Miscellaneous Facts and Observations, 141 



Reader (continues our author), whether the conceit 

 of Purgatory have not been a vain policy of Rome, to 

 enrich the Priest and Clergy, with Mass stipends 

 from such as die, making them believe that nothing 

 else can help their souls, if once plunged into that 

 conceited fire ; Where thou maist see that one con- 

 tagious sickness in two small Towns of Indians 

 brought unto me in less than half a year near a hun- 

 dred pounds for Masses for almost two hundred that 

 died. Nay such is the greedy covetousness of those 

 Priests, that they will receive three or four Mass sti- 

 pends for one day, making the people believe that the 

 same mass may be offered up for many, and do one 

 soul as much good as another. Thus with the 

 Plague of Locusts, and the contagion of sickness, for 

 the first two years together had I occasion to enrich 

 myself, as did other Priests my neighbours." 



The preceding observations on the Locusts and 

 malignant Fever of the empire of Mexico, are copied 

 from A New Survey of the West- Indies. Being a Jour- 

 nal of Three thousand and Three hundred Miles voithin 

 the main Land of America : By Tho. Gage, the only 

 Protestant that was ever known to have travelled these 

 Parts. London : 1699. See pages 367 — 371. 



It was in the year 1632, that the fever of which he 

 has given an account, proved so mortal to the Indian 

 inhabitants. There can be little doubt, that this was 

 no other than the malignant disease now generally 

 known by the name of Yellow-Fever. Imperfect as 

 is the description of our author, he mentions one 



