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Rh Marca, who penetrated thither from San Tadeo de los Antes, where the mountains allow a rugged entrance; and who, in the year 1733, had succeeded in founding two towns, which he named Tampianiqui and Aporoquiaqui. The abundance of the harvest discovered in the Pajonal, drew thither several celebrated labourers, namely, the venerable fathers, friar Manuel Bajo, friar Alonzo, belonging to the Order of the Holy Ghost, friar Cristoval Pacheco, and friar Fernando, belonging to the Order of Jesus. Such was the effect of their zeal, that in the year 1735, they had augmented the conversion to five numerous towns, the Indians residing in which were docile, attentive to the instructions they received, and carefully enrolled. Friars Pedro Dominguez, Francisco Gazo, and several others, hastened to their succour, and wrought with so much earnestness and activity, that in the year 1739, there were not less than ten towns of converts, containing upwards of twenty thousand Indians, without reckoning the very considerable numbers of adults and infants who had been swept off in the course of the preceding years, by sickness and other casualties, after having submitted to the baptismal ceremony, and embraced Christianity.

Such was the very flattering and successful progress made in these conversions, and in those of the mountain of salt, until at length, in the year 1742, a monster whom hell had engendered, swayed by ambition and pride, brought about their entire ruin, with the destruction of souls, lives, and properties, and in contempt of God and of the sovereign authority. This monster appeared in the person of the apostate Juan Santos, the pretended Ynca Atahualpa, whose open and declared rebellion was first manifested in the town of the great Pajonal, named Quisopango, whither he had been followed by a small number of conspirators. The flame might have been easily stifled on its breaking out, if the information given in the first instance by the converters had not been contemned. It was owing to this neglect that the rebel found time to reinforce himself, by bringing over new converts, and to fortify himself in the posts which enabled him to baffle the efforts of the troops, who had penetrated into the mountainous territory in various directions, with the intent of making him prisoner. The missionaries vented loud complaints when they perceived the gradual destruction of these very flourishing missions, which they had acquired and cultivated at the expence of their blood, sweat, and solicitude. The wish to maintain their converts in the christian faith, did not allow them to abandon these establishments; and they therefore came to the resolution to remain at their posts at every risk, and until the last extremity. This resolve was fatal to the venerable fathers, friars Domingo Garcia, and Joseph ,