296 



it contains a parish, a convent of Meicedarii, and a collei;e 

 which lormeil} belonged to tlie Jesuits. On the river Guasco 

 are situated tlie towns of Sauta-Rosa and Guascoalto, both in 

 CO dc^. of latitude, the first at four leagues distance from the 

 sea, and the second in tiie neighbourhood of the An(le.?. Tliis 

 j)rovince has two ports, one at the mouth of the river Copiapo, 

 i!nd the other at tliat of the (juasco, which are known by th^ 

 names of those rivers. 



IM. COQUIMBO, 



CogUlMBO, hciinded on the north by Cop;a])o, on liic- 

 oust bv tlie Andes, on tlic south-east by Aconcagua, on th'^ 

 soutli-west by Qiiillota, and on the west by ttie sea, is forty- 

 five leagues in length, and forty in breadth. Its rivers are the 

 C''.(iuini])o, Ton'ioi, Limari, and Ciniapa. It is rich in ,'^ohl, 

 cop]^er, iron, wine, olives, and other fruits, both those of Eu- 

 ropean origin, and as sucli as are natural to the country. lis 

 caitiia! is Cocpiimbo, otherwise called la S'.'retia, which wa^i 

 founded in the year 1544, by Pedro de Valdivia. This city 

 is tiie residence of several nolile and ancient lainilies ; it. i'^ 

 p'eafantly situated upon the river Co(piiinbo, in '2^). de'^. 4.'). 

 mill, of latitude, and 304. '22. of longitude. The fields around 

 't arc in a rc-iStr.nt stale of verdure, thougli it seldom rail, , 

 tiicre, and tl'c leinperatuie of the air is very mild. It ha- 

 Ixen '-everal 'iines taken and plundered by the Englisi]. 

 Besides the paroclsial church, it ctaitains several convents of 

 !nonl-.s of diftercnt orders, and a coHege formerly belonging 

 to the .Tciuits. 'j'here ai^ two jxjrts in this province, that of 

 rofjuihubo, near the mouth of the ri\er of th;it name, at two 

 h'amics distance from the city, where scur.e vessels iVom Peru 

 j(;'d annualiy ; and that of To)igo', towards Ih.e coiiiiiH> ''f 

 (v^iiilo'.'i. 



