The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-06-29

fErom TIE PanAnA HseaNl
At the present tina whea the opening Of the vast
and almost unknown dricts Of the interior Of South
America engages the attention not only Of the va
rious nations that claim the jurisdiction over these
lands but also Of commercial men In Europe and the
United States, anything that can throw light upon
the subject cannot fail to be Of interest to the public
With this view we have translated the following let
ter which we found in the Official Gazette OF Guy
aqui. We are In possession of others Of the same
class, which In future numbers OF the Herald we shall
ORIENTAL MISSIONS.
REPUBLIC OF THE EcUAD0R-ECCLEsIAsrIcALG &C.
vERNMENT.
CUENcA. April Q, 1853.
TO the Honorable the Minister Of State for Home
SiR-I have been much gratiied by the dispatch
of your Excellency 18th and 9th Of last month"; to
notice the decided interest the Supreme government
takes in the fermentation Of the Oriental missions
which offer very signal advantages, both to the pro-
vince of LOLA and to this, whose financial position is
lamentable. Since ! was indicted into this do
ces, proposed to myself the colonization Of
be useful on account of the rich and abundant fruits
that can be extracted from these rich and virgin
mountains but principally because | resolved, by
muncation with Brazil by Tabatinga BY the navi-
CATION Of the river Santiago, Of the grand tbu
taries of the Amazon. Reasons. which it would be
useless to mention, retarded the realization of my
wishes until the 18th Of November last. At this time
comprehended that Divine Providence entrusted to
me the great work Of the social and religious civil
cation Of the savage tribes Of the East; and the mo-
ment that heard the voice Of God, which called me
from the bush, took up the travellers staff, and
without allowing my octogenarian age to form an
impeachment, l journeyed with firm step, by
paths scarcely passabe, until saw with plea
sure sure my y,.s desires .s crowned have slept and
mitive race, fierce for independence, and who pre-
sens himself as the sovereign Of the desert; have
examined into his character, his life, his man
1Ecs, 4.
,ve.s, bis mountains, ana HIS shores, convinced
that In the course OF time the nature of these savage
tribes was capable of ame0ration by intercourse and
necessity necessity nave managed to open ways Of commu-
directed from the centre Of the country Of the Jiva
ros, four commissions; one to Lola and the remain.
ing three to Mainas, Macas, and to the Barranca,
near the P0ngo The Governor of Lola correspond
ed to my desires with zeal worthy Of magistrate
who takes interest in the welfare of his country
Up to the present am ignorant of the result Of the
other missions
would have done something OF more marked
utility had not, being oppressed by the winter seen
myself in the necessity Of abandoning these to me-
delicious places but resolved to return in the ensuing
summer. / have distributed an abundance of agri.
cultural tools to the Jivaros, who cheerfully lent
their aid to cultivate the fields. Your Excelency is
not ignorant that missions charge which weighs
not only on the conscience Of the bishops, but also
on that OF the government For my part, have
commenced my task, as your excellency will see by
the following relation
From the town of Sigsig, which serves as a stop
ping place, commenced my journey, following the
enclose to your Exceency, In which are delineated
the views which presented themselves as far as the
point of embarkation in Zamora ITSELF
After my arrival at Granadillos, descending the
overwhelming vegetation of these lands the vigorous
vegetation Of those woods rich in the multiplicity of
very useful substances, one of the first of which that
called my attention being the cinnamon. Arrived at
OF s.
little space that had been cleared. The want Of
beaches, the humidity Of the air owing to the con-
slant rain, the difficulty Of the road and, above ALL
the impetuous and difficult river have contributed,
without doubt to destroy some establishments at the
bridge called Rosario, where there were formerly
more than one hundred Inhabitants which OF pre-
sent are reduced to three scattered families This
river offers some particles Of gold doubtless carried
away from the heights, and borne down by the
waters. Attention was called to the same circum-
stance in the other rivers and creeks. Perhaps a
troublesome process Of labor might render these
After most craggy journey, I arrived at Gilala-
quisa, whose woods enclose so many riches Of the
vegetable and animal kingdom, that the enumeration
of them would be importunate. Suffice it to inform
your Excellency that we found, in an almost Wild
state, magnificent Qtoquillo) good cotton, tobacco
exquisite sugar cane, cocoa, coffee, carrot, almond
sweet smelling vanilla, various classes of PALM fit for
sundry purposes, rein gums, divers balsams bees
wax, medicinal herbs and woods amongst others the
famous wood OF the Cross, (palo de la CRUZ and
fire woods for cabinet making Birds, singular and
rare, either for their singing, their snowy pumage,
or the deicacy and jucness of their flesh The rivers
abound in fish Of different kinds.
IL is a remarkable fact that, notwithstanding the
frequent and often strong rains, the snake Is only
rarely seen doubtless owing to the quantity of guaca
grass which is met with at every STEP There is also
multitude Of wild hogs, bears, and other animals,
which serve for food to the Indios, who penetrate
these woods.
The Indians, called Jivaros, dwell in Cuchibam-
a M 10 han nft hQ Zam
far the other side of the Chicani which serves as
the landing place in coming from Lola, and is dis
tant five days journey from Gualaquisa in ascending
and only two in descending. The Jvaros live in
that complete natural liberty so hurtfnl both to the
body and mind; since from 1t arises poligamy, which
the vigilance and efforts Of the parochial clergy is
not enough to restraint hence results the repugnance
to embrace the Christian religion, and consequently
the slavery and abject condition OF the women vic
tins of the incidence inconsistency, and luxury of
the men; and it may be affirmed that these three
passions form the distinctive characteristics Of these
unfortunate people.
Their dwelling places, which they change at least
every six years, are exactly elliptic, and occupied by
separate families each one of which occupies sort Of
cabin made Of bamboo cane, in which may be seen
cerbatana, "a tube Of great length to blow clay pei
lets through-they sometimes eight to nine feet
long-the Indians kill birds by means of these, with
great expedition) lance, shield, some feather
ornaments, black and red beads, and four or six
game dogs. Round about is plantation of yuca,
plantan cotton, (toqulla) and (huayusa). They
abandon these dwellings sometimes before the six
years. if Jvaro dies, whose body seated. with lance
and shield at his side and surrounded by viands and
drinks remains shut up, and no one ever returns to
inhabt the place; which proves according to their
coDft ssion, the Immortality Of the soul and the
istence of divine being, Judge Of good and bad ac-
tons who Furnishes through the medium of bad
spirit called Yhuanchi. Their language is poor, and
supplied with many words from the Quichua. Their
Enumeration only runs up to four, and to express
higher number they make use OF their fingers and
toes. As descendants of the ancient insurgents Of
Lagrona, &C., they preserve the maxim of not lighting
national body, but in detached parties, amongst
the woods, reducing their tactics to assassination
Their dress consists Of piece Of CLOTH which covers
from the waist down to the thighs.
There are about forty cuadras cleared between
Guaaquisa and Yumaza, cultivated by twelve peo-
pie, between men and women, who have remained
in spite Of the fear inspired into them by the Pagans
Many families have dwet there, but as they had no
security either for their persons for their goods
account of the want Of social order, which could
offer them positive guarantee, they abandoned with
l.sl