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THE CHIEF JAVITA.
shrub in flower, o r bearing fruit; it appears t o b e l o n g t o the family o f the leguminous plants, the chemical properties of which are singularly varied. W e dreaded so much the sufferings t o which we had been e x p o s e d , that we constantly kept some branches o f the uzao in o u r boat, till we reached San Carlos. This shrub g r o w s in abundance on the banks o f the Pimichin. W h y has n o r e m e d y b e e n discovered for the irritation p r o d u c e d by the sting of the zancudos, as well as for that, occasioned by the aradores or m i c r o s c o p i c acari ? In 1700, before the expedition for fixing the boundaries, better known by the name o f the expedition o f Solano, the w h o l e country bet ween the missions o f Javita and San Balthasar was regarded as dependent on Brazil. T h e Portuguese had advanced from the Rio N e g r o , by the portage o f the Cano Pimichin, as far as the banks o f the' T e m i . A n Indian chief o f the name o f Javita, celebrated for his c o u r a g e and his spirit o f enterprise, was the ally o f the P o r t u g u e s e . He pushed his hostile incursions from the K i o J u p u r a , o r Caqueta, one of the great tributary streams o f the A m a z o n , b y the rivers t a u p e and X i o , as far as the black waters of t h e T e m i and the Tuamini, a distance o f m o r e than a hundred leagues. H e was furnished with letters patent, which authorised him " t o bring the Indians from the forest, for the c o n q u e s t o f s o u l s . " H e availed himself amply o f this p e r m i s s i o n ; but his incursions had an object which was not altogether spiritual, that of making slaves to sell to the Portuguese. W h e n Solano, the second chief o f the expedi tion o f the boundaries, arrived at San Fernando de A t a b a p o , he had Javita seized, in one o f his incursions to the banks o f the T e m i . He treated him with gentleness, and succeeded in gaining him over to the interests o f the Spanish g o v e r n  ment by promises that were not fulfilled. T h e Portuguese, who had already formed some stable settlements in these c o u n t r i e s , w e r e driven back as far as t h e l o w e r part o f t h e Rio N e g r o ; and the mission o f San A n t o n i o , ot which the more usual name is Javita, so called after its Indian founder, was removed farther north o f the sources of the Tuamini, to the spot where it is now established. This captain. Javita, was still living, at an advanced age. when we proceeded to the Bio N e g r o , He was an Indian o f great vigour o f mind and b o d y , He spoke Spanish with facility, and preserved a certain VOL.
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