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tribe has retired into the lands of the Essequibo, whence they communicate with Demarara. In fact, the padres seem to have been in the practice of going on hunting parties, in order to collect recruits for their establishments; and thus to have entirely cleared this district of the native tribes, who might have allured their proselytes to rejoin them in the forest. By their regulations, the Indians worked alternately one fortnight on their own provision-grounds and for themselves, the next for the community, in other words, for their spiritual directors, either in the cultivation of cotton and coffee, in making or repairing the buildings, &c., or the like; and, as a strict attendance upon religious duties was enforced, their time was fully occupied. When the Patriots first took possession, two years ago, liberty was proclaimed to the Indians; but afterwards the demand of provisions for the troops in the field growing urgent, they were required to give the half of their labour to the government, until the complete establishment of the republic. The padres took care, in return for their labour, to supply them with clothing of their own manufacture, and with attendance in sickness, besides the regular rations, which the abundance of cattle afforded; but, for want of proper superintendence, all these matters have been neglected since the Patriots have had possession; and the cattle, the grand resource of the country, shamefully wasted. The capuchins had 50,000 or 60,000 head of reclaimed cattle, at the lowest computation, besides those running wild in the forests and savannas: the present stock does not exceed 15,000; consequently, much discontent prevails among the Indian population, which has been aggravated not a little by their imputing the fire to the contrivance of their new masters. Should the war continue five years longer, I much fear it would end in the entire depopulation of the province. Respecting the communication with Demarara, I learnt, that Piar, on his first conquest of this district, and before he had possessed himself of Angostura and the channel of the Orinoco, spent eight months in endeavouring to cut a path or road to the Essequibo; but having neglected the advice of the Indians, and taken a wrong direction, he worked into the mid

dle of an impassable morass, and was obliged to abandon the project. His design was to send thither 600 mules to purchase arms, of which he was in extreme want. God knows how Governor Murray would have relished the visit. The river Cayuin is accessible enough, but so full of rocks and rapids as not to be navigable. Dr. Burton, when obliged for some reason or other to fly from Demerara, had, with the assistance of the Indians, found his way overland to Upata; but could not remember the track. No doubt, an advantageous channel of intercourse might be opened with little expense, especially if an English colony were established in this part of the country.

10th. Returned this morning to Cupapuy to visit Landa, and complete our inspection. Found the administrator still sick of the fever, the bark having purged him, and his wife persuaded him to discontinue it; indeed we found the general prejudice so strong that it was impossible to persuade him to recommence ; besides, petticoat government interfered. Visited the looms, where the cloths are woven for the Indians; they are of the simplest contrivance, much after the East Indian fashion; the cloths coarse and irregular, but they thicken in the washing: spinning is performed entirely with the hand and spindle. Besides the regular establishment, which works for the public benefit, nearly every habitation is furnished with a`loom for the manufacture of hammocks, which the elder matrons sell for their private account. They are generally very substantial and striped with blue: the price from four to ten dollars, according to quality. All these works had been suspended by the fever, and though many had been begun upon, we saw none finished off. Next visited the blacksmith, whom we found tolerably intelligent. The shop was but rudely furnished, but he shewed us he could make nails, common hinges, and the like. He seemed to regret the loss of the padre. I told him the English would bring doctors and padres too. Qxala! was all his answer. Proceeded thence to the tannery, which consisted of a shed with three or four immense wooden blocks, hollowed out into vats for the reception of the hides and tanning matter. The latter is prepared from the seed

of the diridiri, a tree resembling the tamarind in appearance, and very common hereabout. The seed is gathered in the pod when nearly ripe, bruised, and thrown into the vat, where it is steeped in boiling water, till all the tanning property is extracted. It is more astringent than the bark of oak, and is excellent for ink. I had a jaguar-skin tanned with it in five days. The carpenters' houses were distinguished by doors and windows, but for want of saws to cut timber into plank, their work is confined principally to the frames of the houses. The cotton gins are simple, and upon the common Berbice principle. Petacas, or boxes of hides, are made here, as well as saddles, of a rude form. The fever had not abated; nine were buried yesterday, five this morning. Witnessed the mode of beating out the rice. Twelve stout wenches were employed in the gallery of the church, with short sticks, with which they beat time to a song. They appeared healthy and cheerful. On our return, found the commissioner again ill, but satisfied with the regularity of the fit. He talked of passing a few days at a conuco in the mountains, the only one that had belonged to a Godo, (Spaniard,) ́and, of course, confiscated.

11th. Breakfasted with U. He was cheerful and better, and had ridden out in the morning, so we trusted in his speedy recovery. He was expecting Cornejo to see us forward on our journey. At mid-day, resolved on a trip to Alta Gràcià, about eight miles distant to the northward, on the main route to San Miguel. Passing our former road, we continued straight on over the mountains, in lieu of turning to the right towards Tarife's. The descent was long, steep, and so much torn up by the rains as to be scarcely passable. Soil rich for two miles beyond the mountain, and excellent in two or three plantations by the way-side. In one of coffee, with a hedge of limes and oranges, we observed more care in the cultivation than we had yet seen. Entered a large undulated savanna, with a surface apparently of sandy clay, intersected by a stream of water. Good pasture in many places. A mile and a half off this savanna brought us to Alta Gràcià; once a considerable establishment, but now of most desolate appearance. Indeed,

most of the missions have a still and gloomy aspect as they are approached. Clay huts disposed in perfect regularity, all in one cluster, with no tree to relieve the eye, and the tall church lording it over the humble roofs, and placed at a marked and formal distance, leave a melancholy impression of these monastic settlements.

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Alta Gràcià consists of eleven rows, of eight houses, each ranged in straight lines, on the slope of a high hill, facing southward. The church and monastery, or residence, occupy the north side, and beyond are the garden and well-peopled cemetery. We rode up, as usual, directly to the residence. Not a living creature answered our call. All around was solemn silence, except where a famished dog muttered a growl at our intrusion. Made fast our horses, and proceeded to search the house; and, at length, unkennelled two boys, a sick officer left behind by Pigott in charge of his baggage, and a lame soldier, almost the only tenants of a long range of building. From them learnt that the Commandant

and his deputy had both gone to Upata ill of the fever, leaving in charge an old man of fifty-six, the mayor-domo or officer formerly intrusted with the cattle. The old gentleman soon returned from visiting the Indian captains. He gave most doleful details of the ravages of the fever. All the Indians able to crawl had withdrawn to the woods, and were dying fast. The houses were nearly all abandoned. Visited six, and found three or four old women administering food to their expiring families; but there was little hope of their recovery, for there were none to go to the grounds for food. The mayor-domo declared, that more had died from starvation than fever; and that being the only person in health, he was himself obliged to kill the animals assigned for their rations, and to distribute to each his small pittance. But all their cattle had been slaughtered at San Miguel, and they were entirely dependent for supplies upon Upata. This place has extensive tobacco and cotton grounds. Soil around very fertile, and pastures excellent; but labour wholly suspended by the pestilence. We found here. as at Cupapuy, a cotton press, worked by a wooden skrew, turned by the labour of four men: there were also a few bales of cotton packed in hides. The church very neat, and just rebeautified. The cherubims of Indian workmanship afforded a curious specimen of progress in the art of painting. Some brass swivels in the yard induced me to ask their use in such a place. "For defence," replied our conductor; "I remember the time when this neighbourhood was thronged with wild Indians inimical to these establishments, who often attacked us, and would soon have extinguished the padres, had they not procured these arms from Angostura." "So then the padres were not always upon good terms with the native tribes?" "Oh no; they came in by persuasion, but maintained themselves by force; and when once strong enough, sought to aggrandize themselves at the expense of those who refused to submit to their yoke." He expressed his firm persuasion, that the English would soon come and take possession of the country, and ardent hope that he might live to reap the benefits of their fostering protection: "Are they not spreading all over the

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