507 



of trees, joined together by planks ; and, to 

 complete the deception, a demand was made at 

 Madrid of the privileges of a villa for the mis- 

 sion of Esmeralda, which was but a hamlet with 

 twelve or fifteen huts. It is to be feared, that 

 don Apollinario, who was afterward governor 

 of the province of Los Quixos*, had some influ- 

 ence in the construction of the maps of La Cruz 

 and Surville. Knowing simply the points of the 

 compass, he did not hesitate, in the numerous 

 memoirs which he sent to the court, to style 

 himself the cosmographer of the expedition of 

 the boundaries. 



While the chiefs of that expedition were well 

 persuaded of the existence of the Nueva Villa de 

 Esmeraldas, and of the mineral riches of the 

 Cerro Duida, which contains only mica, rock- 

 crystal, actinote, and ruthile (titanite), a colony 

 composed of elements altogether heterogenous, 

 perished by degrees. The vagabonds of the 

 Llanos had as little taste for labour as the na- 

 tives, who were compelled to live " within the 

 sound of the bell." The former found a motive 

 in their pride, to justify their indolence. In the 

 missions, every mulatto, who is not decidedly 

 black as an African, or copper-coloured as an 

 Indian, calls himself a Spaniard; he belongs to 

 the gente de razon, the race endued with reason ; 



* Dependent on the kingdom of Quito. 



