OVALLE*S HISTORICAL RELATION OF CHILE. 



^n 



By which he meant to fignify, the difproportion of the inhabitants to the bignefs 

 of the city ; but now that very ftreet is fo full of people, that all hours of the day, 

 and fome of the night, it is extremely frequented ; for there have been built many 

 houfes for handicraftsmen and (hopkeepers on both (ides of it, becaufe trade is confi- 

 derably increafed. 



I can myfelf affirm, that I obferved as great an alteration in a much lefs time, as 

 well in people as in building ; for having been abfent but eight years, I confefs, that 

 at my return I fcarcely knew the place again ; for I found feveral ground-fpots where 

 there was not a houfe built upon, with very good buildings ; and thofe which I had left 

 built were altered to the better, with more and higher apartments ; and the courts, 

 which were very large, were confiderably ftraightened by other buildings ; and yet the 

 plot of the city was larger too ; fo that being at firft built at the foot of the mountain 

 we have fpoken of, to the weft of it, I found it extended as much to the eaft, and the - 

 fame proportionably to the fouth and north, and it increafes daily towards the river, 

 and the Cannada. 



There was, when I left the place, about a dozen fhops of good retailers, and at my. 

 return there were above fifty ; and the fame proportionably as to the (hops of Ihoe- 

 makers, taylors, carpenters, fmiths, goldfmiths, and other handicraftfmen, whom I 

 found alfo more curious and exaft in their profeflions ; and emulation has produced 

 very good pieces of workmanfhip in gold and fdver, and carvings in wood, gildings, 

 paintings, which have adorned the churches, with thofe which have been brought from 

 Europe, and the particular houfes ; fo that in fome houfes alone, there are more things 

 of that kind now, than there were in all the city formerly. Some complain, that 

 there are not now fuch rich and powerful men as there were at firft ; and that is true : 

 but it does not follow, that the generality is the worfe for that, but rather otherwife ; 

 for the lands and houfes which belong now to ten families were antiently in one ; it 

 being certain that feveral of the heirs of that man have attained to as great riches as 

 he himfelf had ; or at leaft it is apparent, that the ftock of all thofe who have fliared 

 the inheritance far exceeds what was left them : fo that fuppofing that fome were 

 formerly richer, yet the riches are more in the land ; which is alfo clear to any that 

 ihall confider the houfes, pofTeffions, and other improvements made fmce that time ; 

 for now there is fcarcely room for the people, whereas before there was not half people 

 for the room that was for them ; which is alfo vifible in the country round about, 

 where farms that could hardly find purchaf^rs, and were little worth, are now fo rifen 

 in their value, that the fmalleft coft great fums ; and this rage of purchafmg is fuch, 

 that moft of the caufes in the royal Audiencia are about titles ; for the antients, who 

 took poiTeffion of the land, thought, that if they had a little footing in a valley, it 

 was all theirs ; but thofe who have come fmce, have purchafed by virtue of new titles, 

 and taken new poiTeffion ; which makes fo many law-fuits. 



There is not formed a regular univerfity in this city, becaufe that of Lima ferved 

 for all the neighbouring kingdoms and provinces to take their degrees : but when in 

 time the going to Lima was found fo chargeable, and the journey, which is of three 

 or four hundred leagues, fo troublefome, there were bulls obtained of the pope, for 

 the orders of St. Dominic and the Jefuits, to have the privilege of conferring the de- 

 grees of batchelor, licentiate of arts, as alfo dodors in divinity, in, the kingdoms of 

 Chile, Granada, Ruito, Chuquizago, Tucuman, and Paraguay, 



The effedt has fhewed how neceflary this favour, and how important this privilege 

 has been ; for this incitement to honour has caufed a general application to learning ; 

 for the priefts and curates are already great proficients in ftudy, and fo more capable- 



VOL, XIV. A A of 



