Ch.Ií. SOUTH AMERICA. ^ 21 



The city of Carthagena ftands in 10 deg. 25 min. 

 48 I fee. north latitude; and in the longitude of 282 

 deg. 28 min. 36 fee. from the meridian of Paris ; and 

 301 dcg. 19 min. 2^ Ice. from the meridian of Pico 

 Teneriííc ; as appeared from our ohfervations. The 

 variation of the needle we alfo, from feveral obferva- 

 tionSj found to be 8 deg. eaiterl)^ 



The- bay, and the country, before called Calamari, 

 were difcovered in 1502 by Roderigo de Baftidas ; and 

 in 1 504 Juan de la Cofa and Chriftopher Guerra began 

 the war againft the Indian inhabitants, from whom 

 they met with greater refiilance than they expei5^ed ; 

 thofe Indians being a martial people, and valour fo na- 

 tural to them, that even the women voluntarily fhared 

 in the fatigues and dangers of the war. Their ufual 

 arms were arrows, which theypoifoned with the juice 

 of certain herbs ; whence the flighteft wounds were 

 mortal. Thefe were fucceeded by Alonfo de Ojeda, 

 who fome years after landed in the country, attended 

 by the fame Juan de la Cofa, his chief pilot, and 

 Amerco Vefpucio, a celebrated geographer of thole 

 times ; but made no greater progrefs than the others, 

 though he had feveral encounters v.'ith the Indians. 

 Nor was Gregorio Hernandez de Oviedo more fortu- 

 nate. But, at length, the conquetl of the Indians was 

 accompiifhed by JDon Pedro de Heredia, who, after 

 gaining feveral victories over them, peopled the city 

 in the year 1533, under the title of a government. 



The advantageous ñtuation of Carthagena, the ex- 

 tent and fecurity of its bay, and the great fhare it at- 

 tained of the comm.erce of that Ibuthern continent, 

 foon caufcd it to be creeled into an epifcopal fee. The 

 tame circumflanccs contributed to its prefervation and 

 increafe, as the moft cfteemed fettlement and ftaple of 

 the Spaniards; but at the fame time they drew on it 

 the hoitrlities of foreigners, who, thiriting after its 

 riches, or induced by the importance of the place, have 

 ^Icveral times invaded, taken, arid plundered it. 



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