SOUTH-AMERICA is an extenfive peninfula, connected with NorthAmerica, by the ithmus of Darien, and divided between Spain, Portugal, France, Holland, and the Aborigines.

TERRA FIRMA, OR NEW CASTILE.

TERRA FIRMA, is a very extenfive country, it being bounded

on the N. and E. by the Atlantic Ocean; on the S. by part of Guiana and the country of the Amazons; and on the W. by the South Sea, where the Ifthmus of Darien alfo divides it from Mexico. Its greatest length from the South Sea, to the mouth of the river Oroonoko, is upward of thirteen hundred miles, and its greatest breadth is about feven hundred and fifty; but in other places it is much pent in by the river Oroonoko, fo that it is not above half that breadth, tad toward the mouth of that river not above a hundredand eighty miles. It extends almoft from the equator to 12° 18′ N. latitude, and from 60° 20′ to 80° W. longitude.

Terra Eirma is divided into the following diftricts, or government: the Jahmus of Darien, or Terra Firma Proper, Carthagena, Santa Martha, Rio de la Hacha, Venezuela, New Granada, New Andalufia, and the province of Popayan.

The moll northern of these is the country lying between the Gulf of Darien and Mexico, along the coaft of the Alantic and Pacific Oceans, particularly diguithed by the rame of the Ifthmus of Darien, and by fome writers called the Ifthmus of Panama. It divides North and South America. extending between 8° and 10° N. latitude, and between 78° and 87° 30' W. longitude, in the form of a crefcent, round the Bay of Panama, for about three hundred miles in length, and fixty in breadth, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. It is bounded on the E. by the river and Gulf of Darien, which feparates it from Carthagena; on the S. by Popayan and the Pacific Ocean; and on the W. by the fame ocean and Veragua.

The land has almoft every where an equal furface, and is diftinguifhed by hills and vailies of great variety for height, depth, and extent. The valhes are genera! watered with rivers, brooks, and perennial fprings, fome of which fall into the North Sea, and others into the South Sea; most of them rise fron a chain of the highest hills that extend the length of the ifthmus, in a Kanner parallel to the shore, and nearest to the North Sea, from which it is

feldom above ten or fifteen miles diftant. On the N. fide of the main ridge, which is a continuation of the Andes, the land is either level or rifes in gentle declivities.

The principal rivers are the Rio Grande, Darien, Charge, and the Oronoque.

The principal bays in Terra Firma are, the bay of Panama. and the bay of St. Michael's, in the South Sea; the bay of Porto Bello, the gulf of Darien, Sino bay, Carthagena bay and harbour, the gulf of Venezuela, the bay of Maracaibo, the gulf of Triefto, the bay of Guaria, the bay of Curiaco, and the gulf of Paria, or Andalufa, in the North Sea.

The chief Capes are, Samblas Point, Point Canon, Cape del Agua, Swart point, Cape de Veli, Cape Conquibaco, Cape Cabelo, Cape Blance, Cape Galera, Cape Three Points, and Cape Naffan; all on the north thore

of Terra Firma.

The clive here, particularly in the northern divifions, is extremely hot; and Uloa afferts, that the heat of the warmest day in Paris is continual at Carthagena; the excellive heats raife the vapour of the fea, which is precipitated in fu. brains as feem to threaten a general deluge. Great part of the country, therefore, is aloft continually flooded; and this, together with the excellive hat, fo impregnates the air with vapours, that in many pro vinces, particulary about Popayan and Porto Bello, it is extremely unwhole!ome.

The foil of this country, Ike that of the greater part of South America, is extremely rich and fruitful. It is impoffible to view, without admuation, the perpetual verdure of the woods, the luxuriancy of the plains, and the towering height of the mountains. This, however, only applies to the inland country, for the coals are generally barren fand. and incapable of bearing any fpecies of grain. The trees, molt remarkable for their dimenfions, are the caubo, the cedar, the maria, the balfa., and manchinel. The habella de carthagena is the fruit of a fpecies of willow, and contains a kernel refembling an almond, but lefs white, and extremely bitter. This kernel is found to be an excellent and never-failing remedy for the bite of the moit venemous vipers and ferpents, which are very frequent in this country. There were formerly in Terra Firma rich mines of gold, which are now, in a great measure, exhaufted. Silver, iron, and copper mines have been fince opened; and emeralds, faphires, and other precious Runes,

are fometimes found.

In treating of North-America, we have taken notice of many of the animals that are found in the fouthern parts. Among thofe peculiar to the fou h, the most remarkable is the fleth, or, as it is called by way of derifion, the fwift Peter. It bears a refemblance to an ordinary monkey in fhape and fize, but is of a moft wretched appearance, with its hams and feet bare, and its skin corrugated. He never firs unlels compelled by hunger; and is faid to be feveral ininutes in moving one of his legs, nor will blows make him mend his space. When he moves, every effort is attended with fuch a plaintive and difagreeable a cry, as produces pity and difguft. In this cry confills the whole defence of this wretched animal. For, on the first hoftile approach, it is natural for him to attempt to move from danger, which is always attended with fuch difguftful howling, that his enemy quickly retreats, to be beyond the reach of this horrid noife. When this animal finds no wild fruits on the ground, he looks out with a great deal of pain for a tree well loaded, which he afcends with great uneafinefs, moving, and crying, and flopping

by turns. At length having mounted, he plucks off all the fruit, and throws it on the ground, to fave himself fuch another troublesome journey; and rather than be fatigued with coming down the tree, he gathers himself in a bunch, and with a fhrick drops to the ground.

The monkeys in thefe countries are very numerous; they herd together twenty or thirty in company, rambling through the woods, leaping from tree to tree, and if they meet with a fingle perfon, fometimes attempt to tear him in pieces; they hang themselves by the tail, on the boughs, and feem to threaten him all the way he palles, throwing flicks or ftones at him; but where two or three people are together, they ufually fcamper away.

Befides the Indians in this country, who fall under our general defcription of the Americans, there is another fpecies, of a fair complexion, delicate habit, and of a fmaller flature than the ordinary Indians. Their difpofiti. ons too are more foft and effeminate; but what principally diffinguishes them, is their large weak blue eyes, which, unable to bear the light of the fun, fee beft by noon-light, and from which they are called moon-eyed Indians,

The inhabitants do not materially differ from thofe of Mexico. It is only necellary to add, that the original inhabitants of Spain are variously intermixed with the negroes and Indians. These intermixtures form different gradations, which are carefully diftinguithed, becaufe every perfon expects to be regarded, in proportion as a greater fhare of the Spanish blood runs in his veins. The firft diltinction, arifing from the intermarriage of the whites( with the negroes, is that of the mulattoes, which is well known. Next to thefe are the tercerones, produced from a white and mulatto. From the intermarriage of thefe and the whites, arife the quarterones, who, though ftill nearer the former, have a tint of the negro blood. But the iffue of these and the whites are the quinterones, who, it is faid, are not to be diflinguished from the real Spaniards, but by being of a ftill fairer complexion. The fame gradations are formed in a contrary order, by the intermixture of the mulattoes and the negroes, and befides thefe, there are many others, hardly diftinguishable by the natives themselves. The commerce of this country is chiefly carried on from the ports of Panama, Carthagena, and Porto Bello: which are three of the most confiderable cities in Spanish-America. In them are held the annual fairs for American, Indian, and European commodities. Among the natural merchandife of Ter a Firma, the pearls found on the coal, particularly in the bay of Panama, are not the leaft confiderable. The fishing for these, employs a great number of negro flaves, who have arrived at wonderful dexterity in this occupation. They are fometimes, however, devoured by fifh, particularly the fharks, while they dive to the bottom, or are crushed again the fhelves of the rocks. The government of Terra Firma is fimilar with that of Mexico.

PERU

CHAP. XXVIII.

PERU.

ERU is fituated between the equator and 25° fouth latitude, and 60° and 81′ weft longitude; its length is eighteen hundred miles, and its breadth according to fome authors, three hundred and ninety, and others fix hundred miles; but the latest and most authentic accounts flate it at about five hundred. It is bounded on the north by Terra Firma, on the welt by the Pacific Ocean, on the fouth by Chili, and on the eat by the mountains called the Andes. This empire, at the time it was fubdued by the Spaniards extended along the South Sea, from the river of Emeralds to Chili, and on the land fide to Popayan, according to fome geographers. It contained within its extent that famous chain of mountains which rifes in the Terra Magellanica, and is gradually loft in Mexico, in order to unite, as it fhould feem, the fouthern parts of America with the northern.

It is now divided into three grand divifions or audiences: 1. Quito: 2. Lima, or Los Reyes; and, 3. Los Charcos. As to its climate, mines, foil and produce, they differ greatly in different parts of the country.

QUITO.

The extenfive province of Quito is bounded on the north by Popayan, and includes a part of that government; alfo by Santa Fe de Bogota; on the fouth by the governments of Piura and Chacoapoyas; on the east it extends over the whole government of Maynas and the river of the Amazons to the meredian, which divides the Spanifa from the Portuguefe dominious; and on the weft it is bounded by the South fea; extending according to Antonio de Ulloa, fix hundred leagues in length, and about two hundred in its greatest breadth; but this greatly exceeds the computation of all other geographers. He however obferves, that it must be owned a great part of those vaft dominions are either inhabited by nations of Indians, or have not hitherto been fufficiently peopled by the Spaniards, if indeed they had been tho roughly known; and that all the paris that can properly be faid to be peopled, and actually fubject to the Spanish government, are thofe intercepted by the two Cordilleras of the Andes, which, in comparison to the extent of the country, may be termed a ftreet or lane, fifteen leagues, or fometimes more, from eaft to well; to this must be added feveral detached governments, feparated by the very extenfive tracts inhabited by free Indians.

The climate of Quito differs from all others in the fame parallel, fince even in the center of the torrid zone, or although under the equinoctial. the heat is not only very tolerable, but even in fome places the cold is painful; while others enjoy all the advantages of a perpetual spring, the fields being con ftantly covered with verdure, and enamelled with flowers of the moft lively colours. The mildness of the climate, free from the extremes of heat and cold, and the conflant equality of the day and night, render this country, which, from its fituation, might be thought to be parched by the conflant heat of the fun, and scarcely inhabitable, both pleasant and fertile; for Nature has here difpenfed her bleflings with fo liberal a hand, that this country in feveral respects furpaffes those of the temperate zones, where the vicithi No. 28.

tudes of winter and fummer, and the change from heat to cold, cause the extremes of both to be more fenfibly felt. However, in different parts of the country, the air is very different; in one part are mountains of a flupendous height and magnitude, with their fummits covered with fnow. The plains are temperate, the valleys hot, and, according to the high or low fituation of the country, are found all the variety of gradations in temperature poffible to be conceived between the extremes of heat and cold.

Quito, the capital, in o° 13' fouth latitude, and 77° 50' weft longitude from Greenwich, is fo happily fituated, that neither heat nor cold are troublefome, though both may be felt in its neighbourhood; and what renders equality more delightful is, that it is conftant throughout the whole year, the difference between the feafons being scarce perceptible. Indeed the mornings are cool, the remainder of the day warm, and the nights of an agreeable temperature.

The winds, which are pure and falubrious, blow for the most part from north to fouth, but never with any violence, though they fometimes shift quarters, but without any regard to the feafon of the year. Such fignal advantages refulting from the climate, foil, and afpect of this country, would be fufficient to render it the molt enviable fpot upon earth, as it is fuppofed to be the most elevated, if, whilft enjoying thefe delights, the inhabitants were not harraffed by terror, and expofed to continual danger: for here tremendous tempefs of thunder and lightning prevail, which are fufficient to appal the ftoutef heart; whilit earthquakes frequently fpread univerfal apprehenfions, and fometimes bury cities in ruins.

The diflinction of winter and fummer confifts in a very minute difference; the interval between the month of September and thofe of April, May or June, is here called the winter feafon, and the other months compofe the fumner. In the former season the rain chiefly prevails, and in the latter the inhabitants frequently enjoy whole days of fine weather; but whenever the rains are discontinued for above a fortnight, the inhabitants are in the utmo confternation, and public prayers are offered up for their return. On the other hand, when they continue a fhort time without intermiffion, the like fears prevail, and the churches are again crowded with fupplicants to obtain fine weather; for a long drought produces dangerous difcafes, and a continual rain, without intervals of funfhine, deftroys the fruits of the earth. The city of Quito, however, enjoys one peculiar advantage in being free from mufketoes and other troublesome infects, fuch as fleas and venemous reptiles, except the nigua or pique, which is a very finall infect fhaped like a flea, but hardly vifible to the fight.

The fertility of the foil here is incredible, for the fruits and beauties of the feveral feafons are visible at the fame time; and the curious European obferves with a pleafing admiration, that while fome herbs of the field are fading others of the fame kind are fpringing up, while fome flowers lofe their beauty, others blow to continue the enamelled profpect: thus, when the fruits of the trees have attained their maturity, and the leaves begin to change their colour, fresh leaves bloffom, and fruits are feen in their proper gradation, in fize and ripeness on the fame tree. The fame incellant fertility is confpicuous in the corn, both reaping and fowing being carried on at the fame time; fo that the declivities of the neighbouring hills exhibit all the beauties of the four feafons in one affemblage. Though all this is generally feen, yet there is a fettled time for the grand harvest: yet fometimes the most favourable feafon for sowing in one place is a month or two after that of another, though their distance Vol. IV.

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