iards its inhabitants.

The chief city and metropolis hereof is Santo Domingo; being dedicated
to St. Dominic, from whom it derives its name. It is situate towards the
south, and affords a most excellent prospect; the country round about
being embellished with innumerable rich plantations, as also verdant
meadows and fruitful gardens; all which produce plenty and variety of
excellent pleasant fruits, according to the nature of those countries.
The governor of the island resides in this city, which is, as it were,
the storehouse of all the cities, towns, and villages, which hence
export and provide themselves with all necessaries for human life; and
yet hath it this particularity above many other cities, that it
entertains no commerce with any nation but its own, the Spaniards. The
greatest part of the inhabitants are rich and substantial merchants or
shopkeepers.

Another city of this island is San Jago, or St. James, being consecrated
to that apostle. This is an open place, without walls or castle, situate
in 19 deg. latitude. The inhabitants are generally hunters and planters,
the adjacent territory and soil being very proper for the said
exercises: the city is surrounded with large and delicious fields, as
much pleasing to the view as those of Santo Domingo; and these abound
with beasts both wild and tame, yielding vast numbers of skins and
hides, very profitable to the owners.

In the south part of this island is another city, called Nuestra Sennora
de Alta Gracia. This territory produces great quantities of cacao,
whereof the inhabitants make great store of the richest chocolate. Here
grows also ginger and tobacco, and much tallow is made of the beasts
which are hereabouts hunted.

The inhabitants of this beautiful island of Hispaniola often resort in
their canoes to the isle of Savona, not far distant, where is their
chief fishery, especially of tortoises. Hither those fish constantly
resort in great multitudes, at certain seasons, there to lay their eggs,
burying them in the sands of the shoal, where, by the heat of the sun,
which in those parts is very ardent, they are hatched. This island of
Savona has little or nothing that is worthy consideration, being so very
barren by reason of its sandy soil. True it is, that here grows some
small quantity of lignum sanctum, or guaiacum, of whose use we say
something in another place.

Westward of Santo Domingo is another great village called El Pueblo de
Aso, or th