66 The Andes and the Amazon. 



to the times of Philip II. They are modeled after the old 

 Spanish style ; there is scarcely a fragment of Gothic ar- 

 chitecture. They are built of large brick, or a dark vol- 

 canic stone from Piehincha. 



The Government House, which serves at once as " White 

 House" and Capitol, is an imposing edifice fronting the 



Palacio de Gobieruo — Capitol. 



Grand Plaza, and adorned with a fine colonnade. On its 

 right rises the cathedral ; on the left stands the unpretend- 

 ing palace of the nuncio. The former would be called 

 beautiful were it kept in repair ; it has a splendid marble 

 porch, and a terrace with carved stone balustrade. The 

 view above was taken from this terrace. The finest fa§ade 

 is presented by the old Jesuit church, which has an elabo- 

 rate front of porphyry. The Church of San Francisco, 



