ABORIGINES OF THE WEST INDIES. 383 



in some mysterious way within their own province. During the 

 day the souls of the departed hid themselves in the fastnesses of 

 the mountains, but in the soft, fragrant tropical nights the souls were 

 said to emerge from their retreat and to come down to the valley, 

 to feed upon the fruit of the glossy-leaved mammee. This tree was 

 consequently deemed sacred by the Indians, who refrained from eat- 

 ing the fruit lest the spirits of their ancestors might want food. 



Of course, there were many variations in the rituals and beliefs of 

 the religions of the various tribes. It would be as impossible to 

 attempt an account even pretending to be comprehensive of their 

 creed, in the space of a few pages, as it would be to do so of the 

 churches and sects of Christianity; but such, in broad lines, is the 

 sketch left us by the Spanish writers of the faith of the peoples of 

 the Greater Antilles. Accounts of creeds given by opponents of 

 the religion are, of course, always liable to misconceptions and per- 

 versions. The Indians, on their side, seem often to have been under 

 the impression that the object worshiped and invoked by the Span- 

 iards was gold, and not the Trinity. Gold they already regarded 

 with a certain reverence, apparently esteeming it a sacred thing, as 

 before setting out to seek for it they underwent a certain course of 

 abstinence and fasting. 



Hatuey, a cacique of Santo Domingo, had emigrated thence 

 with his people to Cuba, in order to escape from the tyranny of the 

 Europeans. The Spaniards pursued the fugitives, and the cacique 

 exhorted his followers to resist to the uttermost, but pointed out to 

 them that no bravery of theirs could prevail unless they invoked and 

 conciliated the god of the Spaniards, who had shown himself to be 

 so powerful, and in whose honor their enemies were ready to em- 

 bark on any enterprise. 



Behold him [exclaimed Hatuey, showing his men a basketful of gold], 



behold that god for whom they undertake so much ; it is for him they 



came here. Let us, then, celebrate a feast in his honor, to obtain his 



protection. 



1 



Thereupon the Indians began their sacred songs, all the while 

 dancing around the gold. Hatuey, however, declared that they 

 could not be safe so long as the god of the Spaniards remained in 

 their neighborhood, and that he should be buried where he could 

 never be discovered. Amid shouts of joy from the people the gold 

 was then cast into the sea. But, unfortunately for the Indians, his 

 power was not so easily allayed as that of their zemis. The Span- 

 iards came, the cacique fell into their hands, and was condemned 

 to be burned alive. As he was being tied to the stake a Franciscan 

 friar drew near and attempted his conversion, telling Hatuey of the 

 heaven and hell of the Christians. "In this place of happiness 



