m A VOYAGE TO Book VIT. 



incursions, in order to c;uTy oil'ilie younc^ inhabit- 

 ants as slaves for their planíaíions; so that it be- 

 came absohitcly necessary, in order to preserve these 

 converts, <o remove into Paraíz:í]ay, about 12,000 of 

 all ag'8S, and both sexes; a like number of emi- 

 grants was also brought from Tappc and formed 

 into communities, living here in peace and safety : 

 and at the same tiine in a decency becoming their new 

 profession. 



But the number of succeeding converts was so 

 g7.'eat, that continual additions were necessary to 

 these towns, so that I was at Quito informed by a 

 person oí' undoubted veracity, and thoroughly ac- 

 quainted with such matters, that the numb(*r of 

 towns of the Guaraníes Indians in the year 1781, 

 amounted to thirty-two, and sujjposed to contain be- 

 tween thirty and forty thousand families : that from 

 the increasing prosperity of the Christian religion, 

 they were then deliberating on the manner of build- 

 ing three other towilis^ these thirty-two being in the 

 diocesses of ¡Buenos Ayrcs, and Paragua\ . Besides 

 the Indios Chiquitos belonging to the diocess of Santa 

 Cruz de la Sierra, there were at thai: time seven very 

 popnlous towns ; and by reason of the great resort 

 of converted Indians^, preparations were making for 

 building others. 



The Paraguay missions are on all sides tcrminafcd 

 by nations of idolatrous Indians ; some of which how- 

 ever live in perfect harmony with them., but others do 

 all in their power to exterminate them by frequent in- 

 cursions ; and it is with the latter that the fathers 

 chiefly employ their zeal, in order to reclaim them 

 from their inluunanity, by preaching to them the glad 

 tidings of the gospel. Ñor is this fortitude destitute 

 of fruit, the most rational receiving v, ith joy the 

 knowledge of the trueGod, and quitting their country, 

 are conducted to the Christian towns, ^^here, after 

 proper inslructions^ they are admitted to baptism. 



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