Travels of Pedro de Cieza de León, A.D. 1532–50

The city of San Francisco del Quito is in the northern province of the kingdom of Peru. This province is nearly sixty leagues long from east to west, and twenty-five or thirty broad. The city is built amongst ancient buildings, which the Yncas, in the days of their power, had ordered to be raised in these parts. They were the work of the illustrious and powerful Huayna Ccapac, and of the great Tupac, his father, and the natives called these royal and noble buildings Quito, whence the city took its name. The climate is healthy, and more cold than warm. There is little or no extent of view from the city, because it is situated in a hollow surrounded by high mountains, and the level space is so confined that there will be some difficulty in building if it is desired to enlarge the city, but it could be made very strong if it was considered necessary. To the west are the cities of Puerto Viejo, and Guayaquil, which are about seventy and eighty leagues distant, and to the south are the cities of Loxa and San Miguel, the one one hundred and thirty and the other eighty leagues distant. To the east are the forests and the sources of the river which is called the fresh water sea, and to the north is the government of Popayan, which we have just passed.