Habit of an Indian of Montevideo in South America in 1764

by Thomas Jefferys

The copper engraving, "Habit of an Indian of Montevideo," by Thomas Jefferys offers a very interesting, albeit Eurocentric, view of the cultural scene of South America in the 18th century. This particular engraving appeared in the work entitled "A Description of the Spanish Islands and Settlements on the Coast of the West Indies."

By 1764, Montevideo was still a young colony, founded by the Spanish a few decades ago to counter the growth of Portugal. The Indian that appears in the engraving may be from either the Charrúa or Minuane tribe.