At the present moment, and even in the sixteenth century, the language of Quito was the Quichua. It is considered, however, although I have not investigated the evidence, that the aboriginal languages of the country, spoken before the conquest of the Incas, belonged to a different class of tongues; and that the Quiteno dialect of the Peruvian is a recent introduction.
Be this as it may, the population which now comes next is—
THE QUICHUA.
Locality.—From the Equator to 28° south latitude discontinuously; the Quichua area being interrupted about 15° south latitude by the Aymaras. Limited almost exclusively to the plateau of the Andes and to its western slope.
Numbers, according to D'Orbigny, 934,707 pure, 458,572 mixed.
THE AYMARA.
Locality.—From 15° to 20° south latitude. The parts around the Lake Titicaca, and the ruins of Tiaguanaco. Conterminous with and (almost?) surrounded by the Quichuas.
Numbers, according to D'Orbigny, 372,397 pure, 188,237 mixed.