u 



SOUTH AMERICA— THE ANDES EEGIONS. 



before these maladies, melting away like mounds of snow in the sun. Then, 

 when it came to the issue of war, the civilised tribes, being less daring, less 

 inured to hardships, less confident in themselves, assumed a passive attitude, 

 awaiting the orders of their new chiefs, without dai'ing to take the initiative in 

 resisting the attacks of their enemies. Thus it came about that districts densely 

 peopled by peaceful communities again became a wilderness ; huudreds and 



Fig. 4. — Chief Routes of the Spanish Conquerors in South America. 

 Scale 1 : 65,000.000. 



930 Miles. 



hundreds of tribes have left nothing but their name more or less accurately trans- 

 mitted to posterity. 



In the war of extermination waged by Brazil and the Argentine Republic 

 against Paraguay, it was seen how the docile populations descended from those of 

 the old Jesuit missions allowed themselves to be stupidly butchered by the half- 

 castes of the Brazilian plateaux. Numerous villages founded in the first days of 

 the conquest have disappeared, and beaten tracks hundreds of j^ears old are now 



