crufhing their oppreffors, were loft through the timidity of the people. Though the traditional hiftory of the Peruvians reprefents all the Incas as warlike princes, frequently at the head of armies, which they led to victory and conqueft; few fymptoms of fuch a martial spirit appear in any of their operations fubfequent to the invafion of the Spaniards. The influence, perhaps, of thofe inftitution which rendered their manners gentle, gave their minds this unmanly foftnefs; perhaps, de conftant ferenity and mildness of the climate may have enervated the vigour of their frame; perhaps, fome principle in their government, unknown to us, was the occafion of this political debility. Whatever may have been the caufe, the fact is certain, and there is not an inftance in hiftory of any people fo little advanced in refinement, fo totally deftitute of military enterprize. This character hath defcended to their pofterity. The Indians of Peru are now more tame and depreffed than any people of America. Their feeble spirits, relaxed in lifeless inaction, seem hardly capable of any bold or manly exertion. But, befides thofe capital defects in the political ftate of Peru, fome detached circumftances and facts occur in the Spanish writers, which difcover a confiderable remainder of barbarity in their manners. A cruel cuftom, that prevailed in fome of the most favage tribes, fubfifted among the Peruvians. On the death of the Incas, and of other eminent perfons, a confiderable number of their attendants was put to death, and interred around their Guacas, that they might appear in the next world with their former dignity, and be ferved with the fame respect. On the death of Huana - Capac, the moft powerful of their monarchs, above a thoufand victims were doomed to accompany him to the tomb. h) In one particular, their manners appear to have been more barbarous than those of most rude tribes. Though acquainted with the use of fire in preparing maize, and other vegetables for food; they devoured both flefh and fish perfectly raw, and astonished the Spaniards, with a practice repugnant to the ideas of all civilized people. i) Other dominions of Spain in America. But though Mexico and Peru are the poffeffions of Spain in the New World, which on account both of their ancient and prefent ftate, have attracted the greatest attention; her other dominions there are far from being inconfiderable, either in extent or value. The greater part of them was reduced to subjection during the first part of the fixteenth century, by private adventurers, who fitted out their fmall armaments either in Hifpaniola or in Old Spain; and were h) Acofta, lib. v. 7. i) Xerez, p. 190. Sancho, Ram. iii. 372, C. Herrera, dec. 5. lib. i. c. 3. we to follow each leader in his progrefs, we fhould difcover the fame daring courage, the fame perfevering ardour, the fame rapacious defire of wealth, and the fame capacity of enduring and furmounting every thing in order to attain it, which diftinguished the operations of the Spaniards in their greater American conquefts. A brief furvey of them, But, inftead of entering into a detail, which, from the fimilarity of the tranfactions, would appear almoft a repetition of what has been already related, I fhall fatisfy myself with fuch a view of thofe provinces of the Spanish empire in America, which have not hitherto been mentioned, as may convey to my readers an adequate idea of its greatnefs, fertility, and opulence, Such as are adjacent to the empire of Mexico. Cinaloa and Sonora, &c. I begin with the countries contiguous to the two great monarchies, of whofe hiftory and inftitutions I have given fome account, and shall then briefly defcribe the other districts of Spanish America. The jurifdiction of the viceroy of New Spain extends over feveral provinces, which were not fubject to the dominion of the Mexicans. The countries of Cinaloa and Sonora, that stretch along the east fide of the Vermilion fea, or gulf of Califor nia, as well as the immenfe kingdoms of New Navarre and New Mexico, which bend towards the weft and north, did not acknowledge the fovereignty of Montezuma, or his predeceffors. Thefe regions, not inferior in magnitude to all the Mexican empire, are reduced fome to a greater, others to a lefs degree of fubjection to the Spanish yoke. They extended through the most delightful part of the temperate zone; their foil is, in general, remarkably fertile, and all their productions, whether animal or vegetable, are most perfect in their kind. They have all a communication either with the Pacifick Ocean, or with the Gulph of Mexico, and watered by fuch rivers as not only enrich them, but may become fubfervient to commerce. The number of Spaniards fettled in those vaft countries, is indeed extremely fmall. They may be faid to have fubdued, rather than to have occupied them. But if the population in their ancient establishments in America thall continue to increase, they may gradually fpread over thofe provinces, of which, however inviting, they have not hitherto been able to take full poffeffion. Rich mines. One circumstance may contribute to the fpeedy population of some districts. Very rich mines both of gold and filver have been difcovered in many of the regions which I have mentioned. Wherever thefe are opened, and worked with fuccefs, a multitude of people. refort. In order to fupply them with the neceffaries of life, cultivation must be increased, artifans of various kinds muft affemble, and industry as well as wealth will be gradually diffufed. Many examples of this have occurred in different parts of America fince they fell under the dominion of the Spaniards. Populous villages and large towns have fuddenly arifen amidft uninhabited wilds and mountains; and the working of mines, though far from being the moft proper object towards which the attention of an infant fociety should be turned, may become the means both of promoting ufeful activity, and of augmenting the number of people. A recent and remarkable difcovery, and probable effects of this. A recent and fingular inftance of this has happened, which, as it is but little known in Europe, and may be productive of great effects, merits attention. The Spaniards fettled in the provinces of Cinaloa and Sonora, had been long difturbed by the depredations of fome fierce tribes of Indians. In the year 1765, the incurfions of thofe favages became fo frequent, and fo deftructive, that the Spanish inhabitants, in defpair, applied to the Marquis de Croix, viceroy of Mexico, for fuch a body of troops as might enable them to drive those formidable |