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theyh<ave divided into thirteen provinces.* They 

 also possess the fortress of Valdivia, in the 

 country of the Cunchese, the Archipelago of 

 Chiloe, and the island of Juan Fernandez. These 

 provinces are governed by an officer, who has 

 usually the rank of lieutenant-general, and com- 

 bines the title of president, governor, and cap- 

 tain-general of the kingdom of Chili. He re- 

 sides in the city of St. Jago, and is solely de- 

 pendant upon the king> except in case of war, 

 when, in certain points, he receives his directions 

 from the viceroy of Peru. 



In quality of captain-general he commands 

 the army, and has under him, npt only the three 

 principal officers of the kingdom, the quarter- 

 master, the sergeant-major, and the commissary, 

 but also the four governors of Chiloe, Valdivia, 

 Valparaiso, and Juan Fernandez. As president 

 and governor he has the supreme administration 

 of justice, and presides over the superior tri- 

 l)unals of that capital, whose jurisdiction extends 

 over all the Spanish provinces in those parts. 



During the government of Jauregui, the province of 

 Maule was divided into two, the river of tliat name, serving as 

 the bouiidary for each : the pait situated to the north of it 

 retaining its former name, and tliat lying to the southward 

 assuming that of Cauquenes its capitah Of late years a far- 

 ther reduction of that provnnce has taken place, by the sepa- 

 ration from it on tiie north of three curacies, in order to form, 

 with some of the lands of Calchagua, the new province uf 

 Curico. 



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