a province included in the republic of New Grenada, in South America. It is situated in the department of Caucu, and is bounded on the south by Pasto, on the west by Buenaventura and Choco, on the east by Neiva and Bogota, and on the north by Antioquia. This province is somewhat rugged and mountainous, but within one of the richest and finest districts in all America. The banks of the river Caucu appear to present the greatest indications of opulence, the soil being deep, and the pastures rich and fertile. Even the muleteers, proud of being whites, are ashamed to go on foot, so that it is difficult to distinguish the poor from the rich. This prosperity and opulence are to be ascribed to a fertile soil, and to abundant gold mines, though they are unskilfully worked.

capital of the province, is finely situated on the banks of the Caucu, at the foot of the volcanic mountain of Purace. Mollien, who visited this city, speaks highly in praise of its site. "It is said," he remarks, "that the position of Popayan seems to have been created by the imagination of poets; and in fact it is difficult to find one more beautiful." It was selected by Benalcazar, who is less known than either Pizzaro, Cortes, or Quesada, but deserves to be more celebrated, as he was the founder of many towns, all delightfully situated." It is handsomely built; and its elevation above the sea, which is 5750 feet, renders the climate mild and agreeable. This city suffered greatly, as did the whole province, during the war of independence; and in the year 1827 it was almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake, which was accompanied by an eruption of the volcano of Purace, and an overflow of the Caucu. Before this calamity, the inhabitants were estimated at 20,000.

Amongst the other towns of this province may be mentioned that of Purace, which is agreeably situated above the valley of Popayan. It is a neat place, each house being built in the midst of an enclosure. Caly is another prettily-built town, situated on the declivity of the western cordilleras. Considerably further down the Caucu, almost at the extremity of the great plain, is situated Carthago. It stands near the point where the two cordilleras approach, leaving only a narrow passage for the river, and is the entrepot for the goods destined for Santa Fe, which arrive by the Quindiu, and those for the Antilles or the ocean, which come by way of Novita, situated near the Rio San Juan. The population of the whole province of Popayan is estimated at about 107,000.