260 



In Conception in the year 1567, but was afterwards aboHéhed, and 

 re-established some years after in the capital of St. Jago. The 

 president is, however, obliged to reside in this city for six 

 months, and hiis, a palace in it bijilt at the expense of the go- 

 vernment. After the destruction of the city of Imperial, in the 

 year 1603, it was erected into a bishopric. Besides containing 

 convents of all the religious orders established in Chili, it has one 

 of the sisters of the Trinity, a college which belonged to the Je-r 

 suits, with public schools, in whicU were taught the sciences of hu-^ 

 manity, philosophy and theolog;y, a college of nobility, which was 

 likewise under the direction of the Jesuits, aud a Tridentine semi-^ 

 nary. The inhabitants, in consequence of so many misfortunes, 

 scarcely amount at present to thirteen thousand. The temperature 

 of the air is at all seasons very mild ; the soil fertile, and the sea 

 coast abounds with every kind of fish of the most delicious kinds, 

 both scaled and testaceous. The harbour, or bay, is spacious, ex- 

 tending full three leagues and a half from north to south, and as 

 many from east to west. The Quiriquina, a beautiful and fertile 

 island, situated at its mouth, forms two entrances to it, the east- 

 ern of which, called Bocea Grande, is two miles wide, and the 

 western, called ^occa C/¿zV«, is but a little more than a mile. The 

 harbour affords good and safe anchorage for vessels of any bur- 

 den, especially in a port called Talcaguanoj where ships at 

 present lie, as the nçw city is not far distant. 



X3th. HUILQUILEMU. 



THE province of Huilquilemu, commonly called Estanzia del 

 Rei, the royal possession, is situated between Chilian, the Andes, 

 the river Bio-bio and Fuchacay, and is in length and breadth the 

 same as the preceding. Its rivers are the Itata, Claro, Laxa and 

 Duqueco. This district is rich in gold dust, and produces an ex-* 

 cellent muscadel wine. The inhabitants are valiant and warlike, 

 having been accustomed to fight with their formidable neighbours 

 the Araucanians. The capital is called Estanzia del Rei, or St. 

 Lewis cli Gonzaga, and was built not many years since, near the 

 Bio -bio in 36 deg. 45 minutes of latitude, and 304. 48. of longitude. 

 Besides the parish church there is an ancient college of the Jesuita 

 To protect this province from the incursions of the Araucani- 

 ans, the Spaniards have erected, upon the shore of the Bio-bio 

 within their terriiiry, the forts of Jumbel,' Tucapen, St. Barbara 

 ?.nd Purcn. Their barrier? however, is situated on the souther» 



