ULLOA's voyage to south AMEllICA. 483 



Santa Fe de Antloquia ; and, charmed with the fertility and richnefs of the country, he 

 proceeded to people it every where. 



Nor was this all ; for Belalcazar, in order to enhance the glory and importance of 

 this country, was very defirous of making a road from Quito to the North Sea, as he 

 had before done to the Pacific Ocean. Among the difcoveries made by his captains 

 whilfl he was employed in fuperintending the building of Popayan, one was, that at no 

 great diflance from that place were two of the principal fources of the great river Mag- 

 dalena ; whence he conceived they might eafily find a paflage to the North Sea. This 

 opinion the general had the pleafure of finding unanimoufly agreed to, which induced 

 him to make every difpofition for the fecurity and welfare of his conquefts, being deter- 

 mined to return by way of that river to Spain, in order to folicit the title of governor of 

 the country which he had difcovered, conquered, and peopled. Accordingly the title 

 was conferred on him, and in his government were comprehended all the territories then 

 confidered as within his conquefts ; but in the year 1 730 the country of Choco was 

 feparated from it, and made a particular government, though the order was not carried 

 into execution till the year 1735. This part, belonging to the province of the new 

 kingdom of Granada, does not come within our defcription. 



The city of Popayan, one of the mod ancient in thefe parts, that title having been 

 granted it on the fifth of July 1538, ftands in a large plain, having on the north fide an 

 uninterrupted profpeft of the country. Its latitude is 2^ 28' north 5 lies about two de- 

 grees eaft of the meridian of Quito, on the eaft fide of a mountain of a middling height 

 called M, from the refemblance it bears to that letter ; and, being covered with a variety 

 of trees, affords an entertaining profped ; the weft fide is alfo diverfified with fmall 

 eminences. 



The city is moderately large, with broad, ftraight, level ftreets ; and, though not 

 every where paved, are equally convenient, the foot-path near the houfes being paved 

 in all parts ; and the middle of the ftreets, being compofed of a hard fmall gravel, is 

 never dirty in rainy weather, nor dufty in the great droughts of this climate ; hence 

 the middle of the ftreets are more convenient for walking than even the pavement 

 itfelf. 



The houfes are built of unburnt bricks, as at Quito, and entirely of the fame con- 

 ftrudlion : all the houfes of note have a ftory ; but the others only a ground floor. An 

 idea of the largenefs and convenience of the offices and apartments may be formed by 

 their outward appearance, as well as the magnificence of the furniture, which is all 

 brought from Europe ; the expence of which muft be enormoufly great, as, befide the 

 long voyage, there is a necefiity for bringing it a prodigious diftance by land carriage, 

 and fubjecSl to unknown dangers in thefe countries. 



The church was ere6led into a cathedral in the year 1 547, and is the only parochial 

 church in the city. Not that its extent is too fmall for maintaining others ; but, having 

 originally been the only church, the prebends could never be brought to allow of its 

 being fubdivided, and part of its revenues applied to the fupport of other pariflies. 

 Here are alfo convents of Francifcans, Dominicans, and Auguftines, with a college of 

 Jefuits ; all of them having churches. In the latter is alfo a grammar fchool. The 

 plan of an univerfity, under the direction of the fame fathers, is in fuch forwardnefs, 

 that the charter is already granted. The number of religious belonging to each of thefe 

 convents is but fmall, fome of jhem amounting to no more than fix or eight. It is, 

 however, very different with regard to one of the nunneries, that of the Incarnation, the 

 profefled nuns being between forty and fifty ; but the whole number, nuns, feculars, 

 and fervants included, exceeds four hundred. The other nunnery is of the order of 



2^2 Santa 



