;n o t h e 1 p-thinking it ought-toffee' fo-j ' - i i o t ' f r o m its: feeing
moite frequented byihips ©^various - nations, and'-having a
^greater ffiare -of trade than any; other’’ poEt-in the Canarie’s,
hut Qn-accqnnt o f its being jfche r,efidencefo f the' governor-
general. ,
; Among other fteps forflts Improvement, 'the Marquis -fet
on foot a contribution, and. from the,produce jofc it£has
.'oaufed.to-be built .-an elegant and commodious mofe, or pier,
»nbout.the center of the town. To this pier' '-Water "of an excellent
quality is .conveyed b y pipes.; g fothat boats7 may home
along-fide, and by. applying a hofe.ta-the/eoeks placed’there
for this -purpofe, .fill the calks-without tfr&^ifual trotible.'and'
ifetigue. The landing or flapping : of goods,:is. ?likewife;.
by mean’s 'oh. this ple'r,^endef6d hath'Convenient and expeditious.
in fhort, I -think "I -may •fafely'jrecommend thif
porta« a'vepy good one for fjiips. mhderta-king long voyages"
'to-water at, >aiid^fefrdh their erews; . mdredefpeciahy^in
the. tirne-ioflhe fruit feafon. ►
- About four,;. or, five, miles, inland,, from Santa ‘ C n iif
Hands/.the cityTof Laguna ;-fo .called'from'a lake deaf
‘Which k 4s dituatedi . This 'lake* 'durlfeg the winter,-^ in
rainy-Weather^iis foil of flagrant water, thaj in a little time
becomes
“becomes putrid, and, in very dry hot weather, is totally
exhaled; I have "before bbfervfed,■ that Laguna is
confideTed f as the-capital; of-the ifland, aha added my rea-
fons’-for thinkinghhihfrnull-judged diftihflion. The road
%fiifern-Santa Cruz* to it is a pretty, fteep afcent, until you approach
the town, which, is^fituated- at* the extremity,. or
rather» on a corner, - of a plain three> ok^foiir miles long*
jgThis* city hks*twd churches,’one of the.nl richly ornamented ;
and iWerabconvents both of friars and nunSf;, It has like-
wife three hdfpitals-j twofrf which were originally inftituted.
fotffhe wife, but ineffectual, purpdfe.of.eradicating’the luesi
ven'er'ea; a d'ifeslfe that has long been, and frill-eoritinues to
Ibef^Very^cbmlnon in-thjs- iflaod.'“ I was however informed,
that per-fons' afflicted with other difarders are now received
^ntbfthefr' two' charitable inftitutiotis and that’ the third is
appropriated to* the1 receptidk-;pf| foundlings. Befides the
foregoing, there are fome other public^, a* well as private
buildings, that, tend to improve the. appearance of the town.
There,.i&^very little,trade carried? on At Laguna, it being
rather’ the retired refidence,vdfi’.thecgentry of the ifland, and
of the;:merchants Santa Cruz, which’ is the principal feat
•of commerce. ’The officers' ofb'juftice. likewife refide here;
D f : fuch