Ch. V. SOUTH AMERICA. 273 



of this kind are moft to be apprehended ; and thus 

 the (hops are fecured ; for in cafe any honfe or (hop 

 is broke open, the commander of the guard is obliged 

 to make good the damage received. 



Neither the Indians, Meftizos, nor any of the low- 

 eft clafs of people, think the taking any eatables a rob- 

 bery ; and the Indians have a particular rule of con- 

 duct in their operations, namely, if one of them hap- 

 pens to be in a room where there are feveral veflels of 

 iilver, or other valuable effedls, he advances flowly, 

 and with the utmoft circumfpedion, and ufually takes 

 only one piece, and that the leaft valuable, imagining 

 that it will not be fo foon miffed as if he had taken 

 one of greater price. If dete6led in the fad:, he relo- 

 lutely denies it, with a yanga, a very expreflive word 

 in his language, and now often ufed by the Spaniards 

 of this country, fignifying that it was done without 

 any neceility, without any profit, without any bad in- 

 tention. It is indeed a word of fuch extent in difcul- 

 pating, that there is no crime to which it is not appli- 

 cable with regard to the acquittal of the delinquent. 

 If he has not been feen in the very fad, be the circum- 

 ftances ever fo plain againft him, the theft can never 

 be afcertained, no Indian having ever been known to 

 confefs. 



In Qiiito, and in all the towns and villages of its 

 province, different dialeds are fpoken, Spanifh being 

 no lefs common than thelnga. The Creoles, in par- 

 ticular, ufe the latter equally with the former but both 

 are confiderably adulterated with borrowed words and 

 expreffions. The firft language generally fpoken by 

 children is the Inga ; the nurfes being Indians, many 

 of whom do not underftand a word of Spanifh. Thus, 

 the children being firft ufed to the Indian pronun- 

 ciation, the impreffion is fo ftrong on their minds, 

 that few can be taught to fpeak the Spanifli language 

 before they are five or fix years old ; and the cor- 

 ruption adheres fo flrongiy to them, that they fpeak 



Vol. I. T ajar- 



