Account of Mons. De BOUGAINVILLE’s Voyage Round the World. Performed by Order of the French King, In the years 1766, 1767, 1768, 1769 (part 2)

Thus have we traced, with the pen of fidelity, this ingenious historian, from the milder climate of France to the frozen regions of the Magellanic streights; and from those streights through the intense burnings of the torrid zone, back again to the benevolent influence of the European sun; and abating that vanity peculiar to the French, and that nationality, which, if criminal, is a crime arising from a noble and praise-worthy cause, we must confess, that his narrative is as much more philosophical and ingenious, as it is more pert and flippant than the narratives of our English adventurers! Mons. Bougainville has introduced, in the body of his volume, a narrative of the establishment of the Spaniards in Rio de la Plata; and also an account of the missions in Paraguay, and the expulsion of the Jesuits from that province: but as these recitals seemed to have no immediate connection with the Commodore’s circumnavigation, we have not interrupted the narrative, thinking they would come in with more propriety immediately after the close of the voyage.

The river de la Plata takes a southerly course to the 34th degree latitude, where it is united with the river Uraguai, making one stream, which runs still southerly to the ocean. The Jesuits have advanced a false principle of geography, and other authors have fell into their errors, by supposing the river de la Plata to spring from the lake of Xaragés. This lake, which has been the subject of much enquiry, is now supposed to have no existence.

By order of the courts of Spain and Portugal, the Marquis of Valdelirais and Don George Menezés, undertook to determine the limits of possession of these two powers; and accordingly several Spanish and Portuguese officers, traveled this large district of America between the years 1751 and 1755. The Spaniards embarked on the river Paraguai, and the Portuguese proceeded from a settlement belonging to the Crown of Portugal, called Maragosso, situated on the interior boundaries of the Brazils, at about 12 degrees south latitude, and proceeded up the river Caourou, which, according to the maps of the Jesuits, is described as falling into the lake Xaragés. But how great was their surprize and disappointment at meeting in the 14th degree of south latitude, in the river Paraguai, without finding any thing to justify the supposition of the existence of the lake! Hence it was concluded, that the periodical inundations of the river over a considerable tract of the adjacent country, having been received in the low grounds, formed a body of water, which, by former navigators, was taken for the ideal lake.

The source of the Paraguai, or Rio de la Plata, is among the mountains, between the two oceans, and between five and six degrees south latitude, and it empties itself into the river of Amazons. The Uraguai arises in the Captainship of St. Vincent’s, in the Brazils; and the Parana in the mountains to the east north-east of Rio Janeiro, whence it flows to the westward, and then changes its course to the south.

It appears, from the account of the Abbé Prevost, that Diaz de Solis first discovered the Parana in 1515, and called it after himself, but that in 1526 Sebastian Cabot named it la Plata, or of silver, on account of the many pieces of silver which he observed in the possession of the natives of the adjacent country. The fort of Espirutu Santo was erected by Cabot, who had scarcely time to see it completed before it was levelled with the earth.

In 1535, Don Pedro de Mendoza, great Cup-bearer to the Emperor, sailed for the river de la Plata, and founded Buenos Ayres; but this undertaking proved extremely unsuccessful; and after Mendoza’s death, the inhabitants of Buenos Ayres, unable to defend themselves against the depredations of the Indians, and living in perpetual dread of famine, fled for sanctuary to Assumption, now the capital of Paraguai, which was built by the followers of Mendoza, soon became well inhabited, and, of course, considerably enlarged. Don Pedro Artiz de Zarara, Governor of Paraguai, rebuilt Buenos Ayres, upon an improved plan, in the year 1580, and it soon became the principal resort of ships navigating the South Seas; soon after which it was an episcopal see, and the place of residence of the chief magistrate. The situation of Buenos Ayres is computed to be in 34 deg. 55 min. south latitude, and 61 deg. 5 min. west longitude from Paris. The inhabitants, including negroes, do not exceed twenty thousand, notwithstanding which, the town covers a very large space of ground, owing to the generality of the habitations having no more than a ground floor, with spacious courtyards and extensive gardens. The public market is held in a grand square, the angles of which are formed by the Governor’s palace, the town hall, the cathedral and the episcopal palace. There is no harbour at Buenos Ayres, so that ships of any considerable burden are obliged to sail to Encenada de Baragon, about ten leagues east south-east of the town, or else receive and deliver their freights by means of small boats.

Adjoining to the Jesuit’s convent, there is a building, called the house for the exercises of women, where married and unmarried people, without the consent of their husbands or friends, sequester themselves for the space of twelve days, during which time various religious exercises are practiced, almost without intermission. There are holy ceremonies appointed for the slaves; and such of the negroes, as pay four reals per annum to the Dominicans, are admitted members of some religious community, are intitled to certain holidays, to hear mass, and a decent interment at the expence of the friars.

This community of negroes acknowledge St. Benedict of Palermo, and the Virgin for their patrons; and on the days dedicated to these saints they select two persons to represent the kings of Spain and Portugal, who are followed by all the negroes of the order, parading through the streets from the rising to the sitting of the sun, singing, dancing, representing battles, and repeating religious incantations.

The grounds near Buenos Ayres are extremely fruitful, producing all the real necessaries of life; but it is entirely uncultivated at only three leagues distance; and in crossing the plains scarce a hovel is to be met with; so that passengers are frequently under the necessity of sleeping in their carriages, and those who go on horseback are often, for many successive nights, exposed to the inclemency of the weather. Horses and black cattle abound in these plains, and the latter are frequently killed by travellers, who take away sufficient for a few meals, and leave the rest for the birds and beasts of prey. The only furious animals known here are wild dogs and tygers: the former, which are said to have been originally brought from Europe, are both fierce and numerous; and perhaps owing to their food, and the climate seem, as it were, greatly to have altered their species; the latter are of the usual kind, but are not very frequently met with.

In the neighbourhood of Buenos Ayres wood is so extremely scarce, that very little is to be found that will even serve for fuel, and what is used in erecting and repairing houses, or in refitting vessels, is transported from Paraguai.

The Indians inhabiting this part of America are of a copper complexion, seldom exceeding five feet in stature, and of a very forbidding aspect. Their Chief is distinguished by a thong of leather tied round his forehead, to which are fastened several plates of copper. The arms they use are bows and arrows, nooses and balls. These balls are about the circumference of a two pound cannon ball, and being received in leathern cups at the end of cords of about six or seven feet long, they throw them when on horseback, with such amazing force and dexterity, as to be almost at a certainty of killing an animal at the distance of three hundred yards.

Some years ago a number of delinquents, escaping the punishment they were sentenced to, retreated to the north of the Maldonadoes, where being joined by some deserters and Indian women, they have formed a community of desperadoes. They frequently plunder the Spanish settlements, and carry their spoils to the boundaries of the Brazils, where they receive, in exchange for them, fire-arms and clothes, from the Paulists, another desperate race of robbers, supposed to be between six and seven hundred in number, who removed from Brazil farther to the north-west about the sixteenth century; since which time they have continually traversed the adjacent country in parties; and such travellers as are so unfortunate as to meet with them, generally fall victims to their cruelty and rapine.

The governments of Tucuman and Paraguai, with the missions of the Jesuits, are dependent upon the Governor-general of la Plata, who, in all matters relating to the silver mines of Potosi, is under the jurisdiction of the Viceroy of Peru. A mint having been lately established at Potosi, the silver will not in future be brought from thence in the ore, but refined on the spot.

Two hundred carts, attended by three hundred men, go annually from Buenos Ayres to fetch salt from the lakes adjacent to the sea in forty-three degrees latitude; and the necessity of obtaining salt is the only motive that induces the Spaniards to travel so far south of Buenos Ayres, where the country exhibits a melancholy prospect of dreary and uncultivated wilds.

The principal commerce of Buenos Ayres is with Peru and Chili, to which province they send cotton, mules, some skins, and about four hundred thousand Spanish pounds weight of the Paraguai herb, or South Sea tea every year; great part of this last article is consumed by the labourers in the Peruvian mines; it being esteemed a most excellent preventative against the effects of the noxious vapours arising from those inexhaustible funds of treasure.

Notwithstanding there is but little trade at Buenos Ayres, it is a place of such great riches, that the register ships frequently carry away a million of dollars each; and if they were inclined to extend their skin and fur trade, those articles alone would, undoubtedly, acquire them immense wealth.

Montevideo was built between forty and fifty years since, upon a peninsula, to the north of the river, and about ninety miles above its mouth. The town has a bay, affording safe anchorage, but in boisterous weather some skill must be exerted, to keep clear of a chain of hidden rocks off the east point of the bay, which are called Punta de las Carretas. The town of Montevideo affords every refreshment; and the air being particularly salubrious, renders it still more inviting to the sons of Neptune, who here find a happy renewal of that health and vigour, which, from various causes, must inevitably be impaired by a long residence on the stormy element.

The Jesuits took up their residence at Paraguay in the year 1580, and in the time of Philip the Third founded their celebrated missions, called indifferently by the Europeans Paraguai or Uraguai. These missions are thirty-seven in number; twenty-nine being on one side of the river Uraguai, and eight on the opposite shore.

The Jesuits undertook to convert the natives of this tract of America to the Roman Catholic religion, and in order to encourage them to pursue this very difficult task with a proper degree of spirit, they were rendered independent of the Governor’s authority, and allowed an annual stipend of sixty thousand piastres for their necessary expences. And in order to indemnify the Crown for this expence, a tax of one piastre per head was levied upon all the Indians between the age of eighteen and sixty.

Notwithstanding the many and great obstacles which would have dispirited less determined men, the Jesuits, by a steady perseverance, the most ardent zeal, and a strict attention to the genius and disposition of these savages, at length, civilized their manners, implanted in their minds the principles of the Christian religion, and made them happy within themselves and useful to the community.

In the year 1757 the Spanish monarch having given up the colonies on the left shore of the river to the Portuguese, in exchange for Santo Sacramento, with a view to suppress the smuggling trade, the Indians of the ceded colonies, disgusted at being driven from their cultivated lands, took up arms against the Spaniards. Don Joseph Andonaighi, Governor-general of the province de la Plata, and Don Joachim de Viana, Governor of Montevideo, marched against, and entirely defeated them. Soon after this battle the insurrections being quelled, Viana left Buenos Ayres, and was accompanied as far as the Maldonados by seven Indian families, where they settled, leading a life of exemplary prudence and industry. The situation of these reclaimed people gives an idea of what the poets call the golden age: they knew no distinction of rank, were neither incumbered with riches, nor oppressed with poverty; and as all their wants were supplied from the warehouses appointed to receive the produce of the common labour, they had no incitement to use sinister and clandestine means to obtain private property.

The country in which the missions are situated, reaches about four hundred and fifty miles east and west, and about six hundred miles north and south; and the number of the inhabitants is computed to be three hundred thousand. There are immense forests of all kinds of wood, and extensive meadows, watered by innumerable small rivers and brooks, which produce pasture sufficient for upwards of two millions of cattle.

The country was divided into districts, over each of which two Jesuits were appointed to preside; one of whom acted as Rector, and the other as his Curate. The Indians lived in the most abject state of submission to their Rectors, who severely chastised them for misdemeanours, and annually appointed a number of inferior officers, called Corregidors, to take cognizance of petty offences.

Near the church are two large buildings; one of which was inhabited by a great number of girls, who were instructed in various occupations. The other building was occupied by young negroe men, who were brought up to various handicraft professions; and one department of this building was appointed to the teaching of music, sculpture, architecture, &c. The Rector’s house stood between these buildings, and had communications with each, which he visited every day to see the provisions justly distributed, and the proper decorum in other respects strictly observed.

The entire expulsion of the Jesuits from the Spanish dominions having been resolved upon, Don Francis Buccarelli was appointed to carry this design into execution; and he accordingly sailed for Buenos Ayres, arrived there in the beginning of 1767, and immediately sent the dispatches with which he was charged, to the Governors of Peru and Chili, and the commanders of Cordoua, Mendoza, Corrientes, Santa-Fe, Salta, Montevideo, and Paraguay. These dispatches were accompanied by letters, strictly enjoining the persons, to whom the dispatches from the Court were directed, not to open them till an appointed day. As it was a matter of doubt, whether the Indians would tamely submit to see Jesuits arrested in the colonies, all the preparations for carrying the King’s orders into execution were conducted with the most profound secrecy. The time for accomplishing this grand design at length arrived, and the different Governors being previously instructed to open their letters, and to proceed according to their contents, with all imaginable dispatch.

The general execution began about two o’clock in the morning, when the Jesuits, with equal horror and astonishment, found their habitations invested by the Spanish troops.

They evinced a high degree of philosophical resignation and humility in quietly submitting to their fate, which they confessed was not so severe as their crimes deserved.

On the thirteenth of September a Cacique belonging to each colony, and all the corregidors, arrived at Buenos Ayres. These people were politically detached from their companions by the following stratagem, with a design of securing them as hostages, in case any resistance had been made. The Governor-general sent for them, under pretence of communicating the substance of the King’s letters; and these deluded people were not informed of the events that had happened, till they received the account from the mouth of the Governor, who gave them a general audience, immediately upon their arrival; when the Governor informed them, that he came to free them from the slavery they had long groaned under, and directing them to one of the houses formerly occupied by the Jesuits, they were there properly provided for at the King’s expence. The Jesuits had established other missions than those abovementioned to the south of Uraguay, and were making great progress southward of Chili, towards the island of Chiloé; but the unexpected turn of affairs in Europe utterly destroyed the work, the completion of which had been an object of great attention for a long series of years.

Vocabulary of the Language of Taiti Island.

Abobo, To-morrow.

Aibou, Come.

Ainé, Girl (fille)

Aiouta, There is some.

Aouererê, Black.

Aouero, Egg.

Aouri, Iron, gold, silver, every metal, or instrument of metal.

Aoutti, Flying fish.

Aouira, Lightning.

Apalari, To break or destroy.

Ari, Cocoa-nut.

Ateatea, White.

Ea, Root.

Eai, Fire.

Eame, Drink made of cocoa-nuts.

Eani, All manner of fighting.

Eivi, Little.

Eite, To understand.

Elao, A fly.

Emaa, A sling.

Emeitai, To give.

Emoe, To sleep.

Enapo, Yesterday.

Enoanoa, To smell well.

Enoo-te-papa, Sit down.

Enoua-Taiti, The country of Taiti.

Enoua-Paris, The country of Paris.

Eo, To sweat.

Eoe-tea, An arrow.

Eoe-pai, A paddle or oar.

Eonou, Turtle.

Eouai, Rain.

Eouri, A dancer.

Eouriaye, A dancing-girl.

Epouré, To pray.

Era, The sun.

Eraï, Heaven.

Ero, Ant.

Eri, King.

Erie, Royal.

Etai, Sea.

Eteina, Elder brother or sister.

Etouana, Younger brother or sister.

Etio, Oyster.

Etoi, A butcher.