APPENDIX.] WEST INDIES. 123 



that the word Charaibe, in the Arabic language, signifies, as 

 I am informed, a robber or destroyer, an appellation which we 

 may believe was frequently bestowed by the natives on the in- 

 vaders of their country. J 



The testimony arising from a similarity of manners, though 

 far less conclusive than the evidence of language, is surely, 

 in the present case, not without its force. That many of the 

 customs of the eastern nations prevailed among the Charaibes, 

 I have, I think, sufficiently demonstrated in the second chap- 

 ter of this work. Of some of those customs the resemblance 

 was probably fortuitous, and a similarity of climate and situa- 

 tion, might have given rise to others ; bitf when very singular 

 and arbitrary practices prevail between distant nations, which 

 are neither founded ia nature nor climate, nor proceed froni 

 situation and rank in the scale of refinement, the coincidence 

 can scarcely be deemed accidental. Thus, among other cus- 

 toms equally remarkable, it has been related that the Cha- 

 raibes buried their dead in a cowering posture, with their 

 knees to the chin. The very same custom prevails at this 

 day in the Sandwich islands of the South sea, the inhabi- 

 tants of which are, beyond all doubt, of eastern origin; arid 

 that it was an ancient practice of the eastern nations appears 



J Leri, and some others, speak of the Cbaralbes as priests or prophets 

 found in Brasil. Rochefort makes Charaibe a national name. These 

 words are oriental, sounding alike, but spelt differently 5 and of a dif- 

 ferent meaning : The priests may be called TI^K 2-lp as men who offer pip 

 jwgxv an offering, xofaCzs" is the greek word for a priest of Cybele, itnd& 

 CORYBANTES. mn^b pip C35TD S'Hp' 1 fy Leviticus i. 4. But if the 

 national name be derived from their warlike and predatory way of life, 

 then we may derive it from Sin the verb Chaldee. Syr. Arab, to lay 

 waste. The noun signifies a sword or spear and rfcnn Sam. War. 

 This explanation was given me by the friend mentioned in thi- preceding 

 note. 



Led yard 1 a MSS. penes me. 



