TOPOGRAPHY. 



337 



bination, while we prosecute our inquiries relative to the to- 

 pography of different parts of the Peruvian territory. 



PLAN FOR GAINING ACCESS TO, AND PEOPLING, THE ANDES MOUNTAINS 

 OF THE PROVINCE OP GUAMALIES, PROPOSED AND SET ON FOOT BY 

 DON JUAN DE BEZARES. 



This distinguished patriot, a native of the city of Old 

 Castille, and a respe6table merchant of Lima, being on the 

 eve of departing for his own country, with a capital of thirty 

 thousand piastres accquired in commerce, accidentally met 

 with a Spaniard who had for a long time led a savage life 

 among the Indians of the Andes mountains bordering on Gua- 

 malies. By this individual he was made acquainted with the 

 extent and fertility of those tra6ts of territory, hidden from 

 the view and knowledge of civilized man, without being in- 

 accessible ; together with the valuable vegetable and mineral 

 produ6tions which might be thence extra6ted for the common 

 benefit ; and, more particularly, with the opportunity which 

 presented itself, to exercise the most commendable charity, 

 by colledling a multitude of fugitive Indians, who, having 

 been driven from the eminences and missions, dwelt in the 

 forests in a semi-pagan state. He exposed the facility of entic- 

 ing them, if, in addition to the introduction of a few produ^ls 

 and implements of agriculture, conjoined with a prudent ma- 

 nagement, they were to be diredted by a priest of known pro- 

 bity, who should aid them with his spiritual instru6lions, by 

 which they were very anxious to profit. He added, that many 

 of them were already coUedled near the banks of the river Hu- 

 allaga, the nature and quality of which territory afforded the 



X X possi- 



