CANNIBALISM. 



22! 



Now, as flesh will not keep sweet more than a day 

 in those hot climates, the Indian cut off the dead 

 maroon's hand ; — dried it over a slow fire, and then 

 packed it in the pegall, as described above ; to 

 be produced at head quarters, when the promised 

 reward was claimed. 



This is the true history of dried hands having 

 been found in the pegalls of the Indians : — a dis- 

 covery, certainly at first sight, suspicious enough to 

 fasten on these natives of Guiana, the unenviable 

 reputation of being genuine cannibals. 



When St. Francis Xavier, the glorious apostle of 

 the East Indies, had set his heart upon christian- 

 izing the barbarians who inhabited the Island of 

 Moro, and its dependencies ; he was entreated by the 

 Portuguese people not to think of such a perilous 

 enterprise. In order that they might possibly 

 deter him, from undertaking the expedition, they 

 assured him, that the inhabitants were cannibals ; 

 that, they poisoned each other ; that their nourish- 

 ment consisted of human flesh ; — that, when one 

 of the family died, they cut off the hands and feet, 

 out of which they made a savoury dish :— nay, 

 their depravity went so far, that, when they 

 intended to give a grand dinner to their neigh- 

 bours, they requested one of their friends to give 

 them up an aged father to be made into a dainty 



