404 



banks of the Cababury and the Uteta ! The mis- 

 sion of San Francisco was founded, as were most 

 of the Christian settlements south of the Great 

 Cataracts of the Oroonoko, not by monks, but by 

 military authority. At the time of the expedition 

 of the boundaries, villages were built in proportion 

 as a subteniente, or a corporal, advanced with his 

 troop. Part of the natives, in order to preserve 

 their independence, retired without a struggle ; 

 others, of whom the most powerful chiefs* had 

 been gained, joined the missions. Where there 

 was no church, they contented themselves with 

 erecting a great cross of red wood, at the side of 

 which they constructed a casa Juerte, that is., a 

 house, the walls of which were formed of large 

 beams, resting horizontally upon each other. 

 This house had two stories ; in the upper story 

 two cannons of small calibre were placed ; and 

 two soldiers lived on the ground-floor, and were 

 served by an Indian family. Those of the na- 

 tives with whom they were at peace cultivated 

 spots of land round the casafuerte. The sol- 

 diers called them together by the sound of the 

 horn, or a botuto of baked earth, whenever any 

 hostile attack was dreaded. Such were the 

 pretended nineteen Christian settlements found- 

 ed by Don Antonio Santos in the way from 



* On the Cassiquiare these were captain Mara, chief of the 

 Maisanas, and Imu, chief of a branch of the Marepizanas. 



