The Htfiory of Book II 



That they took it from fuch as were their friends and confede* 

 rates, and that as an Elogy of honour. In firae, we alfo af- 

 firm, that it is not only in their drunkennefs and debauches, 

 that our Indian Inhabitants of the Iflands call themfelves Carib- 

 brans, but they do it alfo when they are fober and in cold 

 blood $ And as to their calling themfelves Calinago, it is pofc 

 fible they may have many different names, whence it does not 

 ever the more follow, that they had received any of them 

 from the Europeans. For the denomination of Qubao-bonon $ 

 the fignification of the word fufficiently (hews, that it is not 

 particular to them, and that it may be generally applyed to 

 any Inhabitants of Iflands. And whereas they make ufe of the 

 name of Caribbians rather than of any other, when they fpeak 

 to ftrangers, it is becaufe they are apprehenfive enough that 

 that name is beft known to them : but it is not to be conclu- 

 ded thence, that they received it from the Spaniards, nay it 

 might be more probably affirmed that the Spaniards themfelves 

 having learnt it of them, mould afterwards have communica- 

 ted it to other Europeans. But as to our defign, it matters not 

 much whether opinion be embrac'd, and every one may fol- 

 low which fentiment liketh him beft } only we have taken the 

 liberty to propofe what we conceived moft probable. 



As to the originals of the infulary Caribbians, thofe who 

 have hitherto given any account of them, have had fb little 

 light to guide themfelves by in that obfcure piece of Antiqui- 

 ty, that they may be (aid to have grop'd all their way : fome 

 imagine that they are defcended from the Jews, grounding 

 their conjecture, among other things, on this, that the Carib- 

 bians are obliged to marry thofe Kinfwomen of theirs that are 

 next of kin to them, and that fome among them eat no fwines 

 flefli nor Tortoifes : But this is to fetch a thing too far off, 

 and to ground an imagination on too weak conjectures. 

 There are others who would have them to come over from the 

 Haven of Caribana 9 and pretend that they were trajofported 

 thence : But this opinion is grounded only on the clinching of 

 the words Caribana and Caribbians, without any other con- 

 firmation. 



There are yet others who affirm, and that upon a fimple 

 conjecture, that the(e Savages are the originary Inhabitants 

 of the greater Iflands, and that it is not long fince they came 

 into thofe now oalled the Caribbies, where they took refuge 

 as the remainders of the horrid Maflacres committed by the 

 Spaniards, when they poflefs'd themfelves of St. Domingo, Cu- 

 ba, Jamaica, and Porto-Rico : But this is confuted by the cer- 

 tainty of Hiftory, which a(Tures us, that at the firft beginning 

 of the difcovery of America, the Caribbies were pofleffed and 

 inhabited by the Caribbians $ that at firft they were (iirprized 

 and ill-entreated by the Spaniards $ but that afterwards thefe 



