An Account of the Abipones, an Equestrian People of Paraguay, (1 of 3)Dobrizhoffer, Martin
History
An Account of the Abipones, an Equestrian People of Paraguay, (1 of 3)
Dobrizhoffer, Martin
Abipon Indians; Jesuits -- Missions; Paraguay -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
every side, churches built to the Lord, and numbers of Spanish cities
imbued with learning and piety—these will testify that we have at least
done something for the Antipodes, though many have left no stone
unturned to blot out our very name. This is, however, beyond
dispute;—that a far more abundant harvest might have been reaped from
our apostolic labours, if the Europeans had not uniformly opposed every
measure conducive to the advantage of the Indians. Not a savage would
now have been left in America, had every professor of Christianity
conformed his life to its dictates, and joined his endeavours vigorously
to ours.
The third division, from which the whole province takes its name, is
that of Paraguay, so called from the river on which it borders. In
regard to the laws of dominion its extent is immense; but from the
dangerous vicinity of the savages on one hand, and the Portugueze on the
other, the inhabitants, considering their number, are contracted into
somewhat narrow limits. Extensive and fertile plains, both to the west
on the opposite side of the river, and towards the north, are totally
neglected, on two accounts—their distance from the metropolis, and the
above-mentioned neighbours. The Corrientine country is accounted the
southern boundary. The inhabitants are almost incalculably numerous.
There are who assert their capability of bringing ten thousand soldiers
into the field, Spaniards only: for if you count Indian natives, and all
the herd of negroes, and other slaves, you might reckon up three times
that number. But the majority of these deserve the motto—"_Nos numerus
sumus, et fruges consumere nati._" Some one was heard to complain of the
governours of Paraguay—that many soldiers were ranged under the banners,
but few who were furnished with a musket, and still fewer who could
manage one if they had it. The metropolis, Asumpcion, takes its name
from the assumption of the Virgin Mary. It is situated in latitude 25°
8´ and longitude 319° 41´, on the banks of the Paraguay, which affords a
convenient station for ships and an opportunity of commerce, but menaces
destruction to the city; for the channel constantly nearing and nearing,
undermines the bank and the houses situate thereupon. Neither splendid
edifices nor city fortifications are here to be found. Many of the
houses are of stone or brick, and roofed with tiles, but none of them
are above one story high. The monasteries are nearly of the same
description, possessing nothing by which you could recognise the church.
The streets are crooked, and impeded with ditches and stones thrown out
of their places, to the imminent peril both of men and horses. It has
but one market-place, and that covered with grass. The governor and
bishop have resided here since the time of Charles V. though neither has
any proper seat. Besides grammar, the scholars in our college pay much
attention to philosophy and theology. For the negroes, Indians, and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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