Ch. XIV. SOUTH AMERICA. 157 



according to the ordinance, contain eight pounds; 

 and its current price at Oruro, Potofi, and the other 

 mine towns, is from nine to ten pieces of eight, and 

 fometimes more. The colder parts feed large herds 

 of cattle; together with Vicunas, Guanacos, and 

 other wild creatures. This province has alio fome 

 filver mines, but not fo many, nor fo rich, as the 

 preceding province. ^ 



XIV. Attacama is the weftern boundary of the 

 audience of Charcas, extending to the fouth fea ; and 

 the principal town, called alfo Attacama, is no lefs 

 than 120 leagues from Plata. Its jurifdiftion is of a 

 confiderable extent, and a great part of it very fruit- 

 ful •, but intermixed with fome defarts particularly to- * 

 wards the fouth, where it divides the kingdoms of Peru 

 and Chili. On the coaft in this province there is every 

 year a large fifhery of Tolo, a fort of fiih common in 

 the fouth lea, with which a very great trade is carried 

 on with the inland provinces, it being there the chief 

 food during Lent, and the other days of abflinence. 



CHAP. XIV. 



Account of the three Dioceffes of la Pa2, San- 

 ta Cruz de la Sierra, ^zWTucuman ; 

 and of their refpeBive Provinces, 



THE province in which the prefent city of la 

 Paz is ficuated, was formerly knovvn by tlic; 

 name of Chuquiyapu, which in the idiom of rhac 

 country is commonly thought to fignify Chacra, or an 

 inheritance of gold, and is there corruptly called Chu- 

 quiabo. Accordingly Garcelafo pretends that Chu- 

 quiapu fignifies Lanza Capitana, or principal lance ; 

 but this is deriving it from the general language of the 

 Yncas, and with a difference in the penukima, it not 



being 



