258 A VOYAGE TO Rook V. 



institution originally very excellent ; but now greatly 

 abused, great defalcations being made in the estates 

 before they are restored to their proper owners. 



Besides these tribunals, here is a commbsary of the 

 inquisition, with an aliz;uazil major, and familiars ap- 

 pointed by the holy office at Lima. 



The Corporation consists of a corregidor, two or- 

 dinary alcaldes chosen annually, and regidores. These 

 superiniend the election of the alcaldes, which is at- 

 tended with no small disturbance in this city, persons of 

 all ranks being divided into the two parties of Creoles 

 and Europeans or Chapitones, to the great detriment 

 of private repose and sociability. This assembly also 

 nominates the alcalde major of the Indians, who must 

 be a governor of one of the Indian towns within five 

 leagues of the city ; and has under him other inferior 

 alcaldes, for the civil government of it. And this 

 alcalde major, together with the others, are little more 

 tlian the alguazils, or officers of the corregidor or or- 

 dinary alcaldes of the city j though, at first, they 

 were invested with much greater power. Besides 

 these, here are others, called alcaldes de harneros, 

 whose business it is to provide mules, &c. for travel- 

 lers. And though all these are subordinate to the 

 alcalde major, yet he has very little authority over 

 them. 



The cathedral chapter consists of the bishop, dean, 

 archdeacon, chanter, treasurer, a doctoral, a peniten- 

 tiary, a magistral, three canons by presentation, four 

 prebends, and two demi-prebends, with the follow- 

 ing revenues. That of the bishop 24,000 dollars ; 

 the dean 2500 -, the four succeeding dignities 2000 

 each ; the canons 1500 each; the prebends 600, and 

 the demi-prebends 420. This church was erected 

 into a cathedral in the year 1545 ; and among other 

 festivals are celebrated in it, with amazing magnifi- 

 cence, those of Corpus Christi, and the Conception 

 of our Lady, when all the courts, offices, and per-, 



sons 



