Ch.IV. south AMERICA. 29 



CHAP. IV. 



Of the Inhabitants C a r t h a g s n a. 



THE inhabitants may be divided into different 

 cafts or tribes, who derive their origin from a 

 coalition of Whites, Negroes, and Indians. Of each of 

 thefe we fhall treat particularly. 



The Whites may be divided into two ckfTes, the 

 Europeans, and Creoles, or Whites born in the country. 

 The former are commonly called Chapetones, but are 

 not numerous; mod of them either return into Spain af- 

 ter acquiring a competent fortune, or remove up into in- 

 land provinces in order to increafe it. Thofe vv'ho are fet- 

 tled at Carthagena, carry on the whole trade of that 

 place, and live in opulence ; whilft the other inhabitants 

 are indigent, and reduced to have recourfe to mean and 

 hard labour for fubfiftence. The families of the V/hite 

 Creoles compofe the landed intereil ; fome of them have 

 large eftates, and are highly refpedled, becaufe their an- 

 ceftors came into the country invefled with honourable 

 pofts, bringing their families with them when they 

 fettled here. Some of thefe families, in order to keep up 

 their original dignity, have either married their children 

 to their equals in the country, or fent them as officers 

 on board the galleons ^ but others have greatly declined. 

 Befides thefe, there are other Whites, in mean circum- 

 flances, who either owe their origin to Indian families, 

 or at leaft to an intermarriage with them, fo that there 

 is fome miixture in their blood but when this is not 

 difcoverable by their colour, the conceit of being Whites 

 alleviates the prelTure of every other calamity. 



Among the other tribes which are derived from an 

 intermarriage of the Whites with the Negroes, the firit 

 are the Mulattos. Next to thefe the Tercerones, pro- 

 duced from a white and a Mulatto, v/ith Ibme approxi- 

 mation to the former, but not fo near as to obliterate 



their 



