48 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 102 



farms, the natives having died out, there are Negroes and free 

 mulattoes to the number of 2,000, held by the residents of the city 

 and the island for the working of these plantations. Furthermore 

 there are large herds of swine, both on the farms and wild on the 

 hills, on which there is also excellent hunting for game birds like 

 guinea hens, pheasants, wild pigeons, doves, etc. 



121. The Diocese of Puerto Rico has very wide jurisdiction, com- 

 prising four State Governments to which His Majesty appoints, in 

 consultation with the Supreme Council of the Indies — three of them 

 with the title of Captain General, viz, Puerto Rico just described, 

 Cumana and Guiana, which only became an ecclesiastical province in 

 1629 and has no ecclesiastical head as yet ; and Margarita, which is 

 over 150 leagues of dangerous sea voyage from Puerto Rico, with 

 obvious risk of freebooters' attacks also. He appoints another in the 

 city of Cumana on the Spanish Main, 12 leagues from the island of 

 Margarita and its provinces ; and another in the city of Santo Tome 

 and Province of Guiana and island of Trinidad, which is over 250 

 leagues from Puerto Rico ; Guiana lies over 100 leagues from Mar- 

 garita, and the island of Trinidad comes in between — all this with 

 great risk at sea and from pirates, if the Bishop is to make his official 

 visits and confirmations, as the true pastor and prelate is bound to do. 



Chapter VI ( !) 



Of the Island of Margarita, in the District of the Diocese of Puerto 

 Rico ; Its Description, and Other Matters. 



122. The island of Margarita lies in i2°3o' N. It is 15 leagues 

 long from E. to W., and 7 across from N. to S. It has the mainland 

 to the S., 8 leagues distant ; in between lie the islands of Goche and 

 Cubagua, from which has come great wealth in pearls. The soil on 

 the island is dry and covered with thorns, thistles, and spiny bushes, 

 but when it is cultivated the crops bear admirably and in profusion ; 

 in fact, a fanega of corn bears 300- or 400-fold. 



123. The city of La Margarita is established on the highest point 

 of the island, in its eastern section, 2 leagues from the coast. Its winter 

 climate is like that of Spain ; at the other end of the island, to the 

 W., where Macanao is situated, at a distance of 14 leagues from 

 the city, the winter is like that of the mainland, very different and 

 quite the opposite of that of the capital. This latter was founded by 

 Licentiate Marcelo de Villalobos in the year 1525; it will have some 

 250 Spanish residents, not counting Negroes, mulattoes, and other 

 servants. There are in it a very fine parish church, Dominican and 



