ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. ^77 



lion to vifit it perfonally ; but by the informations we received from perfons befl qualified 

 to anfwer our enquiries, in the ports of its jurifdidion, to which our affairs called us 

 more than once, we are enabled to gratify the curiofity of a rational reader. 



The city of Santiago, originally called Santiago de la Nueftra Eftremadura, was 

 founded by Captain Pedro de Valdivia, who began the foundation on the 24th of Fe- 

 bruary 1541, in the valley of Mapocho, near that of Chili, which gives its name to the 

 whole kingdom. It has not beenfubjed to the revolutions of other places, but ftill (lands 

 on its original fpot, which is nearly in 33° 40' fouth latitude, and about twenty leagues 

 from the harbour of Valparaifo, the neareft port to it in the South Seas. Its fituation is 

 one of the moil convenient and delightful that can be imagined, Handing in a delightful 

 plain of twenty-four leagues in extent, watered by a river flowing in meanders through 

 the middle of it, and called by the fame name of Mapocho. This river runs fo near the 

 city, that, by means of conduits, the water is conveyed from it through the flreets, and 

 alfo fupplies the gardens, which few houfes are here without, and hence the delightful 

 fituation of the place, and the pleafure of the inhabitants are greatly heightened. 



The city is a thoufand toifes in length from eafl to weft, and fix hundred in breadth 

 from north to fouth. On the fide oppofite the river, which wafties the north part of it, 

 is a large fuburb, called Chimba ; and on the eaft fide, almoft contiguous to the houfes, 

 is a mountain of a middling height, called Santa Lucia. The ftreets are all of a hand- 

 fome breadth, paved and flraight ; fome run exadly in an eaft and weft dire6lion, and 

 are crofted by others, lying exadlly north and fouth. Near the middle of the city is the 

 grand piazza, which, like that of Lima, is fquare, with a very beautiful fountain in the 

 center. On the north fide are the palace of the royal audience, where the prefidents 

 have their apartments, the town-houfe, and the public prifon. The weft fide is taken 

 up by the cathedral and the biftiop's palace. The fouth fide confifts of ftiops, each de- 

 corated with an arch ; and the eaft is a row of private houfes. The other parts of the 

 city are divided into infulated fquares of houfes, regular, and of the fame dimenfions 

 with thofe of Lima. 



The houfes here are built of adoves, or unburnt bricks, and very low ; this neceflary 

 caution againft the terrible devaftation of earthquakes being equally neceflary here as in 

 all other towns of Peru, calamities with which this city has been often vifited ; but the 

 moft remarkable are the following : 



1. In the year 1750 an earthquake happened, which overflowed feveral mountains in 

 this kingdom ; many villages were entirely deftroyed, and great part of the inhabitants 

 buried in their ruins. 



2. In the year 1 647, on the 1 3th of May, many of the houfes and churches of this ^ 

 city were ruined by another fliock. 



3. In 1657, on the 15th of March, the earth was obferved to have a tremulous 

 motion for the fpace of a quarter of an hour, and few of the buildings in the city were 

 left ftanding. 



4. In 1722, on the 24th of May, great part of the houfes were damaged by another 

 earthquake. ' 



5. In the year 1730, on the 8th of July, happened that tremendous earthquake al- 

 ready mentioned in our account of Conception. This fliock not only ruined the greateft 

 part of the city, but concuflions were often felt for many months afterwards ; and this 

 cataftrophe was fucceeded by an epidemical diftemper, which fwept away even greater 

 numbers than had before periftied by the earthquake. 



Notwithftanding the houfes are low, they make a handfome appearance, and are well 

 contrived both for pleafure and convenience. 



Befides 



