At San Fernando, and in the neighboring villages of San Baltasar and Javita, the missionaries live in attractive houses, covered in liana and surrounded by gardens. The tall pirijao were the most decorative part of the plantation. In our walks the head of the mission told us about his incursions up the Guaviare river. He reminded us how these journeys, undertaken for the 'conquest of souls', are eagerly anticipated by the Indians. All the Indians enjoy taking part, even old men and women. Under the pretext of recovering neophytes who have deserted the village, children of eight to ten are kidnapped and distributed among the missionary Indians a~ serfs, or poitos.