Some * Account of the Settlement of 

 the JESU ITES in the Spanifh 

 Indies. 



OF all the Settlements that have been made in the 

 Indies fince the Conqueft of that vaft Country 

 by the Spaniards, there neither has been, nor 

 ever will be, any fo confiderable, as that which 

 the Jefuites have form'd there. The firft Beginning of 

 this Settlement was only 50 Families of wandring In- 

 dians, whom the Jefuites were at the pains of col- 

 lecting together, and fixing upon the Banks of the River 

 Japfur in the Heart of the Country ; but it has increafed 

 in fuch a manner, that it contains at prefent above 300000 

 Families, poffefs'd of the fined Part of all the Continent, 

 fituate 200 Leagues South from the Portugueze Paulifls, 

 and feparated from them by the River of Loruguay, which 

 falls into the Great Parava and Japfur, and thefe again 

 difcharge themfelves into the River of Paraguay. This 

 laft takes it Courfe, according to the Difcoveries of the 

 Jefuites in 1702 and 1703, (which are the bed that ever 

 were made) from the foot of the Mountains of Potofi. 

 The Air there is temperate, the Land fertile, the Indian 

 Inhabitants laborious and tradable,- and there muft un- 

 doubtedly be Plenty of Gold and Silver Mines. Thofe 

 Indians might be brought with eafe to fubmit themfelves, 

 could a Method be found to improve and cultivate them. 



T t 2 The. 



* This Account is not Mon[ieur¥xtz\zxs\ neither is it printed in the Paris 



Edition of his Booh 



