WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 315 



This city and district of Rio de la Hacha belong to the Circuit 

 Court of Santo Domingo. 



936. The products of this city are quantities of hides dressed here, 

 brazilwood, guaiacum, and other valuables ; they get many pearls in 

 its district. The pearl beds where they get them lie 8, lo, 12, and 16 

 leagues off, up to the Cape of La Vela. In their exploitation there 

 are at present engaged seven boats of Negroes who fish for them. 

 In fact, this specialty forms the greatest wealth of the Indies, and 

 they get them in quantities in the district of this city. 



Chapter V 



Continuing the Description of the District of the State of Santa 

 Marta and the Other Cities Which Have Been Established in Its 

 Provinces. 



937. Thirty-two leagues S. of Santa Marta lies the city of Los 

 Reyes in the Upar Valley, founded by Capt. Santana at the command 

 of Licentiate Miguel Diaz de Almendariz when he was Governor 

 of those provinces. The city of Los Reyes contains as many as 40 

 Spanish residents, with a parish church and a Dominican convent. 

 Their chief occupation is with their herds of cattle and some farming. 



938. Four leagues S. of the city of Los Reyes is the city of Nombre 

 de Jesus, with some 30 Spanish residents. They have herds of cattle 

 and raise quantities of wheat in the sierra ; they cart the flour in to 

 Cartagena and Santa Marta. In the district of this city there are 

 silver mines in operation. It has likewise very rich copper mines in 

 this Upar Valley, which are among the richest known of this metal. 

 The division line between these two cities, Los Reyes and Jesus, is 

 the Rio de Cezar ; on the other side of it runs the Cordillera Nevada, 

 down to the Straits of Magellan, over 1,500 leagues. This Rio de 

 Cezar has Tupes Indians living along it, of the Carib family ; these 

 could easily be converted and brought to the knowledge of our Holy 

 Faith. Among these savages in the early days the city of Becerril 

 de Campos was established ; at that time most of them were Christians, 

 and it is a pity that they are in their heathendom among so many 

 provinces of Christians. The land is very fertile and highly suitable 

 for cattle ranches, wheat and other crops ; but through our negli- 

 gence, neither the land nor the Indians are of any advantage. It was 

 through this province that Commander Gonzalo Ximenez de Quesada 

 passed, on his way to the conquest of the New Kingdom of Granada. 



939. The city of Sevilla is 14 leagues from Santa Marta, with a 

 few Spanish residents. The country is very rich in gold ore ; all the 



