28o A VOYAGE TO Book VIII. 



In order to gain more effedually the hearts of thefe 

 Indians, who, though in our efteem wretchedly poor, 

 conceal the moft ftubborn pride, which can only be 

 foftened by compliments and favours, it is a maxim 

 with the prefidents to admit to their table thofe who 

 are apparently of the bell difpofitions, and during the 

 three or four days of the congrefs, negledls no means 

 of ingratiating himfelf with the whole body. On thefe 

 occafions a kind of fair is held at both camps, great 

 numbers of Spaniards repairing thither with fuch 

 goods as they know will pleafe the Indians, who alfo 

 come with their ponchos and cattle. Both parties deal 

 - by exchange, and never fail of felling their whole 

 ftocks ; and of obferving in their dealings the moft 

 cxa6l candour and regularity, as a fpecimen in which 

 all future commerce is to be condudted. 



Tho' thefe Indians have fhewn fuch a determined 

 averfion to fubmitting to the Spanifh monarchs, their 

 behaviour has been very different to the milTionaries, 

 whom, they voluntarily permitted to come among 

 them ; and many have even (hewed the greateft joy 

 at being baptized. But it is extreamly difficult to pre- 

 vail on them to quit their free manner of living ; 

 which being productive of vice and favagenefs, pre- 

 poffefs the mind againft the precepts of the chriftian 

 religion. Before the war of the year 1723, the miffio- 

 naries, by their indefatigable zeal, had formed feveral 

 villages, hoping by that means to induce their con- 

 verts to pradife the do6lrines of the chriftian faith. 

 Thefe villages were called St. Chriftover, Santo Fe, 

 Santa Juana, St. Pedro, and La Mocha, all of them 

 being under the infpedion of the Jefuits. The 

 chaplains alfo of the forts on the frontiers had an ad- 

 ditional falary fpr inftruding a certain number of 

 Indians. But on that general infurredion, their in- 

 nate favagenefs returned, all thefe converts abandon- 

 ed the m.ffiionaries and joined their countrymen. On 



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