TO THE COAST OP AMERICA. tf 



fruit of our labours, I gave them portions of it ; yet 

 they would only wonder at it, without doing any thing 

 farther. I feafted numbers of them on the provihons 

 which my people dreffed for me, and to which they 

 conftantly fhewed a great liking. Such treatment in- 

 creafed our intimacy from- day to day ; and as they 

 knew of no other means of obliging me, they brought 

 me their children in great numbers as hoftages, even 

 when I made no fuch requifttion, and had no need of 

 them ; yet, not to make them diffatisfied, I accepted 

 of many, and fent back the reft with fuitable prefents. 

 Our intimacy being thus eftablifhed, I began to exa- 

 mine into their conceptions of the deity ; and I was 

 pleafed to findjthat their hearts were not infecled with 

 idolatry. They knew but of two fovereign beings in 

 the univerfe, of whom one is good, the other bad j of 

 both they related numberlefs extravagancies confor- 

 mably with their ignorance and rudenefs. Upon this 

 I made an attempt to convey to them a general and 

 comprehend ble idea of the chriftian belief ; and ever 

 as I faw their curiofity increafe, I ftrove to profit as 

 far as I was able by the opportunity. Accordingly I 

 proceeded at leifure hours, to give to fuch as ihewed 

 an inclination to it, more particular information con- 

 cerning our belief, and to lead them to .piety towards 

 God and afFediion to their fellow^creatures, in which 

 I fenfibly touched their hearts. In a word, at my de- 

 parture I had made forty of them chriftians. 



They were baptized with fuch ceremonies as a man 

 might venture to ufe without being aprieft. And new 

 I perceived that they began to defpife the reft of their 

 ..countrymen ; and, what was ftill more furprirmg, as 

 vol. ii. c they 



