ULLOA*S VOYAGE TO SOUTH AMERICA. 637 



In the neighbourhood of the city of Santa Fe, fituated in the province of Buenos 

 Ayres, are others who rejeO: all terms of peace ; fo that even the villages and eftates 

 near Santiago and Salta, in the government of Tucuman, have felt the effeds of their 

 daring incurfions. The other nations between thefe and the Chiquitos, and the lake 

 of Xarayes, ai^iittle known. Not many years fmce fome Jefuit miflionaries ventured 

 to vifit their country up the river Pilcomayo, which runs from Potofi to AfTumption ; 

 but their territories being very large, and living a vagrant fort of lives, without fixed 

 habitations, the zeal of the good fathers was fruftrated ; as it has indeed on many other 

 occafions, even after repeated trials. 



The idolatrous Indians, who inhabit the country from the city of AfTumption north- 

 ward, are but very few. The miflionaries have been fo fortunate as to meet with fome of 

 thefe in their journeys after them, and prevailed on them to accompany them to the 

 Chriftian towns, where, without much reluctancy, they have embraced Chriftianity. 

 The Chiriguanos, already mentioned, alfo refide in thefe parts ; but are fo infatuated 

 with the pleafures of a favage life, that they will not hear of living under laws. 



From what has been faid, it will eafily be conceived that the country occupied by 

 the Paraguay miflions, muft be of a very great extent. The air in general is moift 

 and temperate, though in fome parts it is rather cold *. The temperate parts abound 

 with all kinds of provifions. Cotton contributes confiderably to their riches, growing 

 here in fuch quantities, that every little village gathers of it annually above two thou- 

 fand arobas ; and the induftrious are very ingenions in weaving it into fluffs for ex- 

 portation. A great deal of tobacco is alfo planted here. But thefe articles are far lefs 

 advantageous to the inhabitants than the herb called Paraguay, which alone would be -j.,^,^ 

 fufficient to form a flourifhing commerce in this province, it being the only one which ^ ( 

 produces it : and from hence it is fent all over Peru and Chili, where its ufe is univer- 

 fal ; efpecially that kind of it called camini, which is the pure leaf; the other, diftin- 

 guifhed by the name of palos, being lefs fine, and not fo proper for making mate, is 

 not fo valuable. 



Thefe goods were carried for fale, to the cities of Santa Fe, and Buenos Ayres, 

 where the fathers have factors ; the Indians, particularly the Guaranies, wanting the 

 fagacity and addrefs, fo abfolutely neceffary to procure fuccefs in commercial affairs. 

 Thefe fadors difpofe of what is configned to them from Paraguay, and lay out the 

 money in fuch European goods as the towns are then in want of, in ornaments for the 

 churches, and the decent fupport of the priefts officiating in them. But the greateft 

 care is taken in deducing from what each town fends, the amount of the tribute of its 

 Indian inhabitants, which is remitted immediately to the revenue offices, without the 

 leaft deduftion, except the ftipends for the priefts, and the penfions allowed the 

 caciques. 



The other products of their lands, together with their cattle, are made ufe of for 

 the fubfiftence of the inhabitants, among whom they are diftributed with fuch regularity 

 and oeconomy, that the excellent police under which thofe people live fo happily, can- 

 not be paffed over in filence, without great injuftice to thefe wife legiflators. 



Every town of the miffions of Paraguay, hke the cities and great to\^ns of the Spa- 

 niards, are under a governor, regidores, and alcaldes. That the important office of a 

 governor may be always filled by a perfon duly qualified, he is chofen by the Indians, 

 with the approbation of the priefts. The alcaldes are annually appointed by the regi- 



* White frofts are very common here in July and Auguft, fometimea they have ice about the ihicknefs 

 of half a crown. The former phsenomenon has been feen as far to the northward as Rio de Janeiro. 



I dores, 



