mies of Spain, and whose vicinity to the settlements of their countrymen would enable them to take advantage of every opportunity to aggrandize and fortify themselves. The event soon discovered the danger that might have been foreseen. Immediately on the elevation of a French prince to the throne of Spain, while all was still in confusion and uncertainty in regard to the consequences of that great revolution, the Portuguese restored the fortifications of St. Sacrament with amazing celerity. The precaution which they took, at the same time, of threatening the tribe of Guaranis, by ordering some troops to advance towards their frontiers, induced them to hope that they should prevent any disturbances from that quarter. But they were mistaken. The Jesuits, having detected the artifice, brought their converts to St. Sacrament, which was already besieged. Those brave Indians, on their arrival, offered to mount the breach, though they knew it was but just opened. When they began their approach, some batteries were fired upon them from the town, but they stood the cannonade without breaking their ranks, nor could they be restrained by the fire of the small-arms, which killed many of them. The intrepidity with which they continued to advance, raised such astonishment among the Portuguese that they fled to their ships and abandoned the place.

The misfortunes which Philip V. experienced in Europe, prevented this success from being of any advantage. The settlement of St. Sacrament was firmly re-established by the peace of Utrecht. Queen Anne, who made that peace, and who neither neglected her own interests nor those of her allies, required Spain to give up this contested spot. Being now under no apprehension, the Portuguese of St. Sacrament began to carry on an immense trade with Buenos Ayres. This contraband traffic had long subsisted, though in an inferior degree. Rio Janeiro furnished Buenos Ayres with sugar, tobacco, wine, brandy, negroes, and woollen goods; and received flour, biscuit, dried or salt meat, and money. As soon as the two colonies had a safe and commodious mart of trade, their connexions were unlimited. The court of Madrid, which soon perceived the road the treasures of Peru were taking, showed great marks of discontent; and this increased as the injury complained of grew to a greater height.

A perpetual source of division was thus opened between the two nations; and as the conciliatory methods proposed from time to time were found impracticable, an open rupture was expected to be the consequence. At last, however, matters were adjusted. It was agreed at Madrid, on the thirteenth day of January, 1750, that Portugal should give up to Spain the colony of St. Sacra

THE PAULISTS.

159 ment, and the north banks of Rio de la Plata; together with the village of St. Christopher, and the adjacent lands situated between the rivers Ypara and Issa, which fall into the river Amazon. Spain, on her side, gave up all the lands and habitations bordering on the east side of the river Uruguay, from the river Ibicui, to the north; the village of Santa Rosa, and all others on the eastern bank of the Guarapey.

In the district of St. Vincent, the southernmost in Brazil, and nearest to Rio de la Plata, thirteen leagues from the sea, is a town called St. Paul. It was founded by those convicts who were first sent from Portugal to America. As soon as they perceived that they were to be subjected to the restraints of law, they withdrew from the place they had first inhabited, intermarried with the natives, and in a short time became so profligate that their fellowcitizens broke off all intercourse with them. The situation of their town, which could be defended by a handful of men, against the most powerful armies that could be sent against them, inspired them with the resolution of being subject to no foreign power; and their ambition was successful. Profligate men, of all nations, resorted in great numbers to this establishment. All travellers were shut out from the new republic, under the severest prohibitions. In order to gain admittance, it was previously necessary to promise to settle there, and candidates were subjected to a severe trial. Those who could not go through that kind of noviciate, or who were suspected of perfidy, were barbarously murdered, as were all who had any inclination to quit the community.

A pure air, a serene sky, a temperate climate,-though in the twenty-fourth degree of south latitude,-and a territory abounding with corn, sugar, and excellent pasture, conspired to induce the Paulists to lead a life of indolence and effeminacy; but that restlessness so natural to fierce spirits,-that habit of roving, acquired by a lawless banditti,-that desire of dominion, which is nearly connected with a love of independence,-the progress of freedom, which leads men to wish for glory of some kind or other, and to be emulous of distinguishing themselves,-all these causes, combined or separate, prompted the Paulists to forego an easy life, and to engage in toilsome and hazardous excursions.

The first object of these excursions was to procure slaves. When they had depopulated the adjacent country, they proceeded to the province of Guayra, where the Spanish Jesuits had collected and civilized the Guaranis. These new Christians were exposed to such violences, and so many of them were carried off, that they suffered themselves to be persuaded to remove to the unwholesome banks of the Parana and the Uruguay, which they

still inhabit. They reaped little advantage, however, from this compliance; for it was found that they could enjoy no safety, unless they were allowed to defend themselves with the same weapons as those with which they were attacked. To request that they should be furnished with such arms, was a matter of too delicate a nature to be proposed abruptly; it was necessary, in the first place, to show the propriety of such a measure. Spain had laid it down as a fundamental maxim, never to introduce the use of fire-arms among the Indians, lest these unfortunate victims of her insatiable avarice should one day make use of them to free themselves from a yoke which they found so galling. The lawgivers of the Guaranis applauded this jealous precaution in regard to slaves, who were kept under by compulsion; but they thought it unnecessary in respect to men who had voluntarily submitted to the king of Spain, and who were too sensible of the benefits they now possessed, ever to think of revolting, so long as they were permitted to enjoy their freedom. In a word, they pleaded the cause of their converts so well, that, in spite of opposition and prejudice, they obtained their request. The Guaranis were indulged with fire-arms in 1639, and soon made such good use of them, that they became the bulwark of Paraguay, and were able to repel the Paulists.

These desperate men now resolved to procure by craft, what they could no longer obtain by force. Dressed in the habit of Jesuits, they repaired to the places where the missionaries were accustomed to resort in quest of converts, and there they set up crosses. They made some trifling presents to the Indians they met with, and some of the most intelligent among them made a short discourse in the Indian language, with which they were generally acquainted, on the nature of Christianity, accompanied with the warmest exhortations to induce their auditors to embrace it. When, by these artifices, they had assembled a number of proselytes, they proposed to conduct them to a certain place, where everything was in readiness to make them happy. The greater part followed them implicitly; and when they arrived at a particular station, the troops that lay concealed, rushed out upon the credulous Indians, loaded them with fetters, and carried them off. Some, who made their escape, gave the alarm, which produced a general suspicion, extremely prejudicial to the pious purposes of the Jesuits, but which also occasioned a termination of these deceitful practices.

The Paulists afterwards carried on their depredations in another quarter, and extended them as far as the river Amazon. They are said to have destroyed no less than a million of Indians.

Those

THE PAULISTS.

161 who escaped their fury, in an extent of three or four hundred leagues, became more savage than in their original state. They fled for safety to the caves of the mountains, or dispersed themselves among the darkest recesses of the forests. Their persecutors did not share a better fate; having all gradually perished in these dangerous excursions. Unhappily, however, for Brazil, their place was supplied by vagabond Brazilians, fugitive negroes, and Europeans, who were captivated with a roving life. The same spirit continued to prevail at St. Paul's even after some particular circumstances had induced that disorderly society to acknowledge the dominion of Portugal. But their excursions were afterwards carried on in such a manner, that they rather promoted than obstructed the views of the mother country. By following the course of several rivers, they attempted to open a way into Peru by the north of Paraguay. The vicinity of lake Xarayes put them in possession of the gold mines of Guiaba and Montegrosso, which they worked without meeting any opposition from Spain. They would have carried their usurpations further, had they not been prevented by the Chiquitos, a formidable tribe of Indians.

CHAPTER XVI.

Flourishing condition of Brazil.-Productions of the country.-Discovery of gold mines.-Method of working them.-Discovery of diamonds.-The diamond company.-Submission of the Paulists.-General policy of the Portuguese government.-Removal of the court to Brazil.-Its effects upon the country.—Brazil made a kingdom.-Becomes independent of Portugal.-The emperor Don Pedro. -Present government of the country.

WHILE these restless and enterprising men were ravaging the banks of the Amazon and the Plata, and the mountains of Peru, the seacoasts of Brazil were daily improving. This colony sent annually to the mother country thirty-two million pounds of sugar, which was not only enough for its own consumption, but sufficient to supply a great part of Europe; while it produced a considerable quantity of tobacco, which could be disposed of to advantage either in Africa or the European markets. The other productions were capivi, a balsamic oil, which distils from incisions made in a tree; ipecacuanha, well known as a mild emetic; cocoa, which grew wild in some places, and was cultivated in others; cotton, superior to that of the Levant or the Carribee islands; indigo, which the Portuguese have never sufficiently attended to; hides, the produce of cattle that run wild as in other parts of South America; and lastly, brazil wood.