324

324

CARTAGENA.

San Nicolas de la
Paz,

San J uan de las
Palmas,

Pueblo Nuevo,
Santero,

Lorica,

San Nicolas de
Bari,

San Bernardo A-
bad,

Morales,

Babilla,

Tablada,

Tiquicio de Aden-
tro,

Tiquicio de Afu-
era,

Majagua,

Nechi,

San Marcos,

San Pelajo,

Zerete,

Zienega del Oro,
San Carlos de Co-
losina.

San Geronimo de
Buenavista.

The capital is a large city adorned with beauti-
ful buildings, founded by Pedro de Heredia in
1533, on the shore of a great and very convenient
bay more than two leagues in length. It was call-
ed Calamari in the time of the Indians, which sig-
nifies, in their language, the land of craw-fish, from
the abundance of these found in it. It is situate
on a sandy island, which forming a narrow strait,
gives a communication to the part called Tierra
Bomba ; on the left it is entered by a wooden
bridge, having a suburb called Xiximani, which
is another island uniting with the continent by
means of a bridge in the same manner as itself.
It is well fortified, and is the residence of a go-
vernor, with the title of captain-general, dependent
on the viceroy of Santa Fe, having beeu indepen-
dent till the year 1739. Besides the precinct and
bastions, it has a half-moon, which defends the
entrance or gate ; and at a small distance is the
castle of San Felipe de Baraxas, situate on an
eminence, and on the side of the bay the castles of
San Luis, Santa Cruz, San Joseph, San P'elipe,
and Pastelillo, which were rebuilt in a modern
manner, in 1654;, by the Lieutenant-general Don
Ignacio de Sala, with the names of San Fernando,
San Joseph, El Angel, and El Pastelillo. The
cathedral church is magnificent, and included in it
is the parish of Sagrario, besides two other pa-
rishes called La Trinidad and Santo Toribo. It
has the convents of monks of St. Francisco, St.
Domingo, St. Augustin, St. Diego, La Merced,
and San Juan de Dios, which is an hospital, and
situate at the top of a high mountain without the
walls of the city, at a quarter of a league’s dis-
tance from the convent of the barefooted Augustins,
called Nuestra Senora de la Popa ; to this con-
vent vessels are accustomed to offer up a salutation
as soon as they discover it at sea. It has also a
college which belonged to the society of Jesuits,
a convent of Santa Clara, one of the Observers
of San Francisco, and another of barefooted Car-

melites. At a small distance without the city is
the hospital of San Lazaro for lepers, which ma-
lady is epidemical in the country. It has also a
tribunal of the inquisition, established in 1610, of
which there is only three in all America, and put-
tingthis city, in this pointof view, onafooting with
the metropolitan cities Lima and Mexico. It is the
head of a bishopric erected in 1534 by his holiness
Clement VII. The bay abounds in fish of various
kinds, but it is infested by marine wolves. The
climate of this city is very hot ; from May to No-
vember, which are the winter months, thunder,
rain, and tempests are very frequent, but from
this inconvenience they derive an advantage of
filling with water their cisterns, called aijibes, and
which afford them the only supply of this inost
necessary article ; accordingly every house is fur-
nished with one of these cisterns : from December
to April, which is the summer, the heat is exces-
sive, occasioning continual perspiration, which
debilitates the frame, and causes the inhabitants to
have a pale and unhealthy appearance, although
they nevertheless enjoy good health, it being not
unusual to find amongst them persons exceeding
80 years of age. The irregularity of this climate
produces several very afflicting disorders, as the
black vomit, which is most common amongst
strangers and sea-faring people, few of whom have
the luck to escape it, but no person ever has it
twice. The inhabitants are likewise much trou-
bled with the leprosy, or disease of St. Lazarus ; the
culebrilla, which is an insect which breeds under the
skin, and causes a swelling which is accustomed to
terminate in gangrene and spasms or convulsions :
besides these inconveniences, there are multitudes
of troublesome insects which infest the houses,
such as beetles, niguas, scorpions, centipeds, and
morcielagos. The largest trees are the caob, the
cedar, the maria, and balsam ; of the first are
made canoes, out of the solid trunk, for fishing and
commerce ; the red cedar is better than the white,
and the two last, not to mention their utility from
the compactness of their timber, for their delicious
smell and beautiful colour, are the trees from
whence are procured those admirable distillations
called the oil of Maria and balsam of Tolu. Here
are also tamarind trees, medlars, sapotas, papai/as,
cassias, and Indian apple trees, producing deli-
cate and pleasant fruits ; the fruit, however, of the
last mentioned is poisonous, and many who, de-
ceived by the beauty of these apples, have the
rashness to taste them, soon repent of their folly,
for they immediately swell to a distressing degree :
so if perchance any one should sleep under its
branches, he will be afflicted in the same way.

San Nicolás de la Paz.
San Juan de las Palmas.
Pueblo nuevo.
Santero.
Loricá.
San Nicolás de Barí.
S. Bernardo Abad.
Morales.
Babilla.
Tablada.
Tiquicio de adentro.
Tiquicio de afue-
Majagua.
Nechi.
San Marcos.
San Pelayo.
Zerete.
Zienega del Oro.
San Carlos de Golosina.
San Gerónimo de Buenavista.

La Capital es Ciudad grande, hermosa y de muy buenos edificios, fundada por Pedro de Heredia el año de 1533, a orilla de una gran Bahía muy cómoda que tiene mas de 2 leguas de largo, llamóse Calamari en tiempo de los Indios, que significa en su idioma tierra de cangrejos, por los muchos que hay en ella: está situada en una Isla arenosa, que formando un paso estrecho, da comunicación a la parte que llaman Tierra Bomba; por el Levante se comunica por un puente de madera, con el arrabal llamado Xrxhnani, que está en otra Isla, y se da la mano con el Continente, por otro puente de madera semejante al primero. Está bien fortificada, y reside en ella un Gobernador con título de Capitán General, dependiente del Virey de Santa Fe, habiendo sido independiente hasta el año de 1739, ademas del recinto y bastones de la plaza, tiene una media luna que defiende la Puerta de Tierra, y a poca distancia el Castillo de San Felipe de Baraxas, situado en una eminencia, y por la parte de la Bahía los Castillos de San Luis, Santa Cruz, Castillo Viejo, San Joseph, San Felipe y el Pastelillo, que reedificó a la moderna el año de 1754 el Teniente General Don Ignacio de Sala, con los nombres de San Fernando, San Joseph, el Angel y el Pastelillo: la Iglesia Catedral es magnífica, en que se incluye la Parroquia del Sagrario, y tiene ademas de ésta otras dos llamadas la Trinidad y Santo Toribio: Conventos de Religiosos, de San Francisco, Santo Domingo, San Agustin, Recolección de San Diego, la Merced y San Juan de Dios que es Hospital, y en lo alto de un monte muy elevado, extramuros de la Ciudad, distante un quarto de legua el de Agustinos Descalzos, llamado nuestra Señora de la Popa, a quien saludan y rezan una salve todas las embarcaciones quando lo descubren, Colegio que fue de los Regulares de la extinguida Compañía, de magnífica arquitectura y dos Monasterios de Religiosas, uno de Santa Clara, observantes de la Regla de San Francisco, y el otro de Carmelitas Descalzas. Casi a la misma distancia tiene fuera de la Ciudad el Hospital de San Lázaro para leprosos, cuya enfermedad es endémica del Pais; tiene también Tribunal de la Inquisición y establecido el año de 1610, y es uno de los tres que hay en la América, igualándose en esto con las Metrópolis de Lima y México. Es cabeza de Obispado erigido el año de 1534 por la Santidad de Clemente VIL La Bahía es abundante de peces de varias especies, pero infestada de lobos marinos: en ella esperaban los Galeones que iban de España la noticia de la llegada del comercio del Perú a Panamá, para pasar a Portovélo a celebrar la feria, y después de concluida volvian a ella para hacer las provisiones y emprehender el viage de regreso a la Habana: el clima de esta Ciudad es muy cálido; desde Mayo hasta Noviembre, que es el invierno, los truenos, las lluvias y tempestades son muy repetidas; pero de esta incomodidad sacan, el fruto de llenar las cisternas que llaman aljibes, y es la única agua que se bebe, por lo qual le tienen todas las casas: desde Diciembre hasta Abril, que es el verano; hace un calor tan excesiva que ocasiona un continuo sudor, que debilita los cuerpos y tiene los semblantes pálidos y descarnados, y sin embargo sus naturales gozan buena salud, y es muy común pasar las gentes de 80 años: la extrañeza de este clima produce varias enfermedades terribles, como el vómito negro, que es mas común en los forasteros y gente de mar, de que escapan pocos; pero al que sale de él no le repite; la lepra 6 mal de San Lázaro; la culebrilla que es un insecto que se cria entre los tegumentos, y causa un tumor que suele terminar en cangrena, y el pasmo o convulsiones: tiene ademas de estas incomodidades la de varios insectos que abundan en las casas, como cucarachas, niguas, alacranes, cienpies y morciélagos: los árboles mas grandes son el caobo, cedro, maría y árbol de bálsamo: del primero hacen las canoas de una sola pieza para el tráfico y la pesca: el cedro encarnado es mejor que el blanquizco, y los dos últimos, ademas de la utilidad de la madera que es compacta, olorosa y de bello encarnado, destilan el bálsamo admirable que llaman aceyte de María y bálsamo de Tolú: hay también tamarindos, nísperos, zapotes, papayas, guabas, cañafistolos y manzanillos que producen frutas delicadas y gustosas; y el del último es venenoso, de modo que muchos ignorantes se engañan al ver unas manzanas pequeñas tan hermosas, y se hinchan luego que las han comido, y algunos durmiendo a la sombra de él, siendo el antídoto el aceyte tomado interior y exteriormente.

324

CARTAGENA.

San Nicolas de la
Paz,

San J uan de las
Palmas,

Pueblo Nuevo,
Santero,

Lorica,

San Nicolas de
Bari,

San Bernardo A-
bad,

Morales,

Babilla,

Tablada,

Tiquicio de Aden-
tro,

Tiquicio de Afu-
era,

Majagua,

Nechi,

San Marcos,

San Pelajo,

Zerete,

Zienega del Oro,
San Carlos de Co-
losina.

San Geronimo de
Buenavista.

The capital is a large city adorned with beauti-
ful buildings, founded by Pedro de Heredia in
1533, on the shore of a great and very convenient
bay more than two leagues in length. It was call-
ed Calamari in the time of the Indians, which sig-
nifies, in their language, the land of craw-fish, from
the abundance of these found in it. It is situate
on a sandy island, which forming a narrow strait,
gives a communication to the part called Tierra
Bomba ; on the left it is entered by a wooden
bridge, having a suburb called Xiximani, which
is another island uniting with the continent by
means of a bridge in the same manner as itself.
It is well fortified, and is the residence of a go-
vernor, with the title of captain-general, dependent
on the viceroy of Santa Fe, having beeu indepen-
dent till the year 1739. Besides the precinct and
bastions, it has a half-moon, which defends the
entrance or gate ; and at a small distance is the
castle of San Felipe de Baraxas, situate on an
eminence, and on the side of the bay the castles of
San Luis, Santa Cruz, San Joseph, San P'elipe,
and Pastelillo, which were rebuilt in a modern
manner, in 1654;, by the Lieutenant-general Don
Ignacio de Sala, with the names of San Fernando,
San Joseph, El Angel, and El Pastelillo. The
cathedral church is magnificent, and included in it
is the parish of Sagrario, besides two other pa-
rishes called La Trinidad and Santo Toribo. It
has the convents of monks of St. Francisco, St.
Domingo, St. Augustin, St. Diego, La Merced,
and San Juan de Dios, which is an hospital, and
situate at the top of a high mountain without the
walls of the city, at a quarter of a league’s dis-
tance from the convent of the barefooted Augustins,
called Nuestra Senora de la Popa ; to this con-
vent vessels are accustomed to offer up a salutation
as soon as they discover it at sea. It has also a
college which belonged to the society of Jesuits,
a convent of Santa Clara, one of the Observers
of San Francisco, and another of barefooted Car-

melites. At a small distance without the city is
the hospital of San Lazaro for lepers, which ma-
lady is epidemical in the country. It has also a
tribunal of the inquisition, established in 1610, of
which there is only three in all America, and put-
tingthis city, in this pointof view, onafooting with
the metropolitan cities Lima and Mexico. It is the
head of a bishopric erected in 1534 by his holiness
Clement VII. The bay abounds in fish of various
kinds, but it is infested by marine wolves. The
climate of this city is very hot ; from May to No-
vember, which are the winter months, thunder,
rain, and tempests are very frequent, but from
this inconvenience they derive an advantage of
filling with water their cisterns, called aijibes, and
which afford them the only supply of this inost
necessary article ; accordingly every house is fur-
nished with one of these cisterns : from December
to April, which is the summer, the heat is exces-
sive, occasioning continual perspiration, which
debilitates the frame, and causes the inhabitants to
have a pale and unhealthy appearance, although
they nevertheless enjoy good health, it being not
unusual to find amongst them persons exceeding
80 years of age. The irregularity of this climate
produces several very afflicting disorders, as the
black vomit, which is most common amongst
strangers and sea-faring people, few of whom have
the luck to escape it, but no person ever has it
twice. The inhabitants are likewise much trou-
bled with the leprosy, or disease of St. Lazarus ; the
culebrilla, which is an insect which breeds under the
skin, and causes a swelling which is accustomed to
terminate in gangrene and spasms or convulsions :
besides these inconveniences, there are multitudes
of troublesome insects which infest the houses,
such as beetles, niguas, scorpions, centipeds, and
morcielagos. The largest trees are the caob, the
cedar, the maria, and balsam ; of the first are
made canoes, out of the solid trunk, for fishing and
commerce ; the red cedar is better than the white,
and the two last, not to mention their utility from
the compactness of their timber, for their delicious
smell and beautiful colour, are the trees from
whence are procured those admirable distillations
called the oil of Maria and balsam of Tolu. Here
are also tamarind trees, medlars, sapotas, papai/as,
cassias, and Indian apple trees, producing deli-
cate and pleasant fruits ; the fruit, however, of the
last mentioned is poisonous, and many who, de-
ceived by the beauty of these apples, have the
rashness to taste them, soon repent of their folly,
for they immediately swell to a distressing degree :
so if perchance any one should sleep under its
branches, he will be afflicted in the same way.