t^ BliTAGH's ACCOUNT OF PERU. 



and Peru were not of this Indolent and unafpiring temper ; but beflowed great care and 

 pains in endeavouring to obtain the mod perfect knowledge poffible of the places bor- 

 dering upon thofe under their relpeftive governments ; but now that generous third of 

 fame is abfolutely extinguifhed, and the Spanifti governors, inftead of aiming at new 

 difcoveries, content themfelves with plundering their fello'w-fubjefts, that are fettled in. 

 the old. The regions which lie north of the kingdom of Mexico, are known to abound 

 with filver, precious ftones, and other rich commodities ; yet the Spaniards not only 

 decline their conqueft on that fide, but difcourage, as much as they can, the reports 

 fpread of the wealth and valu6 of thofe countries. Upon the fame principles, they give 

 no fort of encouragement to attempt penetrating into the heart of South America^ 

 whence the beft part of the riches of Peru is known to come ; the mountains, which 

 are at the back of the country, being extremely rich in gold ; and the regions on the 

 other fide, towards the North Seas, known to be inhabited by nations that have abun- 

 dance of that valuable metal ; though, for fear of being oppreifed by the Europeans, 

 they conceal it as much as pofTible. If this proceeded from a maxim of true policy, 

 viz that of being content when they have enough, and applying themfelves to govern 

 well what they already poffefs, it would be extremely commendable, and would cer- 

 tainly contribute to the fafety, peace, and continuance of their empire in thofe parts. 

 But while it appears plainly, from the conduct of their viceroys and other officers, that 

 they have nothing in view but accumulating wealth, at the expence of thofe they fhould 

 prote(5l, it is natural for the people to wifli, that they would apply themfelves to difco- 

 veries, which would afford the governors means of making their fortunes, without dif- 

 trelTmg fuch as are already fubjeds to the crown of Spain. 



But, of all the difcoveries that have ever been talked of amongft the Spaniards, that 

 which has made the mofl noife, is the Ifland or Iflands of Solomon. Thefe are fuppofed 

 to be the fame with thofe difcovered by the famous Ferdinand de Quiros ; he reported 

 them to be exceffively rich, as well as extremely populous ; and defired, by repeated 

 memorials, that he might be authorized, by the Crown of Spain, to proceed in, and 

 fmifh that difcovery ; but, as all his inflances were neglected, in the fpace of a few years 

 it became a queftion, whether there really were any fuch iflands or not ; and the treat-- 

 ing this matter as a romance, was, for fome time, a political maxim with the viceroys 

 of Peru ; and perhaps, by degrees, the very wifefl people in America would have been 

 brought over to this opinion ; but it fo happened, that, towards the latter end of the 

 laft century, fuch difcoveries were made as to the reality of thefe iflands, that Don 

 Alvaro de Miranda was fent in the year 1695, upon difcovering them, in which he 

 mifcarried; but, in the fearch, met with four iflands, between 7 and 10" of fouth lati- 

 tude, wonderfully rich and pleafant ; the inhabitants of which were a better looking 

 people, and far more civilized, than any of the Indians upon the continent. This 

 occafioned a good deal of difcourfe at that time ; but the difturbances that followed 

 foon after, took up people's thoughts to fuch a degree, that all hopes of finding, or 

 even endeavouring to find, thefe happy iflands, were intirely laid afide. 



Yet, while I was in Peru, this attempt was rsnewed again, though to very little pur*- 

 pofe, by an odd accident. Before I enter upon this, I muft be obliged to fay fome- 

 thing of theperfon employed in the difcovery : among the reft of the French traders or 

 interlopers, that were deftroyed by Martinet's fquadron, there was one Mr. Thaylet, 

 with whom I was well acquainted at Lima, who loft all his effefts : but even this hard 

 ufage could not drive him out of Peru ; he came thither to make a fortune, and he did, 

 not, by any means, care to return home a beggar. He had formerly commanded feve- 

 ral good fhipSj and was an expert artift. He offered his fervice to the Government,, 



5 i» and 



