EPIPHANE, Louis Marie, French missionary, born in Moirans, Franche Corot, d, in 1630" died in Cumana, Spanish Guayana, in 16!)2. His father, who was seneschal of Moirans, had destined him for a soldier, but at the age of twenty he joined the order of Capuchin monks, and requested permission to take part in the South American missions organized by them. In 1651 he was sent to Maranham, and studied several Indian dialects, which he soon spoke fluently. Afterward he resided for several years in the territory of the Tayupe Indians, where he founded several villages, among others that of Saint Marc in 1657, which was for some time renowned for its College. In 1661 the Spanish government commissioned Epiphane to explore the course of the Rio Grande, which he asrended as far as the River Amazonas. Afterward, in 1663, he ascended the latter River for 1,200 miles, he then went to Guayana, and founded at Viapoquo a mission and a College, alld in 1667 was appointed director of the College of Capuchin monks at Cumana. He filled this office till his death, and at the same time discharged the duties of general chief of the missions of Spanish Guavann and of the province of Caracas.

It is said that Father Epiphane founded upward of 200 villages in the province of Caracas, and that he contributed to the civilization of more than 40.000 Indians. He was the author of important works on America, which were published in the "Bibliotheca scriptura Capucinorum" of Bernard de Bologne (1754). These are "Annales historiques de la Mission des peres Capucins dans la Nouvelle Andalousie, Amerique du Sud, de 1615 a 1670 ..... Explorations le long du fleuve Ordnoque, 1662 ";" Ma mission sur le Rio Grande, 1661"; "Grammaire de la langue Tayupe"; "Les moeurs et coutumes des Indiens dans la Guyane Espagnole, 1690 "; and " La civilisation Indienne dans l'Amerique mdridionale, 1685," said to be the only work on the subject.