€h. V. SOUTH AMERICA. 389 



and iflands. The mifcarriage of the expedition un- 

 der Gonzalo Pizarro has already been mentioned : 

 Orellana was not more fortunate ; when, purfuant to 

 the grant of the government, he returned to fettle in 

 it ; and Orfua's fate was flill more deplorable, pe- 

 rlfhing himfeJf, with the greateft part of his foi- 

 iowers. But we are now to fpeak of the more fuc- 

 cefsful enterpri-ze of Don Diego Baca de Vega, 

 whom we have ah^eady mentioned, but in a curfory 

 inanner. 



The government of Maynas, and the B^laranon^ 

 having been conferred on de Vega ; conBdent of the 

 ^ood difpofitions of the Maynas Indians, as it had been 

 'Carefully cultivated, iince its firfl: commemcement 

 with the Santiago foidiers, he entered the country with 

 a little colony, and founded the city of San Francifco 

 de Borga, in 1634, as the capital of the whole go- 

 vernment ; a title which it juftly deferved, for being 

 the firft ereded in that vaft country and alfo on ac- 

 count of the friendfhip which the Indians had Ihewn 

 for the Spaniards ever fmce their firft arrival^. The 

 jiew governor, being aperfon of judgement and pene- 

 tration, was not long in obfcrving that thefe nations 

 jw^re rather to be governed by moderation and gentle- 

 nefs, with a proper firmnefs to create refpedt, than by 

 rigour or aufterity : and accordingly informed the au- 

 •diencia of Quito and the Jefuits of their difpofitioa. 

 Miflionaries were accordingly fent them^ in the per- 

 fons of Gafpar de Cuxia and Lucas de Cuebas, who 

 ,came to Maynas in the year 1637; and their preach- 

 ing had fuch remarkable fuccefs, that, being not of 

 themfeives fuflicie-nt for inftrudting the m.ultirudes of 

 new converts, they fent to Qiiito for alTiflance : and 

 thus the number of mifilons continually increafed, and 

 whole nations reforted from their forefls m fearch of 

 the light of the Gofpel. By this means the king's 

 dominions were extended, every profelyte with joy ac- 

 .Jknowledging hinifelf in his new fiate a fubjed of the 



C c 3 . . icing 



