148 Augufi 1749. 



they do not ftudy to increafe their know-* 

 ledge, but forget even what little they 

 knew before. At night they generally ly 

 on mats, or fofHe other hard matrafles ; 

 howevery I have fometimes feen good beds 

 in the cells of fome of them. They 

 have no pofTeffions here, having made vows 

 ©f poverty, and live chiefly on the alms 

 which people give them. To this pur- 

 pofe, the young monks, or brothers, go 

 into the houfes with a bag, and beg what 

 they want. They have no congregations 

 in the country, but fometimes they go 

 among the Indians as miflionaries. In each 

 fort, which contains forty men, the king 

 keeps one of thefe monks, inftead of a 

 prieft, who officiates there. The king 

 gives him lodging, provilions, fervants, and 

 all he wants J beiides 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 fhips are generally no other priefts 

 than ihefe 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 imme- 

 diately be filled up, they fend one of thefe 

 friars there, to officiate whilfl: the place is 



* Fajiiur, 



va- 



