It is said the word _Guarrannis_ means _Guerreiros_, (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 thirty _reduçōes_ with 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 the _matte_, 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 the _reduçōes_ serving 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 of _matte_ which its padres had traded in; the other prohibiting the Indians from carrying more than twelve thousand arrobas annually to that city.