It would appear, by a comparison between the epoch of his establishment, and those which will be cited hereafter, that Francisco Tarija did not long enjoy the fruit of his labours. With the death of this prudent and courageous Spaniard, the freedom, and tenour of life, of the Indians of the valley, were restored to their primitive state. They again adopted their peculiar customs and language; and, in forgetting the few principles of the Castillian tongue which they had been taught, preserved the word Tarija alone, without doubt because they entertained an esteem for the name and memory of a man, who had regarded them as his brethren, and had respedled the sacred laws of humanity and justice. Notwithstanding several other Spaniards, as well as Mestizos, penetrated into this territory, with a view to form settlements, we are prevented from giving an account of their enterprizes and successes, by the obscurity we find in the memorials of that time, relative to this particular subject.
With the progress of years, the fame of the riches of Peru found its way into every part of the globe, becoming constantly more exaggerated, in proportion to the distance, and to the caprice of those by whom it was transmitted. A Portuguese of Parahuay, whose name, like that of Erostratus, ought to be eternally buried in oblivion, being stimulated by the insatiable desire of gold, overwhelmed the valley of Tarija with a calamity, equal, in proportion to the circumstances, to that which Narses brought on Italy, when he favoured the invasion of the Lombards; and similar to that which count Julian caused to Spain, when he engaged the Moors to undertake the subjugation of that kingdom. This avaricious man assembled an entire nation of ferocious Indians, named Chiri-
