Ch. V. SOUTH AMERICA. 2% 



riety of daughters, but not one fon among them. 

 Nature alfo in the male fex, efpecially thofe who have 

 been tenderly brought up, begins to decay at the age 

 of thirty ; whereas the females rather enjoy a more 

 confirmed ftate of health and vigour. The caufe of 

 this may, in a great meafure, be owing to the climate ; 

 food may alfo contribute to it-, but the principal 

 caufe, I make no doubt, is their early intemperance 

 and voluptuoufnefs •, this debilitates the flomach, fo 

 that the organs of digeftion cannot perform their pro- 

 per office ; and accordingly many conftantly ejedl 

 their vi6luals an hour or two after their meals. Whe- 

 ther this be owing to a cuftom now become natural, 

 or forced, the day they fail of fuch ejedion, they are 

 fure to find themfelves indifpofed. But amidft all 

 their weaknefTes and indifpofitions they live the ge- 

 neral time, and many even arrive at a very advanced 

 age. 



The only employment of perfons of rank, who are 

 not ecclefiaftics, is from time to tim.e to vifit their 

 eftates or chacaras, where they refide during the time 

 of harveft ; but very few of them ever apply them- 

 felves to commerce, indolently permitting that lu- 

 crative branch to be pofTefTed entirely by the Chapi- 

 tones or Europeans, who travel about the country, 

 and purfue their intereft with great affiduity. Within 

 the city, however, fome fev/ Creoles and Meftizos 

 fo far overcome their indolent difpofitions as to keep 

 ihops. 



The want of proper employm.ents, together with 

 the floth fo natural to the inhabitants of this country, 

 and the great negle(5l of education in the common peo- 

 ple, are the natural parents of that fondnefs fo remark- 

 able in thefe parts for balls and entertainments ; and 

 thefe at Quito are both very frequent, and carried to 

 fuch a degree of lic^ntioufnefs and audacity, as cannot 

 be thought of without deteftation not to mention 

 fhe many tumults and quarrels which thence derive 



their 



