SUPERSTITIONS, 
273 
that of the American tribes, with those of the other nations of the 
world. The Moors told me, that the waters of the deluge retired 
to, and were absorbed in the lake Caudi or Caughi, which they 
also called Bahar Noohoo, or the sea of Noah. 
Amongst other observations, I recollect the Moors to have said, 
that Moses spoke hke God, that Abraham Avas the friend of God, 
that Jesus was a spirit of God, but that Mahomet was the best 
beloved of God. They added, that there were four books written 
by the inspiration of God, at different times. Moses wrote Tau- 
ratoo ; David, Zaboura ; Jesus, Lingheel ; and Mahomet, Al 
Koran. Lightning, they said, was occasioned by God waving his 
hand to direct the courses of his angels. One Moor was a great 
etymologist; he told me, that Mahomet rushing between two 
armies, who were fighting, exclaimed to one party, " Toorek ! 
Toorek \ " (leave off! leave off!) and that those people were thence- 
forward called Turks. I questioned them concerning the origin of 
nations ; they told me, that Japhet was the most active in covering 
the nakedness of his father, which Ham discovered, and thence the 
subjection of black men the descendants of Ham, to Europeans 
the descendants of Japhet. Shem, from whom they were them- 
selves descended, they said, was neither so good or so bad as his 
brothers, and therefore his children enjoyed a medium of endow- 
ment and favour. They augured from the sacrifice of sheep, with 
which the King supplied them abundantly, and, excepting those 
who had made a pilgrimage to Mecca, (of which they told us 
wonderful tales) did not hesitate mingling the superstitions of the 
natives with their own, either for their profit or safety. They were 
tolerably expert in slight of hand tricks. 
