NOTICES OF BOLIVIA. 167 



a cheaper material for building than adobes, both on account 

 of repairs and the original cost. A great proportion of the 

 houses are occupied as stores, where a great variety of foreign 

 goods, both European and American, are exposed for sale. 

 About the middle of the street, there are two ancient palms, 

 and an old dried up fig tree, (described by Frezier, in 1713,) 

 on the bark of which foreigners have been in the habit of cut- 

 ting their names. Some of these bear date as early as 1809. 

 Amongst other names is that of the U. S. S. Vincennes, 1S28, 

 and P. White, N. Carolina, 1832. 



The oldest building here is a church, said to have been erect- 

 ed a hundred and fifty years ago. It is built of adobes of a 

 small size, and the cement is said to have been made of the 

 shell formation mentioned above, and is now harder than stone. 

 This temple is very small and mean in appearance ; and opens 

 to the sea by the only door in the building, which is double, 

 and secured by a common padlock ; in fact, unless attention 

 were called to it, it would be overlooked as some stable. 



Amongst the inconveniences of this port, perhaps the greatest 

 is the scarcity of water, which is barely sufiicient for the daily 

 consumption of the present small population, and even this is 

 so brackish, that strangers are unable to drink it without a 

 pretty free admixture of wine or spirits. Coffee and tea made 

 from it are far from being very palatable. In former years, 

 however, it was not so scarce. The springs from which it is 

 obtained are in front of the trees in the side of the hill, and 

 secured by lock and key, except a small tube of the size of a 

 gun barrel, from which a stream as large as a swan quill is- 

 sues; and this is carefully stopped when not running into 

 the bottles or other vessels of those who come for water. At 

 the end of the street, and within ten yards of the surf, is a 

 well, said to contain the best water in the place : this the go- 

 vernor has appropriated to his own use, and that of the garrison, 

 not exceeding, in all, servants included, fifty persons. About 

 a half a mile from the town is a spring, which is used for wash- 

 ing and watering the cattle. A barrel of sweet water from 

 Valparaiso or Peru is esteemed no small present, and the favor 

 is frequently asked of vessels arriving in the port. There is 



