WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 219 



Chapter IX 



Continuing the Description of the Churches of This City and 

 Other Factors Contributing to Its Dignity and Embellishment. 



618. Besides the Cathedral staff, there are two curates who admin- 

 ister the Holy Sacraments, since the city is too large and extensive 

 for the Cathedral clergy alone. There is another parish church, San 

 Sebastian, with its curate for the administration of the Holy Sacra- 

 ments to its parishioners, who are the residents of that quarter of 

 the city toward the village of Jocotenango on the Mexico highway, 

 and reaching the ward of San Domingo. The church is finely ap- 

 pointed, with excellent services and attendance of the faithful. 



619. At the other limit of the city, opposite the Franciscan convent 

 on the road to the Old City is the church of Los Remedios, an 

 excellent building, parish auxiliary to the Cathedral. Besides these, 

 in all the quarters of the city and in the suburbs where there are 

 many small Indian villages, there are more than 20 churches and 

 shrines where Mass is said on Sundays and holy days, confession 

 heard, and Christian doctrine taught by the friars of the various 

 convents who have them under their charge. 



620. Besides the above-described, there are in this lovely valley 

 within sight of the city and at a distance varying from 2 leagues 

 down to ^ or ^ league, more than 20 other Indian villages, in which 

 Christian doctrine and instruction are likewise under the charge of 

 the friars. Chief among these is the village of Jocotenango, and a 

 number of others adjoining it (anejos), which are under the charge 

 of the friars of the Glorious Patriarch San Domingo; since this 

 village follows close upon the houses of the city itself, there are 

 usually three or four friars to be found there. This village is a bit 

 of Paradise, with many gardens and orchards of fruit trees, both of 

 Spanish and indigenous sorts, in great abundance, and especially 

 jocotes, which are the plums of the Indies, and resemble the Michael- 

 mas plums of Spain, almost the same in color, and a very sweet 

 and delicious fruit; they dry quantities of them, although they are 

 to be had for the greater part of the year; there are many varieties 

 of bananas and other kinds of fruit. They plant quantities of corn, 

 wheat, horse beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, and all other sorts of 

 cereals, vegetables, and garden truck, both Spanish and native varie- 

 ties ; they yield abundantly. 



621. The Indians of this country and all the district have a very 

 different system of bathing from what prevails elsewhere. Everyone 

 makes, or has made, in his house a sort of small furnace which they 



