268 A VOYAGE TO Book VHI. 



by the houfes, parts of the intervals between the feve- 

 ral fquares being filled up with gardens ; and mofl: of 

 them have fo charming an appearance, as to atone for 

 the mean afpedl of the houfes. 



Besides pariOi churches, here is a Francifcan, a Do- 

 minican, and an Auguftine convent ; one belonc-ino- to 

 the Fathers of Mercy, another to St. Juan de Dios; 

 and a college of Jefuits. The churches of thefe religi- 

 ous fraternities are large and decent. Theparifli church 

 occupies part of one fide of the great fquare ; and op- 

 pofite is the town-houfcj where the alcaldes and regi- 

 dorcs meet, who with the corregidor form the corpo- 

 ration. 



On the N. fide of Coquimbo runs the river, after 

 flowing in various meanders thro' the whole valley of 

 the fame name ; and by canals cut from it, furnifhcs 

 the town with water, one great ufe of v^hich is to pre- 

 fer /e the beauty of therr gardens* 



IX. CopiAPO is about twelve leagues from the fea- 

 coaft, very irregularly built, but contains between 

 three and four hundred families. The fea-port 

 neareft to it i^ that known by the fame name. There 

 is indeed another port in this jurifdidlion ; but it lies 

 thirty leagues farther to the S. and confifts only of a few 

 huts. 



X. Mendosa. The town of this name is fituated 

 on the eaftern fide of the Cordillera, at the dillance of 

 about fifty leagues from Santiago. It (lands on a 

 plain, and is decorated with gardens in the fame 

 jnanner as Coquimbo, and the place being well fup* 

 plied with water by means of canals, no care is 

 wanting to keep them in their greateft beauty. The 

 town confifts of about an hundred families, half 

 Spaniards or whites, and the other half cafts. It 

 has befides a decent parifli church, a Francifcan, 

 Dominican and Auguftine convent, together with a 

 college of Jefuits. This jurifdidion has alfo two 

 other towns, that of St. Juan de la Frontera, like- 

 wife 



