102 



declivities project like promontories on the 

 plain. Their form indicates the ancient shore of 

 the lake. The eastern extremity of this valley 

 is parched and uncultivated. No advantage 

 has been derived from the ravines., that water 

 the neighbouring mountains * but a fine cultiva- 

 tion is commencing in the proximity of the 

 town. I say of the town, though in my time 

 Victoria was considered only as a village 

 (pueblo). 



We do not easily accustom ourselves to the 

 idea of a village with seven thousand inhabi- 

 tants, fine edifices, a church decorated with 

 doric columns *, and all the resources of com- 

 mercial industry. The inhabitants of Victoria 

 had long demanded of the Court of Spain the 

 title of villa, and the right to choose a cabildo, 

 a municipality. The Spanish ministry opposed 

 their request, though at the expedition of Itur- 

 riaga and Solano to the Oroonoko, the pompous 

 title of ciudad, city, had been granted, at the 

 earnest solicitations of the monks of St. Francis, 

 to a few groups of Indian huts. The municipal 

 government, according to it's nature, ought to 

 be one of the principal bases of the liberty and 

 equality of the citizens; but in the Spanish 

 colonies it has degenerated into a municipal 



* It was not finished, notwithstanding that the work had 

 been going en for five years. 



