€ií. XIV. SOUTH AMERICA. K/j 



vinces, ill pursiiíiuco of a law made by tliat Ynca, 

 and since often confirmed by the kings of Spain,- on 

 account of its ])rodÍ2;ious use ; it being' the channel 

 of intercourse between those provinces separated by 

 ihe Desaguadero. 



VI. TuE last jurisdiction of this bisliopriek is that 

 of Paucar-Colla, whose capital is the town of Puno. 

 Its jurisdiction southward borders on that of Chucui- 

 io, and has the same temperature : consequently is 

 obliged to have recourse to other provinces for the 

 greatest part of its grain, and esculent A^,get^iblcs ; 'but 

 abounds in all kinds of cattle, both of the Er.ropean 

 and American kinds. The Indians of the town weave 

 bags with their wool, and sell them to great advan- 

 tage. The mountains in this province contain several 

 silver mines, and among the rest tlie famous Laycaco- 

 ta, which formerly belonged to Josv-^ph Salcedo, and 

 where the metal was often cut out of the mine with a 

 chissel ; but its prodigious richness accelerated the 

 death of its owiier, soon after which the waters broke 

 into it ; nor has any labour and expence been able to 

 drain it, so that it is at present abandoned. Few of 

 the rest are worked, the generalizase with almost all the 

 silver mines in this audience, especially of those in the 

 archbishoprick of Charcas, and this diocessof La Paz. 

 IÍ. BisHopuicR in the audience of Charcas. 

 Santa Cruz de la Sierra. 



The province of Santa Crjiz de la Sierra, is a go- 

 vernment and captain-generalship: an4 though its "ju- 

 risdiction is of a large extent, not many Spaniards are 

 found in it, and the few towns are in general missions 

 comprehended under the- common name of Parao-uay 

 missions. The capital of the same name was erected 

 into a bishoprick in the year 1605. Its chapter consists 

 only of a bishop, dean, and archdeacon, havino* nei- 

 ther canons, prebendaries, or other dignitaries. The 

 usual residence of the bishop is the city of Misque 

 Pocojia, eighty leagues from Santa Cruz'de la Sierra. 



Tuü 



