Bounds of the Country.
Guatimala, specially so call’d, hath on the West the RiverXicalapa, which divides it fromVera Paz; on the East it is bounded with the Countrey ofNicaragua; on the North, withHonduras; and on the South, withMare del Zur.
This Countrey was conquer’d byPeter de Alvarado,Anno 1525.It is, by reason of its neighborhood withVera Paz, not altogether clear of Mountains, but otherwise well water’d with Rivers, and enrich’d with fair and fruitful Valleys, which afford not onely good Pasturage, and many great Herds of Cattel, but likewise good store of Wheat,Maiz, and other Fruits of the Earth. Great plenty of Cotton-Wool is generally both here and in the other Provinces,viz.Vera Paz,Chiapa, &c. some Medicinal Woods likewise, and Liquors, and absolutely the best Sulphur inAmerica. The People are generally tractable and well dispos’d, both in point of Religion and civil Government.
Towns of note.
The Towns of chief note are 1.Guatimala, now call’dSt. Jago de Guatimalasince the re-building thereof; for about the Year 1586. it was almost buried in Ashes, which one of the neighboring Mountains, for the space of six Moneths together, continually belch’d out in such fearful quantities, that many People were slain, the old City deserted, and a new one built in another place. The day before this sad Accident hapned, the neighboring Mountains were observ’d to shiver, and a great noise was heard from under Ground; which amazing theIndians, the news thereof was carried to the Bishop,Franciscus Moroquin, who narrowly enquiring into the Causes of these Accidents, and what they might portend, found that a sad Event would suddenly follow, as accordingly it did; for about midnight on the eighth ofAugust, Anno 1541.such a mighty store of Rain fell, as if the Clouds had been all dissolv’d into Water, which came rowling from the Rocky Mountains with such violence, that it wash’d down great Stones, which carried on by the strength of the Water against the Houses, beat them down; and none could have seen how they were ruin’d, had not the mighty flashes of Lightning, follow’d by terrible claps of Thunder, lighted the Night. Some instantly deserting this miserable place, fled up into the Countrey, and there built a newGuatimala(as above-mention’d) sur-nam’dSt. Jago, three Leagues farther towards the East, in a Valley through which flow two Rivers, between twoVulcans, or smoaking Mountains, which sometimes vomit forth terrible Flames, mix’d with dreadful Thunder-claps, Ashes, and great Stones, insomuch that the Ground all about it, which is exceeding fruitful, seems to move. There are many of theseVulcansin several parts ofAmerica, as namely atArequipain the Kingdom ofPeru, atPuebla de los Angelos, in the Province ofTlascallaabovesaid, a Mountain of so great heighth, that they are fain to go little less than thirty Leagues turning and winding before they can reach the top of it, and others in several other places. They are generally Mountains of great heighth, and running sharp upwards, but at the top containing some quantity of plain and level Ground; in the midst whereof is a Pit or Hole, out of which abundance of Smoak and fiery Sparkles are vomited almost continually, and so deep, that they are suppos’d for the most part to reach to the very bottom of the Mountain. Some of theseVulcanscast forth neither Fire nor Smoak, yet are clearly seen to burn at the bottom with a quick Fire, and which is so extreamly hot, that it instantly melteth Iron, or any other Metal that is cast into it, as by experience hath been found: for some conceiving that the Matter which maintains these Fires within the Bowels of the Earth so long together, can be nothing else but melted Gold, have endeavor’d several times to extract and draw it forth in certain Vessels of Iron and Brass, which they have caus’d to be let down into the bottom of theVulcanor Pit, by long Iron Chains made on purpose: but, as we said, the extream heat and force of the Fire below always melted them before they could be drawn up again, and by that means hath rendred all such Attempts frustrate. In this Town, now call’dSt. Jago, reside above six hundredSpanishCommanders,and more than twenty five thousandIndianswhich pay Tribute. They have also a brave Church and two Cloysters, one belonging to theDominicans, and another to the OrderLa Merced, and likewise a noble Hospital. Not far from thence is a place call’dYzaleos, where there are Orchards ofCacoatwo Leagues in square, each of them producing yearly as much as fifty thousand Men are able to carry. They reckon theCacaobyContels, which is the number of four hundred; byXequipiles, of eight thousand; and byCarga’s, of twenty four thousand. In this County is a Mountain, whose top smoaking continually consumes by degrees, and oftentimes covers the neighboring Countrey with Ashes. The Water which flows from the same differs very much, for some of it is wholsom and fit to drink; some foul and stinking, and some turns Wood, if laid in the same, to Stone. Here is also the Beast whose Head is highly esteem’d for theBezoar-Stone, which it carries in the same. Here is likewise a little Bear, which in stead of a Mouth, hath a long Nose with a round Hole in it, and a hollow Tongue, with which it sucks Honey, and disturbs the Nests of Pismires. The Women in this Place make curious Earthen Ware, colour’d either red or black with the Mud of two several Brooks. TheIndianscall’d the boyling Fountains in this CountyHell, because they bubble up a Bowes-shot high, and make the RiverCaliente, which, notwithstanding it hath pass’d half a League through a wide Channel, retains its exceeding heat. Not far from it lies a Stone, which having a Crack in the middle, sends forth a thick Damp, and against bad Weather a thundering noise. On the Mountains grow exceeding large Trees, especially Oak. Here Pismires which are of an extraordinary bigness, are brought to Market amongst other Provisions.
2.St. Salvador, forty Leagues distant fromGuatimalaEastward, and seated upon the RiverGuacapa, and having about it a small Territory, which by some is accounted a distinct Countrey or Province.
3.Acaputla, a Town of the Natives, situated at the Mouth of the River, and being as it were, the Port-Town toSt. Salvador.
4.Trinidad, a Town of great resort, being the greatest Empory and Place of Traffick for all sorts of Commodities, betwixt the People ofNew Spainand those ofPeru.
5.St. Michaels, two or three Leagues distant from the BayFonseca, upon the South Sea.
6.Xeres de la Frontera, on the Confines of this Province, towards the Borders ofNicaragua, besides several Villages which we shall have occasion to mention.
In the middle of a Lake within this Territory is an Island, on which theIndianshad a Tradition, That a Man no sooner set his Foot but he died immediately: Which Opinion of theirs was chang’d when theSpaniardswent thither in Boat-fulls and return’d safe again, with Relation that they had seen a large Stone Image, resembling a Woman; before which lay the Ashes and Bones of slain People.
Round about the VillageGuaymocogrow great Balsom-Trees, which afford Timber of fifty five Foot long. From this Village leads a Way to the CitySalvador, near which the fore-mention’d RiverGuachaparuns with so many windings, that the Traveller is forc’d to cross the same several times before he can come to the Foot of a Mountain which formerly cast out terrible Flames; but now the combustible Matter being consum’d, there appears onely a great Hole on the top, with Ashes in a large compass round about it. At the Foot of the same are two Pits, one of which smoaks continually in such a manner, that it stifles all those that approach it; yet the Mountain is well overspread with Cedars and Pine-Trees.
Three Leagues farther lies the VillageNixapa; and not far from thence theHillElmal Pais, which consists of great Stones and Ashes, wonderfully mixt together: No less wonderful is a Brook which flows in the Night till Morning, and then sinks into the Ground: And in the CountreyCholutecais another, which hides it self at Noon, and appears again towards Night. The Cavern which formerly produc’d Fire and Smoke, now affords good Water to the VillageCurcatan, and CitySalvador: Near the VillageYztepegveare five Springs, which cast up Allom and Sulphur. The NativesChontaleswhich speak several Languages, flock to the VillageMimilla, to make Offerings; not far from hence are two Pits, one of which is full of boyling Water, and the other as cold as Ice: Moreover,Cocorilies near a high Mountain, on the top of which is a very turbulent Lake.
Havens.
The chiefest Haven of this Countrey, which lies along the South-Sea, isBahia de Fonseca, Discover’d byGonsalves Davila,Anno 1522.and so nam’d fromJoan Rodrigas de Fonseca, Bishop ofBurgos; In the middle thereof appears the IslandPetronella, with nine others, of which four are inhabited byIndians.
The good conveniency of the HavenFonseca, induc’d some of theSpaniardsto make a new Passage from the side of the Southern Ocean, to the Northern,viz.fromPanamatoNombre de Dios, designing it to reach from the said HavenFonseca, untoPuerto de Carellos, which are distant one from the other forty five Leagues; most of it good way, except some over-grown Mountains, which might be made passable with little trouble; to which purpose they built the TownBuena Esperanca, yet nevertheless the Work remain’d unprosecuted.
There are moreover reckon’d as appertaining toGuatimala, the small ProvincesSoconusco,Suchitepec, andChilulteca, the chief of them beingSoconusco, to which belongs the Town ofGevetlan, where theSpanishGovernor hath his Residence; the rest seem to be onely small Territories about Towns of the same Name, in like manner as St.Salvador, and St.Miguelbefore-mention’d.