ble opportunities of regaining their freedom, and of crushing their oppressors, were lost through the timidity of the people. This character hath descended to their posterity: the Indians of Peru are now more tame and depressed than any people of America.

The cruel custom that prevailed in some of the most savage tribes, subsisted also among the Peruvians. On the death of the incas, a considerable number of their attendants were put to death and interred around them, that they might appear in the next world with their former dignity, and be served with proper respect. On the death of Huana-Capac, the most powerful of their monarchs, above a thousand victims were doomed to accompany him to the tomb..

CHA

CHAP. VI.

View of the other Spanish Possessions and Conquests in the New World. Cinaloa. Sonara. New Navarre. New Mexico. Chili. Tacuman. Rio de la Plata. Terra Firma. New Granada. Galleons. Effect of the Spanish Settlements with regard to the Colonies. Depopulation with respect to Spain. Idleness and Poverty. Register-Ships. Trade of Acapulco. Revenue.

LTHOUGH Mexico and Peru are the pos

A sessions of Spain in the New World which

have attracted the greatest attention, yet her other dominions there are far from being inconsiderable either in extent or value. The greater part of them was reduced to subjection during the first part of the sixteenth century by private adventurers, who fitted out their small armaments either in Hispaniola or in Old Spain: and if our limits would allow us to follow each leader in his progress, we should discover the same daring courage, the same persevering ardour, the same rapacious desire of wealth, and the same capacity of enduring and surmounting every thing in order to attain it, which distinguished the operations of the Spaniards in their greater American conquests: Instead, however, of entering into a detail of this kind, it will be right to give a brief description of those provinces of Spanish America which have not hitherto been mentioned,

The jurisdiction of the viceroy of New Spain

extends

extends over several provinces which were not subject to the dominion of the Mexicans. The countries of Cinaloa and Sonara, that stretch along the east side of the Gulf of California, as well as the immense kingdoms of New Navarre and New Mexico, which bend towards the west and north, and did not acknowledge the sovereignty of Montezuma or his predeces, are reduced, some to a greater, others to a less degree of subjection to the Spanish yoke. They extend through the most delightful part of the temperate zone, and have a communication either with the Pacific Ocean or with the Gulf of Mexico, and are watered by rivers which not only enrich them but may become subservient to commerce. The number of Spaniards settled in these provinces is extremely small; but from the rich mines that have been discovered, opened, and worked with success, they are becoming more populous, and may soon be as valuable as any part of the Spanish empire of America.

The peninsula of California was discovered by Cortes in the year 1536, but the Spaniards have made little progress in peopling it. Don Joseph Galvez, who was sent by the court of Spain to visit it, brought a very favourable account: he found the pearl fishery on its coasts to be valuable, and he discovered mines of gold of a very promising appearance. From its vicinity to Cinaloa and Sonara, California may, perhaps, hereafter be no longer regarded among the desolate and almost useless districts of the Spanish empire. On the east of Mexico, Yucatan and Honduras are comprehended in the government of New Spain. They stretch from the Bay of Campeachy beyond Cape Gracias a Dios, and derive their value principally from the logwood tree, which for the purposes of dyeing

has

has become an article in commerce of great value. Still farther east than Honduras lie the two provinces of Costa Riga and Veragua, which are of but small value, and merit no particular attention.

The most important province depending on the viceroyalty of Peru is Chili, the inhabitants of which were, in a great measure, independent of the incas, and for a considerable time successfully resisted the arms of the Spaniards. The mountainous parts of the country are still possessed by tribes of the original inhabitants, who are formidable neighbours to the Spaniards, with whom, during the course of two centuries, they have been obliged to maintain almost perpetual hostility.

That part of Chili which may be properly deemed a Spanish province, is a narrow district extended along the coast from the desert of Atacamas to the island of Chiloe, above 900 miles. Its cliImate is the most delicious in the New World. The soil is very fertile, and accommodated to European productions: among these are corn, wine, and oil. All the fruits imported from Europe attain to full maturity there, and the animals of our hemisphere multiply and improve, Nor has Nature exhausted her bounty on the surface of the earth; she has stored its bowels in various parts with mines of gold, of silver, of copper, and of lead.

To the east of the Andes, the provinces of Tucuman and Rio de la Plata border on Chili, and stretch from north to south 1300 miles, and in breadth more than a thousand. This country forms itself into two great divisions, one on the north and the other to the south of Rio de la Plata. The former comprehends Paraguay, the famous missions of the Jesuits, and several other districts.

The

The capital of La Plata is Buenos Ayres, the most considerable sea-port in South America. From this town a great part of the treasure of Chili and Peru is exported to Old Spain. Most of the country is inhabited by native Americans. The Jesuits were indefatigable in their endeavours to convert the Indians to the belief of their religion, and to introduce among them the arts of civilized life; and they met with surprising success. More than 300,000 families were formerly subject to the Jesuits, living in obedience and with an awe bordering on adoration. But in 1767 the Jesuits were sent out of America by royal authority, and their subjects were put upon the same footing with the other inhabitants of the country.

All the other territories of Spain in the New World, the islands excepted, of whose discovery and reduction an account has already been given, are comprehended under two great divisions; the former denominated the kingdom of Terra Firma, the provinces of which stretch along the Atlantic from the eastern frontier of New Spain to the mouth of the Orinoco; the latter the new kingdom of Granada, situated in the interior country. Terra Firma is divided into twelve large provinces, which contain a vast deal of mountainous country the valleys are deep and narrow; and being for a great part of the year flooded, the whole district is perhaps the most unhealthy part of the torrid zone. The plains are fertile, and produce great abundance of corn, fruits, and drugs. No place abounds more in rich pasturage, or has a greater stock of black cattle. Its capital city, Panama, is situated upon one of the best harbours of the South Seas. Hither is brought all the treasure which the rich mines of Peru and Chili pay