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....White 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.
The convent of San Francisco is the largest I ever saw; the outer walls
are of brick, but all the cloisters are of stone; it stands at the foot
of the mountain Pichincha, and partly on some arches which cross a chasm
in the rock. One of the cloisters has a range of cells cut in the rock,
the roofs of which are level with the ground. The front of the church
stands on a terrace, twelve feet above the level of the plasa, from
which an elegant flight of stone steps leads to the door of the church;
the lower half of this flight having a projecting circular front, and
the upper being the reverse, in the middle is formed a large circular
area or landing place. The terrace is paved with flat stones of
different shapes and figures, but they are placed with such exquisite
art, that the interstices between them are scarcely perceptible. The
façade of the church is of the Tuscan order; it is massy yet neat, and
is crowned with two handsome tower steeples. The interior of the church
is very magnificent; the body is in the figure of a cross, and over the
intersection is a handsome round tower or cupola. The high altar is
richly ornamented, and the presbitery being elevated five feet above the
floor of the church has a magnificent appearance; all religious duties
are performed here with the greatest solemnity. The choir above the
principal entrance is supported by an elliptical arch, which crosses the
central aisle of the church, besides two groined arches, which cross the
two laterel aisles. The roof is supported by a double row of slender
circular pillars, and is of beautiful panel work. In the choir
considerable labour has been bestowed in carving the stalls and the
reading desk. Here are two good organs, the one Italian, the other built
in Quito, by a native. In the church and sacristy are many beautiful
paintings and pieces of sculpture, by native artists, particularly an
effigy of San Francisco, painted by Miguel de Santiago; a Saint John,
and a Magdalen, by the same, and a full-length _Ecce Homo_, by
Samaniego.
Adjoining the church are two chapels that open on the terrace, the one
is dedicated to San Buenaventura, the other was built at the expence of
an indian called Cantuña, dedicated to Nuestra Señora de los Dolores; in
this there is an image of the Virgin Mary, most exquisitely finished;
the name of the sculptor is unknown, but it is believed to have been
Caspicara, an indian of Quito.
Although the churches and convents of Santo Domingo, San Augustin, and
la Merced, are elegantly built of stone and brickwork, and contain many
things worthy of notice, I shall not enter into a minute description of
them. The reclusion convent of San Diego, belonging to the Franciscans,
is with regard to its situation (being in a ravine in the suburbs of the
city) nearly hidden among the trees and rocks, and most romantically
retired; the strictest attention was paid to its building, and it
resembles in every point a sequestered hermitage, which renders it
worthy the notice of a stranger. It is perhaps the most perfect house
for religious retirement and contemplation in the new world. The
surrounding scenery of mountains traversing above the clouds; the
pleasing verdure of their skirts, while everlasting snows crown their
hoary heads; a meandering stream seen first to burst from the breast of
its rocky parent, and then to glide down the ravine in search of its
level, now and then interrupted in its course by abrupt turnings,
clusters of trees, or heaps of stones; it seems to say, man, thy course
is like mine, obstacles may intervene, and may appear for a while to
retard thy pilgrimage to the grave; but thy stay on earth is short, thy
life like my current, on the acclivity of this mountain, is continually
rushing towards the last goal.
In this small convent the duties of a monastic life are strictly and
most religiously observed; the pale friars clad in grey sackcloth, their
sandals on their half bare feet, their habitual silence, all conspire to
confirm an opinion of the sanctity of the place, where men seem but to
live in preparation for another life. I have often paced these cloisters
on an evening, listening to the distant notes of the organ in the
church, and the solemn chaunt of the friars, with such reverential awe,
as I never experienced in any other place, but which, to be known, must
be practised--must be felt.
In one of the principal streets there is a beautiful stone arch,
opposite to the Carmelite church, under which is an altar dedicated to
the Virgin Mary, where mass is celebrated every Saturday. This building,
which has the appearance of a triumphal arch, is called de la Reyna de
los Angeles.
In the suburbs, on the north side of the city, is a small chapel, called
de la Vera Crus, and here was interred the body of Blasco Nuñes Vela, a
Knight of Santiago, who was the first person to whom the title of
Viceroy was granted. His conduct in Lima was so rigorous and
overbearing, that the royal audience deposed him, and embarked him at
Callao for Panama; but he persuaded the captain of the vessel to land
him at Tumbes, from whence he proceeded to Quito, and being pursued by
Gonsalo Pizarro to the plain of Añaquito, adjoining the city, a battle
was fought in 1546, in which the Viceroy was slain, and his body was
conveyed to this chapel, where his remains were interred.
Quito is the residence of the provincial prelates of the four orders of
San Francisco, Santo Domingo, San Augstin, and la Merced, all the
convents in the Presidency being subject to them.
The church belonging to the nunnery of Santa Clara is remarkable for its
elliptical dome, the transverse axis being forty-one feet, the conjugate
twenty-six, and the spring of the arch nine feet two inches; it is built
of stone, and the inner surface is entirely plain. Seen from the floor
of the church, the dome or ceiling, which is thirty-six feet high,
appears almost flat; this beautiful piece of architecture was entirely
executed by indians in the year 1767.
Quito has always been a place of celebrity for its great number of
students; it was called the monster with two heads, because it had two
Universities. That of San Gregorio Magno, under the superintendence of
the Jesuits, was founded in 1586, by Felipe II., and enriched in 1621
with all the privileges granted to the celebrated university of
Salamanca, in Spain. The other, that of Santo Tomas de Aquino, is under
the superintendence of the order of Dominicans; but after the expulsion
of the Jesuits the two were united by a royal charter of Carlos III.,
under the latter dedicatory title. The two colleges of San Buenaventura,
of the Franciscan order, and San Fulgencio, of the Augstin order, had
the privilege of conferring the degree of Doctor, but owing to several
irregularities, such as presenting the degree to favourites, or for
money, they have been deprived of this privilege.
The meetings of the University are held in the college of the
ex-Jesuits; and here, unlike to the university of San Marcos, at Lima,
and many in Europe, all the professors have both to lecture and to
teach, their places not being titled sinecures.
The professorships are two for theology, two for canons, two for
jurisprudence, and one for arts. There is one also for medicine, but no
professor. After a course of lectures the chair becomes vacant, and is
obtained by opposition and public disputation. All those who hold the
degree of doctor in the faculty of the vacant chair have an elective
vote, as well as all the professors in the triennial election of the
Rector of the University; but these elections are referred to the
President of the Government, who, as vice patron, has the privilege to
reject or confirm them.
The degree of bachelor is granted to all those who undergo a public
examination, after studying arts one year; and that of master to those
who finish the course, and are approved in their examination. The
degree of doctor in the different faculties is obtained by a private
examination of the faculty, consisting of the rector of the university,
and four examiners in the faculty. The different degrees and faculties
are distinguished by the different colours of the badges, in the same
manner as in the university of Lima.
The college of San Luis was endowed with the title of _Colegio mayor_,
by Felipe V., being the only one holding this title in South America; it
is also a royal college, and an ecclesiastical seminary. The habit is a
light brown _opa_, or gown, and a crimson _beca_, or shoulder band,
similar to those of Santo Toribio, at Lima; also a black cap, having
four pointed mitre shaped corners; the royal arms, in silver, are worn
on the breast on the left side, fastened to the beca. The college of San
Fernando has the title of a royal college; the habit is a black opa, and
a white beca, bearing the royal arms in gold, and a square cardinal's
cap. The former is under the immediate direction of a secular clergyman,
as rector, with a vice-rector and assistants; the latter under that of
the Dominicans, but both are under the patronage of the president of the
government. The college of San Luis has produced several eminent
literary characters, and several archbishops and bishops: Mexia, who in
the late cortes of Spain was called the American Cicero, was educated in
this college.
The houses belonging to the principal inhabitants have generally an
upper story, but those belonging to the lower classes have only the
ground floor; they are for the most part built of adobes or stone, and
are tiled. The families of the higher classes reside in the upper story,
the lower being destined to the servants, and serve also as coach
houses, store-rooms, and other like purposes. The use of _estrados_, one
part of the floor raised above the rest, is as common here as at
Conception, and the females appear to be uneasy when seated on a chair.
The furniture, owing to a want of cabinet makers, is a mixture of
antique and modern pieces, just as they can be procured; yet some of the
houses, particularly that of the Count de San Jose, is most elegantly
furnished.
A fashion prevails here of having a magnificent bed at one end of the
estrado; some are of crimson velvet, lined with satin, trimmed with
broad gold lace, and a deep gold fringe, with a cover of gold and silver
embroidery, on velvet; the sheets and pillow covers are trimmed with
fine Brussels lace, or equally fine lace made in Quito. Some of these
beds have a handsome painting beyond them, or in some cases a
transparency, which, when the curtains are withdrawn, has a very good
effect.
The government of Quito and its province is vested in a president, a
royal audience, composed of a regent, four judges, _oidores_, and a
fiscal; this tribunal was first established in 1563; it was abolished in
1718, and re-established in 1739. The President enjoys all the
privileges of a Viceroy, except in the military department, in which he
is subject to the Viceroy of Santa Fé de Bogota. The corporation,
_cavildo_, is composed of two _Alcaldes ordinarios_, eight regidores,
and other officers, as at Lima. The Indians are subject to an _alcalde_,
mayor, who is an indian, elected by the city corporation; they have also
an advocate paid by the King, who is called the Protector of the
Indians. The royal treasury has an accomptant, a treasurer, a fiscal,
and minor officers. The _aduana_, custom-house, has an accomptant,
treasurer, and minor officers. Besides these are the tribunals of the
crusade, of the effects of those who die intestate, of posts, and of
temporalities.
Quito was made a Bishop's see in 1545, and has been the residence of
twenty-two bishops (1810). The chapter, _cavildo ecclesiastico_, is
composed of the dean, archdeacon, chanter, treasurer, doctoral,
penitentiary, magistral, three canons, four prebends, and two
demi-prebends.
Among the inhabitants of this city there are six marquises, three
counts, and one viscount, besides several families of distinguished
nobility. The family of the present Conde de Puñelrostre, a grandee of
the first class, who is a native of Quito, and the lineal descendants of
San Francisco de Borja, Duke of Gandia, also reside here. Quito is the
birth-place of one archbishop, eight bishops, six venerables, and
several persons of eminent literature, among whom, Don Pedro Maldonado
Sotomayor is worthy of notice. He was a profound mathematician, became
professor of the sciences at Paris, and was elected a fellow of the
Royal Society of London, in which city he died. Among those of note at
present (1810), Dr. Rodrigues and Dr. Arauco and la Señora Doña Mariana
Mateus de Ascasubi are esteemed literary characters. Quito was likewise
the birth-place of the unfortunate Atahualpa, the last Inca of Peru.
The population of this city amounts to about seventy-five thousand
souls, and may be divided into three nearly equal parts: whites,
mestisos, and indians. Here are very few negroes or descendants of that
race, the indians being generally engaged as the household servants, in
which capacity they are called _huasi camas_.
The principal employment of persons of rank is to visit their estates,
on which they generally reside during part of the year, particularly in
harvest time. The white inhabitants of moderately easy circumstances,
are farmers, merchants, or follow a literary career in the church, at
the bar, or are employed by the government. The young men belonging to
these classes are usually brought up at college, either as collegians or
day students, the education of these being gratis. Much judgment, as
well as vivacity, are displayed in the scholastic disputations, and
nothing is wanting but greater liberality in the professors, or rather a
removal of all ecclesiastical restrictions, with a better selection of
books and instruments, to enable the university of Quito to vie with
some of those of the most polished countries in Europe. If the young
men, educated in the colleges do not become such adepts in science as
might be expected, it is their misfortune, not their fault. The female
children of this class are generally educated under the eye of their
mothers, and except needle-work in its different branches, and the
management of household affairs; reading and writing are all they are
taught. For their skill in playing on the guitar and psaltery, of which
they are remarkably fond, they are principally indebted to their own
application, or to the direction of some female friend.
The white inhabitants are generally of a moderate stature, of a lively
countenance, and fair complexion. Like the white natives of Chile they
are narrow across the chest, to which configuration the frequency of
pulmonic affections may perhaps be attributed. In society they are
loquacious, frank, and courteous, particularly the females; in their
houses remarkably hospitable; and to strangers they are kind to an
excess. The only trait in the character of a Quiteño which militates in
any degree against his virtues, is a sort of fickleness or inconstancy;
they are indeed always ready for a change. The assertion of a friend I
found to be very true: "if," said he, "we have a penitential procession
in the morning, all attend in their most penitent attire, and put on
their gravest looks; if in the afternoon we have a bull fight, none are
absent; they will leave the circus in the evening to attend the sermon
of a missionary, and spend the remainder of the night at a dance or
card party." This instability was too visible, and often proved fatal
during the period of the first revolution in this city.
The mestisos are in general well formed, often taller than the ordinary
size, robust, of a ruddy colour, and very agreeable countenance; they
partake of many of the virtues of the whites, but exceed them in their
vices; they are equally void of fixed determination, remarkably fond of
diversions, but surprisingly docile, kind and obliging, considering any
attention paid to them, by any person who ranks above them, as a mark of
real honour. Many of this class are employed as overseers, _mayordomos_,
on the farms and estates belonging to the nobility; others apply
themselves to painting and sculpture, in which some have excelled, and
many of the paintings of Miguel de Santiago have been classed in Italy
among the first productions of the pencil; at present (1810) the artists
in greatest repute are Samaniego, Cortes, and Solis. The mestisos also
apply themselves to mechanical trades, and excel as lapidaries,
jewellers, and silversmiths; but a lack of inventive genius is certainly
visible in all their performances, exact imitation being their principal
study, and in this they most assuredly succeed.
The Indians, both men and women, are of a low stature, well
proportioned, very muscular, and strong; they bear a general resemblance
in their habits and customs to the indians in Peru, but they are under
more subjection to their masters. Those that are employed in the city
are household servants, in which capacity they are very useful, partly
on account of the equanimity of their temper and their blind submission
to their masters, and, if well treated, their attachment is great to the
house in which they live: a moderate recompense insures their constant
services. They are capable of supporting very heavy burthens; a man will
carry on his back during the greater part of the day a large earthen jar
holding from twelve to sixteen gallons of water; this jar rests on the
lower part of the back, while a leather thong fastened on each side the
jar is passed across the forehead of the carrier, who stoops in such a
manner, that the mouth of the jar is in a horizontal position, and the
whole weight rests on a line perpendicular to his right heel, on which
side it entirely presses. The indian has a kind of limping gait; he
trips on his left foot, and then throws himself on the right; owing to
which the right ancle is much thicker than the left, and this foot is
also much larger than the left. I examined an old indian servant
belonging to the palace, whose constant employment for several years had
been to carry water from the fountain in the plasa to the palace, and
found that the whole of the right side of the body was a great deal more
muscular than the left.
The indian women who employ themselves in bringing from the surrounding
villages any produce to the market at Quito, carry their burthens in the
same manner as the men. I have often seen them so covered with a cargo
of brushwood, lucern, green barley, or other light bulky articles, that
the load seemed to move along of itself, the carrier being completely
enveloped.
Many indians in the city become butchers, weavers, shoemakers,
bricklayers, &c.; but they are remarkably slothful and indolent, and
apply themselves more commonly to drunkenness than to any kind of
business. If you wish to employ one of them, he will demand part of the
money beforehand, with the excuse that he wants to purchase materials,
or some other indispensable requisite, but it is immediately spent in
chicha or rum, and it often becomes necessary to apprehend the rascal
(particularly among the shoemakers), and to send him to gaol, before you
can oblige him to fulfil his agreement. Some of the indians are
barbers, and manage the razor with the greatest dexterity; they may
easily be distinguished among the indian tradesmen, because the brass or
silver basin is always peeping from under their cloak.
Many of the mestisos, or descendants of the Spanish creoles and indians,
are very fair; but the lowness of their foreheads, as well as their
being very narrow, betrays their connexion with the indian. The
quarterones, or descendants of a Spaniard and a mestiso, approach much
nearer to the white creole; but in these the size and shape of the
forehead, also a small rising about the middle of the nose, from whence
it forms a curve terminating in a point bending towards the upper lip,
and some dark stains in different parts of the body, particularly one
below the region of the kidneys, which is always the last that
disappears, though often not before the fourth or fifth generation,
bespeak a mixture of the indian race. The mothers of mestisos generally
begin very early to plat the hair of their children, dragging it back
from the forehead and temples in very small plats, for the purpose of
enlarging that feature.
The common dress of the male Spaniards and creoles is similar to ours,
with the addition of a long red, white, or blue cloak. Their riding
costume is very pretty: over a jacket, trowsers, and boots, they wear
the white poncho, and over this a smaller one made of deer skin, having
the hairy side outward. A pair of overalls, made of the hides of two old
goats, are fastened round the waist, tied down the under side of the
thighs, and buttoned round the legs, so that the necks of the hides fall
over the feet; and as the hairy side is outwards, no rain can penetrate,
however long the person may be exposed to it; a large hat is covered
with leather, and to complete the costume, a large silk shawl is tied
round the neck.
The ladies dress almost in the English style, except a few ancient
dames, who wear a large hoop:--when going to church all wear the hoop,
with a black velvet petticoat over it, sewed in small folds, and a broad
piece of English flannel over their heads, generally of a brown colour,
which they can fold over their faces so as to cover them. Jewellery is
much worn by the ladies, of which many have a large stock, principally
consisting of ear-rings, necklaces, rosaries, amulets, and bracelets of
diamonds, emeralds, topazes, or other precious gems, in complete sets,
for a mixture is considered a proof of poverty. On particular occasions,
it is not uncommon for a lady to be adorned with these kind of
ornaments to the amount of twenty or thirty thousand dollars.
The dress of the mestisos is composed of a jacket and small-clothes, the
bottom of the drawers appearing below the knees; no stockings, and only
sometimes shoes; a long Spanish cloak of blue cloth, manufactured in the
country, and a black hat; these are called _llapangos_, a Quichua word
signifying barefooted. The females often wear a large hoop, and a gaudy
petticoat made of English flannel, red, pink, yellow, or pale blue,
ornamented with a profusion of ribbon, lace, fringe, and spangles,
wrought into a kind of arabesque about half a yard deep, near the bottom
of the coat, below which a broad white lace hangs, attached to an under
garment. The bodice is generally of brocade or tissue, or of embroidered
satin, laced very tight round the waist; the bosom and sleeves of this
are ornamented with white lace, ribbons, and spangles; a narrow shawl of
English flannel to correspond with the petticoat is thrown over the
shoulders; the head is uncovered, but ornamented with a fillet, ribbons,
and flowers, and the hair hangs in small tresses down the back. Like the
men the women seldom wear shoes or stockings, and it is considered a
trait in their beauty to have small white feet, and red heels, to
procure which cosmetics and rouge are often called in to lend their
assistance: this practice is very common among a certain description of
females.
The lowest or poorest class of indian men and women wear a very scanty
and coarse apparel; the men have a pair of cotton drawers, hanging below
the knees; a garment somewhat like a wide sack, having an opening to
pass the head through, and two holes for the arms; this kind of tunic is
made of cotton or wool, it reaches almost to the knees, and is girt
round the waist. Sometimes a straw hat is worn, but they have more
frequently nothing but a leather strap round their heads, and never put
on either shoes or stockings. The women have only the species of tunic
called _anaco_, but it is longer than that of the men: over their
shoulders they wear a small kind of shawl, called _ichlla_, and this
constitutes their whole wardrobe, and is generally the only bed which
they possess. Their children immediately after their birth are swaddled
or bandaged in such a manner, from their shoulders to below their feet,
that they are deprived of all motion; the mother also frequently inserts
a wooden hook between the folds of the bandage, and hangs the child to
the wall, to the branch of a tree, or when she is travelling, to the
fore part of the saddle.
Those indians who are in better circumstances clothe themselves in an
elegant manner; the men wear white drawers with lace or fringe at the
knees, they have a shirt and a small black poncho, laid in folds
crossways of the stuff, each about an inch broad, and made very stiff
with gum; when put on the two ends are drawn downwards, a little below
the waist, and the sides are fastened together at the corners: this
vestment is called a capisayo. Round the neck they wear a kind of
ruffle, of lace, about eight or ten inches deep, and hanging over the
shoulders like a tippet. The hat is generally of wool, having a low
crown and very broad skirts. The Caciques, alcaldes, some butchers and
barbers, also wear the long Spanish cloak, breeches over the drawers,
shoes, and large square silver buckles, but never any stockings.
The women of the same class wear a white under-petticoat, called the
anaco, with broad lace at the bottom; over this they have a piece of
cloth, folded in the same manner as the capisayo of the men, except that
the folds are vertical; this is called the _chaupi anaco_, and is merely
fastened round the waist with a broad girdle of various colours, being
left open on the right side, and reaching only halfway down the legs,
the white lace hanging down almost to the ankles. Another piece of black
cloth, named the _lliglla_, folded in the same manner is put over the
shoulders; the two upper corners are brought together in front, and
fastened with two large silver or gold pins, ornamented on the top, and
called _tupus_; the folds being extended the lliglla covers the elbows;
the hair is all collected behind, and made into a thick roll, by winding
a fillet round it from near the head to the very ends of the hair; on
the top of the head they have a large bunch of ribbons, usually red.
The most popular diversion in Quito is bull fighting; it is conducted in
a very different manner from what I witnessed in any other part of
America. No regular bull fighters are employed, but a universal
inclination in the inhabitants to become dexterous fighters seems to
prevail, not only among the men, but even among the women. I have seen
several evince the greatest skill and agility both in the plasa and in
the circus, but the generality of the persons who parade the circus are
masked. This peculiarity of a general masquerade is highly entertaining,
and the natives are as fond of the diversion as they are skilful and
happy in their inventions.
A brief description of an afternoon's sport will convey an idea of one
trait in the character of the inhabitants of Quito, including all the
variety of classes. The moment that permission is obtained from the
President, the sides of the plasa are divided into lots, for the
different families of distinction, public officers, colleges, &c.; on
these are built galleries, supported on poles, and roofed, and some of
them are tastefully ornamented, each having a small private
dressing-room.
About two o'clock in the afternoon, at which time the fight generally
begins, all the galleries are crowded, and from three to four thousand
men begin to parade the circus, in expectation of the _entradas_, or
entrance of the masks. Different parties previously agree to assemble at
some point, and enter the circus in procession; this is often done at
the four corners of the plasa, at the same time, and upwards of two
thousand persons frequently enter, accompanied with bands of music,
streamers, and fireworks. They first parade the circus in procession,
and then divide into groups, and wander about from one gallery to
another, saluting their friends and acquaintance, who are often
completely puzzled, not being able to distinguish who the individuals
are who are addressing them. At this time many of the nobility and
grave ecclesiastics disguise themselves, and leave their galleries to
mix in the motley group, and quiz their acquaintances in the galleries.
This part of the diversion generally lasts for more than an hour, and
after the whole is concluded, groups of masks parade the street with
music and flambeaux. The houses of the nobility and principal
inhabitants are open, and refreshments are placed for those groups which
choose to enter; this often produces much mirth, for the object of the
masked is to laugh at the unmasked, and the attempting to discover any
person who is thus covered by force, is considered extremely rude, and a
breach of the privilege of the mask. If attempted in the circus, or the
street, the assault would be immediately punished by the monkeys, who
would flog the aggressor with their long tails, the friars would strike
with their beads, and the muleteers with their whips.
Some of the natives are remarkably skilful in making masks, and a person
may procure, at a few hours' notice, an exact representation of the face
of any individual in the city; whence it very frequently happens, that
people are seen double, one very gravely seated in a gallery, and a fac
simile dancing about the circus, to the annoyance of the original, and
the diversion of the spectators.
When a bull enters the area, many of the _trages_, masks, retire to the
galleries, but many who are fond of the sport remain and enjoy the
amusement without being known to any one; for this purpose the dress
generally chosen is a pair of wide trowsers, and a short shirt, hanging
loose; these are generally of silk. The head and face are covered with a
green silk hood fitting close to the face, having glass or talk eyes; a
hat and gloves complete the dress of a _ranchero_. This is also the garb
generally worn by those persons who leave their galleries for a while to
parade the plasa and afterwards to return.
During the time that a furious bull is scouring the circus, three or
four thousand individuals are employed in it, teazing the poor brute by
hissing, whistling, and shouting. The bull will often gallop along the
sides of the plasa, when the spectators very deliberately stand close to
each other in a line, forming what they call _una muralla de barrigas_,
a wall of bellies; and I have often stood in such a line, when a bull
has passed us at full speed, not unfrequently rubbing his side along the
_wall_; if the line be complete, the animal never stops to attack any
one, but if he find an opening, he pushes in, and causes a dreadful
uproar.
The _aficionados_, both on foot and on horseback, vex the bull by
holding out to him a cloak, poncho, or umbrella, which, at the moment he
attacks it, the holder throws up and allows the bull to pass; this is
repeated so often that the animal will no longer advance, when some tame
oxen are driven into the circus, with which the baited bull retires, and
another enters the list.
Masquerading is also common during the carnival, and the feast of
innocents; and I have been assured by very old people, that they never
heard of any robbery, or of any other depredations being committed
during these festivals, the whole mind of the people being entirely
engrossed by the sports, and in the study of something new. Many of the
nobility and the principal inhabitants are in possession of antique
dresses, two or three hundred years old; in these they make their
appearance on such occasions; besides which they have a sufficient stock
for the accommodation of their friends.
Dancing is a favourite amusement of the natives, and some of their
dances are very pretty; they are in general imitations of the Spanish
_bolera_. Minuets are quite fashionable among the higher classes, and
country dances, reels, &c. also begin to be adopted. The mestisos are
particularly fond of music, and the small mountain called the
_Panecillo_ is in the summer season frequently the evening resort of
forty or fifty young men, with fifes, guitars, and psalteries, which
they play till midnight. Nothing can exceed the sweetness of some of
their _tristes_, or melancholy airs, during the quiet of the evening,
when numbers of the inhabitants sit in their balconies and listen to the
fleeting sounds as they are wafted along by the evening breeze. After
playing till midnight, the young men frequently parade the streets till
day-break, serenading under the balconies of the principal inhabitants.
One of the religious processions at Quito was so novel to me, and
altogether so strange, that I cannot forbear to describe it. At a small
village, about a league from the city, there is an image of the Virgin
Mary, which the pious inhabitants have been induced to believe protected
them against the destructive fury of the earthquakes that ruined
Riobamba and Tacunga; in consequence of which, they voted two annual
feasts to the image, to be celebrated in the cathedral of the city.
Application was made to the court at Madrid, that the procession might
be solemnized with the assistance of the whole military force; the royal
grant exceeded the humble request, for his Catholic Majesty conferred on
the Virgin of Guapulo the commission of a captain-general of his armies,
with a right to the enjoyment of all the pay and privileges during the
ten days' stay in Quito; consequently, on the day of her approach to the
city, the whole military force line the streets, present their arms, and
the drums beat a march.
The virgin is brought to the city on a stand, enclosed with crimson
velvet curtains, carried on the shoulders of some of the principal
inhabitants, preceded by part of the chapter, and members of the
corporation. The image, being on duty, becomes a captain-general, and
appears in full uniform; on the arms two sleeves are drawn, bearing the
embroidery of her rank; on her head is placed a gold laced cocked hat,
with a red cockade and feather, and in her hand she holds the _baton_,
or insignia of command. The image of the infant Jesus participates in
the honours; a gold laced hat, small gold sword, and red cloak, adorn
the young hero, and in this stile they are carried to the cathedral,
where they are arrayed in their customary robes, but the baton is left
in the hand of the Virgin till she leaves the city. Although loath to
ridicule any thing that may, however distant, be connected with
religion, even the ceremonious part of it, I could never view this in
any other light than an ecclesiastical puppet show, a disgraceful piece
of mummery.
Quito is also famous for many other religious processions, and these
times present a very favourable opportunity for seeing the best works
both of the pencil and the chisel, particularly at the procession of
Corpus Christi, when several altars are erected in the plasa mayor, on
which are displayed all the curiosities that the natives can collect.
The market of Quito is well provided with good beef, mutton, pork, and
poultry, the prices of which are low. The beef is supplied by the
principal landholders, who are bound to kill a stipulated number of fat
oxen daily throughout the year, and to sell the beef at an appointed
price; for this purpose there is a public butchery, where an officer
belonging to the corporation attends to see that the agreement is
properly fulfilled.
The vegetable and fruit markets are remarkably abundant; the climates
are so various in the neighbourhood of the city, (indeed, it may be
said, that they vary at every step we take) that the vegetables and
fruits of Europe grow among those of the tropics. From the valleys and
_yungas_, sides of mountains, are brought camotes, yucas, aracachas,
palemettos, bananas, pine-apples, oranges, lemons, limes, citrons,
paltas, chirimoyas, guavas, granadillas; and from the cooler parts they
bring potatoes, cabbages, beets, apples, pears, guinds, peaches,
apricots, melons, strawberries, as well as various sallads and pot
herbs: maize and other pulse are grown in the different climates, and
many of the vegetables and esculents may be had in perfection during the
whole year. Several kinds of bread are brought to market at certain
hours of the day, for the purpose of serving whilst quite fresh at the
meals of the inhabitants: it is always made into small loaves, or rather
cakes. After twelve o'clock the bread begins to fall in price; and at
five o'clock six cakes may be bought for the same money that three of
the same kind would have cost in the morning: this arises from the
custom of never eating old bread. Many varieties of sweet cakes are also
sold in the market, some of which are particularly delicate.
The spirits usually drunk in Quito are rum and a small quantity of
brandy: from the rum, which is distilled here, many liqueurs are made.
It has probably been observed, that rum is not so noxious to the health
of the Quiteños as it is supposed to be to that of the Peruvians; but,
on the contrary, brandy is here considered by the careful government to
be possessed of deleterious qualities. The truth is, that the distilling
of rum is a royal monopoly in Quito; whereas that of brandy is not so in
Peru: thus, for the purpose of increasing the consumption of rum, which
augments the royal revenue, brandy is one of the _pisco_ or
_aguardiente_, contraband articles. Among the lower classes the use of
chicha made of maize is very common, and its intoxicating qualities are
but too visible among the indians, who are passionately fond of it: for
the purpose of stimulating a species of thirst or forcing the appetite,
they eat very large quantities of capsicum, aji: it is not uncommon,
indeed, for an indian to make a meal of twenty or thirty pods of
capsicum, a little salt, a piece of bread, and two or three quarts of
chicha.
Quito is famous for the delicate ices and iced beverages which are made
by the inhabitants; a service of ices, when a dinner or supper is given
to a large party, is considered the greatest ornament of the table.
These ices are generally prepared by the nuns, who, for the purpose,
have pewter moulds, made to imitate several kinds of fruit; these are in
two pieces, which are first united with wax and tied together: at a
small aperture at one end the liquor is poured in, a fluid prepared from
the juice of the fruit which the mould is made to imitate; when full,
the hole is closed with wax, and the mould is put into a heap of broken
ice mixed with salt, and allowed to remain till the liquor is congealed;
the two parts of the mould are then separated, and the solid contents
placed on a dish: thus a service of ices is made to consist of perfect
imitations of pine-apples, oranges, melons, figs, and other fruits. When
milk or cream is iced it is poured into a mould formed like a cheese.
These imitations, placed on dishes, and ornamented with leaves, &c. are
with difficulty distinguished from fruit, and when fruit is mixed with
them, I have frequently seen strangers completely deceived.
The natives of Quito are very skilful in cooking some of the produce of
the country; so much so, that I have often been assured by them, that
forty-six different kinds of cakes and dishes are made of maize, or at
least in which maize is the principal ingredient: of potatoes thirty-two
are made in the same manner, without counting many others, in which
maize or potatoes are mixed.
Some of the confectionary is very delicate, particularly dry or candied
sweetmeats. These are often made of the pulp or jelly of different
fruits, in imitation of those fruits, and not larger than hazel nuts:
thus oranges, lemons, and limes are often taken from the trees when
about the size of nuts, and delicately preserved and candied over. The
same kinds of fruit are also taken when ripe, and the rinds preserved;
they are filled with the flowers, after they have been preserved, and
the whole candied over, and put into a dry place, where they may be kept
for a long time. What is justly considered a master piece of
confectionary in Quito is to preserve the rind of a very large citron,
then to fill it with small candied oranges, lemons, limes, figs, &c.,
and afterwards to candy the outside of the citron.
The enormous quantity of cheese consumed in this city almost exceeds
belief, the cost price not being less than from eighty to ninety
thousand dollars a year. The estimate is made as to the price, because
cheese, like many other commodities, is bought by the lump, not by the
weight; and the price seldom varies. I have weighed several cheeses that
cost a dollar each, and found them to weigh on an average seven or
eight pounds when fresh (for in this state the cheese is always brought
to market), so that the quantity consumed annually amounts to about six
hundred and forty thousand pounds weight, or upwards of two hundred and
eighty five tons. This may partly be accounted for from the number of
dishes made with potatoes, pumpkins, gourds, maize, wheat, and many
other kinds of vegetables and pulse mixed with cheese. As the custom of
eating toasted cheese is prevalent, a whole one, weighing from three to
four pounds, is generally placed on the tables of wealthy citizens both
at breakfast and supper; and many of these being land proprietors and
farmers derive the greater part of the profits of their farms from the
cheese which is made on them.
The trade or commerce of Quito may be very properly divided into two
classes--that of home manufactures, and that of foreign. Indeed, it is
thus divided by the tradesmen and merchants, the shops and stores
generally containing only one kind of goods. The home made consist of
cotton and woollen cloths, baizes, sugars, flannels, ponchos, stockings,
laces, dyeing materials, thread, tapes, needles, and other minor
articles. The stock of foreign articles is composed of all kinds of
European manufactured goods, also iron, steel, and some other raw
materials.
The European manufactures most in demand are English broad cloths,
kerseymeres, coloured broad flannels, calicoes, plain and printed
dimities, muslins, stockings, velveteens; Irish linens in imitation of
German _platillas_; fine, in imitation of French lawn; all kinds of
hardware and cutlery, and foreign silk velvets, satins, silks, &c. as
well as English ribbons and silks. Like the Lima market, the articles
should be of a good quality, and of the newest fashion--the more this
point is attended to the better the market will be found.