M ABATES. 



majority to go to the capital ; but these few 

 have yet some influence. 



In the year 1822, part of the town of Maha- 

 tes (situated on the mail-road between Cartha- 

 gena and Barranca) was burnt down, and the 

 church reduced to ashes. A gentleman hav- 

 ing lost his house in the conflagration, was 

 going to build one of stone or brick ; but the 

 people were opposed to it, influenced, of course, 

 by the priests. They called a Cabildo to meet, 

 and, according to an ancient Spanish law, it 

 was decided that nobody could build a house 

 with stones or brick, when the church was 

 not built of these materials ; because it would 

 be considered as an insult to religion, if the 

 church was constructed of straw or wood, 

 and private houses erected composed of better 

 materials. 



There are several churches and a cathedral 

 here : the object most worthy of remark in the 

 latter is a handsome white-marble pulpit. It 

 also contains a few tolerable paintings. 



The want of good water is a great incon- 

 venience at Carthagena. In the dry season 

 there is a great scarcity of this requisite, 

 and the inhabitants are frequently obliged to 



