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.

CHAPTER XI.

Visit of the Academicians to Quito in 1736....Inscription left by....Climate of Quito....View of Mountains at....Description of Chimboraso....Of Cayambe urcu....Of Antisana....Of Cotopaxi....Of Pichincha....Of El Altar....Description of the fertility of the Valleys....Mines....Ruins of Temples, Palaces, and Fortified Places....Account of the Indians....Of Commerce.

In 1736 the academy of sciences at Paris sent M. Luis Godin, M. Peter Bouguer, M. Charles de la Condamine and others to Quito, in order to make some astronomical and physical observations. They were accompanied, by order of the Spanish Court, by Don Jorge Juan, and Don Antonio de Ulloa. Having finished their operations they left the following inscription in marble on the wall of the church belonging to the ex-Jesuits:—

Observationibus Ludovici Godin, Petri Bouguer, Caroli Mariæ de la Condamine á Regia Parasiensi Scientiarum Academia, inventa sunt Quiti latitudo hujusce templiaustralis grad. 0 min. 3 sec. 18. longitudo occidentalis ab observatorio Regio grad. 81, min. 22. Declinatio acus magneticæ à borea ad orientem, exeunte anno 1736 grad. 8, min. 45; anno 1742 grad. 8, min. 20. Inclinatio ejusdem infra orizontem parte boreali, conchœ anno 1739 grad. 12. Quiti 1741 grad. 15. Altitudines supra libellam maris geometrice collectæ in exapedis Parisiensibus spectabiliorum nive perenni hujus provinciæ montium quorum plerique flammas evomuerunt—Cota-cache 2567, Cayambur 3028, Antisana 3016, Cotopaxi 2952, Tunguragua 2623, Sangay etiam nunc ardentis 2678, Chimboraso 3220, Ilinisa 2717, Soli Quitensis in foro majori 1462, Crucis in proximo Pichincha montis vertice conspicuæ 2042, acutioris ac lapidei cacuminis nive plerumque operti 2432, ut et nivis infimæ permanentis in montibus nivosis: media elevatio mercurii in barometro suspensi in Zona Torrida, eaque parum variabilis in ora maritima pollicum 28. linearum 0. Quiti poll. 20. lin. 0¼ in Pichinche ad crucem poll. 17. lin. 7. ad nivem poll. 16. lin. 0 spiritus vini qui in thermometro Reaumuriano à partibus 1000 incipiente gelu ad 1080 partes in aqua fervente intumescit: dilatio Quiti à partibus 1008 ad partes 1018 juxta mare a 1017 ad 1029 in fastigio Pichinche à 995 ad 1012. Soni velocitatis unius minuti secundi intervalo hæxapedarum 175. Penduli simplicis equinoctialis, unius minuti secundi temporis medii in altitudine soli Quitensis archetypus.

(Mensuruæ naturalis exemplar, utinam et
universalis)

Aqualis 5079/10000 Hexapedæ, seu pedibus 3 pollicibus 0. lineis 6-83/100 major in proximæ maris littore 27/100 lin. minor in apice Pichinche 16/100 lin. Refractio Astronomica Orizontalis sub Æquatore media, juxta mare 27 min. ad nivem in Chimboraso 19´ 51´´; ex qua et aliis observatis Quiti 22´ 50´´. Limborum inferiorum Solis in Tropicis, Dec. 1736, et Junii 1737, distantia instrumento dodecapedalia mensurata grad. 47, min. 28, sec. 36, ex qua positis diametris Solis min. 32, sec. 37, et 31´ 33´´. Refractione in 66, grad. altitudinis 0´ 15´´. Parallaxi vero 4´ 10´´ eruiter obliquitas Eclipticæ, circa Equinoctium Martii 1737, grad. 23, min. 28, sec. 28. Stellæ triem in Baltheo Orionis mediæ (Bayero E.) Declinatio Australis Julio 1737 grad. 1, min. 23, sec. 40. Ex arcu graduum plusquam trium reipsa dimenso gradus Meridiani, seu latitudinis primus, ad libellam maris reductus Hexap. 36650. Quorum memoriam ad Physices, Astronomiæ Geographiæ Nautice incrementa hoc marmore parieti Templi Colegii Maximii Quitensis Soc. Jesu affixo, hujus et posteri Ævi utilitati V. D. C. Spissimi Observatories Anno Christi 1742.

M. de la Condamine fixed his meridian on the terrace of the college; but this line being traced on brick became effaced, and in 1766 another was substituted on stone, and a Latin inscription on marble was placed on the wall near to it.

The climate of Quito is remarkably agreeable, and almost invariable; the indication of winter is the fall of rain, and the absence of rain constitutes the summer season. During the months of December, January, February, and March it generally rains every afternoon; usually beginning at half-past one o'clock and continuing till five. A rainy or even a cloudy morning is seldom seen at Quito, and even during the rainy season the evenings and mornings are most beautiful.