I S L E O F F O II M O S A. 151 



the northern, the fidn of a ftag made into a fleevelefs jacket. 

 Their bonnet is formed of Banana leaves, adorned with tufts of 

 the feathers of cocks or pheafants. 



Their morals have been much mifreprefented by the Ch'ineje 

 and the Jefuits. They have no external worfhip, but a ftrong 

 notion of a Supreme Being, which renders them a quiet, honelt, 

 and benevolent race. An inveterate hatred fublifts between them 

 and the Chinefe. The laft had reafon to fuppofe that the ifland 

 had its- gold mines ; but as they could not difcover them in their 

 parr, they equipped a fliip, and failed to the eaftern. They were 

 received by the natives in the moil: humane manner, invited 

 on fhore, and furnifned with every necefTary. In this vifit the 

 Chinefe obferved in the poor cottages a few ingots of gold left 

 negligently, as if of no value. This excited their avarice ; they 

 made their hofts drunk, and in their lleep cut all their throats, 

 and carried away the gold, the incitement to this horrid adlion. 



It muft not be forgotten, that the hiftory of Formofa was Of Psalmana. 

 written by a perfon who pretended to be a Japanefe converted 

 to chriftianity, and to have fled from his country to avoid the 

 dreadful punifhment inflided by the emperor on all profelytes. 

 He alTamed the name of Pfalmanazar, and is generally fup- 

 pofed to have been born in the fouth oi France. He was a man. 

 of uncommon abilities. After leading a vagabond life through 

 various parts of Europe, in which he acted the part of a moft 

 confummate impoftor, and futFering frequently the greateft mi- 

 fery from his profligate life, he was reduced to become a com- 

 mon foldier in a Scotch regiment at Sluys; there he firfl: aiTumed 

 the charader of xYiq Japanefe. Innes, a M'orthlefs chaplain of 



the 



ZAR. 



