Page:Voyage of discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and round the world in the years 1791-95, volume 3.djvu/479

440 1795- April.

The architefl is profefTor Don Joa. Jocfca, difciple of the Heutenant- general Don Francilco Savntini. firlt architcrt to Mis CathoHc Majcfly. Don Jocfca undertook to (Inifh and complete this building for feven hundred thoufand dollars, and the Captain-General, imprclfed with a jufi. idea of the ufe and importance of fuch an cUablifhment, .'as induced to give his conlent to the undertaking, as the calcu^^tion of the expencc bore, in his cftimation, no proportion to the advantages it would after- wards infure, or the convenience it would afford. The architecl, however, feems to have been greatly miflaken in the money which he Ihited the building would coft, as the Prefident affured me, he was clearly of opinion, that it would require a million and an half of dollars to be expended on the edifice before it could be coinpiciely finii'iicd.

There is a fmall hill, about twelve quadras dillant from the principal fquare, in the grounds belonging to the religious of tlu: Doniinician order, which is called St. Domingo. This hill contains a quarry of frecftone, of a whitifh colour, foft, and cafilv worked by the chiffcl. The vicinity of this hill to the city, and the facility with which the flones were to be procured from t'lie cjuarry, induced the Bifliop Don Juan Gonzales de Melgarejo to l)egin the laborious undertaking of building a cathedral ; for which purpofe he gave forty-three thoufand dollars towards its ereftion, and laid the firft flone of the edifice on the firft day of July, 1748. At this time there was not an artifl in the kingdom of Chili to whofe ability a work of this defcription could be entruftcd, for which reafon no particular plan was adhered to, and the architecture feems to be a nicdley of whatever occurred to the pcrfons who fuperin-tended its conftruftion. The principal front is to the eaft ; that fide which communicates with the epifcopal palace is to the fouth, and the north front runs parallel to the ftreet. The length of the building is about one hundred and twenty yards, its breadth is not lefs than thirty-five, and the height oj the niiddle aide is eighteen yards.

It was not until after thirty years were expired, that application was made to Madrid for a Hdlful profeffional perfon to fuperintend the completion of this edifice. In the year 1778, Don Joefca, the archited employed in