296 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



lery, and arms, have not been able, in two centuries, to 

 fubdue the Araucan warriors of South America, though 

 armed only with clubs and lances, nor the Apaches in 

 North America, armed with bows and arrows ; and 

 above all, what appears incredible, but is notwithftand- 

 ing certain, five hundred men of the nation of the Seris 9 

 have for many years been the fcourge of the Spaniards 

 of Sonora and Cinaloa. 



Laftly, omitting many other abfurd opinions of M. de 

 Paw againfl: the Americans, we fhall only now take no- 

 tice of the injury which he does them of the groffeft 

 kind in regard to their cuftoms. There are four princi- 

 pal vices with which he charges the Americans, glutto- 

 ny, drunkennefs, ingratitude, and pederafty. 



We never heard of the Americans being reproached 

 with gluttony until we met with that paifage in Mr. Con- 

 damine, cited and adopted by M. de Paw. We have 

 found no author, who was the leafl: inftru&ed in the af- 

 fairs of America, who did not praife the temperance of 

 the Americans in eating. Whoever pleafes may on this 

 point confult Las Cafas, Garces, the anonymous con* 

 queror, Oviedo, Gomara, Acofta, Herrera, Torquema- 

 da, Betancourt, &c. All hiftorians mention the won- 

 der of the Spaniards at the temperance of the Indians ; 

 and, on the contrary, the wonder of the Indians to fee 

 the Spaniards eat more in one day than they did in a 

 week. In ftiort, the fobriety of the Americans is fo no- 

 torious, that to defend them on this fubjecl: would be fu- 

 perfluous. Mr. Condamine perhaps fawln his travels 

 pn the river Maragnon, fome famiftied Indians eat very 

 greedily, and from them was perfuaded, as happens of- 

 ten to travellers, that all the Americans were gluttons. 

 It is certain that Ulloa, who was in America with Mr. 



Condamine. 



