Ch. VL sotrtil America; 401 



CHAP. VL 



Of the Gemus^ Cujloms^ and Manners of the Indians 

 who are Natives of the Province of Quito. 



TH E fubjed of this chapter, and its circum- 

 ftances, are of fuch a nature, that, if what an- 

 cient hiftories deliver concerning them Ihould recur 

 to the memory, they will appear totally different; 

 Indeed the difproportion between what I read, and 

 what I am going to relate, is fo remarkable, that, on 

 a retrofpedl towards pad times, I am utterly at a lofs 

 to account for the univerfal change of things ; efpe- 

 cially when furrounded by fuch viiible monuments of 

 the induftry, polity, and laws of the Indians of Peru^ 

 that it would be madnefs to queftion the truth of the- 

 accounts that have been given of them ; for the ruins 

 of thefe ancient works are ftill amazing. On the 

 other hand, I can hardly credit my own eyes, when 

 1 behold that nation involved as it were in Cimmerian 

 darknefs, rude, indocile, and living in a barbarifm 

 little better than thofc who have their dwelling among 

 the waftes, precipices, and forefts. But what is ftill 

 more difficult to conceive is, how thefe people, whofe 

 former wifdom is confpicuous in the equity of their 

 laws, and the cftablifhment of a government fo fm- ' 

 gular as that under which they live, fhould at prefent 

 fhew no traces of that genius and capacity which 

 formed fo excellent an oeconomy, and fo beautiful a 

 fyftem of focial duties : though undoubtedly they 

 are the fame people, and ftill retain fonie of their an- 

 cient cuftoms and manners. Leaving therefore this 

 intricate fubjedt to be inveftigated by farther enqui- 

 ries^ I fliall proceed to give an account of the pre- 

 fent Indians, their genius, cuftoms, and qualities, ac- 

 cording to the beft informatioa I could obtain from a 

 commerce with thofe people of all ranks, during ten 

 Vol, 1. D d years. 



