i 4 o HISTORY OF THE [BOOK. n. 



opinion that the building was never compleated; for 

 he observed several arched stones that must have been 

 designed for it, which apparently had never been put 

 up. He likewise discovered, in the same condition, 

 materials for a capital mansion, probably intended for 

 the palace of the governor. From these circumstances, 

 the tradition which still prevails in the island, that the 

 Spanish inhabitants of Seville were at some period 

 in their wars with the natives entirely and suddenly 

 cut off, is probably founded in truth. Sloane, indeed, 

 relates, that some of the Spanish planters, who had re- 

 tired to Cuba, assigned very different reasons for the 

 desertion of this part of the country, alleging, that a 

 visitation of innumerable ants had destroyed all their 

 provision grounds, and that the situation of the capi- 

 tal was ill adapted for the purposes of their commerce. 

 These reasons might possibly have operated against 

 the re-establishment of the place ; but were not, I 

 think, of sufficient efficacy to induce a whole body ot 

 people, the inhabitants of a growing capital, suddenly 

 to remove their families and effects, and voluntarily 

 submit to the labour of building an entire new town, 



$ " Over the door (of the west gate) was a carving of our Saviour's 

 head with a crown of thorns between two angels j on the right side a 

 small round figure of some saint, with a knife stuck into bis head. On the 

 left a Virgin Mary or Madona, her arm tied in three places, Spanish fa- 

 shion. Over the gate, under a coat of arms, this inscription. 



petrus. Martir. Ab. ^.ngleiia. Italus. Civis. Mediolanen. Prothon. 

 Apos. Hujus. Insule. Abbas. Senatus. Indici. Consiliarius. Ligne- 

 am. Primus. JEdem. Hanc. Bis. Igne. Consumptam. Latericio. Et. 

 Quadra to. Lanide. Primus. A. Fundanientis. Eiruxit." 



