40 A VOYAGE TO Book VIL 



are of wood, finely carved, but fo nearly imitating 

 the colour and appearance of ftone, as only to be 

 difcovered by the touch. This ingenious imitation 

 does not proceed from parfimony, but neceflity ; in 

 order to avoid as much as pofTible the dreadful deva- 

 ftations of earthquakes, which will not admit of ftruc- 

 tures built with ponderous m.aterials. 



The churches are decorated with fmall cupolas of 

 a very pretty appearance ; and though they are all of 

 wood, the fight cannot diftinguifh them from ftone. 

 The towers are of ftone from the foundation the 

 height of a toife and a half, or two toifes, and from 

 thence to the roof of the chnrch of brick, but the 

 remainder of wood painted of a free-ftone colour, 

 terminating in a ftatue, or image alluding to the 

 name of the church. The height of thefe may be 

 nearly known from that of St. Dominic, which by a 

 geometrical menfuration we found to be between 59 

 and 60 yards ; a height which tho' fmail in propor- 

 tion to the largenefs of the ftrudure, is a neceffary 

 caution both with reo-ard to the fhocks of earth- 



o 



quakes, and the weight of the bells, which in fize and 

 number exceed thofe of Spain, and on a general 

 ringing produce a very agreeable harmony. 



All the convents are furnifhed v/ith water from 

 the city, though not from that of the rivulets, which, 

 as we before obferved, run through the ftreets in 

 covered channels ; but brought from a fpring by 

 means of pipes. While on the other hand, both 

 the monafteries and nunneries are each obliged to 

 maintain a fountain in the ftreet, for the public ufe 

 of poor people, who have not the conveniency of 

 water in their houfes. 



The vice roys whofe power extends over all Peru, 

 ufually refide at Lima ; but the province and audi- 

 ence of Qiiito has been lately detached from it ; as 

 we have obferved in our account of that province. 

 This government is triennial, though at the expiration 



