178 TRAVELS AMONGST THE GREAT ANDES, chap. ix. 



principal infirmity an extreme timidity, lieiglitened by the general, 

 and all-pervading distrust. The Indian population in Quito bore 

 a larger proportion to the whites than in the towns we had already 

 visited.^ I am told that a number still remain of pure descent, 

 whose ancestors have never contracted alliances with the con- 

 querors. On the other hand, it is said that such a thing as a 

 Spanish family of perfectly pure descent is not to be found in 

 the country. For the most part the Indians lived in the suburbs. 

 They flocked in every morning, and kept daily market with their 

 baskets of wares on the three great plazas. I bought from them 

 the examples of hand-made lace that are given on p. 179, which 

 competes successfully with importations. It was remarked, too, 

 that preference was shewn for the thread and calico made at 

 Chillo, and for the coarse woollens produced at some local fac- 

 tories, over similar English manufactures, notwithstanding that 

 the foreign goods could sometimes be obtained at lower rates than 

 the native ones. 



Prices in Ecuador generally ruled high, though there was a 

 large difference in some matters between what was asked on the 

 coast and in the interior. Labour at Guayaquil was absurdly 

 dear, and rents were extravagant, while in the interior both were 

 low. Foreign goods were expensive all over the country, and 

 seldom sold for less than three or four times European prices. 



A nominal quart bottle of Bass cost one and eightpence to 

 two shillings at Guaranda, and two shillings at Ambato. At 

 Latacunga it had risen to three shillings and fourpence, and 

 that was the price at all places farther to the north. ^ They 

 asked two shillings and threepence for a threepenny cake of soap 

 at Ambato. A piece of sponge which might have been obtained 

 for less than sixpence in England cost me a peso at Quito, and 



1 This continued as we progressed north wai-ds. In Cotocachi, Otovalo, and the 

 surrounding neighbourhood Indians largely outnumbered the whites, 



2 Bass' Ale was found all over Ecuador, and was highly appreciated there. At 

 Quito, an enterprizing German w^as endeavouring to brew. Each of his pint bottles 

 yielded about a gallon of froth and a tea-cup of beer. 



