Huallaga, Pastasa, Sillay, Caguapana, and Maranon, amounts to 8895 souls, under the spiritual guidance of a superior of the missions, and of nineteen rectors, who, as very small pensions are allotted to them by the government, and as they do not receive any tribute, have the advantage of the personal services of a certain number of Indians, by whom they are abundantly supplied with fish and game, and who cultivate for their use rice, sugar-canes, &c.
The temporal affairs of these tribes are entrusted to a military governor who resides at Omaguas, and whose place, in the more considerable towns, is supplied by a lieutenant-governor, and, in the smaller ones, by a casique, or Indian prince, the head of the tribe. Under these are several inferior magistrates; and it is pleasing to see a number of youths, aged from ten to twelve years, invested with the magisterial dignity, who watch over the others of the same age; correcting them for their slight excesses and misdemeanours, and giving an immediate account of the more serious ones to the resident chief magistrate. This policy, which the Jesuits introduced among these barbarous tribes, is worthy of imitation, since it tends to prevent those puerile negligences and imprudences, which might, in a maturer age, lead to the commission of crimes; at the same time that it inspires the children, from their tender years upwards, with an emulation to attain, by their good conduct, the sacred ministry of the judicature.
The Maynas towns maintain a commercial intercourse with each other, and with those of Quito and Lamas, in salt fish, cacao, the arroba of which (25 pounds) is sold at the low price of two reals; bees-wax, which is frequently found to be of as good a quality as that of the north; yuca, or casava meal, freed from its poisonous juice; and vegetable bougies.[1] They have also a few inconsiderable manufactories, and distinguish themselves in the fabrication of very beautiful coverlids and hats made of feathers, which they artfully dispose according to the diversity of their tints, imitating with the utmost nicety the coloured drawings placed before them. The customs of the inhabitants of Maynas are similar to those of the more remote tribes of the Pampa del Sacramento, with the exception of certain acquirements which are due to their shepherds.
Father Sobreviela remained in the town of la Laguna until the 26th, to take the necessary steps to hasten the departure of father Girbal, on his projected peregrination by the Ucayali; a track which, having been closed for many years, had just
- ↑ The naturalists here name pastas the fruit of a tree, which, on being lighted, contains within itself both the wax and the wick. We have not as yet been able to ascertain whether it is a species of the wax-tree which is met with in Louisiana and in China.
