A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels - Volume 05: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the; Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea; and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present TimeKerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels - Volume 05: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the; Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea; and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
6. _St Jago_, or _San Jacopo_, is entirely inland, having the province
of Aconcagua on the north, the Andes on the east, the river Maypo to the
south, and Melipilla to the west. This is a small province, being only
45 miles from east to west, and 36 from north to south. Besides the
rivers Mapocho, Colina, and Zampa, with several other beautiful streams,
it contains the lake of Pudaguel which is about nine miles long. This
province is very fertile, producing abundance of grain and wine, with
fine fruits, especially peaches of exquisite flavour and large size. The
inferior mountains of Caren abound in gold, and in the Andes belonging
to this province there are mines of silver. Tin is likewise said to be
found in the province. The beautiful city of St Jago, the capital of the
province and of the kingdom of Chili, which was founded in 1541 by Pedro
de Valdivia, stands in an extensive and beautiful plain, on the left
bank of the river Mapocho, in lat 33 deg. 16' S. long. 69 deg. 48' W. having the
suburbs of Chimba, Cannadilla, and Renca on the opposite side of the
river. Both sides of the river are guarded by stone quay walls of
considerable height to prevent inundations, and a fine bridge connects
the city with its suburbs. St Jago is about 90 miles from the sea, and
about 20 from the foot of the main ridge of the Andes, whose lofty
summits clad in perpetual snow form a fine contract with the continual
verdure of a beautiful surrounding district. The streets are all in
straight lines, thirty-six feet broad, and intersecting each other at
right angles, and every house is amply supplied with excellent water by
means of several aqueducts. The great square is 450 feet in extent on
all its sides, having a bronze fountain in the centre. The north side of
this square is occupied by the palace of the president and the public
offices, beneath which is the prison. On the south side is the palace of
the Conde dell Sierra-bella. The west side is occupied by the cathedral
and the palace of the archbishop; and the east side contains the palaces
of three noblemen. The other most remarkable buildings are the church of
San Domingo, and that formerly belonging to the college of Jesuits.
Though convenient and handsomely built, the private houses are generally
of one story only, on account of frequent earthquakes. On the south side
of the city, from which it is separated by a street called the Cannada,
144 feet broad, is the large suburb of St Isidore. On a hill in the
eastern part of the city, called Santa Lucia, there formerly stood a
fortress to guard against attacks of the Indians. This city contained in
1770 a population of 46,000 inhabitants, which was rapidly increasing.
Besides the cathedral and three other parish churches, there are two
convents of Dominican friars, four of Franciscans, two of Augustins, two
of the order of Mercy, and one belonging to the brothers of Charity,
with an hospital, seven nunneries, a female penitentiary, a foundling
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