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their birth; and, according to the result of their 
observations, arbitrarily decree their future fate. The 
unfortunate months are March and April: the eighth 
day, and last week of every month, are equally in¬ 
auspicious : Wednesday and Friday in each week are 
also unhappy days; and even hours are influenced by 
a bad aspect of an unlucky planet. Thus, during 
nearly half the year, is the race of human beings 
devoted to destruction, and the population attacked 
at its very source. The usual methods of accom¬ 
plishing the horrid deed, are, exposing them in the 
woods to the teeth of ferocious animals, and drowning: 
the former is the most practised. 
Parental affection, however, sometimes gets the 
better of their superstitious fears, and breaks through 
the chains with which nature is fettered by a heathen 
education. In pursuance of its dictates, slaves are 
often employed to save the children from destruction, 
by conveying them secretly to some remote spot in 
the woods, where they are nourished and brought up; 
while sacrifices of oxen and fowls are made, in order 
to take off the malignity of the predominant star, 
which they believe would follow the child through life, 
were they to neglect these customary and superstitious 
practices. 
Such is the religion of the Madegasses ; and such 
is human nature, when left to the guidance of reason, 
without the aid of divine revelation. In all countries, 
and all ages, mankind are the same under similar 
circumstances ; and whatever superiority we perceive 
