104 

 and mark of diftindlion by which the 







Spaniards, and their dependents, bold their 

 military and civil employments ; which 

 is a ftick with a filver head. Thefe badges, 

 of which the Indians are very vain, 

 at once ferve to retain the cacique in the 

 flrongeft attachment to the Spaniih go- 

 vernment, and give him greater weight 

 with his own dependents : yet, withal, he 

 is the mereft Have, and has not one thing 

 he can call his own. This report of 

 our fliip wreck (as we fuppofed) having 

 reached the Ghonos, by means of the 

 intermediate tribes, which handed it to 

 one another, from thofe Indians who firft 

 vifited us ; this cacique was either fent 

 to learn the truth of the rumour, or hav- 

 ing firft got the intelligence, fet out with 

 a view of making fome advantage of the 

 wreck, and appropriating fuch iron- 

 work as he could gather from it to his 

 own ufe : for that metal is become 

 very valuable to thofe favages, fmce their 



commerce 



