46o A VOYAGE TO Book VI. 



veral ancient monuments of antiquity, that nothing 

 may be wanting towards the complete knowledge of 

 this province, from which Spain derives luch great 

 advantages. . ' 



i 



CHAP. XL 



Monuments of the ancient Indians in the Jurif- 

 diuiion of Quito. Account of the fever al Gems 

 and Quarries found near that City, 



r 1 1 H E ancient inhabitants of Peru were far enough 

 1_ from carrying the fciences to any perfedlion, 

 before the conqueft of the country by the Spaniards. 

 They were not deftitute of all knowledge of them ; 

 but it was fo faint and languid, that it was far from 

 being fufficient for cultivating their minds. They 

 had alfo fome glimmerings of the mechanic arts ; 

 but their fimplicity, or want of tafle, was fo remark- 

 able, that, unlefs forced by abfolute necefTity, they 

 never departed from the models before them. The 

 progrefs and improvements they made were owing 

 to induftrv, the common dire6lrefs of mankind. A 

 clofe application fupplied the want of fcience. Hence, 

 after a long feries of time, and excefTive labour, they 

 raifed works, not fo totally void of art and beauty, 

 but that fome particulars raife the admiration of an 

 attentive fpectator. Such, for inftance, were fome of 

 thofe llrudlures of which we have ftill fuperb ruins, 

 in which, confidering the magnitude of the works, 

 and the few tools they were mafters of, their con- 

 trivance and ingenuity are really admirable. And the 

 work itfelf, though deftitute of European fymmetry, 

 elegance, and difpofition, is furprizing, even in the 

 very performance of it. 



These 



