if4 A VOYxlGE TO Book IV. 



Insteaj) of lard, as at Carthagena and other places, 

 they commonly ufe, in dreffing their food at Guaya- 

 quil, beef fuet. But whether the climate will not 

 permit the beafl:s to acquire a proper degree of fat- 

 nefs, whether the fuet Irfelf be not good, or whether 

 they are careieis in feparating it from the tallow ; the 

 fmcll and taile of both are much the fame, which 

 render their diflies extremely naufeous to ftrangers ; 

 and, what is little better, they feafon all of them with 

 Guiney pepper, which, though fmall, is fo very llrong, 

 that the fmell of it, when whole, fufnciently declares 

 its furprizing aftivity : fo that perfons, not accu dom- 

 ed to it, futfer either way. If they eat, their mouths 

 feem in a fiame if they forbear, they mull endure 

 hunger, till they have overcome their averfion to this 

 fealbning; after which they think the Guiney pepper 

 the fined in.g-redient in the world for givino; a reliOi to 

 their food. 



The inhabitants of Guayaquil affedl great fplendor 

 in their formal enfertainments ; but the method of 

 them is not very agreeable to an European gueft. The 



^ firft courfe confiils of different kinds of fweetmeats, 

 the fecond of high-feafoned ragouts ; and thus they 

 continue to ferve up an alternate fuccefTion of fweet 

 and high-feafoned dilhes. The common drink on 

 thefe occafions is grape brandy, there called Aqua 



' ardiente de Caftilla, cordials and wine. Of all which 

 they drink freely during the entertainment, heighten- 

 ing the pleafure by the variety j but the Europeans 

 generally prefer wine. 



The cuflrom of drinking punch has lately increafed 

 confiderably in this city and, when drunk in modera- 

 tion, is found to agree very well with the conftitutions 

 of this climate. Accordingly it has obtained greatly 

 among perfons of diftindlion, who generally drink a 

 glafs of it at eleven, and again in the evening ; thus 

 allaying their third, and at the fame time corred:ing the 

 water, which, befides the difagreeable tafte communi- 

 3 - cated 



