WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 223 



Zapotitlaii, also called Los Suchitepequez, which raises much cacao ; 

 Sonsonate and the town de La Trinidad, likewise with large yields 

 of cacao ; and the city of San Salvador and its provinces, with many 

 indigo laboratories, mule ranches, and large crops of cacao. 



633. And there are nine Corregimientos where the President of 

 the Circuit Court of Guatemala appoints, viz : that of the Valle 

 mentioned above, Totonicapa, Tepantitlan, Atitlan, Quezaltenango, 

 Casabastran, Esquintepeque, Guazacapan, and Chiquimula de La 

 Sierra. 



634. Since this is the largest city in all these provinces and the 

 Circuit Court has its seat here, and since these provinces and Dioceses 

 are so far removed from Mexico City, whose suffragans they are — 

 and that of Nicaragua is suffragan to that of Lima, which is more 

 than 6oo leagues distant overseas, while it is only 125 leagues from 

 Guatemala — it is highly important and desirable that the Cathedral 

 of Guatemala be made IMetropolitan, and since the provinces of the 

 Diocese of Yerapaz have been joined to it, that it be given an Arch- 

 bishop, with the Bishops of the district of the Circuit Court as his 

 suffragans ; then all that kingdom will be better governed and many 

 matters will be remedied. 



635. The Corregimiento of Totonicapa lies WNW. of Guatemala, 

 on the Chiapas Diocese boundary. Totonicapa is in the sierra and 

 has a cold climate. This town and all its district are very rich ; they 

 make quantities of excellent bacon and ham there. In this village 

 of Totonicapa they gather such an abundance of apples that they 

 fatten the hogs with them. This Corregimiento includes 40 villages ; 

 they raise much cotton and weave it up into large amounts of cloth 

 for the Indians' clothing. There is raised and gathered in this district 

 much wax, honey, copal (which is a resin of much medicinal value, 

 exuded by tall trees like walnut trees) and likewise tacamajaca 

 (tacamahac gum), which comes from a tall tree with thick foliage. 

 There is much mechoacan root, which is an excellent laxative ; still 

 better is that from the matalista, which is another root, like a turnip ; 

 the plant, a vine, and its leaf are like bindweed ; it has a white flower 

 and black seeds like tiny beads. This province abounds in wheat, 

 corn, and other cereals, with much fruit and large cattle ranches. 



Chapter XII 



Continuing the Description of the Corregimientos of the District 

 of the Diocese of Guatemala. 



636. The Corregimiento of Tepantitlan is 8 leagues distant from 

 Totonicapa ; they raise quantities of indigo, which is worth 4 reals 



