160 THE CONQUEST OF SOULS. 



the portage of Pimichin, to the Rio Negro, on the frou 

 tiers of Brazih " You will go up," said the president 

 of the missions, who resided at San Fernando, "first the 

 Atabapo, then the Temi, and finally, the Tuamini. When 

 the force of the current of ' black waters ' hinders 

 you from advancing, you will be conducted out of the 

 bed of the river through forests, which you will find in- 

 undated. Two monks only are settled in those desert 

 places, between the Orinoco and the Rio ISTegro ; but at 

 Javita you will be furnished with the means of having 

 your canoe drawn over land in the course of four days 

 to Cano Pimichin. If it be not broken to pieces you 

 will descend the Rio Negro without any obstacle (from 

 north-west to south-east) as far as the little fort of San 

 Carlos ; you will go up the Cassiquiare (from south to 

 north), and then return to San Fernando in a month, 

 descending the Upper Orinoco from east to west." Such 

 was the plan traced for their passage, and they carried it 

 into effect without danger, though not without some 

 suffering, in the space of thirty-three days. 



In theii* walks together the president of the mission 

 gave the travellers an animated account of his incur- 

 sions on the Rio Guaviare. He related to them how much 

 these journeys, undertaken for the conquest of souls, were 

 desired by the Indians of the missions. All, even women 

 and old men, took part in them. Under the pretext of 

 recovering neophytes who had deserted the village, chil- 

 dren above eight or ten years of age were carried off, and 

 distributed among the Indians of the missions as serfs. 



Three years before the arrival of the travellers the 

 missionary of San Fernando led his Indians to the 

 banks of the Rio Guaviare, on one of those hostile in- 



