*«3 



mofl chargeable v/as the wax, which is very dear there j and this entertainment was 

 given by night. 



The other days were divided among the Negroes and Indians of all arts and profef- 

 fions, who having a pious emulation to each other, made many rare inventions ; but 

 the merchants carried the belle in a tournament, which they performed in the great 

 Place, each adventurer coming either out of a fea, or a wood, or an enchanted caflle, 

 with his paper or challenge, adling their parts very well : they broke their lances, and 

 received their prizes, which are things of great value. The gentlemen of the city 

 crowned the feaft with their ufual diverfions of bull-feafts, running at the ring Juegode 

 Cannas, &c. There are generally about twenty or thirty horfemen to attack the bulls, 

 and throw the rejous or lances at them, befides him who ftrikes the bull dead. The 

 illuminations of torches, with which they ufe to run about all night, are alfo of great 

 diverfion ; and upon this occafion they did it with rich liveries, and other chargeable 

 expence's, for the greater folemnity of the time. 



The ordinary and annual rejoicings which are obferved on Midfummer, on St. John's 

 day, St. Jameses, and the Nativity of our Lady, are alfo worth feeing, particularly on 

 the day of St. Jago, who is the patron of the city ; for then the royal enfign of the 

 crown brings out the great ftandard of conqueft, with the king's arms, and is accom- 

 panied by all the gentry, who are obliged to appear on that occafion, which they do 

 very glorioufly. 



There happen likewife feme marriages or chriftenings of the people of beft fafliion,. 

 in which they make as good a fhew as their eftates will let them, and often above their 

 abilities. In the bull-feafts, thofe who undertake them ufe to treat the royal Audiencia, 

 and other bodies corporate ; but in marriages they are profufe, for the prefents to the 

 bride have been brought in fafhion to be very rich, fuch as Haves, carpets, fcrutores 

 filled with gold and jewels, and other curiofities of great value. There is not lefs fpent 

 in treats and banquets, particularly of late years, that they have taken to counterfeiting 

 natural fruits, and other things, which ferve for the fideboard ; fo that, after a man has 

 given a treat of all forts of birds and fifhes, his entertainment is not gallant enough, if 

 he does not add a defert of preferved citrons in all figures of love-knots, &c. and the i^tWw 

 other fruits imitated after nature : thefe they mingle on the cloth, with the figures of 

 ewers, falt-cellers, jars, falvers, difhes, fpoons, forks, knives, all made of citron, covered 

 with leaves of gold and filver ; and the firft thing the guefts do, when they fit down, 

 is to plunder the table of thefe, for there are real ones of gold and filver for the 

 banquet. 



All this cofts extremely, becaufe the fugar comes from Peru, and the manufa<Elure- 

 of all thefe curiofities is very dear ; many are the guefts ; and, befides the wedding- 

 dinner, the fathers give another the next day as fumptuous. This is what nobody of 

 fafhion can help doing. I have heard formerly, that firft there were gentlemen, who,- 

 upoh any of thefe public rejoicings, would do it all at their own charges, giving them 

 all liveries of velvet, at the running of the ring for example ; and yet then velvet was - 

 twice as dear as it is now. But at prefent that is left off, though they make expences 

 equivalent in collations, bonfires, and other contrivances of great fhew ; for, upon thefe 

 Gccafions, they all think themfelves rich enough, which is a great ruin to -families, 

 every one ftraining, out of vanity, to equal another, though the difference in riches be 

 very great. 



And now let us leave St. Jago, which ■ has detained us more than ordinary, to fa- 

 tisfy the curibfity of thofe who are defirous to know the increafe and progrefs of the 

 cities and colonies of that new world, and how the chriftian cuftoms and government 



have 



