48 HISTORY OF THE [BOOK. i. 



Rochefort indeed observes, that all their interests 

 were in common. 



Their food, both vegetable and animal, excepting 

 in the circumstance of their eating human flesh, 

 seems to have been the same, in most respects, as 

 that of the natives of the larger islands, which shall 

 be described hereafter. But although their appetites 

 were voracious, they rejected many of the best 

 bounties of nature. Of some animals they held the 

 flesh in abhorrence ; these were the pecary, or Mexi- 

 can hog, the manati, or sea cow, and the turtle. || 

 Labat observes, that they scrupled likewise to eat 

 the eel, which the rivers in several of the islands sup- 

 ply in great plenty. || 



The striking conformity of these, and some other 

 of their prejudices and customs, to the practices of 

 the Jews, has not escaped the notice of historians. f 

 But whether the Charaibes were actuated by religious 

 motives, in thus abstaining from those things which 

 many nations account very wholesome and delicious 

 food, we are no where sufficiently informed* 



It most probably was, however, the influence of 

 superstition that gave rise to these and other ceremo- 

 nies equally repugnant to the dictates of nature and 

 common sense ; one of which appears at first extraot- 



Gumilla, torn. ii. p. 12, 70, 2,37. Lafitau, torn. i. p. 515. 



|| Rochefort, \\v. ii. c. 16. 



* Labat, torn. iv. p. 304. 



f Gumilla, Adair, Du Tertre, and others. 



