the South -Sea, I : Jj 



Thatch'd, make it look but like a Plain, and the Streets 

 like the Walks in Gardens 5 and in fhort, they are fet 

 round with Fig, Orange, Olive, Palm-Trees, (Jc. which 

 afford them an agreeable Shade. 



The moft confiderable Part of it is taken up by two Ckrciw,^ 

 Squares and fix,Monafteries of Dominicans, Auguftins^ 

 Francifcans y Mercenariam and Jefuites, without reckoning 

 the Parifh arid the Chappel of S. Agnes. Formerly there was 

 a Church ofS.L^Q^on an Eminence of the fame Name,which 

 runs out in a Point to the Middle of the Town : It is of 

 the fame Height. as the firft Terrafs, and commands all the 

 Town by reafonofthe Lownefs of the Houfes, which have 

 only a Ground Floor. From thence, as it were from an 

 Amphitheatre, appears a curious Landskip, form'd by the 

 Town, the Plain which reaches down to the Sea, the Bay 

 and its Mouth. All the Quarter of S. Lucy was formerly 

 inhabited ; but fince the Bnglifo and other Pyrates plunderd 

 and burnt the Town, it has not been rebuilt, any more 

 than the SoutliPart : This has happened twice within forty 

 Years. 



The Difcovery of the Mines of Copiapo, and the Vexati- Copiap© 

 ons of the Corregidom, or Chief Magiftrates, daily contri- Mims - 

 bute towards unpeopling of it ; tho r thofe Mines are near 

 a hundred Leagues from Coquimbo by Land, feveral FamU 

 lies are gone thither to fettle ; fo that ^ prefent there are 

 not above two hundred FamiUes, and at riioft,three hundred ^habitants, . 

 Men fit to bear Arms, not including the Neighbourhood. 

 In thofe few Houfes, there are fome of the Fair Sex of a 

 pleafant and obliging Converfation, which adds very much 

 to the other Delights of the agreeable Place and Climate. 



The Fertility of the Soil keeps abundance of People itilFrwfcft.*** 

 the Country, in the Vales of Elques, Sotaquy, Saljipued, Tr4 ^ 

 Andacol, Limari^&c: whence they bring Corn to load four 

 or five Ships, of about 400 Tuns Burden, to fend to Li- 

 ma. They alfo fupply Santiago with much Wine and Oil 3 

 reckon' d thebeft along the Coaft : Thefe Provifions, toge- 

 ther witfifome few Hides/Tallow^anddry'd Elefh^ are alt 



die: 



