36 A VOYAGE TO Book T. 



ceived *". This is their food ; their Iodising is the en- 

 trance of the Iquares and the porticos of" churches, till 

 their good fortune throws them in the wa\' of hiring 

 themlclves to ibme trader going up the country, who 

 wants a Icrvant. The city n;erchants, llanding in 

 no need of them, diicountenancc thete adventurers. 

 AfFe6ied by the difference of the climate, aggravated 

 by bad food, dejeéled and tortured by the entire dil- 

 nppointment of their romantic hopes, they fall into a 

 thoufand evils, which cannot well be reprefented ; 

 and among others, that diftemper called Chapeto- 

 nada, or the difiernpcr of the Chapetones, without 

 any other fuccour to fiy to, than Divine Providence ; 

 for none find admittance into the holpital of St. Juan 

 de Dios, but tliofe who are able to pay, and, confe- 

 quenily, poverty becomes an abiolute exclufion. 

 Now it is that the charity of thefe people becomes 

 confpicuous. The Negro and Mulatto free VAi-omen, 

 moved at their deplorable condition, carry them to 

 their houfes, and nurfe them with the greateft care 

 and affeiiion. If any one die, they bury him by the 

 charity they procure, and even caufe mafles to be faid 

 for him. The general ifiue of this endearing benevo- 

 lence is, that the Chapetone, on his recovery, during 

 the fervour of his gratitude, marries either his Ne^ro 

 or Mulatto benefaélrefs, Oi- one of her daughters ; and 

 thus he becomes Icttled, but much more wretchedly 

 than he could have been iii his own country, with 

 only his own labour to tbbfiit on. 



The diiintereftednefs of thefe people is fuch, that 

 their corapaiTiou towards the Chapetones mult not be 

 imputed to the hopes of producing a marriage, it 

 being very common for them to refufe fuch offers, 



* This is called l^Tiindioc by the natives, and*is the chief fubftitute 

 the poorer people have tor bread ; and fo far from being reje¿l:ed even 

 by the richef', that many prefer it to bread made from the beil Euro- 

 pean flour, much more to bifcuit, which after fuch a voyage gene-, 

 ■ rally begins to be full of weevils. A, 



either 



