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Were seized with a superstitious dread ; all re- 

 solved to flee al monte, and the missionary ad- 

 journed his project of turning into derision the 

 demon of the natives. What extravagant ideas 

 present themselves to the imagination of an idle 

 monk, who passes his life in the forests, far from 

 every thing that can recall human civilization 

 to his mind. The violence with which the 

 attempt was made to execute in public at Tomo 

 the mysterious dance of the devils is so much 

 more strange, as all the books written by the - 

 missionaries relate the efforts they have used, 

 to prevent the funereal dances, the dances of 

 the sacred trumpet, and that ancient dance of 

 serpents > the Queti, in which these wily ani- 

 mals are represented as issuing from the 

 forests, and coming to drink with the men, 

 in order to deceive them, and carry off the 

 women. 



After two hours' navigation from the mouth 

 of the Tomo we arrived at the little mission of 

 San Miguel de Davipe, founded in 1 775, not by 

 monks, but by a lieutenant of militia, Don Fran- 

 cisco Bobadilla. The missionary of the place, 

 father Morillo, with whom we spent some hours, 

 received us with great hospitality. He even 

 offered us Madeira wine ; but as an object of 

 luxury we should have preferred wheaten bread. 

 The want of bread becomes far more sensible in 

 length of time than that of a spirituous liquor. 



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