' iS6^ A VOYAGE TO Book VII. 



The jurifdidion of Mafqne-Pocona, reaches abov^ 

 thirty leagues ; and though the city itfeif is very thinly 

 inhabited, there are, in other parts of it, feveral popUr 

 ions towns. The temperature is hot, but not in a de- 

 gree too great for vineyards. The valley in which the 

 city (lands is above eight leagues in circumference, and 

 produces all kinds of grain and fruits ; and the Woods 

 and uncultivated mountains afford great quantities of 

 honey and wax, which conftitute a principal branch of 

 its commerce. 



The miiTions belonging to the Jefuits in the parts 

 dependent on this bifhopric, are thofe called Indios 

 Chiquitos, or little Indians, a name given them by the 

 Spaniards, on account of the extreme fmailnefs of the 

 (doors of their houfes. Their country lies between 

 Santa Cruz de la Sierra,' and the lake Xarayes, froni 

 whence the river Paraguay has its rife, and being in- 

 creafed by the conflux of others, forms the famous ri- 

 ver de la Plata. It was about the clofeof the laft cen- 

 tury, when the fathers firft began their preaching in 

 this nation, and fo great has been their fuccefs, that in 

 the year 1732, they had formed feven towns, each 

 confifbing of above 600 families ; and were then build- 

 ing others for afTembling under the fame laws, the 

 great number of Indians, daily converted. Thefe In- 

 dios Chiquitos are well made and adive and their 

 courage has been often experienced by the Portuguefe, 

 v;ho ufed to make incurfions, in order to carry off the 

 inhabitants for flaves : but the valour of thefe people 

 has taught them to defill from fuch inhuman attempts, 

 and, for their own fafcty, to keep within their limits. 

 The arms of thefe Indians are mufquets, fabres, and 

 poifoned arrows. Though their language is different 

 from that of the other nations of Paraguay, the fame 

 cuftoras nearly obtain here, as among all the other In- 

 dians. 



Border I f^G on jthis nation of Chiquitos is another 

 of Pagan Indians called Chiriguanos, or Chiriguanaes, 

 ^ ■ " whcj 



