35? 



Chap. XVIII. AMERICA 



thereof runs winding two Leagues long, and is planted on each fide with Cedar, 

 Pine-Trees,£^5W,and Sajfafras ; the top of which is a fair Plain a League in circum- 

 ference •, Eaftward from it is a Cavern, to which Nature hath afforded more Con- 

 venience and Ornament than could be given to the fame by Arc and Charges : The 

 firft Beams of the Rifing Sun dart into the Cavern, which being oval, appears like 

 a white Vault, which on the top hath a great Hole for the Air to go in at : The 

 bottom is like the pureft Marble ; on the Floor (lands a Stone Ciftern to receive 

 the Moifture which drops out of the Rocks. Whileft the People Danc'd on the 

 fore-mention'd Plain,Feafted and Sung, the Pricfts Offer'd Myrrhe, and all manner 

 of Perfumes* 



The Clothes which the Rich gave to the Sun, were diftributed amongft the 

 Poor, according to a Lift which was taken of them. 



But in procefs of time the Apalachites have mod of them embraced the (hrijliatl The oc^c™ 

 Religion } the firft occafion thereof was this : When John ^bauld had brought a futJStt, 

 French Colony to Florida, and gain'd a Fort, (which from King Qharles the Ninth he t«f. C * fl/ '*" 

 nam'd Charles-Fort) the Spanijh Commander <Peter Melende^ fell unawares upon him, 

 and fo far impower'd his Men, who had of themfelves a natural hatred againft the 

 French, that they fpar'd neither Man, Woman, nor Child • onely ten Men efcaping 

 the bloody Banquet, fled to the Floridan King Zaturiona, where they were kindly re- 

 ceiv'd, and hearing of the Civility and Power of the King of Apalachc, defir'd that 

 they might go thither . which Zaturiona not onely granted, but alfo furnilVd the 

 feven Frencb-mzn (for the other three were dead) with good Guides, who vifited 

 Zaturiona s Relations, living in feveral Villages along the pleafant Stream Selay, 

 over which they pafs'd on large Boughs artificially joyn'd together, and travell'd 

 through Woods, Marflies, and Mountains full of ravenous Beafts, and fomctimes 

 Engag'd with the ftragling Floridans which lurk'd in the mod defolatc Wilder- 

 nelTes: having travell'd two days Journey, by an Ambufcade of King Ttmago's 

 People, they loft two of their Guides, the reft being dangeroufly wounded, and 

 through many Difficulties came at laftto AVoeka, and from thence to the King of 

 Apalache's Court, who receiv'd them all with great kindnefs: Whereupon they re- 

 folv'd, being indue'd thereto by their courteous Reception, fruitfulnefs of the Soil, 

 and good Cuftoms of the Inhabitants, to Settle themfelves, all but two of them, 

 who retiatnM with the Guides to Zaturiona : the reft that ftay'd there, endeavor'd 

 by promulgating the Qhriftian Religion, to reduce the Pagans to the belief thereof ; 

 which many embrae'd, and alfo learn'd the French Tongue, notwithstanding their 

 Priefts JaoVa's oppos'd the fame. After the death of the French (which the Apalachites 

 much bemoan'd) their Idolatry had like to have gotten the upper hand again, had 

 not fome Englifl? Families, fleeing from Virginia from the Cruelties of the Indians, 

 and notable to reach New England, Landed at Florida, with intention at firft onely 

 to get frefh Provifions, but Rowing up the River Selay, and taken with the plea- 

 fantnefs, they chofe the Province Bemarin for their Habitation, where accordingly 

 they Setled Anno 1621. Amongft them were feveral Learned Men, which fo effe- 

 ctually perfwaded the Heathens to embrace the Chriftian Faith, that in twenty eight 

 years time the King and moft of his Nobles were Converted and Baptiz'd by them 

 in the chief City Melilot. 



But fince our Defign is onely to give you an exact Account of thofe People 

 which inhabit the Iflands lying before America, it is fufficient that we have fhew'd 

 you how they are Extracted from the Qofachites and the Apalachites. 



As to the Cuftoms of the Carihbeeans, fince they are very much alter'd by their 

 long Convcrfation with the Europeans, we cannot better inform our felves of their 



antienc 







