HISTORICAL SKETCH. 



207 



at the period of the first conquest of various 

 portions of South America, occupied, more 

 or less, the whole of the country. 



The term Natives of South America has, 

 of course, since been applied to all persons 

 born there, whether descended from the 

 aboriginal natives, from the Spaniards who 

 settled there, from the negroes whom the 

 latter imported there, after they had been 

 the cause of destroying a great part of the 

 aboriginal natives, or from various inter- 

 mixtures of these different races, forming 

 a great number of shades of colour, and 

 presenting, as it were, a variegated race of 

 beings, who, though having, as it may be 

 said, a common country, and thus pos- 

 sessing some feelings and opinions in com- 

 mon, were, in the course of events, fre- 

 quently found to be as varied in their opi- 

 nions as to theories of government, or prac- 



