Blende, Bartholome

Blende, Bartholome a Flemish Jesuit missionary, was born at Bruges, Aug. 24, 1675. He studied under the Jesuits at Malines, where he entered the order. Having been sent on a mission to Paraguay, he embarked at Cadiz with the archbishop of Lima. Arriving at Buenos Ayres, he applied himself to learning the language of the Guanarians, in which he succeeded admirably, and was sent on a mission to the Chiquites. He set out on this expedition Jan. 24, 1715, accompanied by D'Aree; their route lay through the Layaguas and other savage tribes, who, in the course of their voyage up a river, seized upon their boat and massacred Blende, about the close of 1715. His companion, who escaped at the time, was afterwards murdered. See Landon, Eccles. Dict. s.v.; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.