158 A VOYAGE TO Book VIL 



being: uncommon for a word nearly alike in sound to 

 liave a vcrj diliVreiit signiiicatio.i in each idiom. This 

 province was fiist conqneiod by IN^'ayta-Capac, the 

 fourth Ynca ; aitd the Spaniards having; afterwards 

 taken possession of it;, and quelled all disturhances, 

 this city was loMiuled by Pedro de la G;-sca, that in 

 the vast disiance of an iiundred -ind seventy leagues 

 between Arequipa and Piata^ tljeie might be a settle- 

 ment of Spaniards^ for tlic iiiiprovemeni of commerce^ 

 and the safety and convcnieuey of th^ traders. The 

 president Gasea, committed the care of buildins; it to 

 Alonzo de Blendoza, with orders that it should be 

 erected on a spot^ midway between Cusco and Char- 

 cas, wuieh are otie hundred and sixty Icac^ues from 

 each other ; and that it should be called Nuestra 

 Seuora de la Paz, in memory of the public tran- 

 quility receñí ly seltled by the defeat and execution of 

 Gonzalo Pizarro. iciid his adherents. Wiíh rep^ardto 

 its situatioi}, a valley in the country callea las Pacasas, 

 was pitched upon, on the 8ih of October, 1548, as a 

 place aboundiiig in grain, and cattle, and full of In- 

 dians. 



Along the valley de la Paz, flows a pretty large 

 river, but sometimes greatly increased by torrents 

 from the cordillera, about twelve leagues distant from 

 the city ; but from its vicinity, great part of the 

 country is exposed to so cold an air, as hard frosts, 

 snow, and bailare not uncommon ; but the city itself 

 is secured from them by its happy situation. Other 

 parts are also so well sheltered, that they produce all 

 the vegetables of a hot climate, as sugar canes, coca, 

 maize, and the like. In the mountainous parts aro 

 large \\oods of valuable timber, but infected with 

 bears, tigers, and leopards ; tl^ey have also a few 

 deer: ^a hile on the heaths are found guanacos, vi»^ 

 cumss, and llamas, with great numbers of cattle 

 of the European species, as will be seen in the ac- 

 couat of each respective province. 



The 



