La Plata

Sources from old books

1685. Geographia universalis: the present state of the whole world by Pierre Duval.

La Plata. THe Name of La Plata was given by the Spaniards to this Countrey, and a great River which waters it, in consideration of the Silver they received there, and of the Mines they found. This Countrey is pleasant and fertil•: It has a good Corn-Soil, Vineyards, fruitful Trees, and Cattle in abundance. It has a Rock, which by Antithesis is called Poor. Several Europeans have had a passionate desire to settle themselves here, in hopes of finding great Treasures. The King of Spain is acknowledg'd in most of the places of De la Plata: Wherefore in the year 1680, the Colonies of the Countrey sent Men to hinder the settlement of the Portuguese in the Isles S. Gabriel, near Buenosaires. The Spanish Governour has his Residence in the City of the Assumption, wherein there is a Garrison. The true Paraguay is towards the beginning of the great River of the same Name, which in our Tongue signifies the River of Feathers. Parana is along the River, which has Cataracts, or falls of Water, near two hundred Yards high. Buenos-aires is one of the best Spanish Colonies, by reason of the Commerce it drives in Brasile, from whence it receives the Merchandizes of Europe; which has invited the Spaniards of Potosi to go often thither to furnish themselves with Necessaries, in exchange for their Ingots of Silver, notwithstanding the rigorous Prohibitions of their King, whose Rights are lost by these means. A Proposal was made to his Catholick Majesty, to have his Silver of Peru brought this way, which is much nearer and shorter than that of Panama: But he thought not fitting to consent to it, for fear his Subjects should communicate their Commerce of Silver with the Portuguese of Brasile. The Inhabitants have great Trees, which they call Zaines, whereof they make Boats all of a piece. They shew the right wayes to several places by the felling of Trees: and as those Trees are some green, others either black, yellow, or red, the Forests are agreeably diversifyed by them. The Orechons are there remarkable for the bigness of their Ears. According to the Relations of the Year 1627, there are in La Plata, People more Civiliz'd, and more succeptible of our Arts and Religion, than in the other parts of America; they say that according to a Tradition, left their Fore-Fathers by St. Thomas, whom they call St. Sume, Priests should come into their Countrey with the Cross to instruct them, and teach them their salvation.