Chap. VI. 



a M E^IC Jl 



i% 9 



Sect. VII. 



Zacatecas. 



THe Zacatecas, as they call them, are bounded on the South, with Guadala- *&?* ? ™n 

 lajara 5 on the North, with New Sifcay . on the Weft, with Qouliacan and of *""«" : 

 fome part of Xalifco . and on the Eaft, withNiw Spain. • The Countrey, 

 efpecially the more Weftern part of it, is very rich in Silver Mines, no Province of 

 this part of America richer - but not fo apt cither for Wheat ox-Mai^ But the Ea- 

 ftern parts of it are abundantly ftor'd with all forts of Fruits, the Woods every 

 where replenifli'd with Deer, the Fields nolefs with Corn, and every Tree almoit 

 giving Entertainment to fome Bird or other. 



The Towns are i. Las Zacatecas, forty Leagues diftant from Guadalajara, and ^ e " a 

 fourfcore from Mexico, but neighbor'd with mod rich Mines, and therefore both 

 Garrifon'd and well peopled by the Spaniards 5 for 'tis fuppos'd there are no lefs 

 than five hundred Families of them in the Town,and about the Mines, 



2. St. JMartins, twenty feven Leagues diftant from Zacatecas, and as rich a Place, 

 having a Colony of four hundred Spaniards at leaft. 



3. St. Lucas deAYtnno. 4. Erena, lefler Towns, but both of them rich, and feated 

 in the midft of excellent Mines. 



y. Timbre de Dios , in the moft Northerly part of this Countrey, fixty eight 

 Leagues diftant from Guadalajara, and founded by the aforefaid Francifco de Tvarra -, 

 who having fubdu'd and quieted the Natives, and thereby gain'd to himfelf the 

 Government of thefe Countreys, granted the propriety of fome Silver Mines both 

 to the Spaniards and to the Natives, and by that means drew fo many of them thi- 

 ther, that in a ftiort time it became the chiefeft and beft peopled town of the whole 

 Province. 



6. Durango, in the Valley of Guadiana, eight Leagues diftant from Tfymbre de 

 Dios, and built by Tvarra. 



7. Xeres de Frontera, a Place built on purpofe for the repreiTing of the Chicbemec* 

 Aforefaid, and other Salvages that infefted the Borders of Guadalajara, in the Re- 

 gency f>f the Marquefs of Villa Manriaue. 



8. Laft, St. Lewis, built by Alonfo facheco, in that part of the Countrey which is 

 call'd Uxitipa, and peopled by him with a Colony of Spaniards, being diftant about 

 twenty Leagues from (panuco in TS{ew Spain, to which the whole Countrey of Uxitipa 

 once belonged. 



'The aforefaid Fr and f cus de Tvarra, Anno 1554. difcover'd the Mine call'd Sant ^era! 



J * J ' ' Mines difco- 



Martin, and fince alio Lucas Avinno, the Mine Del Sombrereto, lying near ihe City Pel y 1 '^*?. 

 Erena : but the Mines De los %ancbos, Cbalchuites, De las Treves, and Del Frifuillo, would 

 produce much more Silver, if the Mine*works were ftor'd with Quick*filvcr. The 

 Vice*Roy of Nen? Spain, narfVd LodoVtck de Velafco, order'd a certain number of Sol- 

 diers, Slaves, Horfes and Mules, for every Mine, to defend the Workmen from the 

 AiTaults of the Natives, which oftentimes Sallied out upon them. Moreover, Ve* 

 lafco fent Priefts through all the Countrey to Preach the Gofpel : But Tvarra having 

 the care of the Priefts, guarded them with a company of Soldiers, and in his Way 

 difcover'd the Valley Sanjuan, and the River De las Nacos, where he conquer'4 

 the rebelling Natives. 



Near the Silver Mine Sant Martins the Monks built a Cloyfter ; after which Tvarra 

 gave free leave to all that would, to dig in the Mine at Jvmno, which he had 



F f j bought, 



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