Ch. III. SOUTH AMERICA. 337 



included, exceeds four hundred. The other nunnery 

 is of the order of Santa Teresa. All these convents 

 and their churches are pretty large; and if the latter 

 do not dazzle the sight with the splendor oft heir orna- 

 ments, they do not want any which decency requires. 

 . Here was fornierly a convent of bare-fooled Carme- 

 lites, built on a spacious plain, near the top of the 

 mountain of M, from whence, on account of the 

 sharpness of the winds, the fathers some time after 

 removed to the foot of the mountain. But they were 

 also soon disgusted with their new situation ; the dry 

 and salted fish, salads, and such like, being the only 

 particulars which this country affords, suitable to the 

 perpetual abstinence of their order ; and accordingly 

 they again retired to their original situation, chusing 

 rather to suffer the inclemency of the weather, than 

 be confined to disao^reeable food. This was the case 

 of another convent of the same order founded at La- 

 tacunga, where there is also no fresh fish of any sort 

 to be had. It must, however, he observed, that the 

 Teresian convents, who are under the same vow of 

 abstinence, are not discouraged by these inconveni- 

 ences ; nor is there a single instance of any deficiency 

 in the appointed number of nuns. 



From the mountain of M issues a river, which 

 by running through the city, besides other conveni- 

 ences, carries away all its soil. Two bridges are 

 erected over it, one of stone and the other of wood. 

 The name of this river is del Molino. Its waters 

 have a particular medicinal virtue, which they are 

 thought to derive from the many briars through 

 which they flow. In this mountain is also a spring 

 of very charming vi'ater ; but, not being sufficient to 

 supply the whole city, it is conveyed to tne nunneries, 

 and the houses of men of rank. A Hule above a league 

 to the north of Popayan runs the river Cauca. It is 

 very large and deep, its current rapid, and subject to 

 dangerous swellings in the months of June, July, and 



Vol. I. Z August ; 



