PREFACE. XV 



and, ill reality, «governs the village. We learii from 

 them, that the Jesuits draw from the people all the 

 commodities and manufactures that are iit for foreign 

 con\merce, which are vended by a commissa,ry of 

 their appointing, and the returns in European com- 

 modities made to and distributed by them at their 

 pleasure; they tell us, that the church in every 

 village is spacious, and elegantly adorned ; that, 

 though they are styled villages, they are in effect 

 large towns, and the houses in them neat, commo- 

 dious, and, in comparison of the Spaniards', very 

 •well furnished. We learn from them, that, under a 

 pretence of the excursions of the Portuguese, who 

 used to seize these Indians and make them work in 

 the mines, and of the savage Indians who sur- 

 rounded them in a manner on all sides, the fathers 

 have taugjit them the use of arms, make them spend 

 their holidays in military exercises, have a large 

 body of well-disciplined troops, magazines well 

 furnished with military stores, together with mills 

 and other necessary machines for making their own 

 gunpowder. They likewise let us know, that, to 

 prevent the manners of their disciples from being" 

 corrupted, the Jesuits exclude them entirely from all 

 communication with strangers, whether Europeans 

 or Indians, and suffer none to enter into their mis- 

 sions, who may report either the strength or the 

 Aveakness of their condition, or penetrate into the 

 mysteries of their policy. 



Another point worthy of notice is, the account 

 of the little island of Fernando de Norona. This, so 

 inconsiderable in itself, so unfit for habitation, from 

 its being sometimes three or four years without rain, 

 was abandoned by the Portuguese ; yet, being within 

 sixty or seventy leagues of tlie coast of Brazil, was 

 occupied by the Ercnch East-India company; which 



induced 



