Ch. V. SOUTH AMERICA. 389 



and islands. The miscarriage of the expedition un- 

 der Gonzalo Pizarro has already been mentioned ; 

 Orellana was not more fortunate ; when, pursuant to 

 the grant of che government, he returned to settle in 

 it; and Orsua's fate was still more deplorable, pe- 

 rishing himself, with the greatest part of his fol- 

 lowers. But we are now to speak of the more suc- 

 cessful enterprize of Don Diego Baca de Vega, 

 Avhom we have already mentioned, but in a cursory 

 manner. 



The government of Maynas, and the Maranon, 

 having been conferred on De Vega ; confident of the 

 good dispositions of the IVIaynas Indians, as it had been 

 carefully cultivated, since its first commencement 

 with the Santiago soldiers, heentered the country with 

 a little colony, and founded the city of San Francisco 

 de Borga, in 1634, as the capital of the whole go- 

 vernment ; a title which it justly deserved, for being 

 the first erected in that vast country ; and also on ac- 

 count of the friendship which the Indians had shewn 

 for the Spaniajds ever since their first arrival, 'i'he 

 new governor being a person of judgement and pene- 

 tration, was not long in observing that these nations 

 were rather to be governed by moderation and gentle- 

 ness, with a proper firmness to create respect, than by 

 rigour or austerity : and accordingly informed the au- 

 diencia of Quito and the Jesuits of their disposition. 

 Missionaries were accordingly sent them, in the per- 

 sons of Gaspar de Cuxia and Lucas de Cuebas, who 

 came to Maynas in the year 1637 ; and their preach- 

 ing had such remarkable success, that, being not of 

 themselves sufficient for instructing the multitudes of 

 new converts, they sent to Quito for assistance : and 

 thus the number ofmissions continually increased, and 

 whole nations resorted from their forests in search of 

 the light of the Gospel. By this means the king's 

 dominions were extended, every proselyte with joy ac- 

 knowledging himself in his new state a subject of the 



C c 3 king 



