222 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 102 



the land yielded no crops and they could not make any indigo ; the 

 land was buried in ashes. 



629. Near this village is an important mill and sugar plantations 

 where they turn out much sugar ; it belonged to Juan Gonzalez Donis, 

 and is now in the possession of his heirs. This village is likewise 

 close to a large lake which is more than 6 leagues in circuit and very 

 full of fish, especially excellent mojarras, but many alligators live 

 in it, which are like the crocodiles of the Nile. From the volcanoes 

 they get quantities of rock sulfur, copperas (copper pyrites?), and 

 alum. 



Chapter XI 



Continuing the Description of Guatemala and Its District. 



630. Within a 5-league district this city has over 60 Indian villages, 

 called the Corregimiento del Valle. These Indians are for the service 

 of the city and its residents, and the Corregidor who regulates and 

 governs them is one of the regular Alcaldes for that year ; the oldest 

 governs for the first 6 months and is called the Corregidor del Valle ; 

 then the second Alcalde for the other 6 months. 



631. The Circuit Court comprises five Dioceses, viz, that of 

 Guatemala, Chiapas, Verapaz (which was given up and annexed to 

 that of Guatemala), Comayagua with all its provinces of Honduras 

 and Nicaragua. On the W., from the farthest bounds of Chiapas 

 next to Tehuantepec, where it borders on the Circuit Court of 

 Mexico, up to Costa Rica on the E., which belongs to the Diocese of 

 Nicaragua, suffragan to Lima — on that side it borders on heathen 

 Indians and the Province of Veragua in the District Court of 

 Panama— it is almost 400 leagues long ; and in breadth from the 

 Province of Soconusco, which is on the Pacific Coast, to the port 

 of Trujillo, over 200 leagues. 



632. The Diocese of Guatemala holds very wide jurisdiction from 

 W. to E. along the sierra, from Huistla in the Corregimiento of 

 Totonicapa, which is 2 leagues from Acuespalatl (which means river 

 saurian) in the Diocese of Chiapas and fronting on the Pacific, and 

 from the farthest bounds of the Province of Zapotitlan or Suchite- 

 pequez, which borders on the W. on the above-mentioned State of 

 Soconusco, up to the farthest bounds and villages of the Province 

 of Chuluteca and town of the Valle de Jerez, where it borders on 

 the Diocese of Nicaragua, which is to the E. It runs over 160 leagues 

 E. and W., and its width N. and S. from one sea to the other is 

 more than 80 leagues, and it contains many provinces and villages ; 

 in them are three Alcaldias Mayores, where His Majesty appoints 

 in consultation with the Supreme Council of the Indies. These are 



