36 A VOYAGE TO Book IV. 



be conceived*. This is their food; their lodging 

 is the entrance of the fquares and the portico's of 

 churches, till their good fortune throws them in the 

 way of hiring themfelves to fome trader going up 

 the country, who wants a fervant. The city mer- 

 chants, (landing in no need of them, difcountenance 

 thefe adventurers. Affedcd by the difference of the 

 elimate, aggravated by bad food, dejedted and tortured 

 by the entire difappointment of their romantic hopes, 

 they fall into a thoufand evils, which cannot well be 

 Teprefented ; and among others, that diftemper called 

 Chapetonada, or the diftemper of the Chapetones, 

 without any other fuccour to fly to, than Divine Pro- 

 vidence ; for none find admittance into the hofpital 

 ■^of St. Juan de Dios, but thole who are able to pay_, 

 and, confequently, poverty becomes an abfolute ex- 

 clufion. Now it is that the charity of thefe people 

 becomes confpicuous. The Negro and Mulatto free 

 women, moved at their deplorable condition, carry 

 them to theif houles, and nurfe them with the greateft 

 care and affe6tion. If any one die, they bury him by 

 the charity they procure, and even caufe malTes to be 

 faid for him. The general iffue of this endearing be- 

 nevolence is, that the Chapetone, on his recovery, dur- 

 ing the fervour of his gratitude, marries either his Ne- 

 gro or Mulatto benefadrefs. or one of her daughters; 

 and thus he becomes fettled, but much more wretch- 

 edly than he could have been in his. own country, with 

 only his own labour to fubfift on. 



The difinterellednefs of thefe people is fuch, that 

 their compaffion towards the Chapetones muft not be 

 imputed to the hopes of producing a m.arriage, it be- 

 ing very common for them to refufe fuch offers, either 



^ This is called Mandioc by the natives, and is the chief fubfti- 

 -tute the poorer people have for bread; and fo hr from being re- 

 Jedled even by the richer, that many prefer it to bread made from 

 the bell European flour, mach more-to bifcuit, which after fuch. 

 a, voyage generally begins to be full of weoviis. A. 



with 



