ch.xv. south America. 185 



man ; on the N. it terminates on Paraguay, and is 

 bounded towards the S, by the land of Magellan. 

 Its countries are watered by the great river de H 

 Plata, the difcovery of which was owing to Juan Dias 

 de Solis, who, in 1515, having failed from Spain 

 with two veffels to make difcoveries, arrived at the 

 mouth of this river, and took poffeffion of it in the 

 name of the king of Spain. But being unhappily 

 deluded by the figns of joy and friendfhip made by 

 the Indians, he landed, and was immediately killed, 

 together with his few attendants. The fame voyage 

 was repeated in 1526 under Sebaftian Gabot, who en- 

 tering the river, difcovered an ifland, which he called 

 St. Gabriel and advancing further, came to another 

 river, which emptied itfelf into that of La Plata ^ 

 to this he gave the name of St. Salvador, caufing his 

 fleet to enter the river, and there difembark their 

 troops. Here he built a fort, and leaving in it part 

 of his men, he failed above two hundred leagues up 

 the river Parana, difcovering alfo that of Paraguay. 

 Gaboto, having purchafed fome ingots of filver from 

 the Indians he met with, and particularly from 

 the,Guaranies, who brought the metal from the other 

 parts of Peru, imagined that they had found it in the 

 neighbourhood of the river, and thence called the 

 river Rio de la Plata, or Silver River, which has fu- 

 perfeded that cf Solis, as it was before called from 

 its firfl: diicoverer, whofe memory is fbill preierved by 

 the little river Solis, about feven or eight leagues W. 

 of Maldonado-bay. 



The capital of this government is called Neueftra 

 Senora de Buenos- Ay res. It v/as founded in the year 

 1535 ^7 Pedro de Mendoza, purfuant to his 



orders, which alfo appointed him governor. He 

 chofe for it a place called Cape Blanco, on the 

 S. fide of Rio de la Plata, clofe by a fmail river. Its 

 latitude, according to father Feville, is 34^, 34^^ 

 38^', S. Fie gave it the name of Buenos Ay res, 



account of the extreme falubrity of the air. The 



city 



