TOPOGRAPHY. 



30Q 



It would appear, by a comparison between, the epoch of his 

 estabhshment, and those which will be cited hereafter, that 

 Francisco Tarija did not long enjoy the fruit of his labours. 

 With the death of this prudent and courageous Spaniard, the 

 freedom, and tenour of life, of the Indians of the valley, were 

 restored to their primitive state. They again adopted their 

 peculiar customs and language ; and, in forgetting the few 

 principles of the Castillian tongue which they had been taught, 

 preserved the word Tarija alone, without doubt because they 

 entertained an esteem for the name and memory of a man, 

 who had regarded them as his brethren, and had respe6led 

 the sacred laws of humanity and justice. Notwithstanding 

 several other Spaniards, as well as Mestizos, penetrated into 

 this territory, with a view to form settlements, we are pre- 

 vented from giving an account of their enterprizes and suc- 

 cesses, by the obscurity we find in the memorials of that time,, 

 relative to this particular subje6l. 



With the progress of years, the fame of the riches of Peru 

 found its way into every part of tne globe, becoming con- 

 stantly more exaggerated, in proportion to the distance, and 

 to the caprice of those by whom it was transmitted. A Por- 

 tuguese of Parahuay, whose name, like that of Erostratus, 

 ought to be eternally buried in oblivion, being stimulated by 

 the insatiable desire of gold, overwhelmed the valley of Tarija 

 with a calamity, equal, in proportion to the circumstances, 

 to that which Narses brought on Italy, when he favoured the 

 invasion of the Lombards ; and similar to that which count 

 Julian caused to Spain, when he engaged the Moors to under- 

 take the subjugation of that kingdom. This avaricious man 

 assembled an entire nation of ferocious Indians, named Chiri- 



huanos,^ 



