OF PANAMA. 



35 



the governor of Panama prefides ; and to this employment is annexed tlie 

 captainfhip of 'Tierra Firmay a prefident, four connfellors, a provoft, and a 

 procurator genei;al ; an auditor of accounts, a treafurer, and a commif- 

 fary general ; a corporation compofed of alcaldes and regidores, and a court 

 of inquifition appointed by the tribunal at Carthagena. The convents are 

 thofe of the Dominicans, Francifcans^ AuguJIines, and fathers of mercy be- 

 fides which there is a college of jefuits, a nunnery of the order of Santa Clara^ 

 and an hofpital of San 'Juan de Dios. The /lender revenues will not admit 

 of their being very numerous ; nor are the ornaments of the churches re- 

 markably rich, though far from being contemptible. , The decorations of 

 private houfes are elegant, but not coftly, though this city is not defti- 

 tute of wealthy inhabitants ; and all have a fufficiency. 



Cockburn, who was at this city in 1732, fays it ftands very pleafantly on 

 a high hill, clofe by the fea, and is of great extent, having feveral well 

 built churches and convents in it. The houfes are large, and handfomely 

 built of timber ; the inhabitants numerous, and moft of them very rich : 

 they drefs exceedingly fine, the ladies wearing the moft coftly goods that 

 can be brought from Europe, having their hair curioufly dreffed, and adorned 

 with diamonds and other precious ftones. Tlie place abounds with money, 

 but all things are excciilvely dear, the leaft coin that paffes here, being half 

 a real of plate, which is three-pence half-penny Englijlj money. 



The harbour of Panama is formed by the flielter of feveral illands, 

 where (hips lie very fafe at about two and an half or three leagues from 

 the city. The tides^ are regular, and it is high water at the full and 

 change, about three o'clock. The water rifes and falls confiderably, 

 fo that the fhore, lying on a gentle flope, is at low water left dry to 

 a great diftanqe. The trade is very confiderable, it is the port where 

 the fhips from Lifna, Guayaquil, &c. unload the treafure fent to Old 

 Spain, and the ftaple for the goods brought up the i^w de Chagrc. This 

 commerce is of the greateft advantage to the inhabitants, with regard to 

 letting out their houfes, mules and negroes, and the freight of velTels : but this 

 is not the whole of its commerce, 'Panama^ even during the abfence of the 

 armadilla, is never without ftrangers, it being the thoroughfare for all going 



F % and 



