230 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I02 



who in their zeal, virtue, and observance of their rule and constitution, 

 are worthy imitators of their glorious patriarch. The Franciscan 

 convent is very strict ; there is another convent, of the Mercedarian 

 Order, which is a modern foundation ; there are other churches and 

 pilgrimage shrines for the comfort and relief of the citizens. 



657. On the other side of the river is a small Indian village called 

 San Jacinto, where the administration of the Holy Sacraments and 

 the teaching of Christian doctrine and good morals are in the hands 

 of the Dominican fathers ; and there are many other Indian villages 

 near the city. The city has an Alcalde Mayor appointed by His 

 Majesty in consultation with the Supreme Council of the Indies ; 

 this official has very wide jurisdiction over many provinces and 

 Indian villages, and in them over 200 laboratories in which they 

 extract and put up indigo dye, and many ranches where they raise 

 cattle, horses, and mules. 



658. This district begins at the Indian village of Atiquizaya, on 

 the Guatemala road ; this is followed by the village of Santa Ana 

 and others. In this village of Santa Ana, which is one of the largest 

 in those provinces, besides a plentiful supply of foodstuffs, they have 

 an excellent dyewood which colors tawny and blue ; they gather much 

 contrahierba and other drugs and medicinal fruits and roots ; there 

 is also a small tree which produces a very fine gum like benzoin ; 

 dragon's blood, mechoacan, and excellent laxative beans are gathered 

 also. All this country has a hot climate. On this side it borders on 

 the district of Chiquimula de La Sierra. 



659. Beyond the city in the direction of the large Rio de Lempa 

 lie the Province and Indian villages of Tecoluca, Zacatecoluca, and 

 others, on the slopes of a tall volcano toward the S. This country 

 raises large crops of cacao and has many indigo laboratories and 

 cattle ranches ; trade is very brisk and for that reason many Spaniards 

 live in the Indian villages and [many] traders travel through to buy 

 the local products. On the northern slopes of this volcano lie the 

 Indian villages of Istepeque and Apastepeque, in whose district they 

 put up large amounts of indigo which ranks with the best manu- 

 factured in those provinces. 



660. Close by the city is a very large lake where they catch quan- 

 tities of fish, especially mojarras, for the food supply of the residents. 

 One-fourth league from the city there are famous hot baths, where 

 invalids bathe and recover their health, for they are very beneficial.' 

 It is considered certain that these hot baths and other streams of 

 hot water come from, or pass through, the volcano which is near 

 the city; in times past this volcano ejected great quantities of fire, 

 but at the present there is neither eruption nor sign of it. 



