342 LAWSON'S IIISTOHY 



they will make you no manner of answer ; which 

 is as much as to say, I will not tell you. Many 

 other customs they have, for which they will ren- 

 der no reason or account ; and to pretend to give a 

 true description of their religon, it is impossible ; 

 for there are a great many of their absurdities, 

 which, for some reason, they reserve as a secret 

 amongst themselves ; or otherwise, they are jeal- 

 ous of their weakness in the practising them ; so 

 that they never acquaint any Christian with the 

 knowledge thereof, let writers pretend what they 

 will ; for I have known them amongst their idols 

 and dead kings in their Quiogozon for several days, 

 where I could never get admittance, to see what 

 they were doing, though I was at great friendship 

 with the king and great men ; but all my persua- 

 sions availed me nothing. JSTeither were any but 

 the king, with the conjurer, and some few old men, 

 in that house ; as for the young men, and chiefest 

 numbers of the Indians, they were kept as igno- 

 rant of what the elders were doing, as myself. 

 They all believe, that this world is round, and 

 that there are two spirits ; the one good, the oth- 

 er bad. The good one they reckon to be the au- 

 thor and maker of every thing, and say, that it is 

 he, that gives them the fruits of the earth, and has 

 taught them to hunt, fish, and be wise enough to 

 overpower the beasts of the wilderness, and all 

 other creatures, that they may be assistant, and 

 beneficial to man ; to which they add, that the 

 quera, or good spirit, has been very kind to the 



