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dral, and the palace of the Archbishop, and on the eastern three 

 houses belonging to noblemen. The most remarkable edifices are 

 the cathedral, the churches of St. Dominick, and that of the great 

 college formerly belonging to the Jesuits. The private houses are 

 handsome and pleasant, but, on account of earthquake 3, are usu- 

 ally of but one story. Besides the suburbs on the other side of the 

 river, there is one to the south, called St. Isidore ; it is very large, 

 and separated from the city by a street four times as broad as 

 the others, called Cannada. In the eastern part of the city is a 

 hill, called St. Lucia^ which formerly served as a fortress against 

 the Indians. The inhabitants amount to forty-six thousand, and 

 their numbers increase rapidly, in consequence of the great com- 

 merce of the place, which is very extensive in poportion to \%s> 

 population, as the houses are in general very commodious. The 

 pai'ochial churches are but four, the cathedral, St. Anna, St. Isidore, 

 and Renca. There are, however, several convents of monks, two 

 Dominican, four Franciscan, two Augustin, twoof the Mercedarii, 

 and one belonging to the brothers of Charity with a hospital, be- 

 sides seven nunneries, a house of correction for women, a foundling 

 hospital, several private endowments, a college of nobility, which 

 wâs under the direction of the Jesuits, and a Tridentine seminary. 

 The Jesuits had likewise here a house of devotion, and three col- 

 leges with public schools, wherein were taugîît the various branches 

 of learning. St. Jago also contains a royal university, a mint for 

 coining gold and silver and barracks for the soldiers, who are em- 

 ployed to maintain the police and as guards to the president, and 

 is the seat of the grand tribunals of the kingdom. The principal 

 court is composed of twelve Regidores^ or perpetual senators, and 

 of all the other officers who form the magistracy of the other 

 cities of the country. It has a numerous nobility, consisting of 

 several dignities of Castile, grandees, knights of the military or- 

 ders of Spain, and honorary officers of his Catholick Majesty. Being 

 the centre of all the commerce of Chili, it abounds with every 

 convenience of life, and as all kinds of meat, fish and other ar- 

 ticles of food are obtained from the neighbouring provinces in 

 great quantities, provisions are very cheap. 



( 



7ih. RANCAGUA. 



RANCAGUA is enclosed between the rivers Maypo and Cacha- 

 peal, and extends from the Andes to the sea. Its breadth between 

 these rivers is very unequal, being from seventeen to only eight 



