SOUTH AMERICA. 26S 



closures, and give them salt occasionally; by this 

 means preventing them from running wild. There 

 were-besides, on each estancia, a number of tame cattle, 

 who were greatly superior to the others. A judicious 

 writer observes, that the same space of ground would 

 support at least twice as many of them as of the half 

 wild cattle, owing to their not being subject to conti- 

 nual frights, or destroying so much herbage by tramp- 

 ling it down, as is the case with immense herds mov- 

 ing together. The owner of the estate seldom resided 

 on it; the management of it was entrusted to an over- 

 seer, or capitace, with the requisite number of peons. 

 A very important reflection has often occurred to me, 

 in looking at the population of this country; it is the 

 indifferent character of the yeomanry; in this respect, 

 the population is vastly inferior to that of the towns. 



By the treaty of 1750, the seven missions establish- 

 ed by the Jesuits, towards the head of the Uruguay, 

 were ceded to the Portuguese, but the Indians refus- 

 ed to come under their dominion. The Jesuits have 

 been charged with countenancing the resistance made 

 by them, and on this chiefly rests the accusations of 

 ambitious designs against them. The Indians were, 

 however compelled to yield, and a line of posts was 

 established, as well as a considerable tract of country 

 declared neutral. The Spanish government prohibit- 

 ed any trade with the neighboring provinces, but with- 

 out effect; great numbers of cattle were driven into the 

 province of Rio Grande, and thence to Rio Janeiro, 

 besides a vast number of horses and mules.* The 

 Portuguese were in the habit of making excursions 



* Estimated at fiftj thousand annually. 



