I 



xii P R E F A C E. 



the courts of Madrid and Lifbon would make fo thb- 

 rough a change as they have done in their fentimenti 

 in regard to this order ; and therefore the information^ 

 thefe gentlemen give us are the more to be relied on. 

 They fhew us in what manner, and under what fpeci- 

 ous pretences, the Jefuits acquired a kind of indepen- 

 dent pofieflion of fo large a tract of country, and, ex- 

 cept their annual tribute, an almoft abfolute dominion 

 over an immenfe number of people. They acquaint 

 us, that there is a civil government in every village af- 

 ter the model of the Spanifh towns but the magif- 

 trates are chofen by the people, fubjedl only to the 

 approbation of the father Jefuit, who refides in^ 

 and in reality, governs the village. We learn from 

 them, that the Jefuits draw from the people all the 

 commodities and manufactures that are fit for foreign 

 commerce, which are vended by a commiflary of their 

 appointing, and the returns in European commodities 

 made to and diftributed by them at their pleafure ; 

 they tell us, that the church in every village is fpaci- 

 ous, and elegantly adorned that, though they are ftiled 

 villages, they are in effedt large towns, and the houfes 

 in them neat, commodious, and, in comparifon of the 

 Spaniards, very well furnifhed. We learn from them^ 

 that, under a pretence of the excurfions of the Portu- 

 guefe, who uied to feize thefe Indians and make them 

 work in the mines, and of the favage Indians who fur- 

 rounded them in a manner on all fides, the fathers 

 have taught them the ufe of arms, make them fpend 

 their holidays in military exercifes, have a large body 

 of well-difciplined troops, magazines well furnifhed 

 with military (lores, together with mills and other 

 neceffary machines for making their own gunpowder^ 

 They likewife let us know, that, to prevent the man- 

 ners of their difciples from being corrupted, the Je- 

 fuits exclude them entirely from all communication 

 with flrangers,. whether Europeans or Indians, and 



fuffer 



