WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 453 



Spanish Main, Guayaquil, and all the coast valleys of this Kingdom 

 and that of Chile. 



1291. In addition there is a garrison of 500 Spaniards in 5 infantry 

 companies, and a large service contingent of Negroes and mulattoes, 

 slaves and free, and Indians, who come in and help both in the 

 harbor activities and the service of its residents, and in the trans- 

 portation of the merchandise and products referred to, charcoal, salt, 

 lumber, chickpeas, peanuts, kidney beans, pallares, poroto peas, and 

 many other kinds of cereals, for this port abounds in everything. 

 It lies W. of the city of Lima. 



There is an excellent parish church in this place, well served, and 

 convents of all the orders, Dominican, Franciscan, Augustinian, 

 Mercedarian, and Jesuit, each with 12 or 14 friars; they are all 

 abundantly provided with everything necessary for human life. In 

 addition there is a hospital of the Brethren of San Juan de Dios, 

 where they care for the indigent sick with great pains and charity. 



1292. This port contains many shops and stores with their enco- 

 menderos ; here are stored all the commodities which the ships bring 

 down from the valleys for the provisioning of the city of Lima, 

 e.g., from the valleys of Pisco, lea, Ingenio, Nasca, and others, great 

 numbers of jugs of wine ; from those of Caiiete, Barranca, Santa, 

 and others, wheat, pallares, peanuts, corn, chickpeas, and other cereals, 

 both Spanish and indigenous ; salt, charcoal, and great amounts of 

 lumber are brought from Guayaquil, Panama, Nicaragua, and other 

 quarters for construction in the city of Lima, and other purposes ; 

 pitch comes from Nicaragua, and other products from other valleys 

 on the Peruvian coast, as, from those of Chicama, Huarmey, and 

 others, much sugar ; from the Kingdom of Chile, cordovan leather, 

 tallow, and quantities of hemp and other sorts of cloth ; cordovan 

 leather and other commodities imported from Quito and New Spain ; 

 silk comes from China, and many other goods, which are both retailed 

 in Lima and distributed all over the kingdom. 



1293. To the N. of the harbor of Callao there is a little stream 

 where the fleets and ships get their water ; there are 2 or 3 gristmills 

 along it for the provisioning of the port, where there are usually 

 many traders and merchants, on account of the active commerce 

 there, owieg to all the trading ships which enter and leave [there] 

 every day ; usually there are over 40 ships in this harbor, plus those 

 of the fleet which His Majesty stations here for its protection and 

 that of the Pacific. 



The harbor is good, deep, and safe, and is free from shipworms ; 

 there are none here, for although it is only 12° from the Equator, 



