I 



Ch. VT. SOUTH AMERIC A. ' ^iy 



by the druggies of the creature. On perceiving the 

 bear, they immediately make tov/ards him, whilll; he 

 fets up in order to feize the horfe. But the Indian 

 being come witliin a proper diflance, throws the 

 noofe about the creature's neck : then, with furibrizing; 

 celerity having taken two or three turns with the 

 other end about the faddle, claps ipurs to his horfe t 

 in the mean time the bear, unable to keep pace with 

 the horfe, and itrup2,lino; to clear himfelf of the noofe, 

 is choaked. This is confidered as an atchievement 

 cf admirable dexterity and bravery *, and may be fre- 

 quently feen in the province of Alaufi, near the eailern 

 Cordillera, where thefe animals abound. 



A GREAT part of the ruiticity in the minds of the 

 Indians muft be imputed to the want of culture 

 for they, who in fome parts have enjoyed that advan^ 

 tagc, are found to be no lefs rational than other men t 

 and if they do not attain to all the politenefs of civi- 

 lized nations, they at lead think properly. The In- 

 dians of the miflion of Paraguay are, among others, 

 temarkable inftances of this ; where, by the zeal, ad- 

 drefs, and exemplary piety of the Jefuits, a regular 

 well-governed republic of rational men has been eUa- 

 blifhed : and the people, from an ambulatory and fa- 

 vage manner of living, have been reduced to order, 

 reafon, and religion. One of the mod effectual means 

 for this was, the fetring up fchcols for indrufting thd 

 young Indians in Spanifn, in which they ai<o inftruft 

 their converts ^ and thofe who are oblerved to be of 

 a fuitable genius are taught Latin. In all the villages 

 of the millions are fchoois for learning, not only to 

 read and v;rite, but alfo mechanic trades ; and the 

 artificers here are not inferior to thofe of Europe. 

 Thefe Indians, in their cuftoms and intellefe, are a 

 different fort of people from thofe before-mentioned* 

 They have a knowledge of things ; a clear difcern- 

 ment of the turpitude of vice, and the amiablenefs of 

 virtue-, and a6t up to thefe fentiments: not that they 



Vol. L ii q have 



