466 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



A bold and lawless race,acr«stomed 

 to Ijt; always on horseback and 

 livinp^ nearly in a state of nature, 

 wanders over these i)lains. Amontr 

 them are many professed robbers, 

 who render travelling dangerous, 

 and are already beginning to form 

 into small bands. They live 

 almost entirely on the flesh of 

 cattle, without regarding to whom 

 they belong ; killing an animal at 

 every meal, and after satisfying 

 their hunger, leaving the remainder 

 of the carcase to the birds of prey 

 and the wild animals of the desert. 

 These men are well known, and 

 frequently pointed out in the 

 villages, but the inefficacy of the 

 laws leaves them at liberty, until 

 some act of uncommon atrocity 

 excites the attention of the ma- 

 gistrates. Even after being seized, 

 they frequently make their escape, 

 either through the carelessness of 

 their keepers, or the delays of 

 justice; and return with increased 

 avidity to their former mode of 

 life. In the villages and small 

 towns thinly scattered over these 

 plains, great dissoluteness of morals 

 prevails. The mixture of races is 

 a source of endless corruption, to 

 which are joined a climate inducing 

 indolence and voluptuousness, and 

 the total absence of all refined 

 methods of passing time away. 

 The highest delight both to wo- 

 men and men is, to swing about 

 in their hammocks, and smoke 

 9igars. Gambling to excess, and 

 tormenting of bulls, are their 

 principal amusements. Religion 

 has no beneficial effect upon their 

 morals ; if they commit sins, they 

 confess them and are forgiven. 

 To all this is joined an apathy 

 which is astonishing. Liveliness 

 forms no part of their character; 



on the contrary, they generally 

 speak in a mild and drawling tone, 

 which gives the highest idea of 

 indiff'erenoe, and almost of a dis- 

 inclination to the trouble of open- 

 ing their mouths. When a little 

 animated, however, this softness in 

 the voice of the women, it must 

 be confessed, is not unpleasing, 

 until its monotony becomes tire- 

 some to the ear of an European. 



I have not entered into a detail 

 of the various races which people 

 this country, as they are composed 

 of the same materials which exist 

 in all the Spanish colonies of South 

 America ; and have been frequently 

 and accurately described. Over 

 all, as is well known, until very 

 lately, the European was considered 

 as pre-eminent, frequently without 

 any just cause. Next in rank were 

 the Creoles, or descendants of Eu- 

 ropean parents, and then a long 

 succession of the various shades of 

 mixture with Indian or African 

 blood. The late revolutions in 

 this country have abolished some 

 of these distinctions, and seem 

 likely in time to destroy still more; 

 the probable consequences of which 

 are worthy of serious attention. 



The Sicilian Character. 



From Galt^s Voyages and Travels, 



Our knowledge of the charac- 

 ters of nations is derived from his- 

 tory ; but there are moral features 

 among every people which history 

 never describes. In estimating 

 the character of the Sicilians, this 

 consideration ought to be particu- 

 larly borne in mind. The island 

 has been so long connected with 

 Naples, that the two countries, in 



opinion, i 



