a celebrated town of Spain, and capital of Galicia, with an archbishop's see, and an university. The public squares, and the churches, particularly the Metropolitan church, are very magnificent. It has a great number of monasteries, for both sexes, and about 2000 houses. It is pretended that the body of St James was buried here, which draws a great number of pilgrims from most parts of Christendom. They walk in procession to the church, and visit his wooden image, which stands on the great altar, and is illuminated with 40 or 50 wax-candles. They kiss it three times, with a very respectful devotion, and then put their hats on its head. In the church there are 30 silver lamps, always lighted, and six chandeliers of silver, five feet high. The poor pilgrims are received into an hospital, built for that purpose, which stands near the church; and round it are galleries of free stone, supported by large pillars. The archbishop is one of the richest prelates in Spain, having 70,000 crowns a-year. From this town the military order of St Jago, or St James, had its origin. It is seated in a peninsula, formed by the rivers Tambre and Ulla, in a pleasant plain. W. Long. 7° 17'. N. Lat. 42° 54'.
New Compostella, a town of North America, in New Spain, and province of Xalisco, built in 1531. It is seated near the South Sea. W. Long. 110° 12'. N. Lat. 21° 0'.