ULLOa's voyage to south AMERICA. 



5*3 



him, and tofs him fo high in the air, that any other than an Indian would be killed 

 by the fall. He however rifes without receiving any hurt, and is highly delighted with 

 the vidory, as he calls it, over the bull ; though the victory feems to lie on the bull's 

 fide. When they fight in a body againll others, they fall on, without any regard to 

 fuperiority of numbers, or who drops, or is wounded of their party. An adlion which 

 in a civilized nation is counted the height of courage, is here merely the effe£t of barba- 

 rifm and want of thought. They are very dextrous in haltering a bull at full fpeed ; 

 and, as they fear no danger, attack him with what we fhould call great temerity. 

 With the fame dexterity they hunt bears : and a fmgle Indian, with only a horfe and 

 his noofe, never fails of getting the better of all the cunning and rage of this furious 

 animal. This noofe is made of cow hide, fo thin as not to be feized by the beaft*s 

 paws, and yet fo ftrong as not to be broken by the flruggles of the creature. On per- 

 ceiving the bear, they immediately make towards him, whilft he fets up in order to 

 feize the horfe. But the Indian being come within a proper diftance, throws the noofe 

 about the creature's neck : then, with furprifing celerity having taken two or three 

 turns with the other end about the faddle, claps fpurs to his horfe : in the mean time 

 the bear, unable to keep pace with the horfe, and ftruggling to clear himfelf of the 

 noofe, is choaked. This is confidered as an achievement of admirable dexterity and 

 bravery ; and may be frequently feen in the province of Alaufi, near the eaftern Cor- 

 dillera, where thefe animals abound. 



A great part of the rufticity in the minds of the Indians mud be imputed to the want of 

 culture ; for they, who in fome parts have enjoyed that advantage, are found to be no 

 lefs rational than other men ; and if they do not attain to all the politenefs of civilized 

 nations, they at leaft think properly. The Indians of the miffion of Paraguay are, 

 among others, remarkable inftances of this ; where, by the zeal, addrefs, and exem- 

 plary piety of the Jefuits, a regular well-governed republic of rational men has been 

 eftablilhed : and the people, from an ambulatory and favage manner of living, have 

 been reduced to order, reafon, and religion. One of the moft effeftual means for this 

 was, the fetting up fchools for inftruding the young Indians in Spanifh, in which they 

 alfo inftruft their converts ; and thofe who are obferved to be of a fuitable genius, are 

 taught Latin. In all the villages of the miflions are fchools for learning, not only to 

 read and write, but alfo mechanic trades ; and the artificers here are not inferior to thofe 

 of Europe. Thefe Indians, in their cuftoms and intelleds, are a different fort of peo- 

 ple from thofe before mentioned. They have a knowledge of things ; a clear difcern- 

 ment of the turpitude of vice, and the amiablenefs of virtue ; and ad up to thefe fenti- 

 ments : not that they have any natural advantage over the other : for I have obferved 

 throughout this whole kingdom, that the Indians of its feveral provinces through which 

 I travelled are alike. And thofe of Quito are not more deficient in their underftandings, 

 than thofe of Valles or Lima : nor are thefe more acute or fagacious than the natives 

 of Chili and Arauco. 



Without going out of the province of Quito, we have a general inftance in confirma- 

 tion of what I have advanced. For all the Indians brought up to the Spanifh language 

 are far more acute and fenfible than thofe who have fpent their lives in little villages j 

 and their behaviour more conformable to the ditlates of a rational creature. They are 

 men of abilities and fkill, and have divefted themfelves of many of their errors. Whence 

 they are called Ladinos, i. e. knowing men ; and if they retain any of the culpable 

 pradices of the former, it is from the infeftion of intercourfe, or from a miflaken 

 notion that they fhould keep them up as tranfmitted to them from their anceflors. 

 Amon^ thefe are chiefly diflinguifhed the barber-furgeons, who bleed with fuch dexte- 



3x2 rity, 



