Page:Voyage of discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and round the world in the years 1791-95, volume 3.djvu/480

Rh in building the money-houfi*, was appointed to this office, and, fortu- nately, at this time, the principal front was not hogini. The plans he drew were fuhniitted to the then prelate, Don Manuel de Alday : and, on the firft day of march, in the year 17H0, this artill took upon himfelf the charge of the building, which, at this time, wanted onlv five arches to reach the line of the princij)al front ; the elevation of which, I was given to underlland, is a clofe imitation of St. John de Lateran, and according to the defigns of the famous Barromini. There are three doors in this fide, embelliflied widi cohunns of the Ionic ordr'r; with- in is a handfome ftaircafe, that leads to light and elegant towers, which add greatly to the beautiful appearance of this front. The cailiedral contains ten altars, and, although they appeared to have been ron- Ilrufted without regard to any rule of proportion, yet they are well worthy of attention. The columns and pilafters of each are an excel- lent imitation of jafper; thefe are green, the pcdeftals are red, the cor- nices yellow, the bafes and capitals are gilt, and the whole together pro- duces a very good effetl. The colour of the flonc, with which this edi- fice is built, refembles thcit of the Portland flone of England; but whe- ther it is of the fame durability, or not, time only will determine. The workmanftiip of the mafon appeared to us to be ill executed, as few of the edges of the ftones were fo neatly wrought as to fit with exaftnefs. Spire" and other church ornaments, we were given to underftand, were intended to be erefted, but the time when the building would be finifh- ed was not afcertaincd; the priefts, however, faid mafs in one part of it, which was fufficiently completed for that purpofe. A very large church is alfo confirufting, under the dirc6lion of the fame architeft ; this firufture is built with bricks, its front is of the Doric order, with two largo towers, in which confiderable knowledge of beauty and proportion feems to have been difplayed. The infide of this church is of the Ionic order, it contains three aifles and fcvcn chapels. The gaols of the city having fallen into decay fome years ago, and becoming infecure for the confinement of prifoners, a large building, of the Tufcan order, was ere6ied, and appropriated to this purpofe. This Vol. III. 3 L flrudure

1793 April