436 



of Puembo and Chillo lie on the east of those 

 hills ; and those of Quito, Inaquito, and Turn 

 bamba on the west. The equator crosses the 

 summit of Nevado de Cayambe and the 

 valley of Quito in the village of San Antonio de 

 Lulumbamba. When we consider the small 

 mass of the knot of Assuay, and above all, of 

 that of Chisinche, we are inclined to regard the 

 three basins of Cuenca, Hambato, and Quito, as 

 one long valley (from the Paramo de Sarar 

 to the Villa de Ibarra) of 73 marine leagues, 

 4 or 5 leagues broad, having a general direction 

 N. 8° E. and divided by two transversal dykes, 

 one between Alausi and Cuenca (2° 27' south 

 latitude), and the other between Machache and 

 Tambillo (0° 40'). No where in the Cordillera 

 of the Andes are more colossal mountains 

 heaped together, than on the east and west of 

 this vast basin of the province of Quito, one 

 degree and a half south, and a quarter of a 

 degree north of the equator. This basin, the 

 centre of the most ancient native civilization, 

 after that of the basin of Titicaca, touches tow- 

 ards the south, the knot of the mountains of 

 Loxa, and towards the north, the table-land of 

 the province of Los Pastos. 



* The heights of Chimborazo, Rucupichincha, Cayambe, 

 and Antisana, which are different from those stated by La 

 Condamine, in the inscription at the convent of Jesuits at 

 Quito, are the result of my own geodesic measurements. 



