368 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



The bishop of Quito, Don Joseph Perez Calama, in his 

 pastoral edicts, which are utterly divested of the bigotry of 

 the Romish Church, displays the most benevolent and patriotic 

 views. In the course of a general visitation to the parishes 

 of his diocese, he published, during his stay at Hambato, 

 an edi6l, of which the following is the most remarkable 

 clause : " Seeing that in this department of Hambato, there is 

 an abundance of excellent wheaten flour, and that a great por- 

 tion of the commerce consists in the sale of bread, we offer a 

 premium of fifty piastres to the baker w^ho shall make and 

 present to us a specimen of the wheaten bread here named pan 

 de agua, well fermented, well kneaded, and well baked." 

 Here is introduced the detail of, the chara6leristic qualities of 

 the best and most wholesome bread ; and the premium is ex- 

 tended to the bakers of the city of Quito, as well as to those 

 residing in any of the distri6ts of the diocese. 



One of the most interesting proje6ls of this worthy prelate 

 has been, to establish a communication between the cities of 

 Ibarra and Otabalo, and the provinces of Asquande, Choco, 

 and Barbacoas, the want of which prevented the exportation 

 of the productions and manufactures, and reduced the inhabi- 

 tants to a state of extreme misery. For this purpose it was 

 necessary to constru6l a capacious road, by tracks which had 

 before been scarcely passable. This was undertaken with the 

 approbation of the president ; and Don Perez Calama sub- 

 scribed, in the first instance, five hundred piastres to carry the 

 project into effect. His patriotic example was followed by 

 the subscriptions of the reCtors, and other public-spirited in- 

 dividuals ; insomuch that, in the month of July 1791, the 

 road was completed. One of the beneficial results of this en- 



terprize 



