RIO 



cloth, bags, and linen, is attended with confiderable profit 

 to the dealers, and advantage to the country, as all the poor 

 people, who are remarkably numerous, and perlons of fub- 

 ftance, except thofe of the capital, wear the goods manu- 

 factured in the country. Part of the wheat produced in the 

 jurifdi&ion of Riobamba and Chimbo is fent to Guayaquil. 

 This jurifdi&ion is (by miftake) defcribed under Hambato 

 (which fee). We (hall here fubjoin an account of Hambato. 

 This affiento ftands in a wide plain at the bottom of a moun- 

 tain, N. of Riobamba. On its N. fide runs a large river, 

 which has a bridge ; the river having never been fordable on 

 account of its depth and extreme rapidity. It is finely 

 fituated, and in extent of populoufnefs nearly equal to 

 Latacunga ; the number of its inhabitants amounting to 

 eight or nine thoufand. The houfes are built of unburnt 

 bricks, well planned, and make a good appearance. They 

 are of low elevation, for the purpofe of avoiding the destruc- 

 tive effetts of earthquakes. Here are a parifh church, two 

 chapels of eafe, and a convent of Francifcans. The earth- 

 quake which made fuch terrible havock in the afliento of 

 Latacunga proved alio fatal to this, the horrors of which 

 were augmented by the terrible eruptions from mount Car- 

 guarifo, in confequence of which a muddy torrent, formed 

 of allies, cinders, and fnow melted by the flames of the 

 aperture, precipitated down the fides of the mountain, over- 

 flowing the fields, fweeping away the cattle, and every thing 

 elfe in the way by its violence. The inhabitants, in their 

 manners and cuftoms, rcfemble thofe of Quero ; but it has 

 fewer families of diftinction than Riobamba. The bread 

 made at this afliento is famous all over the province, and ac- 

 cordingly it is fent to Quito and other parts, without being 

 deteriorated by length of time. It has fix villages. The 

 Indian inhabitants of the village of Quero make all forts of 

 cabinet work ; that of Petate is equally famous for abundance 

 of fugar-canes and the excellent quality of its fugar ; and 

 that of Santa Rofa de Pilaguin, which, with its fields, lies 

 on the fide of Carguarifo, is famous for the goodnefs of its 

 barley, as the diflricTt bordering on the afliento is for its ex- 

 quifite fruits ; and to this diftrift Quito owes molt of the 

 European kinds fold in that city. See Quito and Gra- 

 nada. 



Riobamba, the capital of the jurifdidYion above-men- 

 tioned, and defcribed under Hambato. This elegant town, 

 by the devaluation occafioned by the terrible earthquake on 

 the 4th of February 1797, became a heap of ruins, and 

 foon totally difappeared ; for the peak of Sicalpa falling on 

 the town, and flopping the two rivers which pafs by it, 

 formed a lake, fo that even the ruins were not vifible. Of 

 90CO inhabitants, only about 400 efcaped. Although 

 Quito fuilained little damage, Latacunga, and all the ham- 

 lets in its corregiamento, were utterly deftroyed. Many 

 perfons penlhed, and the furvivors were infefted by the 

 putridity of the dead bodies. Near Hambato many moun- 

 tains fplit, and by their fudden fall occafioned Hill more 

 awful deftruftion among the human race. Quero, men- 

 tioned in the preceding article, with all its people were 

 buried, in an inftant, under a cliff which fell on the town. 

 Pelileo was overwhelmed by a llream of water and mud ; 

 the circumjacent lands were all tranfpofed ; and a deadly 

 filence indicated the general ruin. Alaufi and Guaranda 

 alfo fuffered greatly. The fate of Cuenca, Loja, Jaen, 

 and Guayaquil, was, at that time, unknown ; but the Ihocks 

 do not feem to have extended fo far. The caufe of this de- 

 folation feems to have proceeded from the volcano Tanga- 

 runga or Tangurugua, between Latacunga and Riobamba ; 

 as tne tremendous fubterraneous thunders all proceeded from 



R I O 



that quarter, and the greateil ruin was in its vicinity ; to- 

 wards the N. the earthquake was faintly perceived at Palto. 

 Riobamba is diftant 90 miles S. from Quito. S. lat. i° 20'. 

 W. long. 78 30'. See Quito. 



RIOCH1CO, a town of New Mexico, in the province 

 of Hiaqui, on the river Hiaqui ; 800 miles N. W. of Mexico. 

 N. lat. 2<f 4.'. W. long. iii° 36'. 



RIOFRIO, a town of Spam, in Old Caftile ; feven 

 miles S. of Segovia. 



RIOJA, a town of South America, in the province of 

 Tucuman ; 240 miles W.S.W. of St. Yago del Efteros. 

 N. lat. 29 15'. W. long. 70 . 



RIOLAN, John, in Biography, an able French pliy- 

 iician, was born at Amiens. He was greatly diftinguifhed 

 by his attainments both in literature and fcience, and is faid 

 not only to have written and lpoken the learned languages 

 with facility, but to have been thoroughly intimate with the 

 contents ot almofl all the writings of the ancients. He 

 gave leflbns in natural philofophy at the college of Boncour, 

 at Paris, where he took his degree in the year 1574. Little 

 is recorded refpefting his life, but that he was elected dean 

 of the faculty in 1586, and continued in that office in the 

 following year. He died on the 18th of Oftober 1606. 

 He was one of the greateil ornaments of the profeflion at 

 Paris in his time ; and was a itrenuous advocate for the 

 doftrine of Hippocrates and the ancients, whom he de- 

 tended with great ardour againlt the chemilts. His works 

 are indicative of genius ; they were collefted and pub- 

 lilhed, together with fome poithumous trafts, at Paris, in 

 1610, under the title of " Opera Omnia." Separately, we 

 find the following ; " De Primis Principiis Rerum Natu- 

 ralium, Libri tres," Paris, 1571. "Ad Impudentiam 

 quorundam Chirurgorum, qui Medicis aequare et Chirur- 

 giam psblice profited voluut ; pro veteri dignitate Medi- 

 cinae Apologia philofophica," ib. 1577. This was a fort 

 of declaration of war againft the lurgeons, whom he at- 

 tacked for attempting to teach without any knowledge of 

 literature ; it was followed by feveral pieces on both fides. 

 " Commentani in fex pofteriores Phyfiologix Fernelii 

 Libros," 1577. "Ars bene Medendi," Lugd. 1589. "Ad 

 Libros Fernelii de abcitis rerum caufis Commentani," Par. 

 1598. " Univerfae Medicinae Compendium," 1 59S. "Ad 

 Libavii Maniam Refponfio, pro Cenfura Schols Parifienfis 

 contra Alchymiam lata," 1600. " Chirurgia," Lipf. 1601. 

 " Praeleftiones in Libros Phyiiologicos et de abditis rerum 

 caufis. Acceflerunt Opuicula quredam Philofophica," 

 1602. " De Febribus," 1640. 



Riolan, John, the fon of the preceding, was born at 

 Paris in the year 1577. His father did not fail to afford 

 every encouragement and opportunity for the cultivation of 

 his riling talents, and his mind was naturally turned to the 

 iludy of medicine by the reputation, zeal, and love of the 

 profeflion, which the former poflefl'ed ; his early ftudics were 

 alfo greatly facilitated, and many difficulties removed, by 

 the domeltic inilruttion which he thus received. His pro- 

 grefs accordingly was uncommonly rapid ; and a very few 

 years after he had received his degree in 1604, he came 

 forward as an author in a way that laid the foundation of his 

 fubfequent reputation. In 1613 he was appointed royal 

 profeflbr of anatomy and botany by Louis XI 11. ; and in 

 this latter capacity he petitioned the king for the eftablifti- 

 ment of a botanic garden in the univerfity of Paris. He 

 fublequently held the appointment of phyfician to queen 

 Mary de Medicis, and accompanied that princefs in her 

 travels ; he arrived at Cologne, after her death, in July 

 1642, and returned to Paris, where he refumed the praftice 



of 



