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Pages That Mention Chirisú

The geographical and historical dictionary of America and the West Indies [volume 1]

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a settlement founded seven leag'ues from the place called the Puerto, but in 16GS they tied, all of them, to the mountains, although in the same year they returned back again to the settlement.

CHIRIGUANA, a large settlement of the province and government of Santa Marta in the Nuevo Reyno de Granada. It is of an hot temperature, and the territory is level, fertile, and beautiful. It has besides the parish church a convent or house of entertainment of the religious order of St. Francis.

CHIRIGUANOS, a country and nation of the infidel Indians of the province and government of Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Peru, from whence it lies 20 leagues to thes. It is bounded on the e. by the province of Tomina, and s. e. by that of Chuquisaca ; is composed of different settlements, each governed by its captain or cazique, subject, in a certain degree, to the above government. These people, though they refuse to adopt the Catholic religion, are in perfect amity with the Spaniards, trading with them in wax, cotton, and maize. This nation, by the incursions which tliey made, used at first to give frequent alarm to the province, and once had the address to capture the city of Chiquisaca. The Inca Yupanqui endeavoured in vain to subdue them, and neither he nor the Spaniards could avail aught with them ■until they were reduced by the missionaries, the regulars of the extinguished company of the Jesuits ; since that time they have been stedfast in supporting the Spaniards against the other infidels, serving them as a barrier, and having for their own line of defence the river Guapay. They are very valorous, but inconstant and faithless ; they are descended from the nations which are found to the e. of Paraguay ; and fled from thence, to the number of 4000, ^hen avoiding the threatened chastisement of the Portuguese, who were about to inflict condign punishment on them for having treacherously murdered the Captain Alexo Garcia in the time of the King Don Juan 111. of Portugal. They were foi'merly cannibals, and used to fatten their prisoners that these might become better fare ; but their intercourse and trade with the Spaniards has caused them by degrees to forget this barbarous practice, and even to give them a disgust at their savage neighbours, who still continue in the same practices. They are at the present day so greatly increased in numbers, that they are one of the most numerous nations of America ; are besides very neat and clean ; and it is not uncommon for them to rush out of their dwellings in the middle of the night to plunge and wash themselves in a river in the most severe seasons ; their wives too.

immediately after parturition, invariably do the same, and on their return lay themselves on a heap of sand, which they have for this purpose in the house; but the husband immediately takes to his bed, and being covered all over with very large leaves, refuses to take any other nourishment than a little broth made of maize ; it being an incorrigible error of belief amongst them that these ceremonies will be the cause of making their children bold and warlike. They have shewn great power and address in their combats with our troops when these first endeavoured to enter their territories, and they threw themselves in such an agile and undaunted manner upon our fire-arms that it was found necessary, on our part, to insert in the rants a lance-man between every two fusileers : the v are, moreover, so extremely nimble that it is impossible to take them prisoners but by surprise.

CHIRIMICHATE, a river of the province and government of Venezuela. It rises in the sierra opposite the point of Hicacos, and enters the sea in this point.

CHIRINOS, a settlement of the province and corregimiento of Jaen de Bracamoros in the kingdom of Quito.

CHIRIQUI, a district of the province and government of Santiago de Veragua in the kingdom of Tierra Firme, the last district of this province ; dividing the government from that of Guatemala, and touching upon the province of Costarica. It is of limited extent ; the country is mountainous, and its climate hot and unhealthy, surrounded on all sides by infidel Indians. Here are bred numbers of mules, which are carried to be sold at Panama and Guatemala ; upon the coast of the S. sea are found crabs which distil a purple colour used for dyeing cotton, which, although it may fade a little, can never be entirely eradicated. They have plenty of swine, and some vegetable productions ; with which they carry on a trade, now fallen much to decay, with the city of Panama. The capital is Santiago de Alanje.

Same name, a river of the above province (Santiago de Veragua), which rises in the mountains on the s. and enters the sea, serving as limits to that province, and dividing it from that of Costarica in the kingdom of Guatemala.

CHIRIS, a settlement of the province and corregimiento of Castro Vireyna in Peru; annexed to the curacy of Huachos.

CHIRISU, a settlement of the province and corregimieto of Tunja in the Nuevo Reyno de Granada. It is of a rather cold temperature, and abounds in wheat, maize, barley, a/berjas, and S M 2

CHIRIGUANA, Pueblo grande de la Provincia y Gobierno de Santa Marta en el Nuevo Reyno de Granada: es de temperamento cálido, y el terreno llano, fértil y hermoso: tiene ademas de la Parroquia un Convento u Hospicio de los Religiosos de San Francisco.

CHIRIGUANOS, País y Nación de Indios infieles de la Provincia y Gobierno de Santa Cruz de la Sierra en el Perú, de donde distan 20 leguas al S: confinan también por el Levante con la Provincia de Tominá, y por el SO con Chuquisacá; son diferentes Pueblos gobernados por sus Capitanes o Caziques, sujetos en cierto modo al Gobierno referido, con quien viven en amistad, aunque no han querido admitir la Religión Católica, pero hacen comercio con los Españoles de cera, algodón y maiz: estos bárbaros han tenido en continuo temor con sus incursiones al principio la Provincia, y tuvieron el arrojo de tomar la Ciudad de Chiquisaca: el Ynca Yupanqui intento inútilmente sujetarlos, pero no lo consiguió, ni los Españoles, hasta que los reduxéron los Misioneros Regulares de la extinguida Compañía, después de lo qual han ayudado siempre a los Españoles contra los demás infieles, sirviéndoles de antemural, y a ellos el río Guapay: son muy valerosos, pero inconstantes y de mala fe, descienden de las gentes que caen a la parte Oriental del Paraguay, de los quales vinieron 40 huyendo del castigo de los Portugueses por haber muerto a traición al Capitán Alexo García en tiempo del Rey Don Juan el III de Portugal: antes eran antropófagos o comedores de carne humana, y engordaban los prisioneros para sus banquetes; pero el trato y comercio con los Españoles, a quienes han permitido algunas veces entrar en su pais, Ies ha hecho ya olvidar esta abominable costumbre, sin embargo de la innata crueldad con las naciones vecinas que tratan con desprecio: hoy han propagado tanto, que componen una de las naciones mas numerosas de la América: son muy aseados; de modo, que a media noche baxan a los rios a lavarse aun quando hace mas frío; y sus mugeres luego que paren hacen lo mismo, metiéndose a la vuelta en un montón de arena que para este efecto tienen en su casa, y el marido se pone en una hamaca, cubierto de hojas muy grandes, sin tomar otro alimento que caído de maíz, persuadidos al error de que con esto son sus hijos fuertes y guerreros: en las entradas que han hecho los nuestros a su pais acometen con intrepidez, tirándose a las armas de fuego, de modo que ha sido preciso poner un lancero entre cada dos fusileros, y corren con tanta ligereza, que para acertarles el tiro es necesario cogerlos descuidados.

CHIRIMICHATE, Río de la Provincia y Gobierno de Venezuela: nace en la sierra enfrente de la Punta de Hicacos, y sale al mar en ella.

CHIRINOS, Pueblo de la Provincia y Corregimiento de Jaén de Bracamoros en el Reyno de Quito.

CHIRIQUI, Partido de la Provincia y Gobierno de Santiago de Veragua en el Reyno de Tierra-Firme y el último de ella, que divide éste del de Goatemala, con quien confina por la Provincia de Costa Rica: es de limitada extensión, pais montuoso, y de clima cálido y mal sano, rodeado por todas partes de Indios infieles: se cria en él mucho ganado mular, que llevan a vender a Panamá y a Goatemala; y en su Costa de la mar del Sur se crian unos cangrejos que destilan un licor morado con que tifien el algodón, y aunque algo subido, es tan permanente que nunca se quita: también cria ganado de cerda, de lo qual y algunos otros frutos, aunque en corta cantidad, tiene un comercio muy reducido con la Ciudad de Panamá: la Capital es Santiago de Alanje.

Tiene el mismo nombre un río de esta misma Provincia (Santiago de Veragua), que nace en las montañas de la parte del S, y sale al mar, sirviendo de límites a esta Provincia, que la divide de la de Costa Rica en el Reyno de Goatemala.

CHIRIS, Pueblo de la Provincia y Corregimiento de Castro Vireyna en el Perú, anexo al Curato de Huachos.

CHIRIUI, Pueblo de la Provincia y Corregimiento de Tunja en el Nuevo Reyno de Granada: es de temperamento algo frío, abundante en trigo, maiz, cebada, alberjas y papas: tiene mucho ganado, y fabrica de sus lanas bastantes texidos: su vecindario es de 150 vecinos y 100 Indios: está 4 leguas al SO de su Capital inmediato al Pueblo de

Last edit about 6 years ago by LLILAS Benson