Ch. III. SOUTH AMERICA. 349 



expedtation : and thus the fo much defired commu- 

 nication of the province of .Qiiito and the kingdom 

 of Terra Firma remained as it was till the year 1735, 

 when Don Pedro Vicente Maldonado, being iiivelLed 

 with the fame powers as his predecefTors, furpaffed 

 them in execution, and in 1741 laid open a diredl 

 communication betwixt Qiiito and the Rio de las 

 Efmaraldas : and having verified his proceeding before 

 the audiences, and obtained their approbation, he re- 

 turned to Spain, to folicit the confirmation of his em- 

 ploymxnt as governor, and the rewards fpecified in 

 the contracl. .On the favourable report of the fu- 

 preme council of the Indies, his majefty, in 1746, 

 confirmed him as governor of that country, which, 

 ' in 1747, was formally eredcd into a government, 

 by the commiffion then given to the above gentle- 

 man, who by his fkill and refolution had fo well de- 

 ferved it. 



The towns vv^ithin the government of Atacames 

 are at prefent but fmall and poor ; having hitherto 

 lain out of the way of traffick, and the country but 

 little cultivated. However, this governor takes fuch 

 meafures for the improvement of it, that already the 

 face of things begins to alter greatly for the better ; 

 and the fertility of the foil will naturally invite fet- 

 tlers, and the communication being opened through it 

 » betv/ixt the kingdom of Terra Firm.a and the pro- 

 vince of Qiiito, will caufe a circulation of m.oney. In 

 the mean time this government contains 20 towns, 

 five of which are on the fea-coaft, and ftand the firft in 

 the foliovvdng life ; the others are inland places. 



I. Tumaco. VI. Lachas. 



II. Tola. VII. Cayapas. 



III. San Matheo de Efme- VIIL Inta. 



raldas. IX. Gualea. 



IV. Atacames. X. Naneoal. 

 V. La Canoa. XI. Tambillo. 



Xir. Ni- 



