ULLOa's voyage to south AMEiaCA. ^ 6^^ 



fugar and cotton ; the laft is manufadlured here, and, with the woollen fluffs alfo wove 

 by the inhabitants, form an advantageous branch of trade. But its great article con- 

 fifts in the mules bred in the luxuriant paftures of its valleys. Inconceivable droves of 

 thefe creatures are fent to all parts of Peru, the Tucuman mules being famous over 

 thefe countries, far exceeding all others in ftrength and docility. 



CHAP. XV. — Account of Paraguay and Buenos Ayres ; the two laji Governments of 



the Audience of Charcas. 



IV. Bifhopric of the Audience of Charcas. — Paraguay. 



THE government of Paraguay lies fouth of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, and eafl of 

 Tucuman. Southward it joins to that of Buenos Ayres ; and is terminated eaflward 

 by the captainfhip of St. Vicente in Brazil, whofe capital is the city of St. Pablo. 

 Thefe countries were firft difcovered by Sebaflian Gaboro, who, coming to the river 

 of Plata in the year 1526, failed up the river Palana in fome fmall bark, and thence 

 entered that of Paraguay. He was fucceeded in 1536 by Juan de Ayolos, to whom 

 Don Pedro de Mendoza, the firfl governor of Buenos Ayres, had given a commiffion, 

 together with a body of troops, military ftores, and other neceffaries ; and afterwards, 

 by his orders, Juan de Salinas founded the city of Nueflra Senora de la AfTumption, 

 the capital of the province ; but the difcovery of the whole, and,, confequently, the 

 conquefl of people who inhabited it, being flill imperfect, it was profecuted by 

 Alvar Nunez, furnamed Cabeza de Baca, or Cowhead, whofe eminent fervices, on the 

 death of Don Pedro de Mendoza, procured him the government of Buenos Ayres. 



The only fettlements in the whole extent of this government, are the city of AlTump- 

 tion. Villa Rica, and fome other towns, whofe inhabitants are a mixture of Spaniards, 

 Meflizos, and fome Indians, but the greateft part of the feveral cafls. As the city it- 

 felf is but fmall and irregular, nothing better can be expefted in Villa Rica, and other 

 towns and villages. Its houfes are indeed intermixed with gardens and plantations, but 

 without any fymmetry. It is the refidence of the governor of the province, who had 

 formerly under his jurifdidion part of the towns compofmg the miffions of Paraguay ; 

 but a few years fmce they were feparated from it, and are now annexed to the govern- 

 ment of Buenos Ayres j but without any change in the ecclefiaftical government. In 

 the city of AfTumption is a cathedral, whofe chapter confifls of the bifhop, dean, arch- 

 deacon, treafurer, and two canons. The parifhes of the city of Villa Rica, and of the 

 other towns depending on this government, are ferved by the Francifcans : but in the 

 mifTionary towns they are folely under the care of the Jefuits ; and thefe compofmg the 

 greater number of towns in this province, I fhall fpeak particularly of them, ftill keep- 

 ing to that concifenefs I have obferved in the other jurifdidions. 



The miffions of Paraguay, befides thofe in the province of that name, include alfo a 

 great jnany of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Tucuman, and Buenos Ayres. Within a cen- 

 tury and a half, the epocha of their firfl eflablifhment, they have been the means of 

 bringing into the bofom of the church many Indian nations, who lived in the blind- 

 nefs of idolatry, and the turpitude of the favage cufloms tranfmitted to them by their 

 anceflors. The firfl inflance of this apoflolic zeal was the fpiritual conquefl of the 

 Guaranies Indians, fome of whom inhabited the banks of the rivers Uruguay and Pa- 

 rana J and others are near a hundred leagues up the countries north-wefl of the Guayra. 



4 M 2 The 



