74 



ritory to white men, and the shackles which they 

 lay on the exchange of productions. Monopo- 

 lies every where irritate the people ; not only 

 such as have an influence on commerce and the 

 material wants of life, but also the right, which 

 one cast or branch of the community arrogates 

 to itself, of bringing up youth, or of governing, 

 not to say civilizing, the savages. 



We were shown in the little church of 

 Atures some remains of the ancient wealth of 

 the Jesuits. A silver lamp of considerable 

 weight lay on the ground half-buried in the 

 sand. Such an object, it is true, would no 

 where tempt the cupidity of the savage ; yet I 

 ought here to remark, to the honor of the natives 

 of Oroonoko, that they are not addicted to steal- 

 ing, like the much less savage tribes of the 

 islands in the South Sea. The former have a 

 great respect for property; they do not even 

 attempt to steal provision, hooks, or hatchets. 

 At Maypures and Atures locks on the doors are 

 unknown \ they will be introduced only when 

 whites and men of mixed race establish them- 

 selves in the missions. 



The Indians of Atures are mild, moderate, and 

 accustomed, from the effects of their idleness, to 

 the greatest privations. Formerly, excited to 

 labour by the Jesuits, they did not want for 

 food. The fathers cultivated maize, French 

 beans (frisoles), and other European vegeta- 



