Ch. hi. south AMERICA. 341 



fo is it rich, and abounds in the produ6ts of the earth, 

 the foil being fertile, and the country every where in- 

 terfperfed with farms. That of El Rapofo is on 

 the fame happy footing as the two firft. That of 

 Pafto is alfo large, but lefs wealthy. Barbacoas is very 

 fmall ; and in fuch a general want of provifions, that, 

 except a few roots and grains peculiar to hot and 

 moift climates, it is fupplied with every thing from 

 other provinces. 



The temperature of this government is entirely the 

 fame as that already fpoken of in the other parts of the 

 province of Quito that is, it varies according to the 

 fituation of places , feme being more cold than hot, 

 others the reverfe and fome, throughout the whole 

 year, enjoy a continual fpring, as particularly Popa- 

 yan the capital. I'he like may be faid of the foil, 

 which exuberantly produces the grains and fruits 

 proper to its fituation : and the farms breed great 

 numbers of horned cattle and (beep, for the confump- 

 tion of the towns and country people : and in the ter- 

 ritory of Pafto grafiery is a very profitable article, 

 large herds and flocks being driven to Qiiito, where 

 they always find a good market. The jurifdidion of 

 Popayan is more fubje6t to tempeils of thunder and 

 lightning, and earthquakes, than even Quito ; though 

 in the latter, as we have obferved, they are fo very 

 frequent. No longer ago than 1735, at one in the 

 afternoon on the fecond of I^ ebruary, the greateft part 

 of the town was ruined by one. This remarkable 

 frequency of tempefts and earthquakes, in the country 

 of Popayan, may be conjediured to proceed from the 

 great number of mines, in which it exceeds all the 

 others within the province of Quito. 



But of all the parts in this junfdi^lion Caloto is ac- 

 counted to be the moll fubjed to tempefls of thunder 

 and lightning; this has brought into vogue Caloto 

 bells, which not a few perfons ufe, being firmly per- 

 fuaded that they have a fpecial virtue againfl: light- 



Z 3 ' ning. 



