BOOK ir. CHAP. VII. 8fi 



tains, and having the bay, buildings, {hipping, and fea in froftt. 

 From lience, as well as other elevated Ipots on the North fide, 

 Ibme of the high lands in Cuba, called the Copper Mountains, 

 are frequently diiccrned at one hundred miles diftance in the 

 months of Odober and November, and during fome of the fuc- 

 ceeding months. They appear of an azure caft to the eye, like the 

 Blue Mountains ; and the fight of them is efteemed a certain prog- 

 noftic of approaching North winds, which ufually let in about that 

 time of the year. Several rivulets fall into this bay ; and clofe ad- 

 joining to the fpot where Seville once ftood is a fine quarry of white 

 free-{i:one, which is foft when firft dug up, but hardens after ex- 

 pofure to the air. A place could not have been more happily fe- 

 le£i:ed than this by the Spaniards for building a town. Here was 

 plenty of excellent materials for architefture, abundance of good 

 water, a fertile foil in the neighbourhood, the woods filled with 

 the greateft variety of large and valuable timber-trees, the fea 

 and rivers flored with innumerable firti, a fafe and fpacious port, 

 and the diftance not remote from their ifland of Cuba. With all 

 thefe advantages of fituation and a fine air they abandoned it, be- 

 caufe the Southfide ports were more convenient for the galleons 

 and other tranfieut veffels pafling between St. Domingo and Car- 

 thagena ; and their traffic was chiefly confined to the fupplying 

 thefe vifitors with provifions, and a few other necefl'aries. 



It is not to be doubted, but that under the genius of Peter 

 Martir, who was abbot of the collegiate church founded here, the 

 public buildings would have rifcn with an elegance unufual in the 

 new world. Several fragments of carved work in flone, fuch as 

 mouldings, feftoons, cherubs, &c. are (till to be feen here, that 

 would be thought no mean ornaments in an European church. 

 The ruins of two edifices, one faid to have been a caftle, the other 

 dedicated to religious ufe (probably the collegiate church), are ftill 

 remaining; tlie walls of which are feveral feet in thicknefs, and 

 compared with an exceedingly hard cement. It is the property of 

 the lime made from the fhell-marble, fo common in this ifland, to 

 contrad with age all the clofcnefs and folidity of fl:one; and I have 

 feen fome plaifter taken from an old Spanifli tank, or cifliern, which 

 could fcarcely be broken with an hammer. The battery which de- 

 VoL. II. M fends 



