WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES — VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 497 



They are all fishermen, having the sea close by [and excellent fish]. 

 There are very good crayfish in the river, and they made me a present 

 of them, for I said Mass for them when I went through ; these poor 

 fellows never hear Mass, for it is impossible to have a priest there, 

 and so when they can, they go over to Camana. 



Chapter XLVIII [49] (50) 



Of the Town and Valley of Camana, and the Valley of Los Majes. 



1385. From the Ocofia Valley it is 6 leagues to the town and valley 

 of Camana. This [town] was originally established on a high point 

 on the N. side of the valley, but that was found to be unsuitable, 

 so they dismantled it and went to another site nearer the sea. But 

 in the year 1599 such a mighty earthquake came that the sea with- 

 drew and retreated a long distance and then returned with such a 

 furious onslaught on the land that it penetrated far inland and ruined 

 most of the town and laid waste the vineyards, so that they never 

 bore again and dried up. After this calamity they went and rebuilt 

 S. of the river, where it stands today, in a pleasant level spot among 

 groves of trees. It has a hot climate ; the houses are all of bajareque, 

 i.e., poles or [wild] bamboos stuck in the ground and plastered with 

 mud ; they are thatched with straw. The town will contain 70 Spanish 

 residents and a few Indians ; there is a parish church and a Merce- 

 darian convent. The Viceroy appoints a Corregidor in this town for 

 the administration of justice. This is a very extensive valley, and they 

 produce over 30,000 jugs of wine ; they have sugar plantations and 

 mills ; the sugar is exported to Arequipa ; they produce much cane 

 syrup, and raise [much] wheat, corn, chickpeas, and other cereals 

 of Spanish and native varieties ; they grow [much] fruit and excellent 

 melons; and in the river, which is large [and full], there is good 

 fishing and abundance of crayfish ; so the town is plentifully supplied, 

 both from the river and the sea nearby, which provides much fish 

 also. There are many cattle and mule ranches ; [its fertility gives 

 many possibilities] ; they fertilize all their crops with guano from 

 sea birds, as I shall explain when I come to treat of the Arica district. 

 1386. Twelve leagues up the river is the famous Los Majes Valley, 

 one of the most prolific in the kingdom. They produce abundance 

 of excellent wine, which they export to the Provinces of the Aymaraes, 

 Collaguas, Condesuyos, and others adjoining; they make the largest 

 and best raisins [in this valley] in the whole Kingdom of Peru. 

 But in spite of the fertility of this valley, they have a terrible plague 

 and tax in many varieties of mosquitoes ; to torture people in the 

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