WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 213 



like a snake, with feet about a palm long, and on its back a sort of 

 wings ; it was about the size of a horse, and moved slowly past ; never 

 again did the Indians venture to go over into that district, and there 

 is other testimony to the same effect. 



600. On the trees they find what they call wild caterpillars, the 

 size of a horse bean. The Indians raise them like silkworms, and 

 when they are big and red, they mash them up into a blood-colored 

 buttery mess ; this they roast, form into lumps and dry in the sun ; 

 it turns yellow, and is excellent for the treatment of tumors and 

 other troubles. There are other worms in the fields such that if a 

 horse or a mule is bitten by one, it sheds its hoofs. Another kind 

 is useful for cauterizing, and a single application suffices to cure 

 ringworm. There are many others of remarkable qualities ; but, just 

 as with the animals, trees, and other curiosities, it is quite impossible 

 to enumerate them, and so in the following chapter I shall discuss 

 the district of Guatemala. 



Chapter VI 



Of the City of Guatemala and Its District. 



601. Eighty leagues ESE. of Chiapa lies the city of Santiago de 

 Guatemala, built in a fertile, level, and pleasant valley enclosed on 

 every side by mountain ranges and over 6 leagues in circuit, more 

 than 3 long and 2 wide. There is a river running N. and S. through 

 it, and along its banks and shores there are some Indian settlements, 

 gristmills, gardens, and orchards of native and Spanish fruit trees, 

 and farms on which they raise wheat, corn, and other cereals, vege- 

 tables and garden truck. The entire valley in which the city lies, has 

 a springlike climate the whole year through. 



602. Commander Don Pedro de Alvarado explored and subdued 

 these provinces and in the year 1524 established and colonized the 

 city of Santiago de Los Caballeros de Guatemala a league from 

 where it is at present, at the very end of the valley on the slopes 

 of a high volcano which they call the Water Volcano ; there is a nice 

 Indian village there with a Franciscan convent ; they call it the Old 

 City of Guatemala. Opposite is another very high volcano with two 

 peaks ; from the one on the ESE. it erupts big rivers of fire and 

 very large white-hot pumice stones ; and when it is stormy, rainy 

 weather, it gets ugly, rumbles and thunders, and pours out larger 

 rivers of fire, and so great is the light and the illumination it causes 

 that even though the city is today at a distance of 3 leagues from it, 

 one can read a book by its light on the darkest of nights, as I proved 



