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principles, improperly called Manicheism, is very 

 ' extensive, or in other words, is found to be esta- 

 blished among almost all the barbarous nations of 

 both continents. These being, from the unculti- 

 vated state of their minds, incapable of investigating 

 the origin of good and evil, and deducing inferences 

 from eficcts, have had recourse to the invention of 

 two opposite agents, in order to reconcile the appa- 

 rent contradiction in the natural and moral govern- 

 ment of the world. 



The Guecubu is the Mavari of the Oronoques, 

 and the Aherman of the Persians. He is, according 

 to the general opinion of the Araucanians, the effi- 

 cient cause of all the misfortunes that occur. If a 

 horse tires it is because the Guecubu has rode him. 

 If the earth trembles, the Guecubu has given it a 

 shock ; <«or does any one die that is not suffocated 

 by tlie Guecubu. In short, this evil being has as 

 great an influence over calamity as the occult quali- 

 ties of the Cabalists have upon physical effects ; and 

 if his power was real, he would be the most active 

 of ¿6.iy agent in this nether world. 



The Ulmenes of their celestial hierarchy are the 

 Genii, who have the charge of all created things, and 

 who, in concert with the benevolent Meulen, form a 

 counterpoise to the enormous power of Guecut^u. 

 They are of both sexes, male and female, who always 

 continue pure and chaste, propagation being un- 

 known in their system of the spiritual world. The 

 males are called Gen^ that is, lords, unless this word 

 should be the same as the Ginn of the Arabians. The 

 females are called Amei-mal^hen^ which signifies spi. 



