WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 395 



treacherous harbor, the coast being rough, [which is named Mai 

 Abrigo, where they go to load the ships.] 



The country has a hot but healthy climate, with bright skies and 

 health-giving breezes, and although it never rains, it looks like a 

 garden of Paradise, on account of the gardens within the city and 

 around it, with many oranges, limes, citrons, and grapefruit, and 

 a thousand other kinds of trees and fruit. 



[Chap. Of the Town of Saiia.] 



1170. [Twenty-eight leagues N. of Trujillo, and five from the sea, 

 lies the town of Saiia, otherwise known as Miraflores, in a fertile 

 and prolific valley, [and with much water and many amenities]. 

 Here there is a parish church, Dominican, Franciscan, and Augus- 

 tinian convents, a hospital, and other churches and shrines. The town 

 is very [well supplied with excellent provisions, and is very]] (Note: 

 This whole chapter is deleted to this point in the MS.) active in 

 the commerce of sugar and cordovan leather, which are prepared 

 here [in quantities] and exported to Lima and other points; they 

 make [large amounts of] preserves, and in the valley they get [large] 

 quantities of wine, wheat, corn, and other Spanish and native cereals. 

 It has its port at Cherrepe, 5 leagues from the town ; it is not good 

 for the coast is rough, but still they load the local products on the 

 ships there. 



It has a Corregidor appointed by the Council ; he administers also 

 the valley of Guadalupe, where there is a very holy image of Our 

 Lady with this title, much venerated and resorted to in these king- 

 doms. Five leagues away is the valley of San Pedro de Lloco; all 

 this country is fertile and prolific, and to the S. of Sana. 



1171. Seven leagues to the N. it has the famous valley in which 

 lies the rich and delightful village of Lambayeque, [which is] the 

 largest [village] in all the plains of Peru. There are four curates 

 in the church for the instruction of the inhabitants and to administer 

 the Holy Sacraments. The place is abundantly supplied with fruit 

 and fresh fish, since they are not far from the sea ; the Indians bring 

 it up on the double-quick. They have vineyards and olive groves at 

 this place, and very large, fine melons ripen the whole year through ; 

 they usually sell them six for a real, and they assured me when I was 

 there that all the Indians had to do was to throw the seeds on the 

 sand and they would germinate in the luxuriant coolness. In all 

 these valleys they raise great quantities of cotton, and especially in 

 this ; they work up a great deal here, turning out [great] quantities 



