WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 2.2g 



trickles down ruddy as gold ; this is the pure balsam. The Indians 

 scorch the tree to make the balsam run, and boil the bark, which 

 makes it come out black ; and although they try many schemes to 

 increase its bulk, like the women innkeepers in Madrid putting water 

 in the wine, the balsam will not unite with anything of different 

 nature from its own ; in fact, it draws apart immediately and becomes 

 recognizable and easy to distinguish. The chief crop is from No- 

 vember and December till May ; that is the spring crop ; but it flows 

 the whole year. 



654. Captains Pedro de Solorzano and Pedro Ortes de Velasco 

 made a beginning of the conquest of these provinces, under Com- 

 mander Don Pedro de Alvarado, but they were given Indian allot- 

 ments in Chiapas and settled down there. It was Don Juan Vazquez 

 de Coronado who finally subdued and took possession of them ; he 

 was a noble gentleman of Salamanca, descendant of the royal house 

 of France ; he pacified the Provinces of Los Izalcos, Caluco, Naulingo, 

 and other villages, and founded the city of La Trinidad, together with 

 Capt. Caspar Arias de Avila, who had aided Don Pedro de Alvarado 

 in those campaigns. 



Chapter XV 



Continuing the Description of the District of the Diocese of 

 Guatemala, and of the City of San Salvador and Its Provinces. 



655. The city of San Salvador is 12 leagues from the town of 

 Sonsonate and 45 from Guatemala. It lies in the Province of 

 Cuzcatlan in an attractive and fertile valley at 13° N. This valley 

 is traversed by a small river with sweet and crystal-clear water, on 

 which some gristmills have been built. It has a hot climate with 

 bright skies and healthful breezes. The city contains over 200 Spanish 

 residents, but has been going downhill since the great earthquakes ; 

 many of the citizens live for most of the year on their farms, 

 ranches, and mills. It has an excellent parish church, in which lies 

 the body of its sainted Bishop Fray Don Juan Ramirez, who went 

 out there as a zealous and vigilant shepherd, visiting his Diocese and 

 looking after his flock of sheep. To give him the recompense of his 

 labors, God called him and took him to Himself. Thus this city and 

 church are greatly favored and exalted in having such a great relic 

 as the body of this sainted prelate, which is deposited here as a 

 treasure from Heaven. 



656. This city has an excellent Dominican convent with large 

 revenues and many indigo laboratories for the support of the friars, 



