148 -Augujl 1749. 



they do not ftudy to iacreafe their know- 

 ledge, but forget even what little they 

 knew before. At night they generally ly 

 on mats, or fome other hard matrafles; 

 however, I have fometimes feen good beds 

 in the cells of fome of them. They 

 have no pofleffions here, having made vows 

 of poverty, and live chiefly on the alma 

 which people give them. To this pur- 

 pofe, the young monks, or brothers, go 

 into the hoafes with a bag, and beg what 

 they want. They have no congregations 

 in the country, but fometimes they go 

 among the Indians as miffionaries. In each 

 fort, which contains forty men, the king 

 keeps one of thefe monks, inflead of a 

 prieft, who officiates there. The king 

 gives him lodging, provifions, fervants, and 

 all he want? ; befides two hundred livres a 

 year. Half of it he fends to the commu- 

 nity he belongs to ; the other half he re*. 

 ferves for his own ufe. On board; the 

 king's fliips are generally no other priefts 

 than thefe friars, who are therefore looked 

 upon as people belonging to the king. 

 When one of the chief priefts * in the 

 country dies, and his place cannot inaiBoe* 

 diately be filled up, they fend one of thefe 

 ^fficiate whilft the place is 



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