305 



1/30, a calamity of a new kind assailed it. It \va3 ahnos? 

 totally destroyed by an eart'iqiiake, attended h\ an inunda-- 

 lion of the sea, which oveiflowed the greater j)arr, and swept 

 away every thing that it met in its conrse. Notwithstandinf,' 

 these repeated misfortunes, the inhabitants obstinately re- 

 solved to persevere, aiid built it anew in a handsome manner, 

 but did not enjoy it long; for, in the monlh of May of tin- 

 year] 75], this devoted city vas agidn destroyed by an eartii- 

 quake and an iullux of tlic sea, which entirely covered it. 

 They fortunately escaped, aiid took refuge on the neighbour. 

 hvj: hills, but continued for thirteen years in an unsettled state, 

 not being able to agree among ihem^eives iji rebuilding the city. 

 At length t'ley resolved to ai)an(l<)u i'o former site, and founde<l 

 a new cilv, at the distance of a loagi'.e from tiic .sea, in a beau- 

 tiful pluin, called Mocha, upon the northern sliore of the Bio- 

 bio. The Prefect, or Corregidor, is, at the same time, by the 

 royal decree, comniander of tlie army, this being the principal 

 ])lace for (he rendezvous of the militia of the covmtry. It ha^ 

 for many years been the re-idence of the camp-master-general, 

 and of late that of the sergeant-major. The royal treasury in 

 this place, from whence the soldiers of the frontiers, as well 

 as those belonging to the city, are paid, is confided to the care 

 of a treasurer, a cashier, and an inspector. The z\udienza, or 

 royal council, was first established in Conception, in the year 

 l.iO'J', but uas afterwards abolished, and re-established some 

 vears after in the capital of St, Jago. The presideiit is, hov,- 

 ever, obliged to reside in this city for six months, and has a 

 palace in it built at the expense of the government. After the 

 destruction of the city of Imperial, in the year l603, it wa 

 erected into a bishopric. Besides containins; convents of all 

 he religious orders established in Chili, it has one of the 

 sifters of the Trinity, a college which belonged to the Jesuits, 

 with public schools, in which were taught tbe sciences of hu- 

 n;anity, philosoi)hy, and theology, a college of nobility, which 

 i\'as iikewise under the direction of the Jesuits, and aTrideu- 



