ULLOa's voyage to south AMERICA. 329 



better than pirates : but, as fubjefts to the King of France, were protefted by that 

 monarch. After obliging the fort of Boca Chica to furrender, whereby the entrance 

 of the bay was laid open, he landed his men, and befieged Fort Lazaro, which was 

 followed by the furrender of the city. But the capitulation was no fecurity againfl the 

 rage of avarice, * which had configned it to pillage. 



This eafy conquefl has by fome been attributed to a private correfpondence between 

 the governor and Pointis ; and what increafes the fufpicion is, that he embarked on 

 board the French fquadron at its departure, together with all his treafures and efFedls, 

 none of which had (hared in the general calamity. 



The city is fituated on a fandy ifland, which forming a narrow paflage on the fouth- 

 weft opens a communication with that part called Tierra Bomba, as far as Boca Chica. 

 The neck of land which now joins them, was formerly the entrance of the bay ; but 

 it having been clofed up by orders from Madrid, Boca Chica became the only entrance ; 

 and this alfo has been filled up fmce the attempt of the Englifh in 1741, who, having 

 made themfelves mafters of the forts which defended it, entered the bay with an intent 

 of taking the city ; but they mifcarried in their attempt, and retired with confiderable 

 iofs. This event caufed orders to be difpatched for opening the old entrance, by which 

 all fhips now enter the bay. On the north fide the land is fo narrow, that, before the 

 wall was begun, the diftance from fea to fea was only thirty-five toifes ; but afterwards 

 enlarging, forms another illand on this fide, and the whole city is, excepting thefe two 

 places, which are very narrow, entirely furrounded by the fea. Eaftward it communis 

 cates, by means of a wooden bridge, with a large fuburb called Xexemani, built on 

 another ifland, which has alfo a communication with the continent by means of another 

 wooden bridge. The fortifications, both of the city and fuburb, are g^nftruded in the 

 modern manner, and lined with free-ftone. The garrifon, in times of peace, confifts 

 of ten companies of regulars, each containing, officers included, feventy-feven men ; 

 befides feveral companies of militia. 



In the fide of Xexemani, at a fmall diftance from that fuburb, on a hill, is a fort 

 called St. Lazaro, commanding both the city and fuburb. The height of the hill is 

 between twenty and twenty-one toifes, having been geometrically meafured. It is joined 

 to, feveral higher hills, which run in an eaftern direction. Thefe terminate in another 

 hill of confiderable height, being eighty-four toifes, called Monte de la Popa, and on 

 the top of it is a convent of bare-footed Auguftines, called Nueftra Senora de la Popa, 

 Here is an enchanting profped, extending over the country and coaft to an immenfe 

 diftance. 



The city and fuburbs are well laid out, the ftreets being ftraight, broad, uniform, 

 and well paved. The houfes are built of ftone, except a few of brick ; but confift 

 chiefly of only one ftory above the ground-floor ; the apartments well contrived. All 

 the houfes have balconies and lattices of wood, as moi;e durable in this climate than 

 iron, the latter being foon corroded and deftroyed by the moifture and acrimonious 

 quality of the nitrous air ; from whence, and the fmoky colour of the walls, the out- 

 fide of the buildings makes but an indifferent appearance. 



The churches and convents of this city are the cathedral, that of the Trinity in the 

 fuburbs, built by bifhop Don Gregory de Molleda, who alfo in 1734 founded a chapel 

 of eafe dedicated to St. Toribio. The orders which have convents at Carthagena, are 

 thofe of St. Francis, in the fuburbs, St. Dominic, St.Auguftin, La Merced, alfo the Ja- 

 cobins, and Recollets ; a college of Jefuits, and an hofpital of San Juan de Dios. The 

 nunneries are thofe of St. Clara and St. Terefa. All the churches and convents are of a 

 proper architecture, and fufficiently capacious j but there appears fomething of poverty 



VOL. XIV. u u in 



