262 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I02 



752. Leaving the city of Granada for the city of Cartage and the 

 Provinces of Costa Rica, one comes to the Indian village of Nicaragua 

 de Los Indios, which has the same climate and fertility as the others. 

 From this village the route lies E. to the port and village of Nicoya, 

 which is 45 leagues from Granada on the Costa Rica King's Highway. 

 This village and port of Nicoya is provided by His Majesty, in 

 consultation with the Supreme Council of the Indies, with an Alcalde 

 Mayor for its good government and the administration of justice. 

 They build many ships here for navigation on the Pacific, having 

 excellent timber and shipyards for their manufacture. 



753. Near here is the port of La Caldera and others, all located 

 on an arm of the sea running inland between this country and the 

 Province of Veragua. These export flour and other local products 

 raised in Costa Rica, to Panama, Realejo, and other points. In Nicoya 

 they make fine cotton quilts, cloth, and other specialties, of the best 

 and finest quality produced in all the Indies. Religious instruction 

 is imparted by Franciscans in this village and those of its province 

 lying on the island of Chira 8 leagues out to sea from Nicoya, and 

 in the port of Paro, which lies opposite. 



754. Forty leagues E. from Nicoya are the Provinces of Costa 

 Rica. On the way lies the town of Esparza y Aranjuez, occupied 

 and settled by Don Juan Vazquez de Coronado ; his descendants are 

 in possession of his farms and entailed property. Then comes the 

 Province of Costa Rica, which this Juan Vazquez subdued, establish- 

 ing in it 20 leagues back from the sea, the city of Cartago in the 

 year 1574. He explored and subdued other rich provinces, thus 

 doing His Majesty great service, in addition to having governed the 

 Provinces of Honduras and Nicaragua. For these services the 

 Catholic Majesty of King Philip II of glorious memory granted the 

 title of Adelantado Perpetuo (Commander in Perpetuity) for those 

 provinces to him and his successors, and they enjoy this and other 

 great favors today. On his return from Spain with men to finish 

 up his conquest and pacification of the rich Provinces of Tegucigalpa 

 and those adjoining, he was caught in a terrible tempest, and drowned 

 at sea; so the Great Conquest ceased, and since then nothing of 

 importance has been accomplished ; had he lived, it would all have 

 been brought into subjection. 



755. The city of Cartago has more than 100 Spanish residents, a 

 parish church and a Franciscan convent. It is the residence of the 

 Governor of all these provinces ; he has the title of Captain General 

 and is appointed by His Majesty in consultation with the Supreme 

 Council of the Indies. The country has a springlike climate and is 

 well provided with excellent foodstuffs. In the district they harvest 



