Cap. Xlll. The CaribbyAilands. 



eye : Thence comes it that they are deaf to the voices of an 

 infinite number of creatures which continually preach unto 

 them the prefence of their Creator And fo they daily ufe the 

 benefits of their Sovereign Matter, without ever reflecting 

 that he is the Author thereof, and making any acknowledg- 

 ment of his goodnefs, who hath fo liberally fupplyed them 

 therewith. 



They fay that the Earth is the indulgent Mother, who fur- 

 nifties them with all things neceflary to life .• But their terre- 

 ftrial minds are not raifed to any apprehenfion of that Almigh- 

 ty and all-merciful Father who fram'd the Earth, and by the 

 continual influence of his Divinity impregnates it with the ver- 

 tue of producing all things for the nouriftiment of man : If 

 any one fpeak to them concerning that Divine Eflence, and di- 

 fcourle with them of the myfteries of Faith,they will hearken to 

 all that is faid with much patience : But when the difcourfe is at 

 an end, they anfwer as it were in jeft. Friend thou art very elo- 

 quent , thou art veryfubtle, I would I could talk^as well thou dofit 

 Nay fometimes they fay as the Brafilians do, that if they fliould 

 furTer themfelves to be perfwaded by fuch difcourfes, their 

 Neighbours would laugh at them. 



A certain Caribbian being at work on a Sunday, Monfieur du 

 Moritel relates how that he laid to him, " Friend, he who hath 

 " made Heaven and Earth will be angry with thee for working 

 ec on this day 5 for he hath appointed this day for his fervice : 

 >" And I, reply d very bluntly the Savage, am already very angry 

 " H ith him 5 for thou fayeft he is the Maftei of the world and 

 c *of the feafons : He it is therefore who hath forborn to fend 

 " rain in due time, and by reafon of the great drought hath 

 "caufed my Manioc and my Potatoes to rot in the ground : 

 cc fince he hath treated me fo ill, I will work on every Sunday 3 

 ec though 'twere purpofely to vex him. See here a pregnant 

 example of the brutality of this wretched people. This di- 

 fcourfe is much like that of thofe fencelefs people among the 

 Topnambous who, when it was told them that God was the 

 Author of the Thunder, argued, that it followed he was not 

 good, fince he took fuch pleafure in frighting them after that 

 manner. But to return to the Caribbians. 



Thofe of the lame Nation who live in the Meridional Con- 

 tinent of Atnerica 6 h&ve no more Religion than the Inhabitants 

 of the Caribbies : Some among them have a certain refpecl: for 

 the Sun and the Moon, and imagine that they are animated 5 

 yet do they not adore them, nor offer, nor facrifice any thing 

 to them .• It is probable they have retaind that veneration 

 for thofe two great Luminaries from the remembrance of the 

 Jpalachites, among whom their Predeceflors had fometimes 

 fojourned. Our Iflanders have not preferved any thing of that 

 Tradition 5 but we lhall here fet down all that may be called 



Religioo 



