WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES — VAZQUEZ DE ESriNOSA ']2>7 



who are poor people ; the land bears abundantly wheat, corn, lentils, 

 and other cereals ; there is much gold here, with which they inlay 

 coats of mail ( ?mallan volador). The island on which the city is 

 built will be 50 leagues long, and in width, 10 leagues in places and 

 more or less in others ; it will have 3,000 Indians in apportionment. 

 It is all covered with woods and forests of fine tough timber ; there 

 are shipyards. It is 18 leagues from the mainland. There is a Fran- 

 ciscan convent in the city with two friars. 



1948. The residents of this city have built wooden enclosures on 

 the beach with trap doors which they keep raised ; when the tide 

 comes in, they fill up with fish ; and when the tide starts ebbing and 

 going out, they drop the gates and the enclosures are full of fish 

 on dry ground. All through the woods and forests there are in the 

 trees great numbers of hives of excellent honey, made by the many 

 varieties of bees to be found on those islands. There are many of 

 these islands ; some are 30 leagues long, others 20, more or less ; 

 they are covered with forests, and countless goats breed among them. 

 Our Dutch or English enemies, after coming out from the Straits, 

 are in the habit of caulking and careening their ships on these islands ; 

 and since there is nobody to hinder or resist them, they sow and 

 reap while waiting for a chance to sail, or till they are ready ; in fact, 

 they have twice captured this city. That and many other evils would 

 be remedied if His Majesty would order a city and fort built at 

 Valdivia, with 200 married colonists, a fort with 50 bronze pieces, 

 and a Spanish garrison, as I pointed out in a booklet I wrote in the 

 year 1625. That would not only be a curb on enemies at sea, for 

 that fort in such a good harbor and so prolific a country we may 

 consider as the key to all that Kingdom ; it would likewise be a curb 

 on enemies on land. 



Chapter VII 



Continuing the Description of the District of the Diocese of La 

 Concepcion. 



1949. The Corregidor of the city of Castro has the title of Militia 

 Captain, with the money grant for a regiment of cavalry. He has 

 two forts on the mainland, Calbuco and Carelmapu, with two com- 

 panies, one of cavalry and the other of infantry, all at the charge 

 of this Corregidor and Militia Captain, for him to make war with 

 on the rebellious Indians in that region, and keep the peaceable ones 

 round about and on the Chiloe Islands, from making trouble. 



1950. The Corregimiento of Itata lies between La Concepcion 

 and Chilian, and that of Talcahuano near La Concepcion. The island 



48 



