ULLOA*S VOYAGE TO SOUTH AMERICA. 683 



and Spain ; for the climate is happily adapted to a variety of both kinds, the heats 

 j not being exceflive, nor the colds fevere ; fo that both in the fertility of the earth, and 



the cheerful appearance of the country, the whole year wears an afpeft of one perpe- 

 tual fpring. The ftreets, though regular and convenient as above-mentioned, are 

 j not entirely formed by the houfes, parts of the intervals between the feveral fquares 



' being filled up with gardens ; and mo ft of them have fo charming an appearance, as to 



atone for the mean afpedl of the houfes. 



Befides parifh-churches, here is a Francifcan, a Dominican, and an Auguftine con- 

 vent ; one belonging to the fathers of Mercy, another to St. Juan de Dios ; and a college 

 of Jefuits. The churches of thefe religious fraternities are large and decent. The 

 parifh-church occupies part of one fide of the great fquare ; and oppofite is the town- 

 houfe, where the alcaldes and regidores meet, who with the corregidor form the . 

 corporation. 



On the north fide of Coquimbo runs the river, after flowing in various meanders 

 through the whole valley of the fame name ; and by canals cut from it, furnifhes the 

 town with water, one great ufe of which is to preferve the beauty of their gardens. 



IX. Copiapo is about twelve leagues from the fea-coaft, very irregularly built, but 

 contains between three and four hundred families. The fea-pojU: neareft to it is that 

 known by the fame name. There is indeed another port in this jurifdiftion ; but it lies 

 thirty leagues farther to the fouth, and confifts only of a few huts. 



X. Mendofa. The town of this name is fituated on the eaftern fide of the Cordillera, 

 at the diftance of about fifty leagues from Santiago. It ftands on a plain, and is 

 decorated with gardens in the fame manner as Coquimbo, and the place being well 



r fupplied with water by means of canals, no care is wanting to keep them in their 



I greateft beauty. The town confifts of about an hundred femilies, half Spaniards or 



whites, and the other half cafts. It has befides a decent parifli-church, a Francifcan, 



I Dominican, and Auguftine convent, together with a college of Jefuits. This jurif- 



(diftion has alfo two other towns, that of St. Juan de la Frontera, likewife to the eaft- 

 ward of the Cordillera, and about thirty leagues north of Mendoza, and St. Luis de 

 Loyala, about fifty leagues eaftward of Mendoza. The latter however is mean and 

 fmall, not containing above twenty-five houfes, and fifty or fixty families, Spanifh 

 I and cafts ; though many more are fcattered up and down the neighbouring country. 

 " In fuch a fmall place it is fomething remarkable to fee a parifh»church, a Dominican 

 convent, and a college of Jefuits. Here the prefidents of Chili are received as 

 governors of it, in their way to Chili from Buenos Ayres, this being the firft place in 

 g their government on that fide. The town of St. Juan de la Frontera is, in every refpeft, 

 I equal to Mendoza itfelf. 



XI. The jurifdidtion of Conception is the laft ; but having already given an account 

 of it, I fliall proceed to confider the^ commerce carried on by the kingdom of Chili 

 with Peru, Buenos Ayres, Paraguay, and its own towns ; and fubjoin an account of 

 that carried on with the wild Indians bordering on it, with the manner of maintaining a 

 harmony with thefe favage people. In the mean time I fhall conclude this chapter 

 with observing, that the corregidors of the whole jurifdiftion are nominated by the 

 King, except thofe of Rancagua, Melipilla, and Quillota, who are appointed by the 

 prefident of Chili. This is indeed the cafe of all the others, when a corregidor happens 

 to die, before a perfon is nominated to fucceed him ; but the office of thefe corregidors 

 being only for five years, the prolongation muft be by His Majefty*s exprefs order. 

 The inhabitants are formed into companies of militia, and every one knows the place 

 of arms to which he is to repair on any alarm. Thus to Valparaifo belongs the com- 



4 s 2 panics 



