[314] There were in the year 1759 throughout the world 271 Jesuit missions, 1,542 religious houses, 61 cattle farms, 340 residences, 171 seminaries, 1,542 churches, and 22,589 Jesuits, whereof 11,293 were priests. Of the above houses, missions, and churches, the greater portion were in America (Ferrer del Rio, ‘Historia del Reinado de Carlos III.’, Madrid, 1856). In the River Plate and Paraguay there were about 400 Jesuits, of whom 300 were priests. The other hundred, according to Ibañez (‘Republica Jesuitica’), were ‘mostly poor devils who were in want of food, and came into the Order for a meal.’ Ibañez rarely spoke the truth, not even when it would have been expedient to do so; and certainly amongst these ‘poor devils’ could not have been included Asperger, the writer on Indian medicines, and other distinguished men who inhabited the Paraguayan missions as lay brothers. [315] Dean Funes, ‘Ensayo de la Historia Civil’, etc., vol. iii., book v., cap. ix. [316] The fine library was dispersed, and many priceless MSS. treating of the discovery and conquest, and of expeditions by the Jesuits amongst tribes of Indians now extinct, were lost. Nothing seems to have been preserved except matter which the dispersers thought might prove incriminating to the Jesuits. It is a well-known principle to judge and condemn a man, and then to search for evidence against him. The books were kept in a place known as La Granja de Santa Catalina, and a man of letters, Dr. Don Antonio Aldao, was charged to catalogue and remit them to the capital. Dean Funes says (book v., cap. ix., p. 156) that he complied with his instructions (‘verificóla felizmente y con arreglo a sus instrucciones’), but, anyhow, most of the books were lost. It is a common phrase amongst doctors, ‘The operation was entirely successful, but the patient unfortunately succumbed.’ Amongst the books was the celebrated ‘Monita Secreta’, used by Ibañez in his charges (after the expulsion) against the Jesuits. [317] Dean Funes (‘Ensayo de la Historia Civil’, vol. iii., cap. viii.) seems to have gauged the feelings of the Governor when he says: ‘Temblo de susto Bucareli considerando en riesgo una conquista, que debia aumentar su gloria y su fortuna.’ ‘Su fortuna’ is delicious, and shows your true conqueror’s melancholy. [318] The Tebicuari forms the northern boundary between the territory of Misiones and the rest of Paraguay. It is a large river, and in my time (1872-1875) was bridgeless, and had to be crossed in canoes, whilst the horses swam, or were towed behind the canoes with ropes. [319] Yapeyú was the largest of all the missions. The name signifies a chisel in Guaraní.