ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 64 1 



town Is like a family governed by a wife and affeftionate parent, in the perfon of the 

 prleft. 



In the miffions of the Guaranies, the King pays the ftipends of the priefts, which, 

 including that of the affiftant, is three hundred dollars per annum. This fum is lodged 

 in the hands of the fuperior, who every month fupplies them with neceffary food 

 and apparel, and on any extraordinary demand, they apply to him, from whom they 

 are fure of meeting with a gracious reception. 



The miffions of the Chiquito Indians have a diftind fuperior ; but with the fame 

 funftions as he who prefides over the Guaranies ; and the priefts alfo are on the fame 

 footing, but have lefs anxiety and labour ; the induftry and adtivity of thefe Indians, 

 faving them the trouble of coming among them to exhort them to follow their employ- 

 ments, or of being the ftorekeepers and agents in difpofmg of the fruits of their 

 labours ; they themfelves vending them for their own advantage. 



All thefe Indians are very fubjed to feveral contagious diftempers ; as the fmall-pox, 

 malignant fevers, and others, to which, on account of the dreadful havock attending 

 them, they give the name of peftilence. And to fuch difeafes it is owing, that thefe 

 fettlements have not increafed in a manner proportional to their numbers, the time 

 fmce their eftablifliment, and the quietnefs and plenty in which thefe people live. 



The miffionary fathers will not allow any of the inhabitants of Peru, whether Spaniards 

 or others, Meftizos or even Indians, to come within their miffions in Paraguay. Not 

 with a view of concealing their tranfadions from the world ; or that they are afraid 

 left others fhould fupplant them of part of the produds and manufactures ; nor 

 for any of thofe caufes, which even with lefs foundation, envy has dared to fuggeft ; 

 but for this reafon, and a very prudent one it is, that their Indians, who being as it 

 were new-born from favagenefs and brutality, and initiated into morality and religion, 

 may be kept fteady in this ftate of innocence and fimplicity. Thefe Indians are 

 ftrangers to fedition, pride, malice, envy, and other paffions, which are fo fatal to 

 fociety. But were ftrangers admitted to come among them, their bad examples would 

 teach them what at prefent they are happily ignorant of; but fhould modefty, and the 

 attention they pay to the inftrudions of their teachers, be once laid afide, the 

 ihining advantages of thefe fettlements would foon come to nothing ; and fuch a num- 

 ber of fouls, who now worftiip the true God in the beauty of holinefs, and live in 

 tranquillity and love (of which fuch flender traces are feen among civilized nations), 

 w^ould be again feduced into the paths of diforder and perdition. 



Thefe Indians live at prefent in an entire affiirance, that whatever their priefts 

 advife them to is good, and whatever they reprehend is bad. But their minds would 

 foon take a different turn, by feeing other people, on whom the dodrine of the gofpel 

 is fo far from having any effed, that their adions are abfolutely repugnant to its pre- 

 cepts. At prefent they are firmly perfuaded, that in all bargains, and other tranf- 

 adions, the greateft candour and probity muft be ufed, without any prevarication or 

 deceit. But it is too evident, that were others admitted among them, whofe lead- 

 ing maxim is to fell as dear, and buy as cheap as they are able, thefe innocent people 

 would foon imbibe the fame pradice, together with a variety of others which feem 

 naturally to flow from it. The contamination would foon fpread through every part of 

 their behaviour, fo as never to be reclaimed. I do not here mean to leflen the charaders 

 of thofe Spaniards or inhabitants of other nations, whofe countries are fituated con- 

 veniently for trading with Paraguay, by infmuating that they are univerfally fraudulent 

 and diflfoiute ; but, on the other hand, among fuch numbers, it would be very ftrange 

 if there was not fome j and one fingle perfon of fuch a charader would be fufficient to 



VOL. XIV. 4 N infed 



