RELIGIOUS TEACHING. 



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Maria, and where he generally resided. Business took him to Pebas, 

 and unexpectedly detained him there for fifteen days. The Indians, 

 finding he did not return, reasoned with themselves and said, "Our 

 father has left us; let us go to him." Whereupon they gathered together 

 the personal property the priest had left ; shouldered the church uten- 

 sils and furniture, even to the doors ; set fire to their houses, and joined 

 the padre in Pebas. He directed them to the present station, where 

 they builded houses and established themselves. 



Our little padre has also considerable influence over them ; though, 

 when he will not accede to all their demands, they contrast his conduct 

 with that of Father Rosa ; call him mean, get sulky, and won't go to 

 mass. 



It is sad to see the condition of the Peruvian Indians. (That of the 

 Indians of Brazil is worse.) They make no progress in civilization, and 

 they are taught nothing. The generally good, hard-working, and well- 

 meaning padres, who alone attempt anything like improvement, seem 

 contented to teach them obedience to the church, observance of its 

 ceremonies, and to repeat the "doctrina" like a parrot, without having 

 the least idea of what is meant to be conveyed. The priests, however, 

 say that the fault is in the Indian — that he cannot understand. Padre 

 Lorente, of Tierra Blanca, thought he had his flock a little advanced, 

 and that now he might make some slight appeal to their understanding. 

 He accordingly gathered them together, and exhibiting a little plaster 

 image of the Virgin that they had not yet seen, he endeavored to explain 

 to them that this figure represented the Mother of God, whom he had 

 taught them to worship and pray to ; that She was the most exalted of 

 human beings ; and that through Her intercession with Her Son, the 

 sins and crimes of men might be forgiven, &c. The Indians paid great 

 attention, passing the image from hand to hand, and the good father 

 thought that he was making an impression ; but an unlucky expression 

 of one of them showed that their attention was entirely occupied with 

 the image, and that the lesson was lost upon them. He stopped the 

 priest in his discourse, to know if the image were a man or a woman. 

 The friar gave it up in despair, and fell back upon the sense-striking 

 ceremonial of the church, which I think (humanly speaking) is far 

 better calculated to win them to respect and obedience, and thus advance 

 them in civilization, than any other system of religious teaching. 



The mind of the Indian is exactly like that of the infant, and it must 

 grow rather by example than by precept. I think that good example, 

 with a wholesome degree of discipline, might do much with this docile 

 people ; though there are not wanting intelligent men, well acquainted 



