THE MODERN AMAZONS. 17 



the fruit of their wombs, from the dread of them as 

 the living witnefles of their fhame. 



In nature fuch barbarous exceptions appear, and 

 therefore in experience the matter is without contra- 

 diction ; but an hiftorical certainty is absolutely want- 

 ing. Their whole hiftory is founded on traditions, 

 which the poet has moulded to his fancy, and the hif - 

 torian has adapted to his credulity. What Curtius fo 

 precifely and confidently relates of them may be always 

 as eaflly verified as many of the hiftorical afTertions of 

 Voltaire in his Univerfal Hiftory, and the reft of his 

 hiftorical romances. 



It is pofTible, therefore, that the antient Amazons 

 might have exifted ; the modern Amazons may ftill 

 exilf, but their exiftence is as little eftablifhed by 

 hiftory. 



Shortly after the difcovery of the New World, the 

 account was received in Europe, that in the fouthern 

 parts of America a nation had been difcovered entirely 

 composed of women, which, with proper allowances, 

 bore a great refemblance with the Amazons of anti- 

 quity. Oviedo, the hiftoriographer of the conqueft of 

 Mexico and Peru, mentions them firft in a letter to 

 cardinal Bembo, wherein he defcribes to him the en- 

 terprises of Oreilana. His words are as follow : 



"-In a certain region Oreilana and his companions 

 " had a bloody rencontre. The leaders of the enemy 

 iC were martial women. They appeared to be the 

 " chiefs in command, and were therefore by the Spa- 

 " niards termed Amazons. Indeed in many refpecls 

 cc they were very like the antient Amazons : like them 

 <c they lived without men, ruled over feveral provinces 



vol. t. c " and 



