ULLOa's voyage to south AMERICA. 623 



During feme months of the year, this river furnifhes the city of Plata with great plenty 

 of dehcious fifti ; among which is one called the Dorado *, which generally weighs 

 between twenty and twenty-five pounds. The other provifions, as bread, flefh, and 

 fruits, are brought from the adjacent provinces. 



The chief tribunal in Plata is that of the audience, eredted in the year 1559, and 

 whofe prefident has the titles of governor and captain-general of the province, exclufive 

 of the government of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Tucuman, Paraguay, and Buenos 

 Ayres, which are independent, and in mihtary cafes abfolute. It has alfo a fifcal, a 

 protedior-fifcal of the Indians, and two fupernumerary auditors. 



The magiftracy or corporation, as in all other cities of this country, confifts of regi- 

 dores, who are perfons of the firfl diftindion, with the corregidor at their head, 

 and from them are annually chofen two ordinary alcaldes, for maintaining order and the 

 police. Plata was ere6ted into a bifhopric in 1551, the place having then the title of 

 city ; and in the year 1608, was railed to a metropolis. Its chapter confifts of a dean, 

 archdeacon, chanter, treafurer, and reftor ; five canons, four prebendaries, and four 

 minor prebendaries. The archbifhop and his chancellor conflitute the ecclefiaftical 

 tribunal. 



Here is alfo a tribunal of croifade, with a commiiTary, fubdelegate, and other 

 officers : likewife a court of inquifition fubordinate to that of Lima, and an office for 

 taking care of the effisds of perfons dying inteftate ; all eftablifhed on the fame foun- 

 dation with thofe in other cities already mentioned. 



The jurifdi6lions belonging to the archbifhopric of Plata, are the fourteen fol- 

 lowing : 



I. The city of Plata, and imperial VIII. Pilaya and Pafpaya. 



town of Potofi. IX. Cochabamba. 



II. Tomina. X. Chayantas. 



III. Porco. XI. Paria. 



IV. Tarija. XII. Carangas. 

 V. Lipes. XIII. Cuacica. 



VI. Amparaes. XIV. Atacama. 



VII. Oruro. 



I. The jurifdidion of the city of Plata is of fuch prodigious extent as to include the 

 imperial town of Potofi, which is even the continual refidence of the corregidor. 

 There alfo is eftablilhed the office of revenue, which confifts of an accountant and 

 treafurer, with clerks ; as moft convenient on account of its vicinity to the mines, for 

 taking account of the filver produced by them. 



The famous mountain of Potofi, at the foot of which, on the fouth fide, ftands 

 the town of the fame name, is known all over the commercial world, as having been 

 greatly enriched by the filver it produces. The difcovery of thefe immenfe mines hap- 

 pened in the year 1 545, by an accident feemingly fortuitous. An Indian, by fome 

 called Gualca, and by others Hualpa, purfuing fome wild goats up this mountain, and 

 coming to a part very fteep, he laid hold of a fmall fhrub in order to climb it with 

 the greater celerity j but the flirub being unable to fupport his weight came up by the 

 roots, and difcovered a mafs of fine filver, and at the fame time he found fome lumps 

 of the fame metal among the clods, which adhered to the roots. This Indian, who 



* This is a large fpecies of the Dolphin, which, without plenty of good fauce, is very dry eating. A. 



lived 



