SUPPRESSION OF THE JESUITS. 291 



building, not excepting the foundations of the pyramids 

 erected by the French savans for the measurement of the 

 meridian, is regarded as Inga pilca* that is, the work of 

 the Inca; BO on the Orinoco every hidden treasure can 

 belong only to the Jesuits, an order which, no doubt, 

 governed the missions better than the Capuchins and 

 the monks of the Observance, but whose riches and 

 success in the civilization of the Indians have been much 

 exaggerated. When the Jesuits of Santa Fe were arrested, 

 those heaps of piastres, those emeralds of Muzo, those bars 

 of gold of Choco, which the enemies of the company sup- 



rsed they possessed, were not found in their dwellings, 

 can cite a respectable testimony, which proves ineon- 

 testibly, that the viceroy of New Granada had not warned 

 the Jesuits of Santa Fe of the danger with which they were 

 menaced. Don Vicente Orosco, an engineer officer in the 

 Spanish army, related to me that, being arrived at An- 

 gostura, with Don Manuel Centurion, to arrest the mis- 

 sionaries of Carichana, he met an Indian boat that was 

 going down the Rio Meta. The boat being manned with 

 Indians who could speak none of the tongues of the country, 

 gave rise to suspicions. After useless researches, a bottle 

 was at length discovered, containing a letter, in which the 

 Superior of the company residing at Srvnta F6 informed the 

 missionaries of the Orinoco of the persecutions to which 

 the Jesuits were exposed in New Grenada. This letter 

 recommended no measure of precaution ; it was short, with- 

 out ambiguity, and respectful towards the government, 

 whose orders were executed with useless and unreasonable 

 severity. 



Eight Indians of Atures had conducted our boat through 

 the raudales, and seemed well satisfied with the slight re- 

 compence we gave them. They gain little by this employ- 

 ment; and in order to give a just idea of the poverty and 

 want of commerce in the missions of the Orinoco, I shall 

 observe that during three years, with the exception of the 

 boats sent annually to Angostura by the commander of 

 San Carlos du Bio Negro, to fetch the pay of the soldiers, 

 the missionary had seen but five canoes of the 



Pilca (properly in Quichua pirca), wall of the Inca, 



U 2 



