GOSSIP THE AFFINITY OF RACES. 297 



mlty of these preiudices to those of the Egyptians, long before the 

 exodus of the Jews, and to those of the Jews in every period of their 

 national history, is remarkable. Yet one fact alone is sufficient to 

 prove that there could be no affinity except such as must have sub- 

 sisted in the earliest ages of mankind. There can be little doubt 

 from what is stated, that they made a distinction between clean and 

 unclean animals, which must have been impressed long previous to 

 the age of Noah. But the Caribs did not practice circumcision, 

 which was pretty general amongst the early Egyptians, and is an 

 imperative obligation amongst the Jews to the present day, and 

 would have been observed also by the Caribs had there been 

 any affinity with those nations. This omission attests that they were 

 not indebted to either for their origin, or to any accidental influences 

 by which the peculiar rites of Jewish civilization could operate to 

 change their mode of life. 



Another curious custom proving their high antiquity, and bearing 

 upon the question of their affinity, which appears very extraordinary, 

 but is well authenticated, is related of them. On the birth of his 

 firstborn the father took to his bed with the baby, and fasted with 

 a strictness that often endangered life. On the birth of every male 

 child he was sprinkled with some drops of his father's blood. La- 

 fiteu observing that this custom was also practised by the Tybaren- 

 ians of Asia, and the Iberians or ancient inhabitants of Spain, and 

 is still in use amongst the people of Japan, not only urged the 

 circumstance as a proof among others that the new world was 

 peopled from the old, but pretends to discover in it some traces of 

 the doctrine of original sin ; he supposes that the severe penance 

 thus voluntarily submitted to by the father, was at first instituted in 

 the pious view of protecting his issue from the contagion of heredi- 

 tary guilt; averting the wrath of offended Omnipotence at the 

 crime of our first parents, and expiating their guilt by his sufferings. 

 Strange then as this custom was, and practised among other Ameri- 

 can tribes, of which several instances might be adduced, it was like- 

 wise prevalent among some of the most ancient races of the Eastern 

 hemisphere. It is strong evidence of affinity with them, although 

 80 widely separated ; but it does not imply that the new world was 

 peopled from the old. The traces of the doctrine of original sin, 



