28o A VOYAGE TO Book VIIÍ. 



In order to gain more eííeótually the hearts nftheie 

 Indians, who, though in our eileem wretchedly poor, 

 conceal the moil ftubborn pnde, which can only be 

 ioftened by compliments and favours, it is a maxim 

 with the prcfidcnts to admit to their table thofe who 

 are apparently of the beil difpofi ions, and during the 

 three or four days of the congrefs, negleéls no mrans 

 of ingratiating himfelf v. ¡rh the whole body. On thefe 

 occafions a kind of fair is held at both camps, great 

 numbers of Spaniards repairing tiiitlier widi fuch 

 goods as they know \\ill pleafc the Indians, who alfo 

 come with their ponchos and cattle. Boih part.es deal 

 by exchange, and never fail of felling their whole 

 ftocks ; and of obfcrving in their dealings the moft 

 exa6t candour and rej.ulariry, as a fpecimen in which 

 all future commerce is to be conduded. 



Though thefe Indians have fnewn fuch a deter- 

 mined avcrfion to fubmiccing to the Spanilii monarchs, 

 their behaviour has been very different to the miffiona- 

 ries, whom they voluntarily pcrmitLed to come among 

 them ; and many have even ihewed the greateft joy 

 at being baptized. But. it is extremely difficult to 

 prevail on them to quit their irte manner of living j 

 "vvhich being prüductive of vice and favagenefs, prc- 

 po0efs the mind againft the precepts of the Chrirtian 

 religion. Before the war of the year 1723, the miffiona- 

 ries, by their indefatigable zeal, had formed feveral 

 yillages, hoping by that means to induce their con- 

 verts to praófife the dodrines of the Chrifiian faith, 

 Thefe villages were called St. Chriítover, Santa: Fé, 

 Santa Juana, Sc. Pedro, and La Mocha, all of thcrn 

 being under the infpcdion of the Jtfuits. The 

 chaplains alfo of the forrs on the frontiers had an ad- 

 ditional falary for intruding a certain num.ber of 

 Indians, But on that general infurrcdlion, their in- 

 nate favagentfs returned, all ihcfc converts abandoned 

 the miíConarjcs and joined their countrymen. On 



the 



