Cap. VII. T&Caribby-ldands. 



peopled the Iflands : Whence it comes that the Wives of the Ca- 

 ribbian Inhabitants of the Ifhnds have a language different from 

 that of the Men in many things, and infome confonant to that 

 of the Aroitagttcs of the Continent. He who was the Comman- 

 der in chief in that Enterprife beftow'd the conquer'd Iflands 

 on his Confidents 5 and he to whofe lot the Ifland of Dominico 

 fell was called Ouboutou timani, that is to fay, King, and caufed 

 himfelf to be carried on the (houldersof thofe whom the Wan- 

 ders call LaboHjon ; that is. Servants. 



There is fo little certainty and fo much variety in all thefe 

 Relations, and others of the like nature, which thefe poor igno- 

 rant people make upon this occafion, that the moft prudent 

 fort of people conceive there cannot any judgment be ground- 

 ed thereon : And indeed thefe Savages themfelves fpeak not 

 thereof but at adventure, and as people tell ftories of what 

 they had feen in their dreams 3 fo carelefs have they been in 

 preferving the tradition of their Origine^ and they palpably 

 contradict and confute one the other by the difference of their 

 Relation* : However, we (hall find at the end of this Chapter 

 what feems moft probable to have given occafion to moft to 

 believe that they are ddcended from the Calibites. 



In all the feveral fentiments whereof we have given an ac- 

 count, either out of the Writings or Difcourfes of divers 

 others, there is this that's commendable. That thole who ad- 

 vance them,proceed confequently to the difcoveries they had 

 made, and that they do all that lies in their power to unravel 

 and difengage ancient and unknown Truths. But if the Re- 

 lation we ar,e about to give of theOriginfi of the Caribbian In- 

 habitants of the Iflandsj be the moft ample, the moft particular, 

 the moft full of Curiofities, and the beft circumftancd of any 

 that hath hitherto appear'd, it is but juft we fhould think it 

 accordingly the trueft and moft certain } yet with this caution, 

 that we ftill leave the judicious Reader at liberty to follow ; that 

 ^ntiment which (hall leern moft rational to him. And where- 

 as we ought to render everyone the commendation he juftly 

 deferves, , we are to acquaint the Publick, that it is oblig'd for 

 thefe Particularities and Difcoveries to the obliging Communi- 

 cit'v>n we have receiv'd thereof from one Mafter $rigfloek,an 

 Ettglifb Gentleman, one of the moft curious and inquifitive 

 Perfons in the World, who, among his other great and lingu- 

 lar accompliihments, hath attained the perfection of the Virgi- 

 nian and Floridian Languages, as having in his noble Travels 

 feen all the Iflands, and a great part of the Septentrional Ame- 

 rica. : By that means it was that he came exactly to underftand, . 

 upon the very place whereof we {hall make mention, and from 

 fuch intelligent Perfons as could give him an account thereof 

 with force certainty, the enfuing Hiftory of the Origine of our 

 Savages, the truth whereof he will make good whenever occa- 

 fion (ball require. Ee The 



