Ch. i. south AMERICA. 17 



industry of its inhabitants have improved it, bv canals 

 <iit from the river, abounds in several kinds of vege- 

 tables and fruits; some of the same kind with those 

 known in Europe, and others of the Creole kind, 

 being European fruits planted there, but which 

 have undergone considerable alterations from the 

 climate. About ten leagues from it are espaliers of 

 vincs^ from the grapes of which they make wir.e^ 

 but neither so good^, nor in such plenty as in other 

 parts of Peru. Many of the poor people here em- 

 ploy themselves in works of cotton, as embroidered 

 handkerchiefs, quilts, mantelets, and the like. 



On the 2Sth we left Lambayeque, and having 

 passed through the town of Monsefu, about four or five 

 leagues distant from it, we halted near the sea coast, 

 at a place called Las Lagunas, or the Fens; these con- 

 tain fresh water left in them by the overflowing* 

 of the river Sana. On the 29th we forded the river 

 Xequetepeque, leaving the town of that name at the 

 distance of about a quarter of a league, and in the 

 evening arrived at the town of St. Pedro, twenty 

 leagues from Lambayeque, and the last place in its 

 jurisdiction. By observation we found its latitude to 

 be 7" 25' 49" S. 



St. Pedro consists of about ISO baxaraque houses, 

 and is inhabited by 120 Indian uimilies, SO of Whites 

 and Mestizos, and 12 of Mulattoes. Here is a con* 

 vent of Augustincs, though it seldom consists of above 

 three persans, the prior, the priest of the town, and 

 his curate. Its river is called Pacasmayo, and all 

 its territories produce grain and iVuils in abundance. 

 A great part of the road from Lambayeque to St. 

 Pedro, lies along the .shore, not indeed atan equal, 

 but never at a great distance from it. 



On the SOtli of November we passed through the 

 town of Pa)jan, which is the. first in the juristliction 

 of Truxillo, and on the first of December we reach- 

 ed that of ChocopCj IS or 14 leagues distant from 

 Vol. J J C ' $t 



