Concerning the road which leads from the province of Quito to the coast of the South Sea, and the bounds of the city of Puerto Viejo.

I have now brought my narrative as far as the buildings of Tumebamba, and it is necessary that I should describe the cities of Puerto Viejo and Guayaquil, although I would rather go on, both because I have not been much in the latter districts, and because the natives are deficient in intelligence, and it is difficult to get information from them. Also because it seemed to me sufficient that I should conduct the reader along the royal road; but my obligation to satisfy the curious obliges me to give a true account of everything that has come within my observation; and I feel certain that this will be agreeable to all learned, benevolent, and judicious readers. Thus I make the following statements with all the truthfulness and exactness that I am master of. Having said so much concerning these provinces, I will then return to the royal road.

To go, then, to these cities of Puerto Viejo and Guayaquil, it is necessary to take the road from Quito to the coast of the South Sea, and I will commence my account at Guaque, which is the beginning of the one region and the boundary of the other. From Tumebamba there is no direct road to the coast, except in the direction of the city of San Miguel, the first settlement made by the Christians in Peru.

In the district of Quito, not very far from Tumebamba, there is a province called Chumbo, but before reaching it there are other villages of various sizes, inhabited by Indians wearing clothes, with good-looking women. There are royal buildings in the villages, as in those we have passed, and the people obeyed the Lords Yncas, and used the general language which was ordered to be talked in all parts. The natives have the same customs as their neighbours, and the same religion, worshipping the sun and other gods, and believing in the immortality of the soul. They had relations with the devil, and, God permitting it for their sins, the evil one had great power over them. Now, as the holy faith is preached in every direction, many of them have become Christians, and friars are living amongst them, who teach them the things concerning the faith.

The natives of these parts have a very well marked sign of distinction, by which they may be known of all men. When I was in Cuzco people arrived there from all parts, and we knew by their distinguishing marks that some came from Canchiz, others from Canas, others from Collao, others from Huancas, and others from Chachapoyas. This was, assuredly, an excellent invention, by means of which, in time of war, they could not mistake one tribe for another, and, in time of peace, each man knew his own countryman. Without some distinguishing mark, there would be many tribes gathered together by order of their chiefs, all of one colour, with the same features and appearance, all without beards, the same dress, and using one language.

In all these villages there are now churches where they say mass, and great care is taken to teach the children their prayers, so that, with the help of God, there is hope that things will go on improving.

From this province of Chumbo the road continues for fourteen leagues over rugged and sometimes difficult ground, until a river is reached where there are always natives with balsas who ferry travellers across. This place is called the pass of Huayna Ccapac, and it is said to be twelve leagues from the island of Puna. Further on the Indians are not so civilised as those we have passed, because some of them were not completely subjugated by the Kings Yncas.