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MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Compute the dot product u ∙ v.

1) u = 5 , v = 6
15 15
A) 225 B) 255 C) -195 D) 30
Answer: B

2) u = 10 , v = 14
0 -3
A) 137 B) 143 C) -30 D) 140
Answer: D

3) u = -15 , v = 0
2 11
A) 22 B) -165 C) 37 D) 7
Answer: A

4) u = 1 ,v= 3
17 1
A) 53 B) 20 C) 22 D) 14
Answer: B

-1 3
5) u = 5 ,v= 2
3 -5
A) -8 B) 0 C) 2 D) 8
Answer: A

10 2
6) u = 0 ,v= 3
5 -1
A) 25 B) 18 C) 15 D) 0
Answer: C

Find a unit vector in the direction of the given vector.

7) 13
-26
A) B) C) D)
1 1 1 1
5 3 5 5
2 2 2 2
- - -
5 3 5 5
Answer: D

1
 -4
8) 4
-2
A) B) C) D)
2 2 2 2
- - -
9 5 3 3
2 2 2 2
9 5 3 3
1 1 1 1
- - -
9 5 3 3

Answer: C

Find the distance between the two vectors.

9) u = (-8, -1), v = (1, -8)
A) 65 B) 65 C) 130 D) 130
Answer: C

10) u = (6, -12), v = (-12, 12)

A) 6 B) 150 C) 900 D) 30
Answer: D

11) u = (0, 0, 0) , v = (9, 9, 6)

A) 3 22 B) 198 C) 2 6 D) 24
Answer: A

12) u = (0, 0, 0) , v = (-5, -3, -4)

A) 2 -3 B) -12 C) 50 D) 5 2
Answer: D

13) u = (-5, 6, -5) , v = (-3, 4, 5)

A) -10 B) 108 C) 2 41 D) 6 3
Answer: D

14) u = (14, 17, 22) , v = (2, 9, 2)

A) 4 38 B) 608 C) 2 377 D) 40
Answer: A

15) u = (24, 14, 19) , v = (-4, 4, 7)

A) 50 B) 2 257 C) 10 14 D) 1028
Answer: B

Determine whether the set of vectors is orthogonal.

-4 4 -4
16) -8 , 0 , 4
-4 -4 -4
A) No B) Yes
Answer: B

2
 -20 20 -20
17) -40 , 0 , -20
-20 -20 -20
A) No B) Yes
Answer: A

Express the vector x as a linear combination of the u's.

18) u1 = 2 , u2 = 12 , x = 32
-4 6 -4
A) x = -4u1 - 2u2 B) x = 4u1 + 2u2 C) x = 4u1 - 2u2 D) x = 2u1 + 4u2
Answer: B

-2 3 -2 9
19) u1 = 0 , u2 = 5 , u3 = 6 , x = 39
1 6 -4 -2
A) x = 4u1 + 6u2 - 4u3 B) x = -8u1 + 6u2 + 8u3
C) x = -4u1 + 3u2 + 4u3 D) x = 4u1 - 3u2 - 4u3
Answer: C

Find the orthogonal projection of y onto u.

20) y = -12 , u = -8
36 4
A) B) C) D)
-24 8 -24 -8
-
12 3 4 4
4
-
3
Answer: A

21) y = -24 , u = 4
10 20
A) B) C) D)
16 1 1 4
80 4 5 20
5
4
Answer: C

Let W be the subspace spanned by the u's. Write y as the sum of a vector in W and a vector orthogonal to W.
17 2 -1
22) y = 7 , u1 = 2 , u2 = 3
12 -1 4
A) B) C) D)
6 -11 6 23 6 11 12 5
y = 14 + 7 y = 14 + 21 y = 14 + -7 y = 28 + -21
4 -8 4 16 4 8 8 4
Answer: C

3
 19 1 2
23) y = 3 , u 1 = 0 , u 2 = 1
11 -1 2
A) B) C) D)
18 -1 13 6 18 37 18 1
y= 7 + 4 y= 0 + 3 y = 7 + 10 y= 7 + -4
10 -1 -13 6 10 21 10 1
Answer: D

Find the closest point to y in the subspace W spanned by u1 and u2 .

27 2 -1
24) y = 17 , u1 = 2 , u2 = 3
7 -1 4
A) B) C) D)
16 -16 -5 -8
24 -24 31 96
-1 1 34 95
Answer: A

16 1 2
25) y = 0 , u 1 = 0 , u2 = 1
2 -1 2
A) B) C) D)
15 -15 20 18
4 -4 9 7
1 -1 16 10
Answer: A

The given set is a basis for a subspace W. Use the Gram-Schmidt process to produce an orthogonal basis for W.
6 6
26) Let x1 = -3 , x2 = -18
0 3
A) B) C) D)
6 -6 6 -6 -9 6 6 18
-3 , -18 -3 , -12 -3 , -18 -3 , -24
0 -3 0 3 0 3 0 3
Answer: B

0 1 1
27) Let x1 = 1 , x2 = 1 ,x =
3
0
-1 -1 1
1 -1 1
A) B) C) D)
0 1 1 0 1 6 0 3 14 0 3 18
1 , 1 , 0 1 , 0 , 0 1 , 2 , 2 1 , 4 , 4
-1 -1 1 -1 0 1 -1 -2 9 -1 -4 19
1 -1 1 1 -2 3 1 -4 7 1 -2 13
Answer: C

4
Find a QR factorization of the matrix A.
-4 6
28) A = 2 -18
0 6
A) B)
2 1 -10 30
-
5 6 -4 -6 5 5
1 2 Q= 2 -12 , R = 36
- - -2 6 0
Q= 5 6 ,R= 0 6 6
06
1
0
6
C) D)
30 2 1
0 -
-4 6 5 5 6 -10 30
Q= 2 -18 , R = 36 -10 1 2 5 5
- -
0 6 6 5 Q= 5 6 ,R= 36
0
1 6
0
6
Answer: D

0 1 1
29) A = 1 1 0
-1 -1 1
1 -1 1
A)
3 14
0
33 330 3 1
0
1 2 2 3 3
3 33 330 11 3
0 -
Q= 1 2 9 ,R= 33 33
- -
3 33 330 30
0 0
1 4 7 330
-
3 33 330
B)
3 14
0
33 330
1 2 2
3 33 330 3 1 0
Q= 1 2 9 , R = 0 11 -3
- -
3 33 330 0 0 30
1 4 7
-
3 33 330

5
 C)
3 1
0
3 3
0 3 14
11 3
0 -
Q= 1 2 2 ,R=
33 33
-1 -2 9
1 -4 7 30
0 0
330
D)
3
0 0
3
0 3 14
1 11
0
Q= 1 2 2 ,R=
3 33
-1 -2 9
1 -4 7 3 30
0-
33 330
Answer: A

Find a least-squares solution of the inconsistent system Ax = b.

1 2 1
30) A = 3 4 , b = 5
5 9 1
A) B) C) D)
121 2 146 73
-
42 21 27 1754
51 11 77 77
- - - -
28 6 27 3508
Answer: C

1 1 0 0 7
1 1 0 0 8
31) A = 1 0 1 0 ,b= 0
1 0 1 0 2
1 0 0 1 4
1 0 0 1 1
A) B) C) D)
5 5 5 5
2 -1 2 -1 2 -1 4 -1
5 +x 1 5 +x 1 4 + x -1 5 +x 1
4 4 4 4
3 1 7 1 3 1 3 1
- - - -
2 1 2 1 2 1 2 0
0 0 0 0
Answer: A

Given A and b, determine the least-squares error in the least-squares solution of Ax = b.

43 3
32) A = 2 1 , b = 0
32 1
A) 0.40824829 B) 162.109188 C) 2.36290781 D) 60.2310367
Answer: A

6
Find the equation y = β 0 + β 1 x of the least-squares line that best fits the given data points.
33) Data points: (2, 1), (3, 2), (7, 3), (8, 1)

1 2 1
X= 1 3 ,y= 2
1 7 3
1 8 1
9 1 71 1 71 1 105 1
A) y = - + x B) y = - x C) y = + x D) y = - + x
52 13 52 26 52 13 52 13
Answer: C

34) Data points: (5, -3), (2, 2), (4, 3), (5, 1)

1 5 -3
X= 1 2 ,y= 2
1 4 3
1 5 1
19 1 19 8 19 67
A) y = + x B) y = - x C) y = - 1x D) y = - 2x
4 3 4 3 4 6
Answer: C

SHORT ANSWER. Write the word or phrase that best completes each statement or answers the question.

Solve the problem.

35) With the given positive numbers, show that vectors u = (u1 , u2 ) and v = (v1, v2) define an inner product in ℛ2
using the 4 axioms.
Set u, v = 3u1v1 + 7u2 v2
Answer: Axiom 1: u, v = 3u1 v1 + 7u2 v2 = 3v1 u1 + 7v2u2 = v, u
Axiom 2: If w = (w1 , w2 ), then u + v, w = 3(u1 + v 1)w1 + 7(u2 + v 2 )w2
= 3u1 w1 + 7u2 w2 + 3v1 w1 + 7v2 w2
= u, w + v, w
Axiom 3: cu, v = 3c(u1)v1 + 7(cu2)v2 = c(3u1 v1 + 7u2 v2) = c u, v
Axiom 4: u, u = 3u1 2 + 7u2 2 ≥ 0, and 3u1 2 + 7u22 = 0 only
if u1 = u2 = 0. Also, 0, 0 = 0.

36) Let t0 , ...., tn be distinct real numbers. For p and q in Ρn , define p, q = p(t0)q(t0 ) + p(t1)q(t1 ) + ... + p(tn )q(tn ).

Answer: Axioms 1-3 are readily checked. For Axiom 4, note that p, p = [p(t0 )]2 + [p(t1 )]2 +... + [p(tn )] 2 ≥ 0.
Also, 0, 0 = 0.
If p, p = 0, then p must vanish at n + 1 points: t0, ...., tn . This is possible only if p is the zero polynomial,
because the degree of p is less than n + 1.

7
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Compute the length of the given vector.

1
37) p(t) = 13t2 and q(t) = t - 1, where t0 = 0, t1 = , t2 = 1
2
5 13 5
A) p = 13 17; q = B) p = 17; q =
4 4 4
5 5 5
C) p = 0.5 70; q = D) p = ; q = 13
4 4 4
Answer: B

38) p(t) = 3t + 4 and q(t) = 4t - 5, where t0 = 0, t1 = 1, t2 = 2

A) p = 165; q = 35 B) p = -133; q = 15
C) p = 165; q = 145 D) p = 153; q = 195
Answer: A

Solve the problem.

39) Let V be in Ρ4 , involving evaluation of polynomials at -4, -1, 0, 1, and 4, and view Ρ2 by applying the
Gram-Schmidt process to the polynomials 1, t, and t2 .
34 34 17
A) p2 (t) = t2 + 6 B) p2(t) = t2 - C) p2 (t) = t2 + D) p2 (t) = t2 -
5 5 6
Answer: B

40) Let V be in Ρ4 , involving evaluation of polynomials at -5, -3, 0, 3, and 5, and view Ρ2 by applying the
Gram-Schmidt process to the polynomials 1, t, and t2 .
18 68 68
A) p2 (t) = t2 - B) p2(t) = t2 - C) p2 (t) = t2 - 10 D) p2 (t) = t2 +
5 5 5
Answer: B

SHORT ANSWER. Write the word or phrase that best completes each statement or answers the question.

b
41) For f, g in C[a, b], set f, g = ∫ f(t) g(t) dt .
a
Show that f, g defines an inner product of C[a, b].
Answer: Answers will vary.
Inner product Axioms 1-3 follow from elementary properties of definite integrals.
b
Axiom 4: f, f = ∫ [f(t)]2 dt ≥ 0.
a
The function [f(t)] is continuous and nonnegative on [a, b]. If the definite integral of [f(t)]2 is zero, then
2
[f(t)]2 must be identically zero on [a, b]. Thus, f, f = 0 implies that f is the zero function on [a, b].

42) Let V be the space C[0, 1] and let W be the subspace spanned by the polynomials p1 (t) = 1, p2 (t) = 2t - 1, and
p3 (t) = 12t2. Use the Gram-Schmidt process to find an orthogonal basis for W.

Answer: As a function, q3 (t) = 12t2 - 12t + 2. The orthogonal basis for the subspace W is {q1 , q2 , q3 }.

8
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Find the least-squares line y = β 0 + β z x that best fits the given data.
43) Given: The data points (-3, 2), (-2, 5), (0, 5), (2, 3), (3, 3).
Suppose the errors in measuring the y-values of the last two data points are greater than for the other points.
Weight these data points half as much as the rest of the data.

1 -3 2
1 -2 β1 5
X= 1 0 ,β= ,y= 5
β2
1 2 3
1 3 3
A) y = 0.18 + 4.1x B) y = 4.5 + 0.60x C) y = 0.8 + 0.60x D) y = 4.1 + 0.18x
Answer: D

44) Given: The data points (-2, 2), (-1, 5), (0, 5), (1, 3), (2, 5).
Suppose the errors in measuring the y-values of the last two data points are greater than for the other points.
Weight these data points twice as much as the rest of the data.

1 -2 2
1 -1 β1 5
X= 1 0 ,β= ,y= 5
β2
1 1 3
1 2 5
A) y = 3.6 + 0.14x B) y = 3.7 + 0.40x C) y = 3.0 + 0.27x D) y = 7.4 + 0.79x
Answer: B

Solve the problem.

π
45) Let C[0, π] have the inner product f, g = ∫ f(t)g(t) dt, and let m and n be unequal positive integers. Prove
0
that cos(mt) and cos(nt) are orthogonal.
π
A) cos(mt), cos(nt) = ∫ cos(mt)cos(nt)dt
0
π
1
=
2 ∫ [cos(mt + nt) + cos(mt - nt)]dt
0
1 sin(mt + nt) sin(mt - nt)
= + from [0, π]
2 m-n m+n
= 1.
π
B) cos(mt), cos(nt) = ∫ cos(mt)cos(nt)dt
0
π
1
=
2 ∫
[cos(mt + nt) + cos(mt - nt)]dt
0
1 sin(mt + nt) sin(mt - nt)
= + from [0, π]
2 m+n m-n
= 0.

9
 π
C) cos(mt), cos(nt) = ∫ cos(mt)cos(nt)dt
0
π
1
=
2 ∫
[cos(mt + nt) - cos(mt - nt)]dt
0
1 sin(mt + nt) sin(mt - nt)
= - from [0, π]
2 m-n m+ n
= 0.
π
D) cos(mt), cos(nt) = ∫ cos(mt)cos(nt)dt
0
π
= ∫ [cos(mt + nt) + cos(mt - nt)]dt
0
sin(mt - nt) sin(mt + nt)
= + from [0, π]
m+n m-n
= 1.
Answer: B

46) Find the nth-order Fourier approximation to the function f(t) = 3t on the interval [0, 2π].
6 6
A) π - cos(t) - cos(2t) - cos(3t) - ... - cos(nt) B) 3π - 6sin(t) - 3sin(2t) - 2sin(3t) - ... - sin(nt)
n n
3 6
C) 3π - 6sin(t) - 3sin(2t) - 1sin(3t) - ... - sin(nt) D) 3π - 6cos(t) - 3sin(2t) - 2cos(3t) - ... - cos(nt)
n n
Answer: B

10
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natives when I asked them concerning it, told me that it never did
flower, at least that they had never observed any flowers on the
plant.
Fortunately, a bird at Guayaquil called quiriquinqui, at Esmeraldas
and on the coast of Choco, huaco, and at Quito, beteado de oro, is a
great enemy to the snakes, and other venomous reptiles and
insects, on which it feeds. It is a species of vulture, about the size of
a hen, and is easily domesticated; its colour is a bright brown,
variegated with stains of pale yellow. It flies about the woods, or
runs along the savanas in quest of its food, and attacks the snakes,
opposing its wing to them as a shield; when the animal is somewhat
exhausted by striking at the bird, it seizes the reptile near the head,
and biting it rises on its wings, and afterwards alights, and observes
if it be dead; if not, it again bites it, and sometimes soaring aloft
with it lets it fall, and immediately drops down after it; when dead
the bird devours it. The natives affirm, that to this bird they owe the
discovery of the herb which they call huaco; they observed that the
bird, after fighting with a snake, would sometimes search for the
herb and eat it; hence they supposed it to be an antidote for the
poison, which experience has proved to be correct.
The poisonous snakes found here are the bejuco, about two feet
long, very slender, and of a brown colour, having the appearance of
a small cane; the cascabel, one of the varieties of the rattle snake; it
is sometimes five feet long, and spotted with white and yellow; the
coral, of a very beautiful appearance, owing to its bright colours,
which are a deep red, bright yellow, and black, in alternate belts; the
head is very flat, and although the animal is small, seldom exceeding
two feet in length, its bite is considered of the most poisonous kind,
and if not directly cured generally proves mortal in a few hours; the
effects are an immediate swelling, and afterwards an exudation of
blood from every part of the body, accompanied with the most
agonizing pain, till death relieves the wretch from the anguish he
endures. Don Pedro Figueroa, to whose attention I owed my cure,
assured me, that he once saw the corpse of a negro who died of the
bite of the coral snake, and that it had become completely white.
The exis is so called on account of the marks along the back, from
the head to the extremity of the tail; its length is from three to four
feet, head flat, colour dark brown, with white marks like XX along
the back. This snake is most active and poisonous, and is much
dreaded. The sierpe volante is very dangerous; it is about eighteen
inches long, very slender, of a dark brown colour, and can spring to a
great distance to inflict its poisonous wound; hence the natives call it
the flying serpent. Here are several kinds of harmless snakes, which
the natives never kill, as they are great enemies of the poisonous
ones; I once saw one of these, called the sobre cama, devouring an
exis larger than itself.
The river of Guayaquil and the creeks that empty themselves into it,
abound with alligators, lagartos, or caimanes, so much so, that on
the banks where they lie basking in the sun they appear like logs of
wood thrown up by the tide, and are so unapprehensive of danger,
that a canoe or boat may pass very near to them without their being
disturbed; when basking in this manner they keep their enormous
mouths open, and owing to the colour of the fleshy substance on the
inside of the lower jaw, as well as to a musky scent which
accompanies their breath, great numbers of flies are allured to enter
the mouth, the upper jaw of which, when a sufficient number are
collected, suddenly falls down, and the deluded insects are
swallowed.
The alligator is an oviparous animal; the female deposits her eggs in
the sand, laying in the course of one or two days from eighty to a
hundred; they are much larger than those of a goose, and much
thicker; they are covered with a very tenacious white membrane,
and are often eaten by the indians, who when they take them first
open a small hole in the larger end, and place the egg in the sand
with the hole downward; by this means a peculiarly disagreeable
musky taste is destroyed; they afterwards cook them in the same
manner as other eggs. I have tasted them, and found nothing
disagreeable, except their being very tough. After depositing her
eggs the female covers them with sand, and then rolls herself over
them, and continues rolling to the water side, as if to prevent the
spot being found where she has left her deposit; but the vigilant
gallinasos are generally on the alert at this season, and when they
have found the nest, destroy the whole of them. The people who
live near the sides of the river train their dogs to search for the eggs,
as well as to destroy them; and thus thousands are annually broken.
When instinct informs the alligator that the time of ovation is
completed, both the male and female go to the nest, and if
undisturbed the female immediately uncovers the eggs, and carefully
breaks them; the young brood begin to run about, and the watchful
gallinasos prey upon them, while the male alligator, who appears to
have come for no other purpose, devours all that he possibly can;
those that can mount on the neck and back of the female are safe,
unless they happen to fall off, or cannot swim, in which cases she
devours them. Thus nature has prepared a destruction for these
dangerous animals, which would otherwise be as numerous as flies,
and become the absolute proprietors of the surrounding country;
even at present, notwithstanding the comparatively few that escape,
their number is almost incredible.
I have frequently seen the lagartos eighteen or twenty feet long.
They feed principally on fish, which they catch in the rivers, and are
known sometimes to go in a company of ten or twelve to the
mouths of the small rivers and creeks, where two or three ascend
while the tide is high, leaving the rest at the mouth; when the tide
has fallen, one party besets the mouth of the creek, while the other
swims down the stream, flapping their tails, and driving the fish into
the very jaws of their devourers, which catch them, and lift their
heads out of the water to swallow them.
When these voracious creatures cannot procure a sufficient quantity
of fish to satisfy their hunger, they betake themselves to the
savanas, where they destroy the calves and foals, lurking about
during the day, and seizing their prey when asleep at night, which
they drag to the water side, and there devour it. The cattle and the
dogs appear sensible of their danger when they go to the rivers to
drink, and will howl and bark until they have attracted the attention
of the lagartos at one place, and then drop back and run to another,
where they drink in a hurry, and immediately leave the water side;
otherwise, as has been the case, an alligator would seize on them by
the nose, drag them under the water, and drown and eat them.
When the lagarto has once tasted the flesh of animals it will almost
abandon the fish, and reside principally ashore. I crossed the large
plain of Babaoyo, where I saw a living one, buried, except the head,
in the clay, beside the remains of several dead ones. On inquiring
how they came there, the montubios, a name given here to the
peasantry, told me, that when the rains fall in the mountains the
great part of this savana is inundated, at which time the lagartos
prowl about in search of the cattle remaining on the small islands
that are then formed; and when the waters retire they are left
embedded in the clay, till the ensuing rains set them at liberty; they
feed on flies in the way already described, and can exist in this
manner for six or seven months. When found in this state the
natives always kill them; sometimes by piercing them with lances
between the fore leg and the body, the only visible part in which
they are vulnerable; if they be not prepared with a lance, they
collect wood, and kindle a fire as near to the mouth of the lagarto as
they dare venture, and burn him to death.
These animals will sometimes seize human beings when bathing,
and even take children from the shores; after having succeeded
once or twice they will venture to take men or women from the
balsas, if they can surprize them when asleep; but they are
remarkably timid, and any noise will drive them from their purpose.
They have also been known to swim alongside a small canoe, and to
suddenly place one of their paws on the edge and upset it, when
they immediately seize the unwary victim. Whenever it is known that
a cebado, one that has devoured either a human being or cattle, is
in the neighbourhood, all the people join in the common cause to
destroy it; this they often effect by means of a noose of strong hide
rope, baited with some animal food; when the lagarto seizes the bait
its upper jaw becomes entangled with the rope, and the people
immediately attack it with their lances, and generally kill it.
The natives sometimes divert themselves in catching the lagartos
alive; they employ two methods, equally terrific and dangerous to a
spectator, at first sight; both of these were exhibited to Count Ruis,
when we were at Babaoyo, on our way to Quito. A man takes in his
right hand a truncheon, called a tolete; this is of hard wood, about
two feet long, having a ball formed at each end, into which are
fastened two iron harpoons, and to the middle of this truncheon a
platted thong is fastened. The man takes this in his hand, plunges
into the river, and holds it horizontally on the surface of the water,
grasping a dead fowl with the same hand, and swimming with the
other: he places himself in a right line with the lagarto, which is
almost sure to dart at the fowl; when this happens the truncheon is
placed in a vertical position, and at the moment that the jaw of the
lagarto is thrown up the tolete is thrust into the mouth, so that when
the jaw falls down again the two harpoons become fixed, and the
animal is dragged to the shore by the cord fastened to the tolete.
When on shore the appearance of the lagarto is really most horrible;
his enormous jaw propped up by the tolete, shewing his large sharp
teeth; his eyes projecting almost out of his head; the pale red colour
of the fleshy substance on his under jaw, as well as that of the roof
of the mouth; the impenetrable armour of scales which covers the
body, with the huge paws and tail, all contribute to render the
spectacle appalling; and although one is perfectly aware that in its
present state it is harmless, yet it is almost impossible to look on it
without feeling what fear is. The natives now surround the lagarto
and bait it like a bull; holding before it any thing that is red, at which
it runs, when the man jumps on one side and avoids being struck by
it, while the animal continues to run forward in a straight line, till
checked by the thong which is fastened to the tolete. When tired of
teazing the poor brute, they kill it by thrusting a lance down its
throat, or under the fore leg into its body; unless by accident it be
thrown on its back, when it may be pierced in any part of the belly,
which is soft and easily penetrated.
The other method is, by taking a fowl in one hand, and a sharp
strong knife in the other; the man swims till he is directly opposite to
the alligator, and at the moment when it springs at the fowl the man
dives under the water, leaving: the fowl on the surface; he then
holds up the knife to the belly of the animal, and cuts it open, when
the alligator immediately rolls over on its back, and is carried away
by the stream. Much has been said about the surprizing agility of
some of the Spanish bull fighters, and I have often beheld feats that
have astonished me; but this diversion at Babaoyo, for so the
natives consider it, evinced more bravery and agility than I had ever
before witnessed. The teeth of the alligator are often taken from the
jaws, and yesqueros, small tinder boxes, which are generally carried
in the pocket for the purpose of lighting segars, are made from
them; they are beautifully white and equal to the finest ivory; some
are four inches long, and I have seen them most delicately carved,
and mounted with gold or silver.
In fishing, the natives also evince extraordinary dexterity, both in the
river and on the sea shores. In the river I have seen them stand up
in small canoes, five or six feet long, and hold a net fastened to a
triangular frame, having a long pole affixed to it; they will dip the
net into the river, inclining the body backwards to preserve a perfect
balance on the canoe, sweep the net along the stream, and draw it
to the surface, raising the body gradually to an erect posture, so that
the equipoise is never lost; this indeed is a wonderful effort, because
any slight tremulous motion would upset the slender foundation on
which they stand. From similar canoes they will also throw the
casting net, ataraya, already described. At sea the natives, chiefly
indians, mount astride on logs of balsa wood, and take their large
nets with them, which they let drop; after which they fasten the cord
of the two extremities to the logs and paddle to the shore, dragging
the net after them, maintaining so exact a balance, that although
the log is round they very seldom fall off.
In the sea along the coast of the department la Manta, very large
cuttle fish abound, some of which are twelve feet long and seven
feet broad; it was owing to the accidents which happened by their
enveloping and killing the divers that the pearl fishery on this coast
was abandoned, although some very valuable pearls have been
found. This lucrative occupation, however, if attended with such
precautions as science may suggest, will probably be reassumed;
and the expectations of the natives may be realized, that Providence
has made a reserve and hidden treasures from the Spaniards, that
the country may not be unworthy of notice when they lose it.
The only mineral production in the province of Guayaquil of which
any mention is made, is emeralds, in the district of la Manta; but
they have not been sought for since the conquest; tradition states,
that before that period the indians possessed many of these gems,
but it is probable they obtained them from the neighbouring
province de las Esmeraldas, where I have seen several.
After the foregoing description of Guayaquil and its productions, it is
almost unnecessary to say any thing respecting its importance as a
place of commerce. It is likewise the principal, and till very lately
(1824) was the only port to the provinces of Quito, Cuenca, Paste,
and Papayan, all of which are extensive, well peopled, and
comparatively rich districts. The only thing wanting here is an
increase of capital, activity, and inhabitants; for the climate and the
soil are calculated to produce whatever is found between the tropics;
and there is no doubt but that this will at a future date become one
of the most flourishing countries in the new world.
 CHAPTER IX.
Journey from Guayaquil to Quito....Babaoyo....Road to
Chimbo....Cuesta de San Antonio....Arrival at
Huaranda....Triumphal Arch and Harangue....Description of
Huaranda and Province of Chimbo....Chimboraso....Accident at
la Ensillada....Road to San Juan....Obrage of Indians....Arrival at
Riobamba....Description of....Remains of Old Riobamba......Visit
to an old Cacique......Province of Riobamba......Road to
Ambato....Description of....Produce....Arrival at
Tacunga....Description of....Earthquakes at....Ruins of
Callo....Provincial Produce....Arrival at Chisinchi, Ensillada, and
Quito....Remarks.

The health of the count being re-established, we left Guayaquil

under a discharge of nineteen guns, some pieces of cannon having
been placed in front of the custom-house for this purpose. We
remained two days at the Bodegas de Babaoyo, a small village,
where there is a custom-house for the collection of the duties which
are paid on goods, on entering or leaving the province of Guayaquil.
The roads across the savana, notwithstanding the absence of rain
for three months, were in some places very bad, although a number
of Indians had been sent by the Corregidor of Huaranda to repair
them; they were mended by putting the trunks of trees in the deep,
muddy places, and laying the branches and leaves of trees on the
top. A considerable number of cattle were grazing on the open
plains, some of which were very fat. At noon we halted at a farm-
house, where a splendid dinner was provided for us by the cura of
San Miguel de Chimbo, who had come here to meet us. After dinner
we proceeded on our journey to a small farm-house, where every
convenient accommodation had been prepared for us, and we
remained here during the night. On the following day we arrived at
the village of San Miguel, situated in a deep ravine, commanding a
beautiful prospect of the mountains, which gradually rose above
each other, till their heads were lost in the clouds. On our arrival at
this village we were met by about forty indian boys, cholos,
fantastically dressed; and the little fellows danced along the sides of
the street as we passed to the house prepared for our reception.
On the following day, July 22d, a dreary prospect presented itself;
this was the ascent of the cuesta de San Antonio; we began to
ascend at nine o'clock in the morning, and at every step new
difficulties and greater dangers presented themselves; in some
places the road ran along a narrow ridge, with a precipice on each
side; in others we had to travel along ladcras, or narrow skirts of the
mountain beaten down by travellers into a path, with a deep valley
on one side, and a perpendicular rock on the other—a fall on one
side threatening inevitable death, and on the other broken arms or
legs against the rough sides of the rock. In other parts there was a
narrow gully formed by the heavy rains and the transit of mules, the
perpendicular sides rising ten or fifteen feet above our heads. To
these may be added, that the whole of the road for six leagues is
composed of abrupt acclivities or rapid descents, while the track in
which the mules tread was composed of deep furrows, called
camellones, filled with mud; some of them were more than two feet
deep, so that the belly of the mule and the feet of the rider were
dragged over the ridges that divide the furrows: these indeed serve
as steps, and in some degree may be accounted a security; but if a
mule should happen to fall, or even to stumble, the danger of being
thrown headlong down a precipice is rather frightful. In some places
there are two roads; the one by which the mules descend has no
camellones, or furrows, down which the mules seem to prefer sliding
to stepping down the others. When at the top, these sagacious
animals halt for a short time, shake themselves, and snort, as if
conscious of the hazard of the undertaking; they then draw their
hind feet forward, place their fore legs in a slanting position, and
approach very gradually to the beginning of the descent, when with
uncommon velocity they slide on their haunches to the bottom. Their
dexterity in the crooked places is truly astonishing; for by a motion
of the body they incline themselves first to one side then to the
other, keeping the most perfect equilibrium, which is the only means
of saving them and their riders from being hurled headlong forward,
or dashed to pieces by a fall. During all this time the rider has only
to sit still, to lay the reins on the mule's neck, and trust to its
sagacity and the recommendation given by its master; for many
mules are kept in this neighbourhood, and are highly esteemed for
their dexterity in sliding down this part of the road; fortunately for
us, being in company with the Captain-general of the kingdom, all
the best mules were collected for our use.
At two o'clock in the afternoon we were cheered with se ha acabado
la cuesta, we are at the end of the mountain road. This place is
called parcara, a gate or entrance; it also signifies a fortified place;
such this probably was before the conquest, and such it was made in
1811 by the Quiteños, to prevent the entrance of the Peruvian
troops. We all alighted, and shook some of the dirt from our clothes,
after which we were politely received by Don Gaspar Morales, the
Corregidor of Huaranda, the two alcaldes, several officers, and other
gentlemen of the province; but what proved far more welcome, was
a relay of horses.
INDIAN WATER CARRIER, & FEMALE INDIAN BRUSH-WOOD
CARRIER,
OF QUITO.
Engraved for Stevenson's Narrative of South America.
After our saddles had been placed on our new steeds we mounted,
and proceeded in regular procession, two indians, with silver
trumpets, going before. At the distance of a league from the town
we were met by the brawny vicar, mounted on the finest mule I ever
beheld; indeed, such an animal was quite necessary, when it is
considered what an unwieldy mass it had to carry: the circumstance
made several of us smile, and we could scarcely refrain from
laughter when the corregidor presented him to his excellency,
saying, "the vicar of Huaranda, Don Juan Antonio Maria de la
Magdalena Jaramillo, Pacheco, y Tavera." Heaven help us, said I, to
an officer who stood near me, how I pity the parson's mule.
We had not proceeded far when a troop of militia cavalry met us;
these tatterdemalions would certainly have borne away the prize had
they been put in competition with the infantry of Sir John Falstaff;
and could I have chosen for myself, hang me if I would have entered
Huaranda in their company.
The next that made their appearance were the indian dancers,
singing their cachuas in Quichua, welcoming the arrival of the
governor with the most discordant yellings, and such extravagant
expressions as beggar all description. At the entrance of the town
there was a triumphal arch! This was composed of canes, decorated
with curtains of all colours and descriptions of stuffs; ribbons for
streamers, and flags made of pocket handkerchiefs; silver plates,
dishes, spoons, and forks were hung round it. When his excellency
had arrived close to it, a curtain was withdrawn in the upper story,
and an indian in the uniform of an officer, his coarse black hair
stiffened with tallow and flour, still incapable of being turned into a
curl, but standing upright in every direction, advanced to the front,
made a most profound bow, and then stepped back; after this he
looked up, and exclaimed, "angil bello, daja el papel," "beautiful
angel, give me the paper," but in such a broken dialect, that nothing,
save an acquaintance with the Spanish language, can afford any
idea. Several white muslin handkerchiefs, which were tied in
festoons above his head in imitation of clouds, opened, and down
fell, or rather was lowered with a rope, an indian angel, his head as
thickly cased in tallow and flour as that of his invocater; he delivered
a folded paper, and was again dragged up into the muslin clouds,
while the delighted multitude expressed their approbation with
shouts of joy. The orator re-advanced, and read his harangue with
all the rhetoric and graceful attitudes of a Bombasto. His address
was succeeded by the throwing up of innumerable rockets, amid the
sound of trumpets and other music stationed on one side of the
arch; this was followed by our arrival at the house of the Corregidor,
where a most sumptuous dinner was on the table.
Huaranda is the residence of the Corregidor, or governor of the
province of Chimbo, and may be considered the capital of that
province. The town is large but poor, the inhabitants being chiefly
occupied as carriers. Their wealth consists in their droves of mules,
which during the summer, when the road is open, are employed in
conveying merchandize between Quito and Guayaquil. The climate
at this place is remarkably cold, owing to its elevation above the sea
and the vicinity of Chimboraso, which is seen from the town, and
has the appearance of a huge white cloud piercing the blue vault of
heaven.
The province of Chimbo has an extensive breed of mules in the
valleys; barley, potatoes, and maize are cultivated by the indians in
various parts, and some sugar cane in the bottoms of the ravines. At
a place called Tomabela is a spring of salt water, which is so
completely saturated that it forms large crusts on the stones against
which the water dashes, and along the sides of the small stream;
the indians also put the water into troughs, and stir it with a wooden
spatula; the salt then crystallizes on the sides of the trough, and is
taken out; this salt is packed in small baskets and sent to different
parts of the kingdom, as well as to Peru; it is a specific for the cotos,
bronchocele, by merely eating food seasoned with it. This valuable
production is delicately white, easily pulverised, and very slightly
deliquescent.
Having taken some refreshment at Huaranda, we proceeded on the
following morning to the Pajonal, at the foot of the majestic
Chimboraso, the giant of the Andes. The day was beautifully clear,
and the view of this lofty mountain highly interesting; we had seen it
at the mouth of the Guayaquil river, as well as at that city, a distance
of forty leagues, where we were almost suffocated with heat; but
now we felt almost perished with cold: the kingdom of lofty palms
and shady plantains was in four days exchanged for a region where
vegetation is reduced to its lowest ebb—the dwarf pined mosses.
A tambo, resting house, stands on the plain at the foot of
Chimboraso; this had been prepared for our reception; and to
contribute in a degree to make it more warm, or rather to keep out
some of the cold, the inside had been neatly covered with long dry
grass, called pajon, which grows on this plain. Owing to an accident,
the grass caught fire in one of the rooms, at two o'clock in the
morning; we immediately ran from our beds, or rather ran with our
beds, for we dragged them with us, not a little pleased, in this
dilemma, that we had all of us retired to rest without undressing;
notwithstanding this we were dreadfully pinched by the frosty air
blowing from Chimboraso on one side, or Carguairaso on the other.
After the first blaze of the pajon had subsided, the indians entered
the house, and dragged out a few things which had been placed
inside, but fortunately the principal part of our luggage had been left
on the outside. We waited till morning, sitting on our mattresses,
and wrapped up in our ponchos and blankets, as near the fire as we
dared to venture.
In the morning we proceeded on our journey, winding round the foot
of Chimboraso, till the valley of San Juan opened on our right; we
descended along a very rugged steep path, and at twelve o'clock
arrived at the obrage of San Juan, belonging to Don Martin
Chiriboga, where we remained till the following morning. I here
beheld the South American indian reduced to the most abject state
of servitude and bondage, compared to which the slave belonging to
the plantations on the coast of Peru, is free indeed.
These unfortunate beings, robbed of their country, are merely
allowed to exist in it; because the plunderers would only possess a
barren waste without their labour: the fertility of the soil would be
useless without beings to harvest the crops and manufacture the
produce; the gold and the silver must sleep in the mountains if no
human beings were employed to extract it. Alas! these beings are
the degraded original proprietors, on whom the curse of conquest
has fallen with all its concomitant hardships and penury. A miserable
pittance of fourteen dollars a year is the wages of a man who works
in this cloth manufactory; and ten that of him who tends a flock of
sheep; and for this miserable pay they are subject to the whip and
to other corporal punishments: their home is a hut, composed of
rude stones placed one upon another, and thatched with the long
grass from the foot of Chimboraso: here, hunger, misery, and
wretchedness seem to have fixed their abode, at the sight of which
pity would wring tears from the heart of oppression; but pity has no
part in the composition of the oppressors of the Children of the Sun!
Some of the cloth made at this obrage was the finest I had ever
seen manufactured in America, but this was by a transgression of
the colonial laws, which had established the precise quality of
colonial manufactures. Happy at leaving behind that misery which I
could only compassionate, we left San Juan in the morning, and
arrived at two o'clock in the afternoon at Riobamba, where some
very neatly painted triumphal arches had been erected.
Riobamba is the capital of the province of the same name; the old
town was founded in 1533, by the Adelantado Sebastian Benalcasar;
it contained twenty thousand inhabitants, two parish churches, four
convents, two nunneries, and a hospital; but it was completely
destroyed by an earthquake in 1797, when with very few exceptions
the whole population perished, besides a much larger number in
different parts of the province, and perhaps no remains of these
terrible convulsions of nature are more awful than those at
Riobamba. Some of the ruins of the old town may be seen on the
acclivities of the mountains on each side the valley, where the new
town now stands, separated from each other at least a league and a
half; and I was shewn some ruins on each side of the valley which
the inhabitants assured me had formed part of one edifice,
particularly the two steeples which had belonged to the Franciscan
church; these were on one side, and a portion of the body of the
church on the other.
The face of the country was entirely changed, so much so, that after
the shock the surviving inhabitants, and those of the neighbouring
provinces, could not tell where their houses formerly stood, or where
their friends had formerly lived; mountains rose where cultivated
valleys had existed; the rivers disappeared or changed their course,
and plains usurped the situation of the mountains and ravines. The
face of the country was so completely altered, that no one knows
the site of the largest farm in the province, belonging to Zamora.
The new town is built on a sandy plain, much below the level of the
surrounding elevated plains, which are called paramos; its climate is
very agreeable, and calculated to produce all kinds of European
fruits, but at present only a few trees are to be seen in the orchards
or gardens. I spent the evening that we remained at Riobamba with
an old Indian Cacique, the only person whom I ever saw who could
knot and interpret the meaning of the knots of the quipus. He
boasted of being a descendant of the huasta puncay, the ancient
lord of the surrounding country. He had an account of the peopling
of that part of the territory of Maynas, to the eastward of the
Cordilleras; first by a colony of puncay indians, who had become too
numerous for the country which they inhabited; and secondly by
part of the tribe, after they had been routed by Benalcasar, on the
plain of Trocajas, where they opposed the entrance of the Spaniards.
He also had a tradition that, a short time before the arrival of the
Spaniards, a colony of monkeys crossed the mountains from the
westward, and infested the country, till they were all destroyed by
the indians; and that on the arrival of the first Spaniards, the natives
considered them as a migration of destructive animals, and
determined to prevent their entrance; but on being defeated, many
left the country and joined the colony in Maynas. My kind host
assured me, that the province of Riobamba contained extremely rich
mines of gold and silver, and that from undoubted tradition this
province sent more silver and gold for the purpose of ransoming
Atahualpa than any other in the kingdom.
The province produces annually about four thousand quintals of
sheep's wool, which is manufactured into different kinds of cloth; its
other productions are wheat, maize, barley, potatoes, arracachas,
and European culinary vegetables. The capital is so situated, that it
is not likely ever to become a place of commercial notoriety.
Our next stage brought us to the town of Ambato, the road we
travelled being very irregular and disagreeable, owing as well to the
coldness of the climate as to the difficult ascents and descents; but
the view of our resting place cheered us. As soon as we descended
into the valley of Ambato, we found a triumphal arch, covered with
ripe strawberries; these had been plucked with their stalks, and then
fastened to cords of maguey fibres; large bunches were hanging
down from the top, and in different parts festoons and other
ornaments were tastefully displayed, and the fragrance was
peculiarly delightful. Here the Corregidor and other gentlemen
received us, and accompanied us to the town; part of the road being
confined with hedges of tunas, rosemary bushes, magueys, and rose
trees, with other vegetables belonging to the old and the new world:
the natives of such distant parts of the globe were here blended,
and were thriving in the most luxuriant manner. Before we arrived at
the town we passed under two other arches covered with
strawberries, and for more than a league the indian boys and girls
danced along with us; stopping till we had passed the arches, which
they immediately pulled down and stripped of their fruit, and then
followed us running and singing, with long wreaths of strawberries
hanging about them.
The town of Ambato is very pleasantly situated on one side of a
river; the churches and houses are generally neat and all new, for
the old town was completely demolished by the earthquake in 1797.
Ambato is the capital of the province of the same name, which for
the greater part enjoys a very mild climate and a most fertile soil.
The crops of wheat, maize, barley, quinua, and other pulse are
extremely abundant, and of an excellent quality. Many exquisite
fruits are grown here, such as apples, pears, peaches, apricots, and
strawberries; these are produced in great abundance; indeed many
of the plains are covered with the plants, and any person who
wishes to purchase some, pays to the proprietor of the ground,
medio real, one-sixteenth of a dollar, and either goes himself, or
sends a person to gather them for him during a whole day. Sugar
cane thrives extremely well here, although it is four years before it is
ripe: remarkably fine sugar is made from it, superior to any other
that can be procured in this neighbourhood; but the quantity is
small.
Cochineal, called here pilcay, is found in abundance in the leaves of
the cactus, and is collected by the natives for the purpose of dyeing.
The name given by the Spaniards to this valuable insect is cochinilla,
signifying a little pig; because it bears a resemblance to one, in the
same manner as in some parts of England it is supposed that the
woodlouse resembles a hog, and is hence called an "old sow." The
cactus on which the cochinilla feeds is not so prickly as the tuna,
which in the West Indies is called the prickly pear; the leaves are
very green, as well as the rind of the fruit, but the inside is of a most
beautiful red colour, similar to that of the cochinilla; it is very
palatable, and when eaten communicates its own colour to the
urine. Little attention is paid here to the cultivation of the cactus, or
nopal, as it is called in Mexico, or to the insect itself, consequently
the quality of the dye is not of the first rate; but were both properly
attended to, there is no doubt but the pilcay of Ambato would equal
the cochinilla of Oaxaca. Instead of killing the insect after taking it
from the cactus, by placing it in an earthen jar, and exposing it to a
heat sufficiently strong to destroy its vitality, and then preserving it
in bags, as the Mexican indians do, it is ground or bruised to the
consistency of paste, and often adulterated with a composition made
of the juice of the fruit, and flour; indeed the Mexican indians do the
same, and they can imitate the animal so perfectly, that it is difficult
to discover the counterfeit. The best method to detect it is, as an
extensive dealer informed me in Mexico, to put a quantity of
cochinilla into warm water, and let it remain twenty-four hours, then
to stir it about, and strain the liquor through a hair sieve sufficiently
fine to prevent the passage of the insect; allow the liquid to repose,
and if any sediment be deposited, the cochinilla contains a portion of
counterfeit matter, the quantity of which may be discovered by
drying the sediment, and comparing the weight to that of the
cochinilla placed in infusion.
Among the delicacies found at Ambato is excellent bread, equal to
any in the world, and several kinds of cakes, particularly one called
allullas, of which many are made and sent to Quito, Guayaquil, and
other places. All the necessary articles of food are reasonably cheap
and very good, owing to which, and to its agreeable climate, many
persons choose to make this their place of residence.
In the year 1698 the town was destroyed by an eruption of
Cotopaxi, accompanied by one of Carguairaso, which ejected
torrents of a hot muddy matter in such quantities as to inundate
several of the neighbouring valleys. On the south side of the present
town there still remains a monument of this dreadful visitation; a
large chasm is seen in the rock five feet wide, and more than a
league in length.
On leaving Ambato, a short stage of five leagues brought us to
Llactacunga, or as it is commonly called Tacunga. On our entrance
we were shocked at the sight of heaps of ruins, caused by the
earthquake in 1797; the churches and convents were quite
demolished, and their remains exist in the condition in which that
frightful convulsion left them. Tacunga is the capital of the province
of the same name, and the residence of the Corregidor; the plain on
which it stands is evidently of volcanic origin, or has been covered
with volcanic productions thrown from the neighbouring mountains.
The town contains about three thousand inhabitants; it has a parish
church, and the remains of the convents of San Francisco, Santo
Domingo, San Augustin, and la Merced; of a college of Jesuits, and a
nunnery of barefooted Carmelite nuns; these after the earthquake
were removed to Quito. The churches and houses are built of
pumice stone, so light that it will float in water; it may be procured
in almost any part of the neighbourhood. Tacunga was completely
ruined by earthquakes, probably by shocks caused by the
subterraneous operations of the volcano of Cotopaxi, which is very
near to the town; these happened in 1698, when only one church
out of nine, and four houses out of seven hundred, were left
standing; in the years 1743 and 1757 it was entirely demolished.
In the earthquake of 1743, a Jesuit, Father Vallejo, was in the
church when the roof fell in; he remained under the ruins till the
third day, when he was taken out unhurt; but his mental faculties
were so completely deranged, that he had forgotten his own name,
nor did he recollect any of his most particular friends, and although
a priest, when his breviary was presented to him he could not read
it, but appeared quite childish; he afterwards resided in the college
of Quito, but his memory had so entirely abandoned him, that he
never could recollect any thing that had occurred to him before the
earthquake, not even his studies, and he was afterwards taught to
read and to celebrate a votive mass. This extraordinary instance of
the effects produced by fright is so well authenticated in Quito, that
the fact appears to be indubitable.
On the same plain on which Tacunga stands are the remains of an
indian building, called the Inca's palace of Callo; but nothing except
the foundation can be traced. It appears to have consisted of a large
court and three extensive halls, forming three sides of an enclosure.
It was built of hard black stones, unlike to any now found in the
neighbourhood; owing to which, and to the similitude which the
wrought stone (having one convex surface) bears to that used in
Peru, little doubt exists of its having been built after the conquest of
this country by Huaina Capac.
Excepting in some few valleys the climate of this province is cold; its
productions are wheat, barley, maize, and potatoes. Here is but little
fruit beside wild cherries, called capulis, which grow in great
abundance, and when ripe constitute the principal food of the
indians, to which we may add a few apples and some peaches. Nitre
is found in several parts of the province, and a considerable quantity
is manufactured. Some of the estates in this district are very large,
and abound in horned cattle, from which good butter and cheese are
procured.
We left Tacunga on the morning after our arrival, and remained at a
farm called Chisinchi, and the next day we arrived at a farm house,
called la Ensillada, belonging to the Marquis of Villa Orellana, where
all the authorities and persons of distinction of Quito were
assembled to compliment their President and Captain-general on his
arrival. I shall not give an account of the ceremonies observed on
the following day, because they in a great measure resembled those
practised in Lima, on the arrival of a Viceroy.
It will be observed, that the towns we passed through on our route
from Guayaquil to Quito are generally the capitals of the provinces or
districts; there are other roads, but the different Corregidors or
Governors wished to honour their President by receiving him at their
respective houses; indeed, care has been taken to establish the
capitals on the road, for the accommodation both of travellers and of
the Governors themselves.
The principal population of these provinces is composed of tributary
indians and mestisos, some few Spaniards, and white creoles. The
natives appear very industrious and hospitable; but I had not a good
opportunity of judging; however, this is the character which I have
heard of them from others.
 CHAPTER X.
Quito, Foundation and Situation....Plasa Mayor....President's
Palace, Bishop's Palace and Cathedral....Parishes....Convents
and Public Buildings....Jesuit's College....Convent of San
Francisco....San Diego....Santa Prisca....Santa
Clara....University....College of San Luis....of San
Fernando....Houses....Government....Nobility....Population....Whi
te Creoles....Occupation of and Education....Character
of....Mestisos, Persons, Character,
Employment....Indians....Persons, Character,
Employment....Dress of Creoles....Of Mestisos....Of
Indians....Diversions, Bull-fight and
Masquerade....Dancing....Music....Religious Procession....Market,
Meat, Fruit and Vegetables....Spirituous Liquors....Ices,
Confectionary....Cheese....Trade and Commerce.

Quito was founded in the year 1534 by Sebastian Benalcasar, with

the dedicatory title of San Francisco; and in 1541 was created a city
by the Emperor Carlos V. It stands in a ravine; the mountain
Pichincha being on the west side, and a range of hills called
Chimbacalle on the east; to the south is the plain of Turupampa or
Turubamba, between which and the city is the small mountain el
Panecillo, and to the north the plain of Añaquito, generally named
the Egido. The streets, which run north and south, are on a pretty
level plain, but those which cross them rise towards the skirts of
Pichincha, and descend on the east side of the city towards the small
river of Machangara, which flows between the town and the hills of
Chimbacalle.
Near the centre of the city is the plasa mayor, or principal square,
besides which are those of San Francisco, Santo Domingo, and the
Butchery, Carniceria. On the west side of the plasa mayor is the
palace of the President, a gloomy looking building, having an upper
story; it stands on an elevation of nine feet above the plasa, having
a terrace or area, with a stone wall in front, and two flights of steps
to ascend it. The palace contains the halls belonging to the royal
audience, the treasury, and the gaol, together with the apartments
occupied by the President, the offices of the secretaries, and the
archives. On the east side, opposite to the palace, is the corporation
house in the centre, having a very neat stone front, with private
houses on each side; it also has upper stories with balconies. On the
north side of the square is the Bishop's palace, with a stone arched
entrance, and some private houses, under the balconies of which is
a capacious piazza. On the opposite side appears the cathedral, a
very plain building, with a steeple at one corner; indeed, this edifice
is mean, compared to other temples in the city, and contains nothing
worthy of particular attention except some paintings, executed by
natives of the city, and an effigy of Saint Peter, the workmanship of
Caspicara, an indian of this place. In the centre of the square there
is a handsome brass fountain.
Quito contains six parish churches: el Sagrario, belonging to the
cathedral, Santa Barbara, San Blas, San Sebastian, San Roque, San
Marcos, and Santa Prisca. Of these the Sagrario is a handsome stone
edifice, containing some good sculpture and paintings, executed by
natives. Here are also two convents of Dominican Friars, three of
Franciscan, two of Agustinian, and two Mercedarian; the college of
the ex-Jesuits, two nunneries of Carmelites, one of la Concepcion,
one of Santa Clara, and one of Santa Catalina, besides a house of
recluse females, called el Beaterio. There is an hospital under the
care of the Bethlemite Friars, and part of the Jesuits' college has
been given to those of the order of San Camilo. Each of these
religious houses has a church, and some of them one or more
chapels attached to them; besides which there are other public
chapels, for most of the nobility have private ones, oratorios, in their
houses, and there are others belonging to the colleges, the gaols,
the penitentiary, the hospicio, and other public places.
Among the conventual buildings worthy of notice is the ex-Jesuits'
college. The front of the church is of stone, of most exquisite
workmanship; the Corinthian pillars on each side the central door
are entwined with wreaths of roses and lilies, so delicately executed,
that a person can introduce his hand between the wreath and the
pillar; and in many places pass it along the semi-circumference of
the pillar before the wreath comes in contact with it; these six pillars
are thirteen feet high, and each one is cut out of a single block of
white freestone, of which material the whole of the front is built. In
two small niches are placed the busts of St. Peter and St. Paul;
underneath that of Peter are the emblems of what he was before he
became an Apostle; a small bark and a net, the meshes and folds of
which are detached from the principal stone, on which several fishes
are cut, one of which is quite detached both from the net and the
stone, is loose, and may be moved by introducing a finger between
the meshes of the net. Above the bust in alto relievo there is a chair,
mitre, crosier, and two keys. On the opposite side, under the bust of
Paul, in alto relievo, there is a wolf, which having torn the skin from
a lamb, except from the head, stands with his fore feet on the
mangled body, and holds one part of the skin in his mouth, his head
being raised and his ears pricked up, as if in the attitude of listening;
the whole of this emblematic representation is most delicately
touched, and evinces the chisel of a master. Above the bust is a
vase, standing on several books. The front also contains in niches a
statue of the Virgin Mary, and four of St. Ignacio Loyola, the founder
of the order; St. Francisco de Borja, St. Juan Francisco Regis, and St.
Francisco Xavier, the Apostle of the Indies; also two busts, one of St.
Luis Gonzaga, the other of St. Stanislaus Kotska, all of whom
belonged to the order. The whole of this beautifully delicate piece of
architecture was executed by indians, under the direction of Father
Sanches, a native of Quito; a work which will become more
estimable as it becomes more known to the lovers of the fine arts.
The interior of the church is from a model of that of Jesus, at Rome;
it has a grave solemn appearance; the pillars are square, supporting
an unornamented groined roof, having a small cupola in the centre.
The interior of this temple was richly ornamented before the
expulsion of the order, but it has been despoiled of its most costly
contents; among these was a custodium, which is at present in the
royal chapel of the Escurial. One side of it was composed of
diamonds set in highly polished silver, the other of emeralds set in
gold; although the whole only measured two feet eight inches in
height, it was valued at eight hundred and seventy thousand dollars;
on the bottom was MS. London, 1721. Of this jewel there is a
drawing and description in the sacristy of the church.
One of the entrances to the college is through a beautiful stone
doorway of most exquisite workmanship, of the Doric order. The
library contains upwards of twenty thousand volumes, among which
are many very ancient works. The books are placed in different
compartments, having emblematic designs over them, indicative of
the science on which they treat; the whole appearance is that of an
amphitheatre, the books being placed so as to form three ranges or
stories. There is a gallery along the top of the first and second, with
a balustrade in front of each, and on the tops of these there are
desks to lay the books on, for the convenience of reading, and
inkstands for the purpose of making any extracts. One great
peculiarity respecting the room is, that although rats and mice
abound in every other part of the building, they have not entered
this; probably on account of some ingredient put into the mortar
with which it is plastered. In the refectory there is a good painting of
the Marriage at Canaan, but nearly all the most valuable pictures
have been taken away; a list of them only being left in the library. All
the walls of the building are of brick, of a very good quality; the door
and window frames are of freestone, as well as all the pillars and
arches in the cloisters.
Part of this building has been given, with the church, to the
Agonisante Friars; part was converted into halls for the University,
and the remainder into barracks for the soldiers. In these premises
the first martyrs to South American Emancipation were sacrificed, on
the 2d of August, 1811.
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