^6o ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 



eqiie, waflies this place; which, when the waters are high, as they were when we 

 arrived here, is croffed over a wooden bridge ; but at other times may be forded, and 

 often is quite dry. 



The neighbourhood of Lambayeque, as far as the induftry of its inhabitants have 

 improved it, by canals cut from the river, abounds in feveral kinds of vegetables and 

 fruits ; fome of the fame kind with thofe known in Europe, and others of the Creole 

 kind, being European fruits planted there, but which have undergone confiderable 

 alterations from the climate. About ten leagues from it are efpaliers of vines, from the 

 grapes of which they make wine, but neither fo good, nor in fuch plenty as in other 

 parts of Peru. Many of the poor people here employ themfelves in works of cotton, 

 as embroidered handkerchiefs, quilts, mantelets, and the like. 



On the 28th we left Lambayeque, and having paffed through the town of Monfefu, 

 about four or five leagues diftant from it, we halted near the fea-coaft, at a place called 

 Las Lagunas, or the Fens ; thefe contain frefh water left in them by the overflowings 

 of the river Sana. On the 29th we forded the river Xequetepeque, leaving the town 

 of that name at the diftance of about a quarter of a league, and in the evening arrived 

 at the town of St. Pedro, twenty leagues from Lambayeque, and the laft place in its 

 jurifdidion. By obfervation we found its latitude to be 7° 25' 49" fouth. 



St. Pedro confifts of about one hundred and thirty baxareque houfes, and is inha- 

 bited by one hundred and twenty Indian families, thirty of whites and Meftizos, and 

 twelve of Mulattoes. Here is a convent of Auguftines, though it feldom confifts of 

 above three perfons, the prior, the prieft of the town, and his curate. Its river is called 

 Pacafmayo, and all its territories produce grain and fruits in abundance. A great part 

 of the road from Lambayeque to St. Pedro, lies along the fhore, not indeed at an equal, 

 but never at a great diftance from it. 



On the 30th of November we paffed through the town of Payjan, which is the firft 

 in the jurifdidtion of Truxillo, and on the firft of December we reached that of Cho- 

 cope, thirteen or fourteen leagues diftant from St. Pedro. We found its latitude to be 

 7® 46' 40" fouth. The adjacent country being watered by the river called Chicama, 

 diftributed to it by canals, produces the greateft plenty of fugar canes, grapes, fruits of 

 different kinds, both European and Creole : and particularly maize, which is the general 

 grain ufed in all Valles. From the banks of the river Lambayeque to this place, fugar 

 canes flourifli near all the other rivers, but none of them equal, either in goodnefs or 

 quantity, thofe near the river Chicama. 



Chocope confifts of betwixt eighty and ninety baxareque houfes, covered with earth. 

 The inhabitants, who are between fixty and feventy families, are chiefly Spaniards, with 

 fome of the other cafts ; but not above twenty or twenty-five of Indians. Its church is 

 built of bricks, and both large and decent. They report here, as fomething very 

 remarkable, that in the year 1726, there was a continual rain of forty nights, beginning 

 conftantly at four or five in the evening, and ceafing at the fame hour next morning, 

 the iky being clear all the reft of the day. This unexpeded event entirely ruined the 

 houfes, and even the brick church, fo that only fome fragments of its walls remained. 

 What greatly aftoniftied the inhabitants was, that during the whole time the foutherly 

 winds not only continued the fame, but blew with fo much force, that they raifed the 

 fand, though thoroughly wet. Two years after a like phenomenon was feen for about 

 eleven or twelve days, but was not attended with the fame deftrudtive violence as the 

 former. Since which time nothing of this kind has happened, nor had any thing like 

 h been remembered for many years before. 



CHAP, 



