Around and about South America . owever, but little per-sonal power, and all his acts must be ratified by Congress inorder to become laws. There have been several revolutionsin Ecuador since my visit, and during one of. these PresidentCaamano was obliged to flee from the capital to Guayaquil,and one of his aides was shot down at his side. There are very many monasteries in Quito, and one ofthem, that of San Francisco, is perhaps the largest in theworld. With its church it occupies an entire square, andhas, besides, rich farms in the neighboring country, uponwhich it depends for its revenue. Wi
Around and about South America . owever, but little per-sonal power, and all his acts must be ratified by Congress inorder to become laws. There have been several revolutionsin Ecuador since my visit, and during one of. these PresidentCaamano was obliged to flee from the capital to Guayaquil,and one of his aides was shot down at his side. There are very many monasteries in Quito, and one ofthem, that of San Francisco, is perhaps the largest in theworld. With its church it occupies an entire square, andhas, besides, rich farms in the neighboring country, uponwhich it depends for its revenue. Within the city establish-ment were many quadrangular buildings inclosing fine gar-dens, with flowers and fountains, where the friars take exer-cise and into which they may look from their cells. The ad-joining corridors are hung with rows of paintings of all sortsof biblical legends and myths of the early Catholic friars of this convent wear a yellowish-white cowl andcassock. Walking about were many young boys who were. President Caamano. QUITO—PARADISE OF PRIESTS. 33 studying for the priesthood, fourteen years novitiate beingnecessary to attain that dignity. I climbed the tower to seethe bells, one of which was very old and very large. It wassuspended from two immense beams by about a hundreddoublings of a bulls-hide rope. There were half a dozenother bells of varying sizes and tones. These were all beatenfrom without. In Quito all day long the bells are kept jing-ling or tolling for some religious ceremony or other, in someone of its score of churches, and to this are frequently addedthe braying of bugles and the din of military bands. It is averitable paradise of priests—there are said to be over fourhundred in the city—but something of a pandemonium forthe laity. Bishops and priests and friars are always to beseen upon the streets. The bishops walk slowly along, be-stowing their blessings right and left, or giving their greatseal-rings or gloved hands to be
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