26S A VOYAGE TO Book VIII. 



by the houfes, parts of the intervals between the feveral 

 fquares being filled up vv-ith gardens; and ruoft of them 

 have fo charming an appearance, as to atone for the 

 mean afpeit of the houies. 



Beside:, pari^fh churches, here is a Francifcan, a Do- 

 minican, and an /^uguUine convent; one belonging to 

 the Fathers of Mercy, another to St. Juan de Dios ; 

 and a college of Jtfuits. The churches of thefe religious 

 fraternities are large and decent. The pariil church 

 occup'cs part of one fide of the great fquare; and 

 op^;..n:e is the town-houfe, where the alcaldes and 

 regidores meet, who with the corregidor form the 

 corporation. 



On the N. fide of Coquimbo uins the river, afcer 

 flowing in various mcancieis through the whole valley of 

 the fame n:;n;e ; and l.y canals cut from it, fiirniihes the 

 town with water, one great ule of which is to prcferve 

 the beauty of tlicir gardens. 



iX. Copia po is about twelve leagues from the fea- 

 coaif, very irregularly built, but contains between 

 three and four hundred flimilies. The fea-port 

 neareft to it is that known by the fame name. There 

 is indeed another poit in this jurifdidion ; but it lies 

 thiity leagues farther to the S. and confifts only of a 

 few huts. . ,^ 



X. Mendoza. The town of this name is fituated 

 on the eaftern fide of the Cordillera, at the di'lance of 

 about fifty leagues from Santiago. It nanus on a 

 plain, and is decorated with gardens in the fame 

 manner as Coquimbo, and the place being well fup- 

 plied with water by means of canals, no care is 

 wanting to keep them in their greateft beauty. The 

 town confifts of about an hundred families, half 

 Spaniards or whites, and the other half cafts. It 

 has befides a decent pariih church, a Francifcan» 

 Dominican and Augufhine convent, together with a 

 college of Jtfuics. This jurildiótion has alfo two 

 other towns, that of St, Juan de la Frontera, like- 

 wife 



