Ch. III. SOUTH AMERICA. 335 



richnefs of the country, he proceeded to people ic 

 every where. 



Nor was this all for Belalcazar, in order to en- 

 hance the glory and importance of this country, was 

 very defirous of making a road from Quito to the 

 North Tea, as he had before done to the Pacifick ocean. 

 Among the difcoveries made by his captains v/hiUt he 

 was employed in fuperintending the buildino; of Po- 

 payan, one was, that, at no great diitance from that 

 place, were two of the principal fources of the great 

 river of Magdalena-, whence he conceived they might 

 eafily find a pafiage to the North fea. This opinion 

 the general had the pleafure of finding iinanirnoufiy 

 agreed to, which induced him to make every difDofi-- 

 tion for the fecurity and welfare of his eonquefls, 

 being determined to return by Vv^ay of that river to 

 Soain, in order to folhcit the title of governor of the 

 country which he had difcovered, conquered, and 

 peopled. Accordingly the title was conferred oa 

 him, and in his government were comprehended all 

 the territories then confidered as within his conqueils; 

 but in the year 1730 the country of Choco was fe- 

 parated from it, and made a particular government, 

 though the order was not carried into execution till 

 the year 1735. This part, belonging to the province 

 of the new kingdom of Granada, does not come 

 within our defcription. 



The city of Popayan, one of the moil; ancient in 

 thefe parts, that title having been granted it on the 

 fifth of July 1538, (lands in a large plain, having on 

 the north fide an uninterrupted profpe(fi of the coun- 

 try. Its latitude is 2'' 28' north; lies about two de- 

 grees eafl of the meridian of Qiiito, on the eail fide 

 of a mountain of a middling height called M, from 

 the refemblance it bears to that letter ; and, being co- 

 vered with a variety of trees, affords an entertauiing 

 profpecl: the weft fide is alfo di verified with fmall 

 eminences. 



The 



