Ch. VI. SOUTH AMERICA. 415 



little stress is to be laid on what they say. The na- 

 tural dread, which more or less rises in- all men at the 

 approach of death, is what the Indians are less suscep- 

 tible of than any other people. Their contempt of 

 those evils which make the strongest impressions on 

 the minds of men, is such, that they view the approach 

 of death without peturbation : and the pain of the 

 distemper affects them more than the danger of it. 

 This I have often heard from several of the priests : 

 and their words are confirmed by daily instances. For 

 -when the priests perform the last offices to dying per- 

 sons, their answers are delivered with that composure 

 and serenity, as leave no doubt but the inward state 

 of their mind corresponds with these external ap- 

 pearances, being the principal and cause of them. 

 The Hke is even seen in tliose whom their crimes have 

 brought to die by the hands of justice; and among 

 many other examples, I happened myself to be an 

 eye-witness of one. Whilst 1 was at Quito, two male- 

 factors were to be executed ; one a Mestizo or Mu- 

 latto, and the otiier an Indian: both , having been 

 brought into the prison-chapel, I went to see them 

 the nio'ht before the execution. The former was at- 

 tended by several priests, who, in Spanish, exhorted 

 him to die like a Christian, and shew a becoming 

 fervour in his love to God, faith, and contrition, and a 

 detestation for the crimes he had committed. On 

 which, his aspect and whole deportment shewed a 

 sense of his condition. The Indian had also ec- 

 clesiastics about him, performing, in his own lan- 

 guage, the like kind offices. But to all appearance 

 he was less concerned even than those about him, and 

 seemed rather to be tilling a chacura, or tending a 

 herd, than on the eve of eternity. His appetite was 

 so far from leaving him, as was the case of his com- 

 panion, that he was more eager, and, after dispatching 

 his own, would have cleared his fellow -sufferer's 

 plate ; so that they were obliged to use some force to 



prevent 



