current, the day after my arrival. I then stated to you what had
occurred to me from Riobamba until my arrival in this city. I shall now,
therefore, proceed to give you an account of the reception your cause has
met with in Quito.
When I set out from Guaranda on my way to Riobamba, I left four boxes
of New Testaments behind me, partly because I was going out of the
straight road for Quito, and partly because mules could not readily be
had to carry them. These boxes I left in the hands of my good friend the
Governor, who kindly undertook to forward them direct to this city. Upon
my arrival here, I found that these boxes had not arrived, although there
was more than sufficient time. I waited for them with some impatience,
especially as I had disposed of the contents of those I had brought with
me, so that there remained none in my hands for sale in this place.
During this delay of the New Testaments I had many inquiries for them, as
it had got abroad that I had brought with me a good supply for this city.
At length a part arrived, when I learned that the delay was owing to the
owner of the mules. I gave notice publicly of the sale, as I had done in
other places, and in a short time all were sold, amounting to 137 copies.
After these were all gone, the inquiries after them continued, and I had
to put off the inquirers, with telling them that there were two more
boxes expected every minute. Day passed on after day without the arrival
of these, until I was beginning a second time to think them lost.
Yesterday afternoon, however, they safely arrived, and as soon as they
were opened 80 copies were paid for and carried off by a highly respected
clergyman. Fifty of these were for the use of the schools here, and were
purchased on account of the government, agreeably to an order given to
that effect some days previous to their arrival. Twenty-five of the
eighty were purchased at the request of the Provincial of the Convent of
St. Francis, for the express purpose of putting a copy into the hands of
each friar in the convent. I noticed in my last the triumph of our cause
in the convent of St. Dominic, in Latacunga, and it affords me no small
pleasure to be able to record what I may call a triumph of a similar
kind, as just mentioned, regarding the Franciscans in this city. To which
I may add, that the respected clergyman I before referred to, has orders
from, I believe, all the convents to purchase one, two, or more _Bibles_
for them at the moment of their arrival. The remaining five of the above
mentioned eighty were for particular friends.
I have noticed to you, in my preceding letters, the desire manifested
in the places I have passed through, for _the whole Bible_. This desire
has also been manifested in Quito, and in a strong degree. In order to
increase this desire, rather than supply the wants of these places, I
have written to Guayaquil, directing the fifty Bibles which I formerly
ordered from Lima to that place, to be sent to these parts, in due
proportions; only ten or twelve of these will come to this place, and
these are already bespoken. I have also ordered to be sent to the
different towns mentioned in my former letters, a considerable number of
copies of the small New Testament, and of the Books of Psalms, Proverbs,
&c.; the proportion for Quito is 200 of the former, and 200 of the
latter; these I expect will meet with a very favourable reception, and
will fall short of the demand for them. I have thus, you see, distributed
the whole of the supply sent me as mentioned in your last letter, yet
this supply, so distributed, will prove inadequate to the wants and the
demands of these quarters. To meet this demand, we must have recourse to
your _second_ edition of the Bible, of which you have advised me, and of
which I expect a good supply is already on the way to Lima. In that city,
and also in Guayaquil, I have given the necessary directions for sending
proper quantities to each place. The city of Quito is large, and contains
upwards of 50,000 inhabitants. It is also surrounded by a populous
country, of which it is the capital and the centre. On this account I
have ordered to it 500 copies of the whole Bible, with a request to our
correspondent in Guayaquil to remit 500 more, if the wants of the latter
place will admit of it. I have mentioned to you the names of different
persons who offered to manage your concerns in some of the places I have
passed through, and I am happy in having it in my power to say, that
you have found a warm friend and an agent here in the Marquis of San
José, a gentleman of the first respectability in this city, on account of
his personal character, and on account of his large possessions in this
quarter. From this gentleman I have received every friendly attention
during my stay under his hospitable roof. He allowed me to sell the New
Testaments in his own house, and encouraged his friends to purchase them.
In consequence of his readiness to take the charge of the Society’s
concerns here, I have ordered the supplies for Quito, already mentioned,
to be forwarded directly to him. You will also please consider him as
your correspondent for this quarter, and can address to him accordingly.
His address is “Sᵒʳ Manuel de Larrea, Marques de San José, Quito.” I
spoke to this gentleman, also, regarding the formation of a Bible Society
for the district of Quito, whose seat should be in that city. Into this
matter he entered fully and cheerfully, and promised to do every thing
in his power to commence and to carry forward such an establishment, as
soon as a suitable opportunity should offer for doing so. I spoke also to
the Marchioness regarding a Female Bible Society, and had the pleasure of
being assured by her, that nothing should be wanting on her part to set
such a Society on foot. I have thus endeavoured to place things in such a
state as to induce the hope that the concerns of the Bible Society will
not be neglected here, but carried forward in a prosperous manner. I
should have mentioned also, that several gentlemen, with whom I conversed
about the circulation of the Scriptures, and about a Bible Society,
much approved of both, and expressed their readiness to lend their aid
in these matters, I trust these favourable circumstances, which form an
encouraging commencement in this interesting and populous district, will
be followed by results truly beneficial to all the inhabitants here, and
gratifying to the members of the British and Foreign Bible Society.
There is a circumstance indirectly, or rather I should say directly,
connected with our main object, which I should not omit to state to you.
I carried with me two copies of the late Bishop of London’s Evidences
of Christianity, in Spanish. These I bought in Lima about the time I
set off, in the expectation of their doing some good in the course of
the journey. I showed this work to the Marquis, who immediately bought
it. This he eagerly read, and was highly gratified with its contents. I
could have sold the other copy frequently, but refused to sell it, as I
intend to carry it farther on, and to dispose of it in some other place.
The Marquis lent his copy to several of his friends, who were also much
gratified with perusing it. From less to more, the interest in this work
was carried, till it was resolved to print an edition of it in Quito by
subscription, and this subscription is to be solely among the ladies.
This, you see, is a feeling very friendly to the cause of religion, and
of the Bible Society. I suppose I need not to tell you, that a work on
the evidences of the christian religion is not a little wanted in many
parts in this country, as there are many who are verging towards, or
are already gone into, deism. On this account, as well as on others, it
behoves the friends of Christianity to bestir themselves in behalf of
South America. The present is a very interesting and also a very critical
period for this country. Much, very much, may be done at present, through
prudent and zealous means, to instruct and confirm the wavering, and even
perhaps to bring back those who have apostatized from the faith. If these
measures were connected with means of instruction, as far as can be done,
regarding the true principles and practices of Christianity, as taught
in the Holy Scriptures, a very plentiful harvest, through the blessing
of God, might be reaped. If it should please the Lord to spare me, and
to enable me to reach my native land, I trust I shall find many ready to
lend their aid towards such a sacred object.
P.S.—_26th November, 1824._—I have now disposed of 360 copies of the
New Testament in this city. May the Lord follow with his abundant
blessing this seed which has been sown, and cause it to bring forth a
hundred fold. To-day I set off for Popayan, and trust that _He_ who has
preserved me thus far, will continue to me his blessing to that place,
and thence onwards. I shall endeavour to drop a few seeds as I go along,
and pray that these may fall into good ground.
* * * * *
_Popayan, 1st January, 1825._
You will perceive, by the date of this letter, that it is a month later
than it ought to be, according to our epistolary agreement. You will not
wonder at this delay, when you consider that I am in the middle of a long
and incommodious journey. The day on which I should have written you, I
was travelling from Otabalo to Ibarra, and of course had neither leisure
nor convenience for conversing with you. I now seize the opportunity of a
few days rest which I enjoy in this city, to write you a few lines.
You will probably he expecting some account of the country in which I
now am, and through which I have lately passed. I shall endeavour to
satisfy your curiosity in some measure upon this point. I shall begin
with Guayaquil. That place contains from 12,000 to 15,000 inhabitants,
and is situated upon a river of the same name. There are regular tides
in the river opposite the town, twice in the 24 hours, and the same
also takes place for a considerable distance above the town. The spot
on which the town is built is very low, being only a very little higher
than the river at the time of high water. The weather here is very hot,
considerably more so than in Lima. This, together with a low and somewhat
marshy situation, makes the place unhealthy, particularly in the rainy
season. I could not help observing, however, during the short time I was
there, that the want of cleanliness in the streets, and on the banks of
the river, are circumstances which contribute, in my opinion, at least
one half to the unhealthiness of the town. This port is the place on the
Pacific which at present affords more articles of exportation than any
other, and every succeeding year will make it more so. The cocoa from
which the chocolate is made is the principal article, and of this several
ship-loads go annually to Europe, besides what is used in Peru, Chile,
&c. It is through this place that all the towns, as far as Quito, are
supplied with European goods, and through this place also should these
towns be supplied with the Holy Scriptures, and with other works which
may contribute to enlighten and to benefit them with respect to time and
to eternity. I have made arrangements there by which the Scriptures may
be supplied to these quarters in future.
The town of Guaranda is high up on the Andes, and within a few miles
of the great Chimborazo. It enjoys a temperate and healthy climate,
notwithstanding its proximity to the Equator. I need not state to you the
causes of this, as you are well aware of them. I may, however, say that
Chimborazo exerts a considerable influence in moderating the heat which
might be expected in this quarter. If you should ask me more particularly
what I think of the climate, I would say, judging from my own feelings,
that it is cold. So I felt it to be, but that arose partly from my having
just come from a very hot climate. It is curious to observe the different
feelings of two persons met together on the declivity of the mountains,
the one ascending from Guayaquil, and the other descending from Quito.
If you ask one of them regarding the climate, or weather, he says it is
very cold; and if you ask the other, he says it is very warm; and so
they respectively feel from the opposite climates they have come from.
Guaranda is situated on the western side of the western Cordillera of
the Andes. You will observe that the word _Andes_, is the general name
of all these mountains, and _Cordillera_ means the high ridge or line of
mountains running nearly north and south. There are two great cordilleras
which extend from Cuenca to about 100 miles to the north of Popayan. To
the south of Cuenca and to the north of the department of Popayan, one
of the Cordilleras disappears. In going from Guaranda to Riobamba, you
first ascend the western cordillera to the top. On this _top_ is the
_base_ of Chimborazo. The road is close along the base of the mountain
and you would think you could lay your hand upon it. From _this spot_ it
does not appear a very high mountain, and the reason is obvious, as this
spot itself is at a great elevation.[5] The whole of Chimborazo, except
perhaps, a few yards, is covered with snow—everlastingly covered. Having
reached this top, you see, for the first time, the eastern cordillera,
vying with the western in height. You then descend down till you come to
Riobamba, which is situated in a _level_ plain between the two ridges,
and at nearly an equal distance from both. The whole of my journey, from
leaving Riobamba till my arrival in this city, has been in this great
valley, between the two cordilleras of the Andes. In two days or three
after leaving this place, I will have to cross the eastern cordillera on
my way to Bogotá.
The two principal towns between Riobamba and Quito, are Ambato and
Tacunga, and of which I have spoken in my letters to Mr. B.; the former
may contain 5,000, and the latter 6,000. The greater part of this
population consists of Indians, who all speak the ancient Peruvian
language. The largest town in the whole of this extensive valley, between
the ridges of the Andes, is Quito. It is a city of 50,000 inhabitants
and upwards, and will not yield to any city in South America in point
of population, except to Lima and to Buenos Aires. Its public buildings
are much superior to those of the latter place, and not much inferior
to those of the former. Its site is unfavourable, as it is placed on an
uneven piece of ground.
In travelling from Quito to Popayan you experience a great variety of
climate. Sometimes you have the unmitigated heat of the torrid zone; at
another time you might imagine yourself in the neighbourhood of one of
the poles rather than the equator; and again at other times you have a
climate of the most delightful kind, equally removed from the extremes
of heat and of cold. One of the coldest nights I passed on the journey,
was within a few yards of the line. You will wonder, perhaps, at this
variety, but I will explain it to you. Here and there, during the whole
course of this long valley, from Cuenca to Popayan, you have, rising out
of the one cordillera or the other, an enormous snow-capped mountain.
It is evident that the cold reigns uninterrupted on these towering
summits, as the snow, its certain signal, is ever spread over them. Of
course when the wind blows from these, it temperates (or perhaps somewhat
more) the heat of the sun wherever it passes. Any place situated near
these mountains is necessarily temperate, or cold. The coldest place in
the whole road, is a place called Tiupuyo, some 20 miles south of Quito,
because there you have Cotopaxi on the one side, and right opposite on
the other you have Ilinisa, both of which are always covered with snow. I
have thus noticed to you the cause of the cold, and shall now point out
what is the cause of the heat in those places where its effects are most
felt. Wherever there is a deep valley with sloping mountains around, and
no towering summits covered with snow, for a considerable distance, there
you have a climate of the same kind as is met with in the same latitude
on the sea coast. As to the temperate places I have spoken of, they are
always to be met with in the absence of these snow-covered mountains
on the one hand and the deep valleys on the other. In these tracts the
climate is delightful in the extreme, all the year round. In none of
these parts have you Spring, Summer, Harvest, and Winter, but one uniform
temperature from one end of the year to the other. In most of these
places there are periodical times of rain, which form what they call
the Winter, whilst the dry season is called Summer. The farmer there
may sow when he chooses, and may have his harvest in any month of the
year; notwithstanding, however, there is some order attended to in this
respect, but it is not uniform in all places.
[5] The top of this ridge, or cordillera, cannot be less than 17,000 feet
above the level of the sea. On arriving at this height, I recollected
what I had often read of, that persons at great elevations felt much
difficulty in breathing. I resolved to try the correctness of these
accounts: and for this purpose, I alighted from my horse, and with a
heavy great-coat on, I walked with a quick pace for half an hour. The
result was, I felt not the slightest inconvenience in breathing.
* * * * *
_Bogotá, 8th February, 1825._
Since my last communication to you from Quito, I have had a long, and
by no means an agreeable journey. The distance from Quito to this place
is considerable, the roads are very bad, and in passing through one
district, there is no inconsiderable danger. On the 29th ultimo, I
arrived safely in this city, and now seize the first opportunity that
offers of writing you a few lines, to inform you of occurrences in these
parts since my last, of the 26th November.
I intimated to you in the letter last mentioned, that it was my intention
to drop a few seeds as I went along, or in other words, to endeavour to
circulate the sacred volume, as opportunities might offer, in the course
of my journey. I accordingly posted up my notices in those places, where
I stopped for half a day, or upwards. In these country villages a great
sale was not to be expected. The inhabitants are in general poor, and
very few of them are addicted to reading. Some copies, however, were thus
put into circulation, and in such places, and under such circumstances,
I always think much has been done if a kind of beginning has been made.
I shall, in a future communication, state to you the number sold in each
place, and the respective sums received since my leaving Lima. I would
give you this account now, were it not that the scantiness of my time at
present will not allow me to extract these notices from among my notes.
I have now disposed of _all_ the New Testaments I brought with me from
Lima, and those which I found awaiting me in Guayaquil. I bless the Lord
for having counselled me to undertake this journey, and thus to put
into circulation a considerable number of copies of his holy word, and
which would not likely have been accomplished, but by means of making a
complete tour through these quarters. I have thus cause of gratitude to
Him who distributeth his favours to whom he will, for having honoured me
with a share of this angel-work, of communicating the revelation of God
to man. I shall be glad also to know, that the plan I have taken meets
with the approbation of the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible
Society. I thought much about this journey before undertaking it, and
prayed much to the Lord to counsel me in regard to it. And now, looking
back over the road I have travelled, and reflecting on the number of
copies of the word of life, now in the hands of many people who had never
before seen it, I feel my heart drawn out in thanksgiving and praise for
all the way by which the Lord hath led me.
My labours in distributing the sacred volume on this journey must now
terminate, because I have no more to distribute. In the multitude of my
thoughts within me upon setting off from Lima, it occurred to me that I
might, after reaching this place, extend my journey in your service to
Guatemala, and from thence overland to Mexico. Two objects I had in view
in reference to this; the one was the circulation of the Scriptures,
and the other was the procuring translations of the New Testament into
the native languages of those parts. Of this latter object I wrote you
some time ago. This intended journey, however, must now be given up,
for various reasons. The first is, because I have no more copies of the
Scriptures to distribute; the second is, because I feel doubtful if it
would meet with your approbation to incur the expense of travelling
through those parts, with the single object of procuring the translations
referred to; the third reason is, the happy change which has taken place
in Peru, in the termination of the war there, and which induces me to
visit England as early as possible, that I may again return to Lima
without loss of time, in order to carry on the work of the Lord there,
according to the grace and strength he may be pleased to afford me. I
trust in the Lord that we shall have an opportunity of seeing each other
face to face, before many months elapse, that we may talk over all the
doings of the Lord, in making his word to circulate in this country and
in every place, and that we may make arrangements for benefiting South
America yet more extensively.
I have spoken of the _termination_ of the war in Peru, and this to me is
no small subject of thanksgiving; for the deliverance of the country from
the Spanish yoke, and the rapid progress of the Lord’s work, are closely
identified. I wrote you from Guayaquil some months ago respecting this
identification. It was then I gave you an account of the battle of Junin,
and of the very important effects that followed. I then also ventured to
speak of what were likely to be the ultimate and no very distant results
of that battle. All these things the Lord hath now brought about, in
scattering those who delight in war and oppression, and in commanding
the destroying sword to return into its scabbard.—Rest and peace to this
destroying instrument—and for ever! May it never more be drawn in this
country, to cut in sunder afresh the peace and the progress of man! I
send you an account of this late event in Peru, which I think will prove
interesting to you and to your friends.
I expected to find, on my arrival here, a large supply of Spanish New
Testaments, which I thought you would have found an opportunity of
forwarding to some correspondent in this quarter. I have spoken with
Mr. Henderson, the British Consul General here, upon the subject, and
he informs me that there are neither Spanish Bibles nor New Testaments
in this city, and that there is a demand for them. He also informs me,
that he wrote about three months ago to Mr. Dowson, a correspondent of
his, requesting him to forward some to this place. You will please make
inquiry of Mr. D., who lives in Welbeck Street, if he has sent any; and
in the event of none having been sent, have the goodness to forward to
this city, as early as possible, a supply of each of your editions of the
Spanish Scriptures. I have talked with Mr. Henderson upon this subject,
and think he will be a very suitable person to manage your concerns
here, and to correspond with you. He takes a particular interest in this
matter, and desires me to assure you of his readiness to do all that lies
in his power to forward your good work.
* * * * *
_Bogotá, 25th February, 1825._