The place is well supplied with water, and the environs are extremely fertile and pleasant. It contains three churches, two of which are appropriated to the Indians. There are also four convents, two nunneries, and a college formerly belonging to the Jesuits, with an hospital. Its public offices are the chamber of finance, and those of the government of the city; and the tithes and taxes of Loja and Jaen de Bracamoros are collected here.

Its inhabitants exceed 20,000.

The men are said to be very indolent; the manufactures of baize and cottons being carried on by the women, who transact most of the business.

Alausi, the chief place of the second department, is an inconsiderable town, in 2° 12′ north latitude, and 78° 39′ west longitude.

It contains a few Spaniards of rank, Mestizoes, and Indians.

It has a good parish church, and a Fran

ciscan convent.

SECTION XLV.

LOXA.

THE last jurisdiction of Quito on the south, which is not a separate province, is Loja, or Loxa.

In this district are fourteen villages.

It is famous for producing great quantities of the best quinquina, or cinchona, so well known as a medicine. The forests of Loxa contain three kinds of this substance. The trees which produce this bark are not of the largest size, the usual height being about fifteen feet the largest branches do not always yield the best. In order to collect the bark, the Indians cut down the trees, then strip them, and dry the rind in the sun; after which it is packed for exportation. Cochineal of an excellent quality is bred in this country; but so little care is taken, that enough is produced only to serve the dyers of Cuença. The manufacture of carpets, in which the cochineal dye is used, is very considerable.

Numerous droves of cattle and mules are sent from this district to Peru and Quito.

LOXA is the chief town, resembling in extent, form, and manner of building, the city of Cuença, but the climate is much hotter,

In it are two churches, several convents, a nunnery, an hospital, and an ancient college of the Jesuits.

Its population is about 10,000, an industrious people.

The village of Zeruma is celebrated for having some rich gold veins in its neighbourhood, which have failed, owing to the want of proper exertion being made to clear them. This town

or village contains five or six thousand inhabitants.

SECTION XLVI.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF THE POPULATION, AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CONGRESS OF COLOMBIA.

THE recent appearance of this document alone prevented our adopting it as the basis of the arrangement of this chapter.

The Seven Provinces, formerly known under the general title of Quito, had not been distributed into departments nor senatorial districts; nor had Panama and Veragua; but it was supposed that an arrangement would be made, at the next Session of Congress, to comprise them into three departments, so as to conform the principle of representation to the population, which would complete the Senate to fifty Members, and the Representatives to ninetyfive.

CHAPTER III.

POPULATION OF THE COUNTRY IN GENERAL, AND THE SPANISH POPULATION

IN PARTICULAR.

SECTION I.

THEIR AMOUNT, DISTRIBUTION, &C.

THE Country of Caracas is nearly twice as large as Peru. Cundinamarca, including Quito, is still larger. The former Capitania-General contains near 48,000 square leagues (twentyfive to a degree): Peru, after La Paz, Potosi, Charcas, and Santa Cruz de la Sierra, were separated from it, and joined to the viceroyalty of Buenos Ayres, contained only 30,000. Cundinamarca, including Quito, .contains 65,000. Those calculations have been made by M. Oltmanns, from the alterations which Humboldt's astronomical observations have introduced into of Spanish America.

the maps

The former of these portions, Caracas, has nearly a million of inhabitants.