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COT

COT

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the province and captainship of Marañan, between
the rivers Camindes and Paraguay.

Costa-Desierta, a large plain of the At-
lantic, between cape S. Antonio to the n. and cape
Blanco to the s. It is 80 leagues long, and has on
the n. the llanuras ox pampas of Paraguay, on the
etJ. the province of Cuyo, of the kingdom of Chile,
on the s. the country of the Patagones, and on tlie
c. the Atlantic. It is also called the Terras Ma-
gellanicas, or Lands of Magellan, and the whole
of this coast, as well as the land of the interior terri-
tory, is barren, uncultivated, and unknoAvn.

Costa-Rica, a province and government of
the kingdom of Guatemala in N. America ; bounded
n. and w. by the province ot Nicaragua, e. by
that of Veragua of the kingdom of Tierra Firme ;
s. w. and n. w. by the S. sea, and n. e. by the N.
sea. It is about 90 leagues long e. w. and 60 n. s.
Here are some gold and silver mines. It has ports
both in the N. and S. seas, and tAVO excellent bays,
called San Geronimo and Caribaco. It is for the
most part a province that is mountainous and full
of rivers ; some of which enter into the N. sea, and
others into the S. Its productions are similar to
those of the other provinces in the kingdom ; but
the cacao produced in some of the llanuras here
is of an excellent quality, and held in much esti-
mation. The Spaniards gave it the name of
Costa-Rica, from the quantity of gold and silver
contained in its mines. From the mine called
Tisingal, no less riches have been extracted than
from that of Potosi in Peru ; and a tolerable trade
is carried on by its productions with the kingdom
of Tierra Firme, although the navigation is not al-
way« practicable. The first monk Avho came hi-
ther to preach and inculcate religion amongst the
natives, was the Fra_y Pedro de Betanzos, of the
order of St. Francis, who came hither in 1550,
when he was followed by several others, who
founded in various settlements 17 convents of the
above order. The capital is Cartago.

Costa-Rica, a river of the province ancT go-
vernment of Nicaragua in the same kingdom,
which runs n. and enters theDesaguadero, or W aste
W ater of the Lake.

COSTO, a settlement of the English, in the
island of Barbadoes, of the district and parish of
Santiago ; situate near the w. coast.

COTA, a settlement of the corregimiento of i-
paquira in the Nuevo Reyno de Granada. It is of
a very cold temperature, produces the fruits pecu-
liar to its climate, contains upwards of 100 In-
dians, and some white inhabitants ; and is four
leagues from Santa Fe.

Cota, a small river of the province and govern-

ment of Buenos Ayres in Peru. It rises in the
sierras, or craggy mountains, of Nicoperas, runs
w. and enters the Gil.

COTABAMBAS, a province and corregimiento
of Peru ; bounded n. by the province of Abancay,
s. w. and s. and even s. e. by that of Chilques and
Masques or Paruro, w, by that of Chumbivilcas,
and n. w. by that of Aimaraez. It is 25 leagues
long e.w. and 23 wide n.s. It is for the most
part of a cold temperature, as are the other pro-
vinces of the sierra; it being nearly covered Avith
mountains, the tops of which are the greatest part
of the year clad Avith snoAV. In the Ioav lands are
many pastures, in Avhich they breed numerous
herds of cattle, such as cows, horses, mules, and
some small cattle. Wheat, although in no great
abundance, maize, pulse, and potatoes, also groAv
here. In the broken, uneven hollows, near which
passes the river Apurimac, and which, after passing
through the province, runs into that of Abancay,
groAV plantains, figs, water melons, and other pro-
ductions peculiar to the coast. Here are abund-
ance of magueges', which is a plant, the leaves or
tendrils of which, much resemble those of the
savin, but being somewhat larger ; from them are
made a species of hemp for the fabricating of
cords, called cahuyas, and some thick ropes used
in the construction of bridges across the rivers.
The principal rivers are the Oropesa and the Chal-
huahuacho, Avhich have bridges for the sake of
communication Avith the other provinces. Tlie
bridge of Apurimac is three, and that of Churuc-
tay 86 yards across ; that of Churuc, Avhich is the
most frequented, is 94 yards ; and there is another
which is much smaller : all of them being built of
cords, except one, called Ue Arihuanca, on the
river Oropesa, which is of stone and mortar, and
has been here since the time that the ferry-boat was
sunk, Avith 15 men and a quantity of Spanish
goods, in 1620. Although it is remembered that
gold and silver mines have been worked in this
province, none are at present ; notAvithstanding that
in its mountains are manifest appearances of this
metal, as well as of copper, and that in a part of
the river Ocabamba, Avhere the stream runs witli
great rapidity, are found lumps^ of silver, which
are washed off from the neighbouring mountains.
The inhabitants of the whole of the province
amount to 10,000, who are contained in the 25
following settlements ; and the capital is Tambo-
bamba.

Cotabambas,

Totora,

Cullurqui,

Huaillati,

1

Palpakachi,

Llikehavilea,

Corpahuasi,

Pituhuanca.