CHAP. VI.PROVINCE OF PARANNA.
Boundaries—Climate—Productions—Matte the most lucrative—First Discoverers—Proceedings of the Spanish Jesuits—Guarani Indians formed into Reduçoes, or Villages—Nature of those Missions—Expulsion of the Jesuits—Delivery of the Missions to other Ecclesiastics—their Decay—Mountains—Mineralogy—Rivers and Lakes—Phytology—Zoology—Towns, Parishes, &c.—Remaining Establishments of the Jesuitical Missions.
Boundaries—Climate—Productions—Matte the most lucrative—First Discoverers—Proceedings of the Spanish Jesuits—Guarani Indians formed into Reduçoes, or Villages—Nature of those Missions—Expulsion of the Jesuits—Delivery of the Missions to other Ecclesiastics—their Decay—Mountains—Mineralogy—Rivers and Lakes—Phytology—Zoology—Towns, Parishes, &c.—Remaining Establishments of the Jesuitical Missions.
This province is bounded on the north by Matto Grosso, on the west and south by the Paraguay, and on the east by the Uruguay and the Paranna, which latter affords it the name, and divides it into two unequal parts, northern and southern. It is altogether situated in the temperate zone, between 24° and 33° 30′ south latitude, being six hundred and fifty miles long from north to south, and more than two hundred and fifty at its greatest width from east to west. The winter, which commences in May and lasts till October, is cold. The prevailing wind in this province is from the south-west. The climate is temperate and wholesome, with the exception of those marshy situations, and others which occasionally overflow, where the fever reigns periodically in certain months. This is a country almost universally low, with few mountains and hills, and these of inconsiderable elevation. The land is generally excellent, and adapted to almost all the productions of the torrid zone, as well as those of the temperate. Wheat and Indian corn are abundant, as are the plantations of cane, cotton, and mandioca. The most lucrative, however, are those of thematte. These productions do not prosper generally in all the districts; wheat rarely grows but in the southern parts, and matte in the northern. The peach tree is so prodigiously abundant in the southern islands of the Paraguay and the adjacent country, that they are frequently cut down in order to heat the oven with their branches. They are not met with to the north of St. Fé.
Sebastian Caboto and Diogo Garcia were the discoverers of this country, on advancing up the Paraguay in 1526.
The colony of Assumption was the first establishment in the province afterthe fort of St. Anna, and suffered much from the various neighbouring nations of barbarous Indians, principally the Guaycurus and Payagoas, who were as numerous as they were ferocious and brave. It was, however, rendered defensible by the augmentation of its settlers. Defective in gold and silver mines, which attracted so many people to Peru and Mexico, this fine country, so advantageously situated, remained for many years after its discovery almost unnoticed.
The middle and eastern parts were the conquests of the Jesuits, by the introduction of Christianity amongst their possessors, the Guaranis. These priests, knowing, from experience, the relaxation of European morals, and how much it prevailed amongst the American colonists, determined to catechize only those Indians who were at a distance from the Europeans, in order that the proselytes should not know practices contrary to the precepts to be taught. The perfection with which they soon spoke the Guaranitic idiom, and the docility of this tribe of Indians, concurred equally to carry into effect this wished-for object.
In a few years the Jesuits reduced the various hordes of this nation to a settled life, in largealdeias, or villages, denominatedreduçōes, the number of which, in the year 1630, had arrived at twenty, with seventy thousand inhabitants. Those who had advanced to the Upper Paranna, with the intention of extending the spiritual conquest, were obliged, by eight thousand Paulistas, to fall back, in 1631, to the south of the Maracajú Serra. The Jesuit, Montoya, relates, that he and his colleagues retired from above to below the seven falls of the Paranna, with two thousand Indians, when the Paulistas invaded the Upper Paranna, and that the latter continued hostilely to visit thereduçōesof the Lower Paranna; and that, in 1637, one hundred and forty Paulistas, with one thousand five hundred Indians, attacked thereduçōesof Jesu Maria, St. Christovam, and St. Anna, and retired with seven thousand prisoners.
The Jesuits next reduced the Tappes to the eastward, and continued to civilize those two nations, by teaching them all the useful arts, thus forming the celebrated Guaranitic empire, which moderate calculators never raised to more than two hundred thousand inhabitants; and it is said they were able to carry into the field an army of forty thousand men. One authority states that between the rivers Uruguay and Paraguay was established a powerful republic, comprising thirty-one large villages, inhabited by one hundred thousand souls; but Guthrie raises the population of these missions to three hundred and fortythousand families, making a surprising and incredible population of thirteen hundred thousand inhabitants.
It is said the wordGuarrannismeansGuerreiros, (warriors,) and that this people, in former times, wandered about, carrying destruction to every part within their reach, and obtaining many prisoners, thus acquiring greater numbers and power. Their language and name became common to divers tribes, whom these religious teachers introduced into their associations, from different parts, by which they greatly augmented the population of this republic. The exchequer of the catholic crown furnished annually forty to fifty thousand ducats to the missionaries employed in this conquest, inasmuch as the Indians did not render their agriculture and industry adequate to the expenditure and support of the country, the public receipts of which the Jesuits were the receivers and appropriators. When the villages and temples were completed, each man, from eighteen to fifty years, paid annually a capitation of two gold pieces. The captains (caciques) were exempted from this tribute as well as their first born, (primogenitas,) and twelve men more in each mission destined to the service of the church. In 1634, when there was already thirtyreduçōeswith one hundred and twenty-five thousand Christian Indians, the number that paid tribute only amounted to nineteen thousand one hundred and sixteen. In 1649, with a view of gaining more subjects, and to avoid any desertion to the territory of the crown of Portugal, where there was no capitation, the Indians were alleviated from one-half of this tribute. Four years previously was conceded to them the power of exporting thematte, upon certain conditions, in order that they might become less chargeable to the capitation. The concession of this liberty was a means of feeding the cupidity of the Jesuits, by the intervention of the curates of thereduçōesserving them as a cloak through the Indians, to carry on a great trade in this commodity, to the prejudice of the merchants at Assumption, whose complaints produced two decrees; the one apprizing the chief priest of Paraguay of the exorbitant quantity ofmattewhich its padres had traded in; the other prohibiting the Indians from carrying more than twelve thousand arrobas annually to that city.
Each of thereduçōes, otherwise called missions, was a considerable town, laid out with straight streets. The houses, generally of earth, were whitened, covered with tiles, and had verandas on each side, in order to preserve them from the sun and rain. On seeing one, a correct idea might be formed of the whole. Each mission had only a mother church, generally of stone, magnificentand richly ornamented, some being entirely gilded. A vicar and a curate, both Jesuits, were the only ecclesiastics exercising the parochial functions, being, at the same time, inspectors of all civil economy; under whose direction there were magistrates, (corregedores,) elected annually; acacique, or chief, elected for life; and other officers, each with his jurisdiction. With the exception of these, every individual of both sexes wore a shirt reaching to the ancles, usually of white cotton. They cultivatedmatte, the cotton tree, and such provisions as prospered best in the country. The whole was deposited in warehouses, from whence it was distributed daily to the people. Each family received an ounce ofmatte, four pounds of meat, and a certain measure of Indian corn, and more if it was judged necessary. All passed under the review of the magistrates or of other subordinate persons. The curates lived commodiously, near to their churches, and contiguous to their dwellings were two spacious houses; one destined for schools of reading, painting, architecture, music, and having shops for different manual occupations; the other was arecolhimento, or receptacle for a great number of young girls, who were engaged in different works, under the inspection of matronly women, already instructed. The women received on Monday a certain portion of cotton, which they were to return in the spun state on Saturday. The curate, accompanied by certain officers and masters, went daily at eight o’clock to visit the schools and shops. The signal of the lastAvi Mariaswas also that of therosario, or counting of beads, at which all assisted.
All superfluities were exported, with a large quantity of tallow, hides, andmatte, and with the proceeds they paid the capitations, and obtained in return requisite European articles.
It is calculated that the Indians possessed near two million head of cattle.
Such was the condition of thereduçōes, or missions, which constituted the pretended Guaranitic state, in 1768, when the Jesuits were expelled and their people delivered over to the direction of the Dominicans, Franciscans, and Mercenarians. The last is an order of friars instituted in Arragon by King James for the redemption of captives.
The Marquis of Bucarelli, governor of Buenos Ayres, wishing to go personally, accompanied by the best troops of Europe which he could collect in that capital, to execute the orders of his sovereign relative to the missions, which were repugnant to the feelings of the Indians, wrote, before he commenced his march, to all the vicars to send to him the chief (cacique) and head magistrate of each mission, in order that he might communicate to themadvices from his Majesty. On their arrival at Buenos Ayres he unjustly retained them as hostages, with a view of obviating any difficulty that might arise. In Yapegú, which is the first mission, was presented to him the celebrated chief, Nicolau, who in Europe passed for the sovereign of the Guaranitic republic, and who was not able to proceed in the train of the others, in consequence of the infirmities of old age, being then seventy. The Europeans and their descendants began to frequent the missions, and the Indians to have mutual relations with them, and to learn from them many of the most familiar words, also some relaxation from the more correct morals and manners of the Jesuits. The population, in consequence, soon began to diminish, as well as the neatness and cleanliness of their houses and temples.
Mountains.—In the northern part there is the serra of Maracaju, which is of trifling altitude; and the Lambara, in the vicinity of the capital, also not of remarkable elevation, although it exceeds in height all those that encompass it.
The mineralogy consists ofgesso, or plaster, limestone, granite, and marble.
Rivers and Lakes.—Besides the three great rivers that limit this province, there are many others which water the interior, and some of them navigable for a considerable distance.
The Gualeguay, which has a course of more than one hundred and forty miles, empties itself into the Uruguay, a few leagues above the Negro, after having watered a level country, rich in cattle, corn, and fruit trees.
The Mirinay, which also runs into the Uruguay, fifty miles below the Ibicui, is considerable, and runs through an extensive country, stocked with large cattle.
The Taquary, seventy miles long, empties itself also into the Uruguay, ninety miles below the preceding.
The Jaguare, rising in the Serra Maracaju, runs into the Paranna, twelve leagues below the Setequedas (Seven Falls).
According to a map of the country, which does not appear a bad one, the Acarahy is the first considerable river which enters the Paranna by the right bank, seventy miles below the Setequedas.
The Tibiquary, which is considerable, disembogues into the Paraguay ninety miles above the confluence of the Paranna. The Cannabé, after a course of one hundred miles, enters the Paraguay fifty miles north of the Tibiquary.
The lake Ibera, otherwise Caracares, is pretty considerable, and approximates the left margin of the Paranna; it has some islands, and its neighbouring lands are marshy. Charts do not accord as to its size: some give it one hundred and fifty miles in length, and little less in width; others, ninety in length,and twenty in width; they agree that it communicates with the Uruguay by the Mirinay, and with the Paraguay by the Correntes, which empties itself near thirty-five miles below St. Luzia. It is also said to communicate in two parts with the Paranna. The lake Jagapé, which is large, and surrounded with woods, is near the northern bank of the Paranna, about sixty miles above the town of Itaty.
Phytology.—The cedar, which is of various sorts, thepáu d’arco, (bow wood,) sassafras, with many other trees of fine timber for building; the pine tree, and those which afford a resin denominated the blood of the dragon, and the oil ofcupahiba; the ipecacuanha, jalap, rhubarb, and other medicinal plants; theopuncia, pine-apple, orange, banana, andmamoe, of which last tree there are male and female; the male bears no fruit but only flowers, the female bears fruit and no flowers.
The vegetablematteis a large shrub or bush, with leaves similar to an orange tree, and tastes of mallows; it is said the serra Maracaju produces the best. It is usual not to wait for the leaves falling, but they are plucked, and then dried by some of the most approved methods, generally upon hides between two fires. This plant is taken almost like tea, and the use of this beverage has prevailed from time immemorial amongst the Indians of the northern part of this province. It was they who introduced it amongst the first inhabitants of Assumption.
Zoology.—This province is prodigiously abundant in cattle, horses, and mules; sheep are numerous, but goats few. There is a sufficiency of hogs for the consumption of the inhabitants. Amongst the wild quadrupeds are remarked the ounce, the deer, the monkey, the fox, the rabbit, the cat, thetamandua,quaty,zorrilha, or squash, thetatous, or armadillo,paca,cotia, and the boar. Of birds, the emu ostrich, theseriema,jaburu,cegonha,garca,mutun,jacu,colhereira,urubu,tucano,rola, troquaze pigeons, the parrot,codornize, or quail,beija-flor, or humming-bird, theguiraponga, and the partridge. There are also a diversity of wild ducks and geese.
The principalpovoaçõesare, Assumpçao, or Assumption, Correntes, Coruguaty, and Villa Rica.
Assumpçao, an episcopal city, is in a state of mediocrity, possessing some commerce. It is the capital and the residence of the governor, and is situated upon the margin of the Paraguay, which daily washes away a part of the ground upon which it is built. It is ornamented with a hospital, with convents of theDominicans, Franciscans, Mercenarians, Recoletos, (rigid friars,) and a seminary which was a Jesuitical college. This city has no regularity nor fine edifices; the greater part of the houses are built of earth, and many of the inhabitants of its three parishes are descended from the Portuguese. From hence is exported tobacco,imbe, timber, and a prodigious quantity of matte to Buenos Ayres, where it is afterwards packed in hides, and distributed over various Spanish districts, being a beverage universally used amongst them, as well as by the Portuguese in the southern parts of Brazil. In its environs are bred numerous herds of large cattle. There are plantations of cotton and the cane. Honey and wax are abundant. They cultivate also, as in other parts,aipim, orpompim, as it is called here, which root, after being scraped, chopped, and dried in the oven, is cooked with meat, serving for bread. The maize, or Indian corn, after it is boiled, and beat in a pestle, is passed through a sifter, kneaded with milk, and baked, when it receives the name ofchippa.
The bishop is a suffragan of La Plata, otherwisechuquissaca. The chapter of the church, as in all other ultramarine cathedrals of the Spanish states, is composed of twelve canons, including the moderator of the Inquisition, five dignitaries, the dean, archdeacon, chanter, treasurer-mór, and master of the college; also six petty canons to sing the Evangelists, and as many more half petty canons for the Epistles, whose vestments differ little from the others. The canons of theology, doctorial, magisterial, and penitentiary, only give graduates, and that by competition. The revenue of the suppressed canonship is destined for the expenses of the tribunal of the holy office.
There are two tribunals, one called theJunta Decimal, for the public disposal of the decimos, and consisting of two canons, a royal fiscal, a minister clothed with atoga, or gown, an accountant, and anescrivao, or scrivener. The other denominatedMeza Capitular, for the collection and distribution of the proceeds of the decimos, is formed of aprovisor, or vicar-general, a canon, acting at times as a fiscal, thecontador-mor, or chief accountant of the treasury, and another accountant to make the distribution or rates.
All the produce of the decimos is appropriated to the church. In calculating this, the chief accountant of the treasury divides it into nine equal parts; one and a half, under the name ofnoveno e medio, belongs to the crown, and is destined for the repairs and other necessities of the church; and which the sovereign, as patron, gives by way of succour. Of the other seven and a half parts, one-half is for the bishop, whose duty is to relieve the necessities ofthe diocesans, especially the poor ones, collected in the house erected for their habitation, because none of them are permitted to solicit almspelas portas, at the doors.
The residue is divided into three equal fifths, one for the dean, the remainder subdivided anew into three, two are distributed amongst the other dignitaries and the canons, with arithmetical proportion. The part remaining is portioned equally amongst the petty canons, and the half petty canons, or chaplains. The priests of the cities are denominatedreytors, or rectors, and those of the towns,vigarios, or vicars. The padres only of the Indians have revenues, (congrua,) drawn from the coffers where the produce of the Indian lands that are sold, and the rents of theemprazadas, (persons paying an annual fine for lands bought,) are deposited. They receive nothing from the parishioners, except for the solemnization of burials.
The priests of the churches of the whites (brancos) alone have the altarage, (or free offerings of the people made at the altar,) and the productions of the patrimonies with which they were founded.
The churches are given after a competition of talent exhibited before the bishop. The competitors are convoked by him and the vice-patron, who is the governor, and without whose consent nothing can be decided in these cases. In order to fill up a vacancy, the bishop proposes three, the choice from which belongs to the vice-patron, if he does not reject the whole, and demand a proposal of others for his choice.
Correntes is a small city, advantageously situate in the southern angle of the confluence of the river Paranna, ornamented with a convent of Dominicans, one of Franciscans, and a third of Mercenarians, having straight streets, and many houses with one story. The Jesuitical house is in ruins. Amongst its inhabitants, there are some Portuguese, many Indians, and a few negroes. In its vicinity there is much marshy land, and very extensive woods. Cattle and horses are the wealth of the country.Mandubins, Indian corn, vegetables, water-melons, and cotton, are the objects of culture. The land is neither adapted for wheat nor matte. The ants and locusts, which are extremely numerous, destroy the mandioca, and prevent its cultivation. Thepitangueira, orpitanguatree, is very abundant; peaches are not met with. Theimbagayis a fruit similar to the mango, but something smaller, and found from hence northward. Hides and timber are the principal articles of exportation. Mosquitoes are extremely troublesome here.
Justice is daily administered by twoalcaldes, or magistrates, assisted by twoassessores, or lawyers. The four are elected annually by a judicialcabildo, composed of twenty-four governors for perpetuity, except in the event of delinquency; four of whom are principals, namely the royal ensign, the deacon, an officer called theaguazil maior, and the provincial alcalde. The others are ordinaries, each with his inspection, presided by an assessor-general, calledtenente assessor, (lieutenant assessor.) There is an advocate named by theaudiencia, or audience-court of the province, for the purpose of defendinggratisthe causes of the poor, or those who do not possess a patrimony of a certain value, and also of prisoners, although they may be rich.
Ten leagues to the north of Correntes is the parish of Nehembuçu, on the margin of the Paraguay, where they build boats and different sorts of vessels. Thirty leagues to the south of Correntes is situated the village and parish of St. Luzia, also upon the margin of the Paraguay; in its district there isgesso, a species of plaster, which forms a branch of exportation. In this interval are the parishes of Algarrobas, Esquina, and Goya, abounding sufficiently in meat and fish.
Bagada de St. Fé, and commonly called Paranna, is a small village situated upon the Paraguay, in front of St. Fé, in view of an island of considerable extent. From hence is exported a good deal of limestone.
Coruguaty is a middling town, and celebrated for the large quantity of matte collected in its district, of which it is the deposit. It is situated about thirty leagues to the north-east of Assumption, and three miles distant from the left margin of the river from which it borrows the name.
Five leagues to the north of it is theprezidioor garrison of St. Miguel, established in order to obstruct the invasions of the Guaycuru Indians.
Villa Rica, where also is accumulated large quantities of matte, lying twenty leagues to the south-east of Assumption, is yet small. There is another place of the same name on the borders of the Paraguay, to the north of the capital.
Arroio da China is a middling town, situated on the banks of the Uruguay, more than thirty leagues above its embouchure. Its inhabitants, mainly white people, breed cattle and cultivate corn and fruit.
Itaty is a small town, but regular, and well situated upon the southern bank of the Paranna, about thirty leagues above Correntes. Its inhabitants consist of Indians and some white people; a portion occupy themselvesin potteries, and others in forming plantations of the cotton tree. The soil and climate are adapted for oranges and water-melons, which prosper abundantly.
In the country of the missions is to be remarked the following places.
Candellaria, which took the name from its magnificent church, as did almost all thereduçōesof the pretended Guaranitic kingdom, or the missions of the Paranna, of which it was always considered the capital, in consequence of its superior size and population. It is situate upon the left bank of the river Paranna, where it inclines to the west, near the mouth of a small river.
Corpus, also on the left margin of the same river, is fifteen leagues to the north of Candellaria, and is the most northern of the missions, situated upon the Paranna, and one of the handsomest in the province.
Between the two preceding are situated those of St. Gosme, St. Anna, St. Gosme Velho, Nosso Senhora do Loreto, and St. Ignaçio Menor, (the smaller.) This last is three leagues above the preceding one, and four below Corpus.
The Padre Xarque, says thereduçõesof Nosso Senhora do Loreto and St. Ignaçio Menor, were founded for the establishments of the twelve thousand Indians, which the Jesuits conducted from the Upper Paranna, when the Paulistas invaded the country.
Itu, upon the same margin of the Paranna, is fifteen leagues to the west of Candellaria.
Assumpçao is fifteen leagues, with little variation, to the south-west of Corpus, near the mouth of a small river that loses itself in the Uruguay.
Conceiçao is situated sixteen leagues to the south of the preceding one, and little more than three leagues distant from the river Uruguay.
St. Thomas is fifteen leagues distant, in a southern direction, from Conceiçao.
St. Maria Maior is a few leagues to the north of Conceiçao, also upon the margin of the Uruguay.
Apostolos is little more than six leagues to the west of Conceiçao, upon the road which leads towards Itu; and twenty miles further in the same direction upon this road St. Carlos is situated.
St. Francisco Xavier is a few leagues to the north of St. Maria, and to the east of Candellaria. In this interval Martyres is situated.
Itapuan is on the right bank of the Paranna, to the north of Candellaria. Trinidade is eight leagues to the north of Itapuan. St. Ignaçio Guassu (thelarger) is near the head of a branch of the river Tibiquary. It is the most ancient of the whole.
St. Fé is five leagues to the north-east of St. Ignaçio Guassu. The mission of Jesus is four leagues to the north-north-west of Trinidad.
St. Roza is six leagues to the east of St. Ignaçio Guassu; St. Gosme four leagues to the south-east of St. Roza.
St. Tiago is eight leagues to the north of Itu; and Yapegu, which is the most southern, and amongst the largest of the missions, is situated near the Uruguay, a little below the confluence of the Ibicui, and half a league to the north of the river Guavirida. The Jesuits had a college here richly ornamented.