The Jefukes Settlement 



Silver which they had happily bury'd, to the Value of 

 above 200000 Crowns. 



There are confiderable Mines at the foot of the Moun- 

 tains of Maldonades, 24 Leagues from the Port, and 14 

 from Monte r oide, which were difcover'd by Dom Juan 

 Pacheco, Inhabitant of Buenos Ayres, and ancient Miner of 

 Potofu He gave Advice thereof to Dom Alonfo Juan de 

 Valdes Inelan, Governor of Buenos Ayres, who made a 

 Detachment of 15 Men, under the Command ofDojnJo- 

 feph de Vermude, Captain of Foot, and Engineer at Buenos 

 Ayres. Thcfe embarqued with Dom Pacheco, and eroding 

 the River, they march 7 d to the Head of the Mountains of 

 MaldonadeSjWhcvz they fearch'd the Earth, and return'd with 

 Stones from the Mines containing Gold and Silver : But the 

 Governor, being gain'd by the Jefuites, gave out that he had 

 made a Proof, and found they would not anfwer the La- 

 bour. However, Dom Pacheco, who had referv'd his own, 

 was convinced that this was a meer Fetch of the Jefuites, 

 to prevent a Settlement on the fide of their Mijjion. 



Some Pieces taken out of thofe Mines have been brought 

 to France, where they may have been try'd, to know their 

 Value: But they were taken from the very Surface of the 

 Earth with Pick-Axes onty. The aforefaid Dom Pacheco, 

 who is celebrated for the moft experienced Miner that hath 

 been in Peru thefe many Years, affirms, that there is no 

 better Earth in the World to fearch, than that round- the 

 Mountains of Maldonades, and the Rivers thereabout, in 

 which he doubts not but Gold-Duft might as eafily be 

 found, as by the Portugueze Paulifls, and in as good Quan- 

 tities. The Indians of S. Dominick de Su^lUant have fe- 

 veral times brought fuch Gold to Buenos Ay res, which 

 they found in the Territories of the Mijjion - y whence we 

 may conclude, that there is a great deal of it, becaufe this 

 Gold was taken by Stealth by the young Indians, who are 

 not fo fcrupulous as the others. 



In the Year 1706, the Sieur de la Solliette d'Efcafeau of 

 Nantes, having caft Anchor in the Port of Maldonade, was 



r" accofted 



