T I E R R A F I R M A. 



13 



certain herbs, that the flightell wounds made by them were mortal. Oviedo 

 being, with feveral of his predeceffors, baffled in their repeated attempts, 

 the conqueft of this place, the peopling of the city, and reducing it into a 

 colony and government were compleated by Don Pedro de Heredia, in 1583, 

 From feveral natural advantages, particularly that of its fine fituation, it was 

 raifed into an epifcopal fee. 



The French invaded it under the condudl of a Corjican pilot in 1 544. 

 In 1585 this place was taken by Sir Francis Drake, with a body of 

 2300 land-forces : they kept pofTeflion of it fix weeks, and having burnt a 

 part of the city, received 30,000 pounds fterling in fpecie, for the ranfom 

 of the remainder of it. The next year it was fubdued by Capt. Chrijiopher 

 Carlijle with 900 men, who took from this place above 30 pieces of brafs 

 canncn, be fides other treafure. A very fhort time after five French priva- 

 teers took it again, and carried off a booty worth 1 50,000 ducats, but burnt 

 the place, which was newly repaired, to the ground. In 1697 the Sieur de 

 Fointis undertook to plunder it with a fquadron of French men of vv^ar, on 

 board of which there were 4*175 men ; at St. Domingo he was joined by a 

 fquadron of buccaneers, confifting of fix fhips, and about 1500 men, with- 

 out whofe afliftance, in all probability, he had mifcarried. The place made 

 a vigorous refiftance, but was at length taken, though not without confide- 

 rable lofs to the French, We have various accounts of the plunder which 

 they carried oft : but the moft authentic compute it at two millions fterling, 

 at the leaft. Befides what the buccaneers carried off, who, being difiatlsfied 

 with their (hare, returned again, and re-took poffefiion of the city, notwith- 

 flanding the former compofition, ftripping the inhabitants of five hundred 

 thoufand pounds more. 



Since this time the city of Carthagena has been thoroughly repaired, or 

 rather rebuilt, and better fortified than ever. There are in it five churches 

 befides the cathedral, which is in itfelf a noble ftrudure, its infide being 

 as richly furnifhed, as its outfide is magnificent. There are alfo eleven con- 

 vents, a fine palace for the governor, a fumptuous town-houfe and cuftom.- 

 houfe , and a prodigious trade is driven on by the merchants fettled here, 

 efpecially in pearls, emeralds, indigo, cochineal, and other rich goods. As 

 to the number of perfons who inhabit this city, it is not eafy to have an exa£l 

 account of them; a French officer who was there in 1730, judged there 



might 



