134 A VOYAGE TO Book III. 



which, with the tribes of the inhabitants, are here fub- 

 joined. 



The cities are Panama, Porto Bello, and Santiago 

 de Nata de los Cavelleros. The fit nation of the latter 

 was lirít'diícovered, in the year 1515, by captain 

 Alonzo Perez de la Pvua, at which time Nata was 

 prince of this diítriéh Galpar dc Elpinoia was firil 

 comtniíTionéd to people it, under the title of a town. 

 It was atierwards taken arid burnt by the Indians, but 

 he rebuilt it, and called it a city. It is large, but the 

 chief houfes are only of earth, or nnburnt bricks, and 

 the others oí mud walls. Its inhabitants are a mixture 

 of Spaniards una Indians. 



T^E town called los Santos is a modern fettlement 

 of Spaniards, who before lived at the city of Nata, 

 but, with a view of augmenting their fortune by i;n- 

 proving the ground, left the city ; and the inhabit- 

 ants of the low n are at prefent more in number than 

 thofe of Nata. Its environs were iirft dilcovered by 

 Rodrigo Valenzuela, and at that time contained an 

 Indian town, «coverncd by a prince called Guazan : 

 the origin of the town futiiciently ñ^ews it is peopled 

 by Spaniards and Indians. 



The number of villages in this province is very 

 conñderable, and of different kinds. 



1. Nuestra Señora de Pacora, to which we give 

 the preference, is inhabited by JNlulattos and their 

 defcendants. 



2,. San Chri noval de Chepo owes its name to the 

 caciques, or princes, Chepo and Ciiepauri, and was 

 difcovercd in i5i5,byTtllo de Guzm'an. Bcfides 

 Indians, here is a company of foot, belonging to the 

 «rarriibn of Panama, mofl of whom are lettltd here 

 with their families. 



Several Rancherías, or aflemblages of Indian huts, 

 are under the jurifdidlion of a village. Thefe Ran- 

 cherías are lituated to the Ibuthward, in the fmall 

 chafms or breaches of the mountains. 



U 



