HISTORY OF ECUADOR. 



221 



History — Geogkaphical Exploration. 



Despite its greater distance from Europe, Ecuador was conquered by the 

 Spaniards a few years before they penetrated to the Colombian plateau. Attracted 

 by the treasures of the Incas, Pizarro had already completed his destructive march 

 across Peru five years before the three bands of invaders had met from different 

 quarters on the Cundinamarca tableland. In 1533 a body of about 300 men, 

 including 80 horse, was led by Belalcazar from Peru northwards, in the direction 

 of the kingdom of Quito, that is, the present state of Ecuador. He met with a 



Fig. 87. — Disputed Frontiers of Ecuadoe. 

 Scale 1 : 14,000,000. 



^ 



m 



?^3 



Present territory 

 of Ecuador. 



Territories claimed 

 by Ecuador. 



Districts of Ecuador 

 claimed by Peru 

 and Colombia. 



250 Miles. 



stout resistance from the reigning sovereign, Rumiilahui, himself a usurper, and 

 might have even been repulsed but for an eruption of Cotopaxi, attended by fear- 

 ful rumblings and a fall of ashes on the battlefield. The Indians, terrified by the 

 unfavourable omen, dispersed in all directions, and the Spaniards entered the 

 city of Riobamba without further resistance. The conquest was already efiected ; 

 nothing remained except to massacre the natives and plunder their tombs and 

 temples. 



The "kingdom" of Quito, which depended alternately on the vice-royalties 

 of Peru and 'New Grenada, and which was officially designated as an aiidiencia 



