•ed of their prowcTs and iiiilitarv diaraclor. Tlicfc Indians were accom-
panied by a Spanidi gentleman, who refuK's ainontrfl them in one of"
their villages, and is called CV.piain of lufhans; and I underlhx)d, that
to each tribe an oHicer, of finiilar rank, is aUaehed, who prcfylcs ocr
th'cir interefts, correfpnnds with the Captain-General. a:yJ, on all occa-
fions, afts as their advifer and interpreter.
The exterior coninierce of the kingdom is principally carried on from
the fea-ports of Conception, Cocpilinbo, and X'alparailo; but llic latter
lias the greateft (hare of the trade, arifino: from its ec ntral ntiuuion, and
its vicinhy to the capital: the dilhince froni St. Jago was formerly thirty
leagues; but it will be decreafed, when the new line of road is com-
pleted, to twenty-two leagues. From St. Jago, to the top of the firn:
hill towards Valparaifo, a diflancc of about fix leagues, the road '■
finifhed; between the foot of the hill and the city there are three bridges
built with bricks over three fwampy places, which b'^'forc were fre-
quently almoil; impaffable, and in many other parts, ',-]'.crc the road is
depreffed, it is paved acrofs, to give a free courfe to the rain waters, and
at the fame time, to prevent anv damage from their paffing oer the
loofe materials of which the road is compofed. This extent of road is
now become the general rcfort of the inha!)itants, either for walking,
ridinfj on horfeba; k or in carriasres: and the valuable charafler who
firll projc6ied it, whenever the multiplicity of his bufinefs will allow him
to take anv recreation of this nature, is conflantlv attended thither by a
numerous company of the inhabitants, and on fucli occafions he derives a
confiderable degree of fatisfa^lion in proxing how eafib' he can travel up
the firll hill from St. Jago in his coacli, with the alfillancc of four mules
only.
The meafured diftancc between St. Tatro and Ruenos Avrcs I could
not learn, but I underftood that the poll; travels from thence to the capi-
tal of Chili in twentx'days; and that the country, from Buenos Ares un-
til it reaches the foot of the Cordilleras, which iun in a northern and
foutliern direction, and p;ifs to the eaflward of St. Jago, is one intire
defert, widiout trees or any otiicr fort of vegetation; and that it is fo
rompletelva level plain, that even a hillock does not appear on its furHice.
The
«701 A])ril
