646 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 102 



city has an excellent situation with a very good climate, heathful 

 breezes, and bright skies, with good water. It lies in 20° S. The city 

 will have some 300 Spanish residents with a few Indians. It contains 

 the Cathedral for this Diocese, which was detached in the year 1610 

 from the Archdiocese of the Charcas, which had far too wide juris- 

 diction ; but the Bishop usually lives in the town of Misque, this 

 city being so far inland, isolated from Christian intercourse among 

 so many savage tribes. It contains Mercedarian and Jesuit convents 

 and other shrines, and is the residence of a Governor appointed by 

 the Council for its satisfactory administration and the dispensing 

 of justice. Its climate is hot, but not oppressive ; within its district 

 near the city it has large sugar plantations with 25 sugar mills, turning 

 out a large quantity, which is taken to Potosi. They raise much native 

 and Spanish fruit, from which they make very delicious preserves 

 which are exported to Peru. Large quantities of excellent homespun 

 linen are produced in the city ; they harvest much corn and rice ; they 

 make excellent bread from the corn ; wheat is not grown here. Large 

 amounts of wild honey and wax are derived from trees in the woods ; 

 they are the work of a sort of very small stingless bee. 



Chapter XX 



Continuing the Description of the District of Santa Cruz de la 

 Sierra. 



1691. From San Lorenzo to Santa Cruz de la Sierra la Antigua, 

 it is 30 leagues ; at 20 leagues there is a ridge all made of copper, 

 with over one-fourth of it gold ; it would be great riches if there 

 were people to work it and get it out. And 15 leagues E. of San 

 Lorenzo there is another ridge, where the Rio Piray empties into 

 the Rio Bermejo, which is all silver ; but this lack of settlers leaves 

 this wealth untouched ; furthermore it lies near the Chiriguanaes, 

 a warlike and savage tribe. From San Lorenzo toward the Cordillera 

 where the Chiriguanaes Indians live, it is 18 leagues to the first 

 village, which is named Yaparo ; then 3 to Tendi, and 2 to Coyayagua ; 

 all this country is thickly populated with this tribe and many others 

 who, poor wretches, lack knowledge of our Holy Faith. 



1692. From this village of Coyayagua it is possible to go to Tarija 

 and Los Chichas by the Cordillera which runs through Tomina, the 

 same one which extends to the villages of Chiqueaca, Tanipa, Con- 

 dorillo, and Quevo, and the Rio Grande, which is settled by Tobas 

 Indians ; they carry only one arrow, and at their necks a knife made 

 out of teeth of the palometa fish ; they hardly feel they have defeated 



