Ch.I. south AMERICA; 9 



fame name, and whofe waters are of fuch prodigious 

 ufe to the country, that it is every where cultivated, 

 and divided into fields, producing plenty of the feve- 

 ral grains, efculent vegetables, and fruits, natural to 

 a hot climate; but like Tumbez, is infefted v/ith 

 Mofchetos. This river in fummer may be forded ; 

 but in v/inter, when the torrents defcend from the 

 mountains, it muft be crolTed in a balza, the rapidi- 

 ty of its current being then confiderably increafed. 

 There is a necelTity for pafling it in going to Fiura, 

 and after this for about four leagues the road lies 

 through woods of lofty Algarrobales. Thefe woods 

 terminate on a fandy plain, where even the mofc ex- 

 perienced drivers and Indians fometimes lole their 

 way, the wind levelling thofe hills of fand, which 

 ferved as marks, and effacing all the tracks for- 

 merly made : fo that in travelling this country, the 

 only direftion is the fun in the day time, and the 

 ftars in the night and the Indians being little ac- 

 quainted with the fituation of thefe objects, are often 

 bewildered, and expofed to the greateft hardlhips, 

 before they can again find their way. 



From what has been faid, the difHculties of travel- 

 ling this road may be conceived. Befides as far as 

 Amotape, not only all kinds of provifions muft be 

 carried, but even water, and the requifites for kindhng 

 a fire, unlefs your provifion coniii'ls of cold meat. 

 In this laft ftage is a mine of cope, a kind of mineral 

 tar, great quantities of which are carried to Callao, 

 and other ports, being ufed in fhips inftead of naphtha, 

 but has the ill quality of burning the cordage ; its cheap- 

 mefs however induces them to ufe it mixed with naphtha. 



The city of Fiura, which is at prefent the capi- 

 tal of its jurifdi'^ion, was the firft Spanifh fettle- 

 ment in Peru. It v^as founded in the year 1531 by 

 Pon Francifco Pizarro, who alfo built the firft 

 church in it. This city was originally called San 

 Miguel de Piura^ and ftood in the valley of Targa- 



