ch. 1. South America; 307 



The ftone of which the houfes and churches arc 

 builf, is a kind of pumice, or fpungy ftone, ejefted 

 from volcanoes, inexhauftible quarries of it being 

 found in the neighbourhood. It is fo light that it 

 will fwim in water, and from its great porofity the 

 lime cements the different pieces very ftrongly toge- 

 ther-, whence, and from their lownefs, the houfes 

 are now enabled to fupport themfelves during a con- 

 cuffion much better than before the earthquake, 

 when few were without a ftory ; and if they Ihould 

 be unfortunately thrown down, the crufh in all pro- 

 bability would be much lefs fatal. 



The jurifdidlion contains thefe principal villages : 



I. 7icihos Mayor. X. San Miguel deMol- 



II. Zicheos Menor. leambato. 



III. Yungas, or Colorados. XI. Saquifili. 



IV. Yfilimbi. XII. Pugili. 



V. Chifa-Halo, or Toa- XIII. Tanicuchi, 



cafo. XIV. Cuzubamba. 



VI. Pillaro. XV. Tifaleo. 



VII. San Phellpe. XVI. Angamarca. 



VIII. Mula-Halo. XVII. Pila-Halo. 



IX. Alaquez. 



The air of this afliento is the colder, from the place 

 being only fix leagues from the mountain of Coto- 

 paxi, which, as it is not lefs in height and extent 

 than thofe of Chimborazo and Cayamburo, fo it is, 

 like them, covered with ice and fnow. The com- 

 buftible fubftances within the bowels of this moun- 

 tain firft declared themfelves in the year 1533, 

 when Sebaftian and Belalcazar, who undertook the 

 conqueft of this province, had entered it, and prov- 

 ed very favourable to the ^nterprize. For the In- 

 dians, poflefled with the truth of a predidion of their 

 priefts, that, on the burfting of this volcauo, they 

 would be deprived of their country, and reduced un- 

 der the government of an unknown prince, were {q 



X 2 ftruck 



