634 ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 



place where it now (lands. It is neither large nor well built, nor has it any thing an- 

 fwerable to the promifing title of city. 



III. Bifhoprick of the Audience of Charcas. — ^El Tucuman. 



Tucma, by the Spaniards called Tucuman, lies in the centre of this part of America, 

 beginning fouth of the Plata, beyond the towns of Chicas, which furnifli Indians for 

 the mines in Potofi. On the eaft it borders on Paraguay and Buenos Ayres ; reaches 

 weftward to the kingdom of Chilio, fouthward to the Pampas or plains belonging to 

 the land of Magellan, This country, though united to the empire of the Yncas, was 

 never conquered by them ; having, when Vira Cocha the eighth Ynca had made him- 

 felf fovereign in Charcas, fent a deputation of their chiefs, with a requefl of being 

 admitted among the number of his fubjeds, and that he would be pleafed to fend them 

 governors, that their country might partake of the benefits of thofe, wife laws, and 

 ufeful improvements, he had introduced into all the parts of his empire. 



The Spaniards having penetrated into Peru, and finifhed the conqueft of far the 

 greateft part of that empire, proceeded to that of Tucuman in 1 549, under the con- 

 du£l of Juan Nunez de Prado, whom the prefident Pedro de la Gafca intruded with 

 the conduct of this expedition. He had, indeed, no opportunity of difplaying his mi^ 

 litary talents ; for the inhabitants, being of a mild and cafy difpofition, readily fubmit- 

 ted J on which, the following four cities were built in that country, namely, Santiago 

 del Eftero, fo called from a river of the fame name on which it was built, and whofe 

 inundations greatly contribute to increafe the fertility of the foil ; it flands above one 

 hundred and fixty leagues fouth of Plata : San Miguel del Tucuman, twenty-five or 

 thirty leagues weft of the former : Nueftra Senora de Talavera, fomething more than 

 forty leagues north-weft of Santiago. The fourth was called Cordova de la Nueva 

 Andalucia, and is above eighty leagues fouth of Antiago. 



The territories of this government being of fuch extent, that they reach from north 

 to fouth above two hundred leagues, and little ftiort of a hundred in fome parts from 

 eaft to weft, it was judged proper to increafe the number of Spanifti fettlements; and, 

 accordingly, orders were given for building two other cities, which are Rioja, about 

 eighty [leagues fouth-weft of Santiago, and Santa, between fixty and feventy leagues 

 north-weft of the fame city ; together with a village called San Salvador, or Xuxui, 

 about twenty leagues north of Salta. But all thefe places are fmall, and built without 

 either order or fymmetry. The governor, notwith (landing Santiago was the firft, re- 

 fides at Salta ; and even the bilhop and his chapter at Cordova, which is the largeft. 

 The others have their refpeftive corregidors, under whom, alfo, are the Indian villages, 

 within the dependencies of their proper cities. But of thefe there is no great number, 

 the principal part of the country not being inhabitable, either from a want of water, 

 or from their being covered with impenetrable forefts. This want of inhabitants is alfo 

 greatly owing to the cruelties and ravages of the favage Indians, in their frequent in- 

 curfions. 



The epifcopal church of Tucuman, which, as we have already obferved, is in Cor- 

 dova, was in the year 1570 ereded into a cathedral, and its chapter now confifts of 

 the bi(hop, dean, archdeacon, chanter, reftor, and treafurer, who is eleded ; but has 

 neither canons nor prebendaries. 



Thofe parts of the country which are watered by the rivers, are fo remarkably fer- 

 tile in grain and fruits, that they produce fufficient for the common confumption of the 

 inhabitants. The woods abound in wild honey and wax, whilft the hot parts produce 



1 2 fugar 



