fertile, abounding in all the blessings of nature, in the most comprehensive sense: a place which holds out the most inviting picture to any nation possessing souls indued with the spirit of enterprise, industry to improve, and humanity to govern; for the one without the other is like a king without a country."

That the Indians are an ingenious people naturally, the following extract will shew:

*

"The depredating parrots are likewise caught in traps, but the gardeners are careful not to injure their plumage. As soon as taken, their necks are twisted, and the feathers curiously preserved. These the Indians have a method of preparing in a manner equally singular and beautiful, by blending the colours agreeably to the strictest rules of art. Of these, intermixed with the feathers of the birds taken on the banks of the Paraguay, they make cloaks, ornaments for the head, and picture-frames; which last are truly ingenious, and have a most striking and agreeable effect. A plain frame of wood is first made, the size of the picture, the edges turned with a sharp curve; over this is spread the picture, whether on canvas, paper, or other materials: that done, another frame is added, made entirely of feathers, and those such as bear an analogy to the subject, and by their different tints reflect a shade the best calculated to display the merits of the painter to advantage. How this is contrived I am as yet ignorant; but certain I am that it produces an effect the splendour and beauty of

which none but those that behold it can form a competent idea.

"In the church of the Franciscans I am informed they have a picture of the Last Supper, painted by an Indian residing at one of the presidencies on the Uraguay, a very capital performance; the frame of which is composed entirely of feathers of a bright gold colour, and so artfully contrived as to appear to the nicest observer some of the most correct carving and gilding; nor can the difference be discovered until it is touched by the hand. This picture was a present to the Franciscan father from the Jesuits, not many years before their expulsion."

About this period, Mr. Davie was fortunate enough to procure permission to accompany one of the fathers of the convent to the remote presidency of Roija Minor, upon the river Uraguay, which empties itself into the Paraguay, many leagues above Buenos Ayres, and distant thence between 6 and 700 miles. It would, we doubt not, afford much amusement to our readers, to give extracts of Mr. Davie's adventures, which abound in incident, as his accounts of a country, never before perhaps trodden by an Englishmen, are curious and attractive. Our limits, however, will not admit of our being as copious as we could otherwise have wished.-Wa must therefore, in general terms, refer to the book itself for the following heads, namely, the navigation of the Plata, the manner of hunting the black cattle, the manners and customs of the friendly Indians, the

dangers

dangers encountered on their journey, the view of the face and productions of the country they passed through, and, finally, their reception at the place of their destination, as all well worthy the reader's attention. The description of the latter, however, deserves particular notice.

"This morning, in company with the superior, and attended by the novices and myself, we went round the presidency; the corregidor, fiscal, and others, escorting us. This town is pretty large, and very regularly built. The streets, which are in the Roman style, exactly parallel, are divided by plantations of trees, thick set, oranges, lemons, citrons, myrtles of every various sort, and scores of other odoriferous shrubs, which as you pass regale the senses most delightfully, and seem to give one a foretaste of those blissful regions where our religion tells us we shall rest for ever. Little currents of the purest water run with gentle ripplings underneath the trees, over a smooth bed of small round pebbles. The houses are mostly built of clay, one story high, and covered with tiles; but the dwellings of the commandant, corrigidor, fiscal, and others of note, are higher, made of brick, and fitted up with every convenience. The public store-house is in the centre of the town; it is one story high, very long and wide, divided into several apartments, so contrived as to receive every different article for use or barter. Formerly this store-house was under the sole regulation of the rector, and by him only was the produce portioned out to the different families; but now the Spanish commandant claims a share in the distribution. How far this may be pro

ductive of good I will not take upon me to say; but I will just give you a slight sketch of the Jesuits' manner of regulating these matters when they possessed an uncontrolled an thority.

"AH the product of the year, such as corn, maize, fruits, woo and cotton; all articles for barta. and in fact every thing the distret afforded, was brought to these me gazines, where proper officers were appointed to receive them, who took account of every particular, which was registered, together with the names of the persons who delivered them, and the day. No individual was allowed to keep any thing in his own house save the necessary quantity of corn, which on the first of every month was delivered to each family in proportion, accord. ing to the number of which it consisted; and in the same manner they received all other kinds of provision. Every day a certain num ber of cattle were slaughtered for the inhabitants, which, when killed, were taken to the store-house. where the officers attended to deliver the stated quantity to the mas ter or mistress of each family; and if at any time they had occasion for more than the general allowance, it was immediately given them, but nothing was suffered to be wasted. In like manner they were supplied with clothes; for all the cotton they spun and wove, or any other article which they manufactured-and they always were, and are still, very in dustrious-was, as soon as finished. taken to the public stock, and at certain periods of the year every family received its proper quantity of apparel; and as the articles wereal without distinction of one fashion and colour, there could not possibly

be

any partiality observed in the disibution of them. The officers and hiefs were only distinguishable from e rest by a chain round the neck, white wand, a feather fan, or me such simple peculiarity. There ere, and still are, two hospitals for he sick-one for the men, the ther for the women; where, as soon s any one is taken ill, he is immeditely conveyed, as none remain ill in heir own houses. Each hospital as a lay-brother to attend it, who swell skilled in surgery and physic, nd has several assistants under him. They have likewise a large room well stored with drugs, both native Ad European. In fact, nothing is wanting to supply the wants of either he healthy or the sick; and, that o one might be neglected, several of the oldest and most experienced ndians were appointed to superinend the whole, and see that justice vas administered in every departnent and the sick properly attendd. How such wise regulations as hese should ever be subject to change I must own rather surprises ne; but changed they certainly are. Instead of the officers and superinendants being selected by the rector only, they are now made subordinate to the military, who are appointed by the governor of the province; and instead of being commanded by Indian chiefs, they are subjected to a Spanish commandant and fiscal, to whom even the rector is answerable for the conduct of his flock. Many other alterations have been made, which I fancy have gone near to overturn the wise regulations established by the Jesuits, who, in my opinion, understood the true art of governing better than any other body of men in the universe." By personal observation, and from

the confidential communication of the good priest, Mr. Davie now learned the real source of the mission of which he formed a part. It proceeded from the necessity there existed of enquiring into the causes, and means of prevention, of a most, dangerous spirit of insubordination and rebellion, which existed at that moment in the presidency, and which soon after exploded, to the temporary subversion at least of the Spanish government.

The following remedy for the epidemic disease of the country, which had nearly proved fatal to our author on his arrival at Monte Video, and which it will be remembered was administered to him by a friendly Indian, may be useful.

"This morning, during one of our rambles, Father Hernandez imparted several particulars that I was extremely desirous of obtaining, but principally relative to the herbs used in such cases of illness as mine on my first arrival at Monte Video, and which I think may be of essential service in England during most epidemic diseases. I am certain, from experi ence, that if properly applied, it cannot fail of curing those who may unfortunately have caught the infection; for we have herbs in our country that will very nearly work the same effects as those reared in Tucuman, only the process must be different. But observe the following rules, and I will venture my life that not one in a hundred will die: Take of camomile, rosemary, wormwood, rue, and featherfew, of each a large handful; set them on the fire in a large pipkin, or bell-metal pot; cover them with two gallons of water, and let them boil till the strength is entirely drawn out; then take about half a peck of the best

unslaked

unslaked lime, put some of it in an earthern pan unglazed, pour the herb decoction hot upon it, and as the smoke ascends let the patient's head be held over it in such a position as to inhale the fumes at the mouth, nose, and ears; and as the vapours die away, fresh knobs of lime must be thrown in, and this to be continued as long as the party infected can bear it. In the mean time let some pure strong lime-water be made, of which take a quarter of a pint-more or less, proportioned to the habit of body of the patient: mix with it three table spoonfuls of the herb decoction hot, and give it to the sick person as soon as he or she is placed in a warm bed. Let the body, and particularly the head, be carefully kept warm, so as to prevent any check to the perspiration that will ensue upon this operation; but at the same time preserve a free circulation of air through the apartment, that all effluvia arising from the infected person may pass instantaneously off: in case of thirst, give the patient plentifully to drink of strong green tea warm, but without milk or sugar; and in no stage of the disorder either bleed or blister, for such a measure might be immediately fatal.

"This dose and fumigation must be repeated as often as the patient can support it, till an amendment takes place; and in prisons, or other places where a great many may be confined together, it will be necessary to have the room. fumigated likewise. This remedy must be applied as soon as possible after the attack of the disorder, which is presently known by a sickness and headach, and which seldom spares any European on his arrival on these shores. It is with some dread

fully violent in its effects, frequendy terminating, if not in death, at least in total insanity; and many of its symptoms partake of the nature of the yellow fever, a species of whi was very prevalent in England, Is member, in the year 1779 or the about."

A short account of the pres dency of Nombre de Dios next fal lows, whither Mr. Davie aco panied his reverend friend :—thence, however, they were quickly recalle by the increasing difficulties of Rs ja Minor, which pressed so bat upon the venerable father Herma dez, the steady, mild, and venerabi patron of our traveller, that he diet a few days after his return. Th event was the signal for univers commotion and revolt. The char Indians, aided by those of the town. and headed by the disaffected Sp niards, burst like a torrent upon Spanish government, and massacre without distinction, every soul, se those whom they conceived well d fected to their views. The vener tion for the memory of father He nandez, who seems to have been tr best of men, secured not only the but a safe retreat to Buenos A for Mr. Davie. And here the na tive terminates. We refer to the vertisement, prefixed to the wars for the further notices respect the author;-and we shall leave of the subject, with an knowledgment of the great varie of entertainment and instruct we have received at the hand Mr. Davie.

Narrative of a Voyage to Bre &c. and a Description of the and Provinces of St. Salvat Porto Seguro, by Thomas Lad

The reasons which we have alady assigned, as those which led to dwell particularly upon such orks, as have appeared within this ar, relating to South America, oply also in our consideration of e present article. With respect Brasil, we are nearly as much in e dark, as we are about Peru or araguay. In the preface, Mr. indley thus delivers himself upon e subject.

"Notwithstanding the many oyages and travels that have lately een published, and the addition cience has received in geographcial formation, Brasil continues in a anner hidden, as to the world in eneral; all endeavours to gain inɔrmation respecting it being inustriously repressed by the Porguese government, both in the olony itself and in Europe. For a entury subsequent to its discovery, he Jesuit missionaries were indeatigable in their attempts to gain ome knowledge of the interior of Brasil, its animal, vegetable, and aineral productions; and the disoveries they made being annually lispatched to the college of Jesuits n Bahia, were detailed and printed n the chronicles of the order, and were the groundwork of every pubication respecting this part of South America that followed. These fathers had the most extensive communication, by means of the correspondence kept up by them in every part of South America, especially with their brethren in Peru and Paraguay; and, through the great body of information possessed in consequence by the different superiors, a most complete and scientific work would finally have been formed; but the project was nipped in the bud by the fatal jealousy of

government, who, about the close of the seventeenth century, prohibited its continuance, and would allow no further publication to be made on the subject. Secret communications were however still remitted and recorded by the college; but they are probably lost to the world, as they lie buried indiscriminately amidst numberless other manuscripts, in a room adjoining the late monastery of the order, where they have continued for the last forty years wholly neglected, and are now rapidly decaying and mouldering to dust.

"Thus forgotten, and apparently despised, one would suppose that access to them was no difficult task: but this is by no means the case; the approach of the curious even among themselves is impracticable, and the rigour of course is not less as to foreigners.

"It is to be lamented, that during the time Holland was in possession of the most central, picturesque, and fruitful provinces of Brasil, which was a space of no less than thirty years, the Dutch never attempted to elucidate the history, or give information respecting the country: but the constant war in which they were engaged, either with the regular forces of the Portuguese, or the colonists, gave them perhaps no leisure for the purpose; or, which is more probable, they had no opportunity of penetrating into the interior.

"In the year 1730, Rocha Pitta, a most intelligent and well-informed Brasilian, member of the royal academy of history in Lisbon, &c. compiled a quarto history of Brasil, from the chronicles of the Jesuits and other authorities, and some valuable local knowledge of his own.