Ceylon, here known by the name of Spanifh cinnamon ; and this was confirmed to 

 me by many other perfons of judgment. This cinnamon vifioly differs from that of 

 Quixos, which, as the fame perfon informed me, proceeds from the full expofure of 

 the Maca trees to the fun, its rays not being intercepted by the foliage of any other 

 trees near them ; and thefe alfo are at a diftance from the roots of other trees, which 

 deprive them of part of the nourifhment neceffary to bring it to perfection. And this 

 opinion is confirmed by a cinnamon tree planted either accidentally or by defign, near 

 the city of Macas, the bark of which, and efpecially the bloffom, in its tafte, fragrancy 

 and aromatic power, far exceeds that of the Eaft Indies. 



Great quantities of copal are brought from Macas, alfo wild wax ; but the latter of 

 little value, for, befides being reddilh, it never indurates ; and the fmell of it, when 

 made into candles, and thefe lighted, is very ftrong and difagreeable ; and that of 

 Guayaquil and Valles no better. Indeed all the wax in thofe countries cannot come 

 into competition with thofe of Europe ; though it muft be obferved, that there is no 

 fmall difference in the bee, which in this country is much larger, and its colour 

 inclinable to black. However, it might be made fomething better, if the inhabitants 

 were acquainted with the art of cleanfing and working it as in Europe ; and if it could 

 not be brought to equal the European, a greater confiftence might be given to it, 

 which would be no fmall advantage. 



The government, which on the fouth limits the jurifdi£lion of the audience of Quito, 

 and follows next to Macas, is that of Jaen, which was difcovered and fubdued by 

 Pedro de Vargara in the year 1538, whom Hernando Pizarro had appointed to com- 

 mand in that expedition. Afterwards Juan de Salinas entered the country, with the 

 title of governor of it ; and he having by his courage and courtefy reduced the Indians, 

 and ingratiated himfelf with them, a more formal fettlement was made, and feveral 

 towns built, which are ftill exifting, though in no better condition than thofe of Macas 

 and Quixos. Some ftill retain the appellation of city, not that their largenefs, num- 

 ber of inhabitants, or wealth, become the title, but on account of the privileges an- 

 nexed to it. 



At the rime of the conqueft this government was known by the names of Igualfongo 

 and Pacamoros, fince corrupted into Yaguarfongo and Bracamoros ; the names of the 



* Probably mountain bluet an ore of copper. Ultramarine iS) from the lapis lazuli, unknown in 

 America: 



governf 



