374 A VOYAGE TO Book VII. 



government of Tucuman have felt the effeds of their 

 daring incurfions. The other nations between thefe 

 and the Chiquitos, and the lake of Xarayes, are little 

 }cnown. Not many years fince fome Jefuit miffiona- 

 ries ventured to vifit their country up the river Pil- 

 comayo, which runs from Potofi to Aflumption ; but 

 their territories being very large, and living a vagrant 

 fort of lives, v/ithout fixed habitations, the zeal of the 

 good fathers v/as fruitrated ; as it has indeed on many 

 other occafions, even after repeated trials. 



The idolatrous Indians, who inhabit the country 

 from the city of Afiumption northv/ard, are but very 

 few. The mifiionaries have been fo fortunate to meet 

 with fome of thefe in their journies after them, and 

 prevailed on them to accompany them to the Chriftian 

 towns, where, without much reludancy, they have 

 embraced Chriftianity. The Chiriguanos, already 

 mentioned, alfo refide in thefe parts; but are fo infa- 

 tuated with the pleafures of a favage life, that they 

 will not hear of living under laws. 



From v^hat has been faid, it v/ill eafily be con- 

 ceived that txhe country occupied by the Paraguay 

 miffions, mull be of a very great extent. The air in 

 general is moifc and temperate ; though in fome parts, it 

 is rather cold f. The temperate parts abound with all 

 kinds of provifions. Cotton contributes confiderably 

 to their riches, growing here in fuch quantities, that 

 every little village gathers of it annually above two 

 thoufand arobas ; and the induilrious are very inge- 

 nious in weaving it into fluffs for exportation. A great 

 deal of tobacco is alfo planted here. But thefe arti- 

 cles arc far lefs advantageous to the inhabitants than 

 the herb called Paraguay, which alone would be fuf- 

 ficient to form a iiouriihing commerce in this pro- 



t White froils are very common here in July and AugufI:, 

 fcmetiiBes they have ice about the thicknefs of half a crovvq. 

 The former phoeno.menon has been feea as far to the northward as 

 Rio de Janeiro. A. 



vince. 



