430 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I02 



them. This plaza is a gay sight on festival days, for the square is 

 beautiful, so full of fine window work and rich ornamentation. 



Chapter XIX 



Continuing the Description of the Grandeur of This Remarkable 

 City. 



1232. The Council of this city possesses much authority, for on 

 New Year's Day it elects two ordinary Alcaldes and one for the 

 Hermandad, another for the water supply, an Attorney General 

 ( Procurador General) and a Superintendent (Mayordomo) ; it has 

 no Corregidor such as Mexico and other cities have, and so its 

 authority is greater. It administers the function of Inspectors of 

 Weights and Measures (Fieles Ejecutores), two of the Aldermen 

 (Regidores) taking the staff of office each month, and it likewise 

 exercises the privilege of the Alferazgo Real (of the Royal Banner) ; 

 each year in turn one of the aldermen is elected to take out the royal 

 standard at Epiphany. 



1233. The third side, on the W., opposite the Palace side, is built 

 up with porticos supported by stone pillars with Doric bases and 

 capitals and with much fenestration : they are occupied by shop- 

 keepers, hatmakers and silkworkers. 



1234. The fourth side, on the S., is that of the Cathedral, which 

 terminates in the Archbishop's residence. This basilica is Metro- 

 politan for the whole Kingdom of Peru. It is oriented N. and S. 

 and has three doors on the Plaza, the Gate of Pardon and the two 

 side entrances. Its architecture is marvelous, with Gothic vaults 

 supported by Ionic columns ; it has five naves, three of them clear, 

 corresponding to the three doors on the Plaza ; the other two with 

 (blank) chapels of the same order and excellent architecture. It is 

 over 360 feet long and 150 broad, with two towers at the corners 

 on the Plaza side, that of the three doors ; the clock tower has a large 

 number of bells: the largest weighs no quintals, and the clock bell 

 is very large. 



1235. It has other doors: two above the main chapel (Capilla 

 Mayor) and two others connecting with the cymborium, or intra- 

 choral space. The high altar is placed as it is in the Cathedral (Iglesia 

 Mayor) of Granada, visible along the nave, which runs back from 

 it, and from all parts of the church. And although it is a recent 

 foundation, not only in that the time is so short since the city was 

 founded, but because it is only a few years since its construction was 

 finished, under the administrations of the Marques de Montesclaros 

 and the Marques de Guadalcazar, yet it has many chapels, most of 



