17 



tween the two Americas. Such a phenomenon 

 deserves particular attention, whatever may have 

 been the degree of barbarism and degradation, 

 in which all the nations of the plains of the 

 New Continent were found by the Europeans 

 at the end of the fifteenth century. If it be 

 true, that savages are for the most part degrad- 

 ed races, remnants escaped from a common 

 shipwreck, as their languages, their cosmogonic 

 fables, and a crowd of other indications seem to 

 prove, it becomes doubly important to examine 

 the paths, by which these remnants have been 

 driven from one hemisphere to the other. 



The fine nation of Caribbees now inhabits but 

 a small part of the country, which it occupied 

 at the time of the discovery of America. The 

 cruelties exercised by the Europeans have made 

 them disappear entirely from the West India 

 islands, and the coasts of Darien ; while, sub- 

 jected to the government of the missions, they 

 have formed populous villages in the provinces 

 of New Barcelona and Spanish Guyana. I 

 believe the Caribbees, who inhabit the Llanos 

 of Piritoo, and the banks of the Carony and the 

 Cuyuni, may be estimated at more than thirty- 

 five thousand. If we add to this number the 

 in dependant Caribbees, who live west of the 

 mountains of Cayenne and Pacaraymo, be- 

 tween the sources of the Essequibo and the 

 Rio Branco, we shall no doubt obtain a total 



VOL, VI. C 



