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 1*4 A HISTORY OF CHILE the more important post of captain-general of Chile and president of the "Royal Audience, into which offi- ces he was inducted with the usual ceremonies. He made a fairly good governor, and, as we have noted above, gave a new impulse to the construction of the ancient Mapocho canal, although there were some scandals connected with it, and erected many public buildings in Santiago under the direction of the cele- bated Roman architect, Joaquin Toesca. We may refer here to the fact that the residents of the cities had for some, time been constructing two- story houses, perceiving that they withstood earthquake shocks as well as the old single-storied buildings. They also used brick and stone instead of sun-dried clay, and thus the Chilean cities began to have a much improved appearance. Guzman restored the ancient palace in the plaza, built a new custom-house and finished the work upon the Moneda, or government building. Bar- racks also were constructed for dragoons and a hospital for orphans, the latter having been first founded by Don Juan Nic-Aguirre, and endowed by the king. A cathe- dral also had been built at the royal expense. Con- cerning this building the story is told that two English architects had been engaged upon the work. Their wages being too small to satisfy them, they quit. Two Indian employees took their places and superintended the successful completion of the work. As to the canal, which occupied so much of Guzman's attention, there was need of something of the kind, for Santiago had long been subjected to inundations from the river, and these sometimes caused immense damage. Dikes had been at different times constructed, O'Higgins having done much in this way to protect the city. But these were not always sufficient to turn the floods. During the colonial period the absence of