6/4 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 102 



phisticated that men traveling in the carts which do the freighting 

 in that Kingdom, or on horseback, catch them with slip nooses on 

 the ends of canes or sticks ; there are turkeys, pheasants, quail, 

 pigeons, turtledoves, rabbits, tortoises, turtles, and other animals 

 like pigs, which they call tatuus (armadillos) and quirquinchus 

 (armadillos), which are all covered with scales and are so quick, 

 when they see somebody, and have such strength in snout and forefeet 

 that in an instant they dig a hole underground and brace themselves 

 so that even if they hear (oigan; for sigan ; follow up?) them, they 

 cannot be pulled out by the strength of two or even four men ; but 

 the task is made easy by running a small stick or something down 

 the anus ; and by pulling all together on that ; the animal loses its 

 strength and lets itself be drawn out easily. With regard to all these 

 animals and birds, be it understood that they occur in all these 

 provinces plentifully, and so repetition will be avoided. 



1772. The city of Santiago del Estero contains the Cathedral for 

 these provinces, seat of the Bishop and Prebendaries who reside 

 there and serve it. The city will contain 400 Spanish and mestizo 

 residents, apart from the service Indians and Negroes. It has 

 Dominican, Franciscan, Mercedarian, and Jesuit convents, with a 

 hospital and other churches and shrines. It is the residence of the 

 Governor of those provinces, appointed by His Majesty in consulta- 

 tion with his Royal Council of the Indies ; he is Captain General and 

 apportions the Indians who become available (vacan). 



The city is built on the banks of a large river, and has a hot, dry 

 climate; it is 250 leagues from Potosi, In the city and the villages 

 of its neighborhood and district they manufacture quantities of cotton 

 cloth, canopies, bedspreads, chumbes, hats, alpargatas, grograms, and 

 other products. Its large river is full of shad (sabalos) and other 

 delicious fish, and on its banks are many gardens with Spanish and 

 native shade and fruit trees which yield abundantly ; they have all 

 kinds of Spanish vegetables, and a few vineyards ; this is all watered 

 from an irrigation canal. 



The water of this great river is so health-giving that many bathe 

 in it to recover their health ; and what is harmful everywhere else, 

 is wholesome here ; for if a person arrives exhausted and in a 

 perspiration and w^ants to lose his fatigue and come out restored and 

 well again, a bath in it will refresh him and leave him energetic and 

 well; the same is true right after dining or eating supper; if one 

 feels a little indigestion, a mere bath in the river will cure it and 

 leave him well. 



