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them were upwards of eighty years of age, and, as they had resided 

 here more than fifty, they were able to give many curious accounts of 

 the country, and of the progress and dechne of its mines. I was 

 much pleased with the information they communicated, but more so 

 with the attention of the good curate, who corrected every misrepre- 

 sentation, and seemed anxious that I should not be led into error, 

 either through accident or design, some means or other, an 



opinion circulated among them that I was a physician, and numbers 

 of infirm persons, principally old men, women, and children, were 

 brought to me for advice. In the evening we were entertained with 

 music by some of the younger females, who brought their guitars, and 

 sung several pleasing airs. 



I was here shewn a Bootocoody Indian boy, apparently about 

 nine years of age, who had been taken about six months before. 

 He could not utter a word of Portugueze ; but, from the expression 

 of his countenance, he seemed capable of being taught any thing. 

 His eyes had so much vivacity in them that they almost spoke, es- 

 pecially when his attention was attracted by any thing agreeable, as 

 I found by oifering him a few sweetmeats, with which he seemed 

 much delighted. I examined his features and the construction of 

 his frame with some curiosity, as exhibiting the characteristics of the 

 singular race of men from whom he sprung. The face was short, the 

 mouth rather wide, the nose broad, the eyes large and black, skin of 

 a dusky copper-colour, hair jet black, strong, straight, and of regular 

 length, limbs stout and well-proportioned, feet large, probably from 

 going without shoes. He lived with a poor woman, who clothed 

 and brought him up exactly as one of her family. On enquiring how 

 he came there, I was informed that he belonged to a party of Indians 

 who were surprised at a place about six leagues distant, and all either 

 fell or escaped, except this little fellow, who was taken care of, and 

 brought hither by an officer resident in the village. 



Being still too unwell to travel, I remained another day, and met 

 with every attention and care from the good clergyman and his 



