itf 



Towni of 

 note. 



S 







*A M E %I C A. Chap. IV. 



This Countrey was conquer'd by feter de Aharado, Anno 1525. It is,by rcafon of its 

 neighborhood with Vera Patriot altogether clear of Mountains,but otherwife well 

 water'd with Rivers, and enrich'd with fair and fruitful Valleys, which afford not 

 onely good Pafturage, and many great Herds of Cattel, but like wife good ftorc of 

 Wheat,Afa^, and other Fruits of the Earth. Great plenty of Cotton- Wool is general. 

 ly both here and in the other Provinces, Vt^. Vera Ta^, Chiapa, &c. fome Medicinal 

 Woods likewife, and Liquors, and abfolutely the bed Sulphur in America. The Pea. 

 pie are generally tradable and well difpos'd, both in point of Religion and civil 

 Government. 



The Towns of chief note are 1. Guatimala,now call'd St. J ago de Guatimala fince the 

 re-building thereof t for about the Year 1586. it was almoft buried in Afiies,which 

 one of the neighboring Mountains, for the fpace of fix Moneths together, conti- 

 nually belch'd out in fuch fearful quantities, that many People were (lain, 

 the old City defertcd, and a new one built in another place. The day before this 

 fad Accident hapned, the neighboring Mountains were obferv'd to fliiver, and a 

 great noife was heard from under Ground . which amazing the Indians, the news 

 thereof was carried to the Bifliop, Franci/cus Moroquin, who narrowly enquiring 

 into the Caufes of thefe Accidents, and what they might portend, found that 

 a fad Event would fuddenly follow, as accordingly it did . for about mid* 

 night on the eighth of Auguji, Anno 1 541. fm:h a mighty ftore of Rain fell, as if 

 the Clouds had been all diflblv'd into Water, which came rbwling from the 

 Rocky Mountains with fuch violence; that it Xarafli'd down great Stones, which 

 carried on by the-ftrength of the Water againft the Houfes, beat them down . and 

 none could have feen how they were ruin'd, had not the mighty flaflies of Light* 

 ning, follow'd by terrible claps of Thunder, lighted the Night. Some inftantly 

 deferring this mifcrable place, fled up into the Countrey, and there built a new 

 Guatimala (as above-mention'd) fur-nam'd St. Jago, three Leagues farther towards 

 the Eaft, in a Valley through which flow two Rivers, between two Vulcans, or 

 fmoaking Mountains; which fometimes vomit forth terrible Flames, mix'd with 

 dreadful Thunder-claps, Aflies, and great Stones, inforhuch that the Ground all 

 about it, which is exceeding fruitful, feemsto move. There are many of thefe 

 Vulcans in feveral parts of America, as namely at Areampa in the Kingdom of Peru, 

 at Tuebla delos Angeks, in the Province olTla/calla abovefaid, a Mountain of fo great 

 heighth, that they are fain to go little lefsthan thirty Leagues turning and wind- 

 before they can reach the top of it, and others in feveral other places. .They are ge- 

 nerally Mountains of great heighth, and running (harp upwards, but at the top 

 containing fome quantity of plain and level Ground ; in themidft whereof is a Pit 

 or Hole, out of which abundance of Smoak and fiery Sparkles are vomited almoft 

 continually, and fo deep, that they are fuppos'd for the mod part to reach to the 

 very bottom of the Mountain. Some of thefe Vulcans caft forth neither Fire nor 

 Smoak, yet are clearly feen to burn^t the bottom with a quick Fire, and which is 

 fo extreamly hot, that it inftantly melteth Iron, or any other Metal that is caft into 

 it, as by experience hath been found : for fome conceiving that the Matter which 

 maintains thefe Fires within the Bowels of the Earth fo long together, can be no- 

 thing elfe but melted- Gold, have endeavor'd feveral times to extract and draw it 

 forth in certain VefTels of Iron and Brafs, which they have caus'd to be let down 

 into the bottom of the Vulcan or Pit, by long Iron Chains made on purpofe : but, 

 as we faid, the extream heat and force of the Fire below always melted them before 

 they could be drawn up again, and by that means hath rendred all fuch Attempts 

 fruftrate. In this Town, now call'd St. Jago, refide above fix hundred Sfanijh Com- 

 manders, 



