344 
A JOURNEY TO THE 
performing cures on the fick. yet they, as well 
as their credulous neighbours, are utterly dedfti- 
tute of every idea of practical religion. It is | 
true, fome of them will reprimand their youth | 
for talking difrefpectfully of particular beafts and. 
birds; but it is done with fo little energy, as to | 
be often retorted back in derifion. Neither is 
this, nor their cuttom of not killing wolves and 
quiquehatches, univerfally obferved, and thofe 
who do it can only be viewed with more pity and 
contempt than the others; for I always found it 
arofe merely from the greater degree of confi- 
dence which they had in the fupernatural power 
of their conjurors, which induced them to believe, 
that talking lightly or difrefpectfully of any thing 
they feemed to-approve, would materially affect 
their health and happinefs in this world: and I 
never found any of them that had the leaft idea | 
of futurity. Matonabbee, without one excepti- | 
on, was a man of as clear ideas in other matters | 
as any that lever faw. he was not only a perfect | 
mafter of the Southern Indian language, and their | 
belief, but could tell a better ftory of our Savi- 
our’s birth and life, than one halt of thofe who 
call themfelves Chriitians ; yet he always declar- 
ed to me, that neither he, nor any of his coun-" 
trymen, had an idea of a future tate. Though 
he had been taught to look on things of this 
kind as ufelefs, his own good fenfe had taught 
him to be an advocate for univerfal toleration 5 
-and I have icen him feveral times aflift at fome of 
the 
