The Jefuites Settlement 



alone. They ought to be free, to have Lands, and the 

 Difpofal of their Crops and Labour. By this means they 

 would become a Colony in Form, every Man would im- 

 prove his Talent, with the Gold and Silver Mines of the 

 Country, Money would be coin'd, and all together 

 would caufe a Circulation of Trade there as well as in 

 other Colonies, the King's Authority would be acknow- 

 ledge, and his Dominions preferv'd : But nothing of all 

 this; the Jefuites have made themfelves Abfolute Lords 

 and Mafters over all thofe reduced Indians, together with 

 the Country they poffefs, their Fruits and Labour, and 

 extend themfelves farther and farther every Day, with- 

 out Title or Permiflion. The Indians have nothing of 

 their own the Jefuites have all ; and thofe poor People, 

 who have a Right to be free, having voluntarily fubje&ed 

 themfelves, are treated like true Slaves : And in fliort, 

 300000 Families, and more, work for 40 Jefuites, and 

 own and obey none but them. One Circumftance which 

 makes good this Affertion, is, that when the Governor 

 of Buenw Ayres recciv'd Orders to lay Siege to S. Gabriel, 

 in which a Detachment of 4000 Indian Horfc aflifted, 

 with a Jefuite at their Head, the Governor commanded 

 the Sergeant Major to make an Attack at Four o' Clock in 

 the Morning j but the Indians refufed to obey, becaufc 

 they had not the Jefuite's Order, and were even upon the 

 point of revolting, when the Jefuite ( being fent for ) 

 arrived, under whom they ranged themfelves, and exe- 

 cuted the Order from his Mouth. Hence you may judge, 

 how jealous thofe Fathers are of their Authority with 

 regard to their Indians , even to the forbidding them to 

 obey the King's Officers, when 'tis plainly for his Majefty's 

 Service. 



The Capitation Tax of a Crown a Head which the Je- 

 fuites ought to pay the King yearly for every Indian, is 

 not only exhaufted by the Payment of the Indians em- 

 ploy 'd in his Majefty's Works, but there is hardly a Year 

 that the King is not made a Debtor, for three Reafons 



equally 



