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COP

COP

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of a hot and moist temperature, and inhabited by
107 families of Indians ; being 15 leagues n.e. of
its capital.

Copan, a river of the province and government
of Cumaná. It rises in the serrama of Imataca,
runs s. and enters the Cuyuni on the side.

COPANDARO, Santiago de, a settlement of
the head settlement of Tuzantla, and alcaldia mayor
of Maravatio, in Nueva Espaha. It contains 34
families of Indians, and is 10 leagues to the s. of
its head settlement. In it is a convent of the reli-
gious order of St. Augustin, Avhicli is one of the
best convents in the kingdom.

COPENAME, a river of the province and go-
vernment of Guayana, in the Dutch possessions or
colony of Surinam. It runs n. and unites itself
with the Sarameca at its mouth, to form another
mouth, and enter into the sea.

COPER, a small settlement of the Nuevo Reyno
de Granada, in the road which leads from Santa
Fe to Muzo ; situate upon an height, near the
mountain Apari, where, upon the descent which
is called Cuesta de Macanazos, and at its skirt,
runs the river Villaraisar. Near it has been found
a mine of earth, esteemed an excellent antidote
against poisons.

COPERE, a settlement of the province and ju-
risdiction of Muzo, in the corregimiento of Tunja,
of the N uevo Reyno de Granada. It is of a be-
nign temperature, produces maize, cotton, yucas^
plantains, and the other fruits of its climate. In
the territory of this curacy rises the river called
Villamisar, memorable for the battle fought there
by the Indians and Captain Luis Lanchero, in
which the former were routed. It contains 150
housekeepers, and 30 Indians.

COPIA, one of the ancient provinces which
were formed by that of Popayan in the time of the
Indians ; and bounded by the province of Car-
tama. At present its limits are not known, since
the Spaniards have changed both the divisions and
names.

COPIAPO, a province and corregimienlo of the
kingdom of Chile ; bounded n. by the province of
Atacama, of the archbishopric of Charcas, and
kingdom of Peru ; e. by the territory of the city of
Rioja, of the province of Tucuman, the cordillera
running between ; s. by the province of Coquitnbo,
and w, by the Pacific ocean. Its extent is 60
leagues n. s. and from 20 to three e. w. It very sel-
dom rains here ; cattle is therefore scarce, although
it nevertheless produces every sort of grain, of ex-
cellent quality, and fruits of various kinds. The
temperature is very benign throughout the year.

it has many mines of copper, most pure and rich
sulphur, loadstone, lapis lazuli, and gold ; some of
wliicJi are worked ; and it is not many years ago
that some silver mines also were discovered. It
produces a kind of small frees, which are planted
and cultivated upon the banks of the streams and
aqueducts, called jonM/o hobo, and which distil a
liquor, which, being prepared over the fire, serves
instead of pitch for lining the vessels in which the
wine in that kingdom is kept. The conger eel
abounds upon the coast, and there is a particular
tribe of Indians, called Changes, who are devoted
to this kind of fishery, living the whole year upon
the coasts, and carrying about their wives and chil-
dren upon rafts, until they find out a creek likely
to afford them what they are in search of: these
fish are then bought by the natives, and carried to
be sold at the capital of the kingdom, Santiago.
Here is also a trade of sulphur, since it is so fine
that it needs never to be purified, and is conse-
quently worth three dollars the canlaro [a cantaro
is about four gallons]. It abounds no less in nitre,
on which account all the waters here are brackish,
and there is little indeed that is sweet. This pro-
vince is very thinly peopled, since it has no other
population than such as is found in the capital,
which is called, San Francisco de la Selva. Its in-
habitants, which should amount to 5000, of all
sexes and ages, are dispersed about in country
farms. (The province of Copiapo owes its name,
according to the Indian tradition, to the great
quantity of turquoises found in its mountains.
Though these stones ought, with propriety, to be
classed amongst the concretions, as they arc only
the petrified teeth or bones of animals, coloured
by metallic vapours, we may place them amongst
the precious stones. The turquoises of Copiapo
are usually of a greenish blue ; some, however,
are found of a deep blue, which are very hard,
and known by the name of the turquoises of the
old rock. The amazing fertility of the soil of this
province has given rise to assertions, which, on
the first blush, might appear fabulous. Mr. San-
son, of Abbeville, in his Geography, asserts that
its valleys frequently yield 300 for one. See
Chile.)

Copiapo, a port of the above province and
corregimiento.

Copiapo, a settlement of the same.

Copiapo, a mountain, in which there is a vol-
cano, which at different times has occasioned
much mischief, and is in lat. 26°. (This moun-
tain consists entirely of a marble, striped with
bands of various colours, which have a very beau-
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