148 ovalle's historical relation of chile. 



There are alfo bred upon its banks moft beautiful birds of feveral kinds ; and in its 

 ftreams great variety of fiflies, very dainty, and in great quantity. The river is navi- 

 gable every where in canoes, but not with the fame canoes, becaufe of the prodigious 

 fall that is in the midft of it, the whole river precipitating itfelf into a deep gulph, 

 from whence it runs many leagues, till it empties itfelf into the fea. The noife that 

 this fall makes, the foam that it raifes, the whirlpools it caufes, by the rencounter of 

 its waters, is not to be imagined. The land on both fides this river is very fertile ; 

 on the weft fide, which is the Tucuman fide, correfponding to Buenos Ay res, there 

 are feveral cities, as St. Jago de Eftero Cordoua, St. Michael la Rioga, and Efteco 

 Juzuy and Salta, which border upon Peru : thefe cities are not very populous, becaufe 

 they are in the midft of the land, and far from commerce with both feas ; but they do 

 increafe very much, particularly Cordoua, which, amongft other properties, has that 

 of producing rare wits in the univerfity governed by the Jefuits, who may match their 

 profeflbrs and fcholars with thofe of any other part, as I myfelf have experienced. 

 There are likewife in this diftrift many houfes and families of men of quality and antient 

 nobility. Higher up the river to the weft, are alfo the cities of AiTumption, Santa 

 Fee de las Corrientes del Guayta, and others. The city of the Aflumption is the 

 chief, and was peopled by gentlemen that came firft to the Indies, and is fince much 

 increafed in people, but not in riches ; becaufe it being fo far within the land, cannot 

 have fufficient vent for its commodities, which are chiefly fugar, and preferved fruits ; 

 among the reft they are famous for a dried fweet-meat, called Ladrillos, which are 

 flices of cetron, done up- in fugar, in the form of a tile j but the beft fweet-meat 

 they have they will give in great abundance for an apple, or any European fruit. In 

 all this tradb of land there are three governments, which are alfo biflioprics, to wit, 

 Paraguay, Rio de la Plata, and Tucuman. 



Higher yet on the eaft fide are many heathen nations, which have others that 

 anfwer them on the weft ; and among thefe are diftributed thofe famous miflions which 

 our fathers of the fociety of Jefus have founded. 



I am forry I am infenfibly engaged in this matter ; and I muft own I have men- 

 tioned that which I cannot well explain. This is not a place for panegyrics, nor does 

 the thread of my hiftory admit of fuch large digreflions ; yet I cannot but ftop a little, 

 and give fome confideration to that we may call miracles of grace, which are per- 

 formed in thofe defarts, of which I myielf have been an eye-witnefs, having lived fome 

 , time in that holy province, to which I owe all that I am. But who can explain what 

 thofe apoftolical men deferve in the fight of God, who feem to have nothing of man 

 but what is necefiary to make their lives more admirable, which they lead like angels 

 in human bodies. 



Who would not wonder to fee in thofe mountains and folitudes men ill fed, worfe 

 lodged, naked, painful, and in anguifh for the fouls of others, when they might fave 

 their own with lefs trouble, enjoying the good morfels and merry days which, without 

 fm, and fometimes meritorioufly, they might have in their own country among their 

 friends, and in the beft of Europe ? Who can but admire to fee fo many youths 

 banifti themfelves, and, renouncing all preferment, refolve to pafs all their lives like 

 hermits, for the love of God, and zeal of the falvation of fouls ? Is this a work of 

 nature ? and can human force arrive to this of itfelf ? Let us go o.ut from this confi- 

 deration, left it be like a loadftone to draw us in further ; and yet let me fly as far as 

 I will, I cannot hinder my heart from being with them, and defiring to end my days 

 in this employment. They who defire to fee the fruit of thefe miflions of our company, 

 the numbers of the gentiles which they have brought from folitudes to live in cities, 



the 



