Ch. VII. SOUTH AMERICA. ^23 



or two after that of another, though their diflance is 

 not more than three or four leagues; and the time for 

 another at the fame diftance not then arrived. Thus, 

 in different fpots, fometimes in one and the fame, fow- 

 ing and reaping are performed throughout the whole 

 year, the forwardnefs or retardment naturally arifing 

 from the different fituations, as mountains, rifing 

 grounds, plains, vallies, and breaches ; and the tem- 

 perature being different in each of thefe, the times 

 for performing the feveral operations of hufbandry 

 niuft alfo differ. Nor is this any contradidion to 

 what I have before advanced, as will be feen in the 

 following account of the jurifdidion. 



Th IS rema rkable fecundity of the foil is naturally 

 produdive of excellent fruits and corn of every kind, 

 as is evident from the delicacy of the beef, veal, mut- 

 ton, pork, and poultry of Quito. Here is aifo wheat 

 bread in fufficient plenty but the fault is, that the 

 Indian women, whofe bufinefs it is to make it, are 

 ignorant of the befl methods both of kneading and 

 baking it for the wheat of itfelf is excellent, and the 

 bread baked in private houfes equal to any in the 

 known world. 1 he beef, which is not inferior to 

 that of Europe, is fold in the markets by the quarter 

 of the hundred for four rials of that country m.oney, 

 and the buyer , has the liberty of chufing what part 

 he pleafes. Mutton is fold either by the half or 

 quarter of a (heep ; and when fat, and in its prime, 

 the whole carcafe is worth about five or fix rials. 

 Other fpecies of provifions are fold by the lump, with^^ 

 out weighf or ipeafure, and the price regulated by 

 cuflom. 



The oply commodity of which there is here any 

 fcarcity is pulfe; but this deficiency is fupplied by 

 roots, the principal of which ^re the camates, aruca- 

 chas, yucas, ocas, and papas ; the three former are 

 the natives of hot countries, and cultivated in the plan- 

 tations of fugar canes, and fuch fpots are called val- 



les. 



