420 A VOYAGE TO Book VÍ. 



members of society : and that my superiors thought 

 so, appears from the ordinances relating to Ame- 

 rica. 



The Indians in general are robust, and of a good 

 constitution. And though the venereal distemper is 

 so common in this country, it is seldom known among 

 them : the principal cause of which unquestionably 

 lies in the quality of the juices of their body, not 

 being susceptible of the venom of this distemper. 

 Many however attribute it to a quality in the chicha, 

 their common drink. The disease which makes the 

 greatest havock among them, is the small-pox : which 

 is so fatal that few escape it. Accordingly it is looked 

 npon in this country as a pestilence. This distemper 

 is not continual as in other nations, seven or eight 

 years, or more, passing without its being heard of; 

 but when it prevails, towns and villages are soon 

 thinned of their inhabitants. This desolation is owing 

 partly to the malignity of the disease, and partly to 

 the want of physicians and nurses. Accordingly, on 

 being seized with this distemper, they immediately 

 send for the priest to confess ; and die for M^ant of 

 remedy and relief The like happens in all other dis- 

 tempers; and were they frequent, would be equally 

 fatal, these poor creatures dying for want of proper 

 treatment and assistance ; as is evident from the Cre- 

 oles, who are also attacked by the distempers of the 

 country. Some of the latter indeed die as well as of the 

 former; butmany morerecover,havingattendance and 

 a proper diet: whereas the Indians are in want of every 

 thing. What their houses and apparel are, has al- 

 ready been seen. Their b'ed is the same in health and 

 sickness ; and all the change in their food is in the 

 manner of taking it, not in the species itself; for, 

 however ill they may be, all they have is a small 

 draught of machca dissolved in chicha ; so that, if any 

 one does get the better of a distemper, it is more 



owing 



