Ch,XV. south AMERICA. 177 



dians inhabiting on their frontiers. And that they 

 may be dextrous in the management of them, they 

 are exercifed on the evening of every holiday in the 

 market-places of the towns. All perfons capable of 

 bearing arms in every town, are divided into compa- 

 nies, and have their proper officers, who owe this di- 

 ftindlion to their military qualifications : their uniform 

 is richly laced with gold or filver, according to their 

 rank, and embroidered with the device of their towns. 

 In thefe they always appear on holidays, fand at 

 the times of exercife. The governor, alcaldes, and 

 regidores, have alfo very magnificent habits of cere- 

 mony, which they wear on folemn occafions. 



No town is without a fchool for teaching reading,^ 

 writing, dancing, and mufic : and in whatever they 

 undertake they generally excel, the inclination and 

 genius of every one being carefully confulted before 

 they are forwarded in any branch of fcience. Thus 

 many attain a very good knowledge of the Latin 

 tongue. In one of the courts of the houfe belonging 

 to the prieft of every town, are fhops or workhoufes 

 for painters, fculptors, gilders, filverfmiths, lock* 

 fmiths, carpenters, weavers, watchmakers, and all 

 other mechanic arts and trades. Here every one 

 works for the benefit of the whole town, under the 

 inlpedion of the priefts coadjutors ; and boys are 

 there alfo inftruded in thofe trades or arts, to which 

 they have the greatefi: inclination. 



The churches are large, and well built : and, with 

 regard to decorations, not inferior to the richeft in 

 Peru. Even the houfes of the Indians are built with 

 that fymmetry and convenience, and fo compleatly and 

 elegantly furniflied, as to excel thofe of the Spaniards 

 in many towns in this part of America. Moft of 

 them however are only of mud walls, fome of unburnt / 

 bricks, and others of flone ; but all, in general, 

 covered with tiles. Every thing in thefe towns is oa 

 fuch good footing, that ail private houfes make 



Vol. II. N , gun- 



