nor herb; fo that the inhabitants of Potofi, which is fituated at the foot of the hill, on the fouth fide, are obliged to procure all the neceffaries of life from Peru. Thefe mines begin to decrease, and others rife in reputation.

ter.

Cities.] The city of Lima is the capital of Peru, and of the whole Spanish empire; its fituation, in the middle of a fpacious and delightful valley, was fixed upon by the famous Pizarro, as the most proper for a city, which he expected would preferve his memory. It is fo well watered by the Rimac, that the inhabitants command a stream, each for his own ufe. There are many very magnificent ftructures, particularly charches, in this city. Lima is about two leagues from the sea, extends in length two miles, and in breadth one and a quarOne remarkable fact is fufficient to demonftrate the wealth of the city. When the Viceroy, the duke de la Palada, made his entry into Lima, in 1682, the inhabitants, to do him honour, caufed the streets to be paved with ingots of filver, amounting to feventeen millions fterling. All travellers fpeak with amazement of the decorations of the churches with gold, filver, and precious ftones, which load and ornament even the walls. The only thing that could justify thefe accounts, is the immenfe riches and extenfive commerce of the inhabitants. The merchants of Lima may be faid to deal with all the quarters of the world, and that both on their own accounts, and as factors for others. Here, all the produfts of the fouthern provinces are conveyed, in order to be exchanged at the harbour of Lima, for fuch articles as the inhabitants of Peru ftand in need of; the fleet from Europe and the East Indies land at the fame harbour, and the commodities of Afia, Europe, and America, are there bartered for each other. But all the wealth of the inhabitants, all the beauty of the fituation, and the fertility of the climate of Lima, are not fufficient to compenfate for one difafter, which always threatens, and has fometimes actually befallen them. In the year 1747, a molt tremendous earthquake laid three-fourths of this city level with the ground, and entirely demolished Callao, the port town belonging to it. Never was any destruction more perfect, not more than one, of three thousand

thousand inhabitants, being left to record this dreadful calamity, and he by a providence the moft fingular and extraordinary imaginable. This man, who happened to be on a fort which overlooked the harbour, perceived in one minute, the inhabitants running from their hou. fes in the utmost terror and confufion; the fea, as is ufual on fuch occafions, receding to a confiderable diftance, returned in mountainous waves, foaming with the violence of the agitation, buried the inhabitants forever in its bofom, and immediately all was filent: but the fame wave which destroyed the town, drove a little boat by the place where the man ftood, into which he threw himself, and was faved.

Cusco, the ancient capital of the Peruvian empire, lies in the mountainous country, at a distance from the fea, and has long been on the decline, but is yet a very confiderable place. Quito is next to Lima in popula tion, if not fuperior to it. It is, like Cufco, an inland city, and having no mines in its neighbourhood, is chiefly famous for its manufactures of cotton, wool, and flax, which fupply the confumption over all the kingdom of Peru.

Inhabitants, Manners, and Government.] It is impoffi ble to afcertain with any degree of precifion, the number of inhabitants in Peru. The city of Lima is said to contain 54,000; Guagaquill, 20,000; Potofi, 25,000 ; La Paz, 20,000, and Cufco, 26,000.

The Indians and Negroes are forbidden, under the feveret penalties, to intermarry; for divifion between these two claffes, is the great instrument in which the Spaniards truft for the prefervation of the colonies. Peru is governed by a Viceroy, who is abfolute; but it being impoffible for him to fuperintend the whole extent of his government, he delegates a part of his authority to the several audiences and courts, established at different places throughout his territories.

Natural Hiftory.] There are certain waters in this country, which, in their courfe, turn into one; and fountains of liquid matter, called coppey, resembling pitch and tar, and used by feamen for the fame purpose.

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On

On the coaft of Guagaquill and Guatimala, are found a certain fpecies of fnails, which yield the purple dye fo celebrated by the ancients, and which the moderns have fuppofed to have been loft. The shell that contains them is fixed to rocks, watered by the fea. It is of the size of a large nut. Various methods are used to extract the purple matter from the animal. There is no colour that can be compared to this, either in luftre or permanence.

General Obfervations. In treating of this country, the mind is naturally led back to the barbarous and cruel conquerors of it, who, coming from the old world in queft of gold, to fatisfy their avarice, difplayed scenes fhocking to humanity. After the conqueft, the country scarcely preferved any thing but its name; every thing assumed a new face. There were other edifices, other inhabitants, other occupations, other prejudices, and another religion. See Robertfon's Hiftory of America.

B

Boundaries and Chief Towns. north; by Paraguay or La Plata, on the east; by Patagonia, on the fouth; and by the Pacific Ocean, on the west. It lies on both fides of the Andes; Chili Proper lies on the weft; and Cuyo or Cutio, on the east. The principal towns in the former,. are St. Jago and Baldivia; in the latter, St. John de Frontiera.

Climate

Climate and Soil.] The climate of Chili is one of the most delightful in the world, being a medium between the intenfe heats of the torrid, and the piercing colds of the frigid zones. Along the coaft of the Pacific Ocean, they enjoy a fine temperate air, and a clear ferene sky,. moft part of the year; but fometimes the winds that blow from the mountains, in winter, are exceedingly sharp. There are few places in this extenfive country, where the foil is not exuberantly rich; and were its natural advantages feconded by the industry of the inhabitants, Chili would be the moft opulent kingdom in America.

Animal and Vegetable Productions.] The horfes and mules of Chili are in great esteem, particularly the former. Prodigious numbers of oxen, goats and sheep, are fattened in the luxuriant paftures of Chili; and indeed this is the only part of hufbandry to which the inhabitants pay any confiderable attention. An os, well fattened, may be purchased for four dollars. Turkies, geese, and all kinds of poultry, are found here in the fame profufion.

The coasts abound with many excellent fish; there are also vaft numbers of whales and fea wolves. The foil produces Indian and European corn, hemp, grapes, and all other fruits. The European fruit trees are obliged to be propped, to enable them to fuftain the weight of the fruit. Orange trees are in bloom, and bear fruit throughout the year. Olives alfo, and almond trees, thrive exceedingly well; and the inhabitants prefs a kind of mufcadine wine from the grapes, which far exceeds any of the kind made in Spain.

Mines.] Mines of gold, filver, copper, tin, quickfilver, iron and lead, abound in this country. Vait quantities of gold are washed down from the mountains by brooks and torrents; the annual amount of which, when manufactured, is estimated at no less than 800,000 dollars.

Commerce.] Chili has always had commercial connexions with the neighbouring Indians on its frontiers, with Peru and Paraguay. The Indians in their tranfactions, are found to be perfectly honeft. Chili fupplies

Peru

Peru with hides, dried fruit, copper, falt meat, horses, hemp, and corn; and receives in exchange, tobacco, fugar, cocoa, earthen ware, fome manufactures made at Quito, and fome articles of luxury brought from Eu.

rope.

Chili fends to Paraguay wines, brandy, oil, and chiel ly gold; and receives in payment, mules, wax, cotton, the herb of Paraguay, Negroes, &c. The commerce between the two colonies is not carried on by fea; it hath been found more expeditious, fafer, and even less expen five, to go by land, though it is 354 leagues from St. Jago to Buennos Ayres, and more than 40 leagues of the way amidst the fnows and precipices of the Corde leirias.

Inhabitants and Manners.] The Indians in this country are still in a great meafure unconquered; they live fcattered in the deferts and forefts, and it is impoffible to ascertain their numbers. Thofe Indians, which are not fubject to the Spanish yoke, are very honeft in their commercial transactions; but, like almost all other Indians, they are very fond of fpirituous liquors. They live in small huts, which they build in the course of a day or two at furtheft, and which they abandon when hard pushed by an enemy. They are brave and warlike, and all the attempts of the Spaniards to fubdue them, have proved ineffectual. It is almost equally difficult to afcertain the number of Spaniards in Chili. The Abbe Raynal fays, there are 40,000 in the city of St. Jago. If this be true, the aggregate number in all the provinces of Chili must be more confiderable than has been generally fuppofed.

Government.] St. Jago is the capital of this country, and the feat of government. The commandant there, is fubordinate to the Viceroy of Peru, in all matters relating to the government, to the finances, and to war; but he is independent of him as chief administrator of juftice, and president of the royal audience. Eleven inferior officers, diftributed in the province, are charged, under his orders, with the details of administration.

RARAGUAY,