512

The State of the Jefuits in Paraguay.

year 1616. It lies not far from the Moluccas, and is reckoned among the Selebes. It is weft of Band 24 leagues, and fituated very near the fun.

CAUCASUS

is a mountain of Afia, which the fable of Prometheus has rendered famous. It is that part of Mont Jaus which lies between the Euxine fea on the weft, and the Cafpian fea on the eaft. It is exceedingly lofty, and always covered with fnow.

BORNEO

is one of the greatest islands in the Eaft Indies. It lies between Sumatra to the west, Java to the fouth, Celebes to the eaft, and the Phillippine islands to the north. It is of a round thape, and the line cuts the fouthern part of it. It is reported to be eighteen hundred miles in circumference, and to contain feveral kingdoms. Borneo the principal city, lies on the north western fhore, in a bay: it is rich, populous, and well traded, is built in a low ground, not much unlike Venice, and it has a capacious harbour belonging

to it.

The State of the Jefuits in Paraguay.

T

Continued from p. 462.

HERE are, every where, workfhops for gilders, painters, and fculptors; gold, filver, andother fmiths; clockmakers, carpenters, joiners, weavers, and founders; in a word, for all the arts and trades that can be ufeful to them. As foon as the children are old enough to begin to work, they are taken to thefe workshops, and applied to the bufinefs which they exprefs the greatest liking for, from a perfuafion, that art is to be guided by nature. Their first mafters were laybrother Jefuits, fent for on purpofe to inftruct them. Sometimes the fathers themselves have been obliged to drive the plough, and handle the fpade, to initiate them in hufbandry; and engage them, by their example, to cultivate the earth; to fow and to reap. To conclude, thefe Neophytes have built, after defigns furnished them by the Jefuits, fuch churches as would not difgrace the greateft cities in Spain or Peru, either in regard to the beauty of their structure, or the richness and good taste of their facred vefiels and ornaments of every kind.

This is not the cafe with their

O&.

houses. For a great many years, nothing could be more mean and simple, being built with canes covered with plaifter; without window or chimney; without feats or beds; in a manner without any furniture. The whole family fat on the floor; and lay in hammocks, which were not to be seen in the day time; the smoke of the fires, which they made in the center of their cabins, had no iffue, nor the light of the fun any entrance, but by the door. At prefent, their houses are as convenient, as neat, and as well furnished, as thofe of the common Spaniards. They have even begun to build them with ftone, and cover them with tile.

The work of the women is regulated as well as that of the men. It confifts chiefly in fpinning. The beginning of every week, every woman receives a certain quantity of wool and cotton, which he must return, the Saturday night following, ready for the loom. They are, likewife now and then, put to certain country labours, which do not furpass their ftrength and capacity.

The trade these Indians carry on, to procure what their country does not afford, confifts chiefly in wild wax and honey; and the herb of Paraguay, of which they have every where made plantations; the fale of it being certain, as no one in this country can do without it. I faid, that the first plants of this vegetable were brought from the canton of Maracayu, where the best kind of it grows naturally; but they have degenerated very little in the reductions. This trade is fufficiently explained in the decree of Philip V. which I have already fo often cited. Some perfons have cenfured the manner of carrying it on, though every circumftance of it is authorized by the fovereign, who plainly faw how indifpenfably neceffary it was for the prefervation of this republick.

We fhall fee in its place what reafons the miffionaries had for afking for their Neophytes, and the kings of Spain for granting them, the use of fire-arms. This privilege was, in fact, abfolutely neceffary to prevent their falling into the most cruel flavery; or being difperfed over the woods and mountains; and that too, without be

69.

The State of the Jesuits in Paraguay.

fure of escaping the hands of their eterate purfuers. I may even vene to affirm, that the kings of Spain, their Spanish fubjects, are thofe o reap at prefent the greatest benefrom this indulgence. Though the ter, from principles of felf-intereft, itted nothing to have it repealed; that, for many years together, the i council of the Indies was more en up with difcuffions about it, with any other binefs relating the Spanish dominions in America. at the intereft of the ftate, joined that of religion, prevailed at laft. hilip V. thoroughly perfuaded, that it more the intereft of the miffionaries in of any others, to hinder their cophytes from abufing this liberty being conftantly well armed, con nes himself, in his decree of the 28th F December, 1743, to the recomending to the provincial of the Jeits, to deliberate with his brethren n the means of preventing any inconeniencies that might be apprehended rom it; ordering him, in cafe there ould appear the leaft fign of any tenency to an infurrection, to give early orice of it to the council, and let hem know what measures it may e proper to take to prevent a furprize. But there is fo much the lefs reafon to apprehend any thing like a revolt mong the Neophytes, that their hapnefs and fecurity depend entirely on beir loyalty, which nothing but an attempt upon their liberties can imDair; and none, certainly, but the enemies of the king, or of the ftate, can poffibly think of making any fuch attempt.

Several perfons imagine, that in this republic there is no private property; but that every week each family receives the neceffary food; and, from time to time, the other neceffary articles for their fubfiftence. Some fach regulation might poffibly have exifted, when thofe Indians, but new if united, were not in a capacity to procure themselves, by their labours, a certain and regular fupply of the necedaries of life; nor well eftabished in places of fufficient fecurity. But, in process of time, and especially fince they have been no longer expofed to the danger of being obliged to remove from place to place, there has been affigned to every family a piece of land, fufficient, if properly

513 cultivated, to fupply it with the neceffaries of life; for as to fuperfluities, they are as yet ftrangers to them. And confidering their natural difpofition, and the manner in which they are brought up, there is all the reason in the world to hope, they will ever continue fo. The miffionaries, indeed, know the full amount of what their lands produce. It is the fame thing in regard to their commerce, which cannot be carried on but under the eyes of thofe, who are most concerned carefully to inspect it.

All the lands of the country, where the reductions are fituated, are not equally good for the fame things. In thofe which lie nearest the tropicks, as the environs of the Parana for example, there is plenty of honey, wax, maiz, and cotton; thofe more to the fouth yield wool, hemp, and wheat; and abound, befides, in good pastures. The woods and the rivers are every where well stocked with game. Barter fupplies the deficiencies of nature. Gold and filver fines no where but on the altars. But, befides those spots of ground, that have been given in fee to every father of a family, and which are cleared in proportion as the reductions become more populous, there are fome that belong to the community, and the produce of which is depofited in the public magazines againft unforeseen accidents; for the repairs of the churches, and every thing relating to divine worship; for the fupport of widows and orphans, the fick and the infirm, those employed in the fervice of the altar, or commanded to any distance, to serve his majelty in a civil or military capacity; for the maintenance of the caciques, corregidors, and other civil and military officers; for the poor, whatever the caufe of their poverty may be ; to fupply the deficiencies of bad crops, even for other towns; for the Indians, in all their neceffities, affift each other to the beft of their power. The furplus, if there happens to be any, is added to the goods to be fold for paying the king's tribute, and purchafing fuch military ftores as the king does not fupply them with; and, in a word, gold, filver, copper, iron, and steel, for the conftruction of arms and the decoration of their altars.

The reductions are pretty large; the streets of them quite ftraight, and the

houfes

In fpite of this police, and all the measures taken to prevent any de wanting the neceffaries of life, the miffionaries find it a very difficult tak to make all things anfwer. This is owing to three failings in their Ne phytes, which they have not as yet been able to correct; namely, their little forefight, their laziness, and their want of economy, in confe quence of which they often come fhort of feed for their lands. On this occa fion there is an absolute neceffity for affifting them; but then they are obliged to return, after harveft, a quan

houfes uniform. In the center of every reduction there is a fquare, which the church faces, and likewife the arsenal, in which all the arms and ammunition are laid up. Here the Indians exercife every week; for there are in every town two companies of militia, whofe officers have, according to their respective ranks, very handfome uniforms laced with gold and filver, but they never wear them except when they exercise or take the field. The civil officers have likewise proper habits to diftinguish them. As to the common drefs, it confifts for the men in a waistcoat and breeches,tity of grain equal to that lent them very like those worn by the Spaniards; and above all a frock of white cloth, which reaches below the knee. This frock is fometimes made of a coloured cloth; and is then a mark of diftinction allowed only to merit. The women's dress confifts in a fhift without fleeves that reaches to the feet, and over it a gown fomewhat loofe and flowing. But when employed in the fields they wear nothing but the former. When they carry any burden, they tie it to the two ends of a broad ftrap, which they pafs over the forehead like the women among the favages of Canada. Both men and women go bare legged, bare footed, and bare headed. The women's hair serves them for a veil.

'The miffionaries have their houfes next to the church. The ftore houfes, workshops, and granaries for contain ing the produce of the common grounds, which are always cultivated at the common expence, ftand all upon the fame line. In the reductions fituated at a great diftance from Spanish towns, or navigable rivers, iron and steel are so scarce, that the Indians are often obliged to make their tools of ftone, or of wood hardened by fire. Their bell metal they get from Coquimbo, a town of Chili, where they purchase it in exchange for fuch of their commodities as they can there find a vent for. Not only thofe who carry on this traffic, but in general all thofe who go with any goods for fale from the reductions to the Spanish settlements, are defrayed by, and have likewise their lands cultivated at the expence of, the public. As to the produce of thofe goods it is well known; the rates being all fixed, fo as to admit of no imposition or dispute.

to procure it. As to other provifions, if the miffionaries did not keep a ve ry watchful eye over them, they would, in a little time, not have a morfel to eat. This is likewise owing to fo infatiable an appetite, that, a few moments after they have ftuffed their bellies, they are ready for a new meal. Nay, the miffionaries, at first, could not fo much as leave to their difcretion the bullocks employed in agriculture, left through lazinefs they fhould leave them unyoked, when their work was over; and even tear them to pieces, and devour them, as it has often happened; when their being hungry was all the excufe that could be got out of them.

This has obliged the miffionaries to appoint overfeers, who vifit every place exactly, to fee if the Indians mind their business, and keep their cattle in good order; and have a power to pu nifh them, when they find them in fault, which feldom happens at prefent. Befides, when it does, they readily confefs their guilt, and fubmit to the fentence pronounced on them. Al their faults are the faults of children; and indeed they continue children, in many refpects, all their lives; but then it is with all the good qualities peculiar to that age. In fpite however of all the precautions we have been speaking of, the miffionaries often find it neceffary to have recourle to other expedients, to enable feve ral families to hold out to the end of the year; no beggary being to lerated in this republic, for fear of introducing theft, and encouraging laziness. The fureft method hithert found out to correct this laft failing, is to condemn the delinquent to cultivate the referved lands, of which we have

Spoken,

69.

The State of the Jefuits in Paraguay.

ken, and which are called God's pofon or inheritance; but then, as fuch rkmen are not to be depended upcare is taken to affociate with m others of known diligence. The hers of families are likewife obliged fend their children there very earin order to form and inure them labour. Every child's task is adted to his ftrength; and there is no don for those who do not per

m it.

One of the greatest advantages deved from this police is, that it keeps ery one employed. It maintains, fides, not only in every town, but rough the whole republic, so perfect union, that ftrangers cannot help bferving it at first fight. There are o quarrels or law fuits to be feen ere; mine and yours are unknown Fords; because it is in fact to have no xclufive property; to be always eady to divide the little one has with hofe that want it; and to have one's ttention as much, and fometimes ven more, taken up with the concerns of others than one's own. It is thus the authors of the eftablishment have made the very failings of these Indians contribute to procure them the greatest bleflings of fociety, and the conftant practice of the first of all christian virtues, which is charity.

There is but one thing fill wanting to complete their happiness, and that is, an hofpital and a good difpenfary for medicines, in every town, or at leaft in every canton; fuch as are to be met among the Moxes, where the Jefuits of Peru have formed a republic on the model of that of the Guaranis. But thefe fathers found refources for this purpose, which are not to be expected in Paraguay, where there are no opulent perfons, and the Spaniards beides have no great affection for Indians who depend immediately on the fovereign, and ferve only the state.

What contributes ftill more to maintain among thefe new Chriftians that furprizing harmony we have mentioned, is the fubordination and good understanding that prevails among their fpiritual governors. Thofe, who have hitherto had the immediate conduct of this flock gathered together by their labours, never confidered them felves in any station whatfoever, other wife than as the inftruments of the

515

bishops in whofe diocese they labour; fo that every thing published against them on this head has fallen of itself to the ground; or has been unanswer ably refuted by the moft holy prelates, the province of Paraguay, Tucuman, and Buenos Ayres ever enjoyed. These miffionaries never took any steps to enter upon this great work, or bring it to perfection, but with the confent, and by the authority, of their bishops; and never affected any independence in the exercife of their functious. They never ufed the privileges granted to them by the holy fee, but in the fame manner, in which other religious moft fubmiffive to their bithops every where use them. They have even been more referved. For tho' the kings of Spain had authorized them to eftablifh reductions wherever they thought proper, and govern fuch reductions under the direction of their fuperiors, they never made any difficulty to refign their places to any other pastors the bishops were pleased to appoint, though they knew their departure would be followed by the difperfion of their flock, as it has often happened,

On the extraordinary Degree of Heat which Men and Animals are capable of Supporting.

BOERHAAVE, in his chemistry, relates certain experiments made with great accuracy by the celebrated Fahrenheit, and others, at his defire, on this fubject, in a fugar-baker's of fice; where the heat, at the time of making the experiments, was up to 146 degrees of Fahrenheit's thermome ter. A fparrow, fubjected to air thus heated, died, after breathing very laboriously, in lefs than feven minutes, A cat refifted this great heat fomewhat above a quarter of an hour, and a dog about 28 minutes, difcharging, before his death, a confiderable quantity of a ruddy-coloured foam, and exhaled a ftench fo peculiarly offenfive, as to throw one of the affiftants into a fainting fit. This diffolution of the humours, or great change from a natural ftate, the profeffor attributes not to the heat of the ftove alone, which would not have produced any such effect on the fleth of a dead animal; but likewife to the vital motion, by which a ftill greater degree of heat, he fuppofes, was produced in the fluids

circu