BOUNDARIES.] BOUNDED by Peru on the North; by La Plata on the Eaft; by Patagonia on the South; and by the Pacific Ocean on the Weft. LAKES.] The principal lakes are thofe of Tagatagua near St. Jago, and that of Paren. Befides which, they have feveral falt-water lakes, that have a communication with the fea, part of the year. In ftormy weather the fea forces a way through them, and leaves them full of fifh; but in the hot season the water congeals, leaving a crust of fine white falt a foot thick. SEAS, RIVERS, BAYS, AND HARBOURS.] The only fea that borders upon Chili is the Pacific Ocean on the weft. The principai rivers are the Salado or Salt River, Guafco, Coquimbo, Chiapa, Bohio, and the Baldivia, all scarcely navigable but at their mouths. The principal bays, or harbours, are Capiapo, Coquimbo, Govanadore, Valparifo, Iata, Conception, Santa Maria, La Moucha, Baldivia, Brewer's-haven, and Caftro. CLIMATE, SOIL, AND PRODUCE.] These are not remarkably diffe. rent from the fame in Peru; and if there be any difference, it is in favour of Chili. There is indeed no part of the world more favoured than this is, with respect to the gifts of nature. For here, not only the tropical fruits, but all fpecies of grain, of which a confiderable part is exported, come to great perfection. Their animal productions are the fame with thofe of Peru; and they have gold almoft in every river.. INHABITANTS.] This country is very thinly inhabited. The origi nal natives are still in a greater measure unconquered and uncivilited; and leading a wandering life, attentive to no object but their prefervation from the Spanish yoke, are in a very unfavourable condition with regard to population. The Spaniards do not amount to above 20,000; and the Indians, negroes, and mulattoes, are not fuppofed to be thrice that number. However, there have lately been fome formida ble infurrections against the Spaniards, by the natives of Chili, which greatly alarmed the Spanish court. COMMERCE.] The foreign commerce of Chili is entirely confined to Peru, Panama, and fome parts of Mexico. To the former they export annually corn fufficient for 60,000 men. Their other exports are hemp, which is raifed in no other part of the South Seas; hides, tallow, and falted provifions; and they receive in return the commodities of Europe and the Eaft Indies, which are brought to the port of Callao. PARAGUAY, OR LA PLATA. SITUATION AND EXTENT. Miles. Degrees. 37 S. lat. 150 Sq. Miles. Length 1500 between {12 and 33 v. long.} 1,000,000 Breadth 1000 S BOUNDARIES.] BOUNDED by Amazonia on the North; by Brabl on the Eaft; by Patagonia on the South; and South divifion...... Tucuman... Chief Towns. Affumption . Ciudad Real Los Royes Rio de la Plata.....BUENOS AYRES, W. long. 57-54. S. lat. 34-35. BAYS AND LAKES.] The principal bay is that at the mouth of the river La Plata, on which ftands the capital city of Buenos Ayres; and Cape St. Antonio, at the entrance of that bay, is the only promontory. This country abounds with lakes, one of which, Cafacoroes, is 100 miles long. RIVERS.] This country, befides an infinite number of small rivers, is watered by three principal ones, the Paragua, Uragua, and Parana, which, united near the fea, form the famous Rio de la Plata, or Plate River, and which annually overflow their banks; and, on their recess, leave them enriched with a flime that produces the greateft plenty of whatever is committed to it. AIR, SOIL, AND PRODUCE.] This vast tract is far from being wholly fubdued or planted by the Spaniards. There are many parts in a great degree unknown to them, or to any other people in Europe. The principal province of which we have any knowledge is that which is called Rio de la Plata, towards the mouth of the above-mentioned rivers. This province, with all the adjacent parts, is one continued -level, not interrupted by the leaft hill for feveral hundred miles every way; extremely fertile, and producing cotton in great quantities: tobacco, and the valuable herb called Paraguay, with a variety of fruits, and prodigious rich pastures, in which are bred fuch herds of cattle, that cafes being in a manner given into the bargain. A horse fome time ago might be bought for a dollar; and the ufual price for a bullock, chofen out of the herd of two or three hundred, was only four rials. But, contrary to the general nature of America, this country is deftitute of woods. The air is remarkably fweet and ferene, and the waters of La Plata are equally pure and wholefome. } FIRST SETTLEMENT, CHIEF The Spaniards firft difcovered this CITY, AND COMMERCE. country, by failing up the river La Plata, in 1515, and founded the town of Buenos Ayres, fo called on account of the excellence of the air, on the south side of the river, 50 leagues within the mouth of it, where the river is feven leagues broad. This is one of the most confiderable towns in South America, and the only place of traffic to the fouthward of Brafil. Here we mest with the merchants of Europe and Peru, but no regular fleet comes here: as to the other parts of Spanish America; two, or at moft three, regifter fhips, make the whole of their regular intercourfe with Europe. Their returns are very valuable, confifting chiefly of the gold and filver of Chili and Peru, fugar, and hides. Those who have now and then carried on a contraband trade to this city, have found it more advantageous than any other whatever. The benefit of this contraband is now wholly in the hands of the Portuguese, who keep magazines for that purpose, in fuch parts of Brafil as lie near this country. The trade of Paraguay, and the manners of the people, are fo much the fame with thofe of the reft of the Spanish colonies in South America, that nothing farther can be faid on thofe articles. But we cannot quit this country without faying fomething of that extraordinary fpecies of commonwealth which the Jefuits erected in the interior parts, and of which thefe crafty priefts endeavoured to keep all ftrangers in the dark. About the middle of the laft century, thofe fathers represented to the court of Spain, that their want of fuccefs in their miffions was owing to the feandal which the immorality of the Spaniards never failed to give, and to the hatred which their infolent behaviour caused in the Indians, wherever they came. They infinuated, that, if it were not for that impediment, the empire of the Gofpel might, by their labours, have been extended into the moft unknown parts of America; and that all those countries might be fubdued to his Catholic majesty's obedience, without expence, and without force. This remonftrance met with faccefs; the fphere of their labours was marked out, and uncontrouled liberty was given to the Jefuits within thefe limits; and the governors of the adjacent provinces had orders not to interfere, not to fuffer any Spaniards to enter this pale, without licence from the fathers. They, on their part, agreed to pay a certain capitation tax, in proportion to their flock; and to fend a certain number to the king's works whenever they fhould be demanded, and the miffions fhould become ropulous enough to fupply them. On thefe terms the Jefuits gladly entered upon the scene of action, and opened their fpiritual campaign. They began by gathering toge ther about fifty wandering families, whom they perfuaded to fettle: and they united them into a little townthip. This was the flight foundation upon which they built a fuperftructure which has amazed the world, and added fo much power, at the fame time that it occafioned fo much envy and jealoufy of their fociety. For when they had made this beginning, they laboured with fuch indefatigable pains, and fuch matterly policy, that, by degrees, they mollified the minds of the met favage nations, fixed the most rambling, and fubdued thofe to their government who had long difdained to fubmit to the arms of the Spaniards and Portuguefe. They prevailed upon thoufands of various difperfed tribes to embrace their religion; and thefe foon induced others to follow their example, magnifying the peace and tranquillity they enjoyed under the direction of the fathers. Our limits do not permit us to trace, with precifion, all the steps which were taken in the accomplishment of fo extraordinary a conquest over the bodies and minds of fo many people. The Jefuits left nothing undone that could confirm their fubjection, or increase their numbers; and it is faid, that above 340,000 families, feveral years ago, were fubject to the Jefuits; living in obedience, and an awe bordering upon adoration, yet procured without any violence or conftraint: that the Indians were inftructed in the military art with the most exact difcipline, and could raise 60,000 men well armed: that they lived in towns; they were regularly clad; they laboured in agriculture; they exercifed manufactures; fome even afpired to the elegant arts; and that nothing could equal the obedience of the people of thefe miffions, except their contentment under it. Some writers have treated the character of these Jefuits with great feverity, accufing them of ambition, pride, and of carrying their authority to fuch an excess, as to caufe not only perfons of both fexes, but even the magiftrates, who are always chofen from among the Indians, to be corrected before them with ftripes, and to fuffer perfons of the highest distinction, within their jurifdiction, to kifs the hem of their garments, as the greatest honour. The priefts themfelves poffeffed large property; all manufactures were theirs; the natural produce of the country was brought to them; and the treasures, annually remitted to the fuperior of the order, feemed to evince that zeal for religion was not the only motive of their forming thefe miffions. The fathers would not permit any of the inhabitants of Peru, whether Spaniards, Meftizos, or even Indians, to come within their miffions in Paragua. In the year 1757, when part of the territory was ceded by Spain to the court of Portugal, in exchange for Santo Sacrament, to make the Oragua the boundary of their poffeffions, the Jefuits refufed to comply with this divifion, or to fuffer themselves to be transferred from one hand to another, like cattle, without their own confent. And we are informed by authority of the Gazette, that the Indians actually took up arms; but notwithstanding the exactness of their difcipline, they were eafily, and with confiderable flaughter, defeated by the European troops who were fent to quell them. And, in 1767, the Jefuits were fent out of America by royal authority, and their late fubjects were put upon the fame footing with the reft of the inhabitants of the country. SPANISH ISLANDS IN AMERICA. CUBA.] The inland of Cuba is fituated between twenty and twentyfive deg. north lat. and between feventy-four and eighty-five deg. weft long. one hundred miles to the fouth of Cape Florida, and feventyfive north of Jamaica, and is near feven hundred miles in length, and the middle of the island from eaft to weft; but the land near the fea is in general level and flooded in the rainy feafon, when the fun is vertical. This noble ifland is fuppofed to have the best foil, for fo large a coun try, of any in America. It produces all commodities known in the Weft Indies, particularly ginger, long pepper, and other spices, cafha fiftula, maftic, and aloes. It alfo produces tobacco and fugar; but from the want of hands, and the lazinefs of the Spaniards, not in fuch quantities as might be expected. It is faid that its exports do not equal in quantity thofe of our small island of Antigua. The courfe of the rivers is too fhort to be of any confequence; but there are feveral good harbours in the ifland which belong to the principal towns, as that of St. Jago, facing Jamaica, ftrongly fituated and well fortified, but neither populous nor rich. That of the Havannah, facing Florida, which is the capital city of Cuba, and a place of great ftrength and importance, containing about 2000 houses, with a great number of convents and churches. It was taken, however, by the cou rage and perfeverance of the English troops in the year 1762, but reftored in the fubfequent treaty of peace. Befides thefe, there is likewise Cumberland harbour, and that of Santa Cruz, a confiderable town thirty miles east of the Havannah. PORTO RICO.] Situated between fixty-four and fixty-feven deg. weft long, and in eighteen deg. north lat. lying between Hifpaniola and St. Chriftopher's, is one hundred miles long and forty broad. The foil is beautifully diverfified with woods, valleys, and plains; and is extremely fertile, producing the fame fruits as the other iflands. It is well watered with fprings and rivers, but the island is unheathful in the rainy feasons. It was on account of the gold that the Spaniards fettled here; but there is no longer any confiderable quantity of this metal found in it. Porto Rico, the capital town, ftands in a little island on the north-fide, forming a capacious harbour, and joined to the chief ifland by a caufe way, and defended by forts and batteries, which render the town almost inacceffible. It was, however, taken by Sir Francis Drake, and afterwards by the earl of Cumberland. It is better inhabited than most of the Spanish towns, because it is the centre of the contraband trade carried on by the English and French with the king of Spain's fubjects. VIRGIN ISLANDS.] Situated at the east end of Porto Rico, are extremely finall. TRINIDAD.] Situated between fifty-nine and fixty-two deg, weft long, and in ten deg. north lat. lies between the Island of Tobago and the Spanith Main, from which it is feparated by the Straits of Paria. It is about ninety miles long, and fixty broad; and is an unhealthful but fruitful foil, producing fugar, fine tobacco, indigo, ginger, variety of fruit, and fome cotton trees, and Indian corn. It was taken by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1595, and by the French in 1676, who plunderi the island and extorted money from the inhabitants. It was captured by the British arms in February 1797. MARGARETTA.] Situated in fixty-four deg. weft long, and 11-30 north lat. feparated from the northern coaft of New Andalufia, in Terra Firma, by a ftrait of twenty-four miles, is about forty miles in length, and twenty-four in breadth; and being always verdant, affords a most agreeable prospect. The island abounds in pafture, in maize, and fruit, but there is a scarcity of wood and water. There was once a pearlfishery on its coaft, which is now discontinued. There are many other small islands in these feas, to which the Spa |