CHAP, ii.] WEST INDIES. 27 



CHAPTER II. 



Of the Charaibts, or ancient inhabitants of the Windward 

 islands. Origin. Difficulties attending an accurate in- 

 vestigation of their character. Such particulars related 

 as are least disputed, concerning their manners and dis- 

 positions, persons and domestic habits, education of their 

 children, arts, manufactures and government, religious 

 rites, funeral ceremonies, &c. 'Some reflections drawn 

 from the whole. 



HAVING thus given an account of the climate 

 and seasons, and endeavoured to convey to the 

 reader some faint idea of the beauty and magnificence 

 with which the hand of Nature arrayed the surface of 

 these numerous islands, I shall now proceed to in- 

 quire after those inhabitants to whose support and 

 conveniency they were chiefly found subservient, when 

 they first came to the knowledge of Europe. 



It hath been observed in the preceding chapter, 

 that Columbus, on his first arrival at Hispaniola, re- 

 ceived information of a barbarous and warlike people, 

 a nation of Cannibals, who frequently made depreda- 

 tions on that, and the neighbouring islands. They 

 were called Caribbees, or Charaibes, and were repre^ 

 sented as coming from the east. Columbus, in his 

 second voyage, discovered that they were the inha^i- 

 tants of the Windward islands. 



