America: Being the Latest, and Most Accurate Description of the Nevv VVorld / Containing the Original of the Inhabitants, and the Remarkable Voyages Thither. The Conquest of the Vast Empires of Mexico and Peru, and Other Large Provinces and Territories, with the Several European Plantations in Those Parts. Also Their Cities, Fortresses, Towns, Temples, Mountains, and Rivers. Their Habits, Customs, Manners, and Religions. Their Plants, Beasts, Birds, and Serpents. With an Appendix, Containing, Besides Several Other Considerable Additions, a Brief Survey of What Hath Been Discover'd of the Unknown South-land and the Arctick Region.

by John Ogilby

Towns and Cities.

The chief Towns are 1. Guadalajara, which gives Name to the whole Province. It is seated on the Banks of the River Barania, in a most delectable and sweet Air, and a rich Soil, by advantage whereof it is become the Metropolis of New Gallicia, honour’d with an Episcopal See, which was translated thither from Compostella in the Year 1570. with the Courts of Judicature, and the Residence of the King’s Treasurers for that Province. This City was built on the Plain Molino, by Nunnez de Guzman, in the Year 1531. The neighboring Mountains afford store of Timber. All manner of Spanish Plants grow here likewise in great plenty. In the City is a Cathedral, several Cloysters, inhabited by Augustine and Franciscan Monks. The Bishop of this City belongs to the Arch-bishop of Mexico. The Air very temperate, neither molesting the Inhabitants with too great Cold, nor excess of Heat.

2. St. Maria de los Lagos, a Town thirty Leagues Eastward of Guadalajara, being a Fronteer Place, and built on purpose to secure the Countrey against the Chichemecæ, which are a barbarous and unreduc’d People of the North-East parts of this Countrey who harbouring themselves in Caves under Ground in the thickest huge Woods and Forrests, do oftentimes issue out, and make foul spoil in the Countrey where they come, having first intoxicated themselves with a Liquor made of certain Roots, and would do much more harm, if it were not for this Garrison.

3. Del Spiritu Santo, built by the Founder of the other two, viz. Nunnez de Gusman aforesaid, in a part of the Countrey which they call Tepeque.

Sect. III.
Xalisco.

Bounds and Description of Xalisco.

Xalisco, or Galesco, as some call it, is bounded on the North, with Couliacan; on the South, with some parts of New Spain; on the East, with the Province of Guadalajara; and on the West, with the Gulf or Bay of California.

The Countrey is chiefly fertile in Maiz and Mines of Silver, not altogether so apt for Herbage and Pasture as some other Countreys about it. The People were Cannibals before the Spaniards came amongst them, eating Man’s-flesh; were much given to quarrelling and Contentions amongst themselves, but by this time, ’tis suppos’d they are reasonably well reclaim’d both from the one and the other.

Towns of chief note.

In this Countrey, besides many other goodly Streams, is the great and famous River Barania, on the Banks whereof are seated most of their principal Towns, as 1. Xalisco, which gives Name to the whole Province, and to a large Promontory or Foreland on the Western Coasts, which shoots it self out into the Bay of California, right over against certain Islands, which the Spaniards call The Three Maries. This was an ancient City or Town of the Natives, but sack’d and taken by Nunnez de Gusman, in the Year 1530.