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LIVA. 



of the Andes. Liva still retains a Cabildo, 

 with a judge at its head. There are three 

 monasteries; but now the joint number of 

 the monks is reduced to sixteen, and several 

 of them blind. It likewise has a nunnery, 

 in which are at present immured only two- 

 and-twenty nuns. By the liberal arrange- 

 ment of the congress they can, however, 

 demand their liberty if they think proper. 

 These nuns educate a girl each ; this should 

 not be allowed, as they endeavour by every 

 means in their power, to induce their scho- 

 lars to follow their example, which, in the 

 present state of the country, is bad policy 

 to permit, as increase of population is much 

 wanted. The most disagreeable circum- 

 stance attendant on Liva is its air, which 

 is particularly dry, with generally a strong 

 southerly breeze, at all times very painful 

 to the eyes : it has inflicted blindness on 

 many of the inhabitants, and causes consi- 

 derable oppression on the chest. 



