François-Xavier Eder

This is a transcript and its French translation of the first part of the Latin manuscript by the Jesuit F.-X. Eder about the missions or reductions in the 18th century in the now Bolivian Amazon basin. This article concerns the part Preliminary information about the Kingdom of Peru. With his personal experience and critical view Eder presents Lima in the 18th century, its inhabitants (Indians, Blacks and Spaniards), people's qualities and weaknesses, their lives and problems. Then he speaks about the mines where the Indians are exploited, one of the main reasons for thedecrease in population, about the agriculture and the slavery of the Blacks, about the means of communication and trade, about history and architecture, and about the relations with Spain and the Spaniards. He foresees the struggle for the independence of the colonies in America. Finally he broadens his discussion to the other Spanish colonies and to Brazil, the Portuguese colony, that borders on the Jesuit missions

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