Cap.XXLV. The Garibby-Iflands. 54.7 



means they have got out all the venome which lay in his bo- 

 dy, and caufed him tolanguifli : In fine, to put a period to this 

 abominable Myftery, they rub the fick perfon all over with 

 the juice of the Junipa- fruit, which dies his body of a very- 

 dark brown, which is as it were the mark and feal of his cure. 



He who is perfwaded that he hath recovered his health by this 

 damnable means, is wont by way of acknowledgment to 

 make a great feaft, at which the Boye hath the chiefeft place 

 among thofe who are invited : He is by no means to forget the 

 Anak?i for the Devil, who fails not to be there : But if the 

 Boye finds by the communication he hath had with his fami- 

 liar, that the ficknefs is to death, he comes and comforts the 

 fick perfon, telling him that his God, or to fay better his fami- 

 liar Devil, having compaffion upon him, will take him into 

 his company, and carry him along with him to be delivered 

 out of all his infirmities. 



Certain people of old finding themfelves unable to endure m ~~ 

 the trouble and inconveniences of decrepit age, were wont ^^n, 3* 

 to difpatch their wearied fouls out of their infirm bodies with a °' 3 ' 

 glafs of Hemlock: And fome others, as Pliny affirms, being Lib.^.c.12 

 weary of their lives, caft themfelves into the Sea : But in other 

 Countries the Children thought it too long to ftay till their *«4 ,c * 1 * 

 Parents were come to fo great age, and fo became their Exe- 

 cutioners, and this they were authorized to do by a publick 

 Law. And even at this day the Sun (nines upon fome Provincesr 

 ofFbrida 3 where there are people fo curfed, as upon a certain 

 motive of Religion and Piety, to put their Parents to death 

 when they are old, as perfons ufeleft in this world,and charge- 

 able to them. 



But how old foe ver they may be among the Caribbiahs^ the 

 Children are never troubled to fee their Fathers and Mothers 

 in that condition : True it is, that fome Caribbians heretofore 

 have haftened the death of their Parents, and have killed their 

 Fathers and Mothers out of a perfwafion that they did a good 

 work, and rendred them a charitable office,by delivering them 

 out of many inconveniences and troubles which attend old age.' 

 An old Captain among them,whom the Frenc h called Le Piloted 

 made it his boaft that he had done that deteftable fervice to 

 many of his Anceftors : But ids tobeobferved that the Carib- 

 bians did not praSife that inhumanity, but only towards thofo 

 who defired to be delivered in that manner out of the miferies 

 of this life 3 and fo it was a certain compliance with their ear- 

 neft entreaties who were weary of their lives : Moreover that 

 piece of barbarifm was never univerfally received among them, 

 and the more prudent fort do at the prefont deteft it, and main- 

 tain their Fathers and Mothers to the laft galp, with all the 

 care, and all the expreffions of love, honour, and refpect that 

 can be expected from a Nation which hath no other light' for 



Y y 2 its 



