26o A VOYAGE TO Book V. 



to elegant dancing. But what is really furprizing, 

 is, that without any pay, or view of intereft, unlefs 

 they think it a religious duty, they continue this ex- 

 ercife a whole fortnight before the grand feftival, and a 

 month after it, without minding either their labour or 

 families ; rambling about, and dancing the whole day, 

 without being either tired or difgufted, though the 

 number of their admirers daily decreafe, and the ap- 

 plaufe is turned into ridicule. 



The fame drefs is worn by them in other proceflions, 

 and at the buU-feafts, when they are excufed from la- 

 bour, and therefore highly pleafed with them. 



The corporation and cathedral chapter keep, by 

 . vow, two annual feftivals in honour of two images of 

 the Virgin, which are placed in the villages of Guapulo 

 and Quinche, belonging to this jurifdidlion. They 

 are brought with great folemnity to Quito, where a 

 feftival is celebrated, with great magnificence and 

 rejoicing, and is fucceeded by nine days devotion, the 

 audience and other courts alTifting at the feftival. 

 The ftatues are afterwards returned with the fame 

 folemnity to their refpedive churches, the firft of 

 which is one league from Quito, and the other fix. 

 Thefe feftivals are held in commemoration of the 

 mercy and aftiftance vouchfafed by the holy^ Virgia 

 at the time of an earthquake and terrible ejedlions^ 

 from Pichincha, by which Latacunga, Hambato, and 

 a great part of Riobamba, were utterly deftroyed 

 while the prayers offered up at Quito to the holy. 

 Virgin induced her to interpofe in fo lingular a 

 manner, that not the leaft misfortune attended this 

 city, though apparently in ^qual danger with thofe 

 which fufFered. 



CHAP. 



