168 TRAVELS AMONGST THE GREAT ANDES, chap. ix. 



feel confident that the number of its inhabitants is far beneath 

 the lower of these estimates/ The compact part of Quito does 

 not cover a square mile ; and, I think, at the most, the city proper 

 cannot contain more than 30,000 persons. The total may, per- 

 haps, amount to 34,000 or 35,000 if the suburbs which extend 

 along the roads going north and south are included. 



The northern is some hundreds of feet higher than the southern 

 end of Quito. ^ Several ancient quebradas run through the heart 

 of the city ; and, as the whole of the ground upon which it stands 

 is sloping, there is a natural drainage into these fissures. This 

 fact, and the daily occurrence of sharp showers which cleanse the 

 place, doubtless account for its freedom from bad smells, and 

 immunity from pestilence. It had no proper supply of water. 

 The populace depended upon the public fountains and their sur- 

 rounding basins in the Plazas, which were contaminated with 

 abominations. Very particular persons had two pennyworths of 

 water brought every morning, several miles, in large pots ; * but, 

 judging from the limited number of water-carriers, the fastidious 

 class formed a select minority of the population. There was one 

 old water-carrier, with white hair and a pink face, who was a 

 well-known figure in Quito. I offered to take his portrait, and 

 told him that he should have a shilling if he stood quite still 

 and only fourpence if he moved. '' Sefior,^' said the old fellow, 

 *^ though several gentlemen have proposed to do the same, you 

 are the first who has suggested any remuneration.'' 



* Dr, W. Jameson says {Journal of Royal Oeog. Soc, 1861, p, 185): "On several 

 occasions the Government has been desirous of ascertaining the actual number of in- 

 habitants, but without arriving at a satisfactory result. The people became alarmed, 

 from an idea that the formation of a census is a preliminary step towards the im- 

 position of a tax." Mr. Church (in Report to Mr. Blaine, dated 1883) says the same. 



^ The accompanying Plan is after one made by Father J. B. Menten, S.J., who 

 Avas Director of the Observatory in 1880. Corrections and additions have been 

 introduced into it. The names of the streets have been changed since the original 

 was made, and it would be useless to give them. 



3 A medio (equal to twopence) was the regular (charge for a jar like that borne by 

 the water-carrier I have engraved. 



