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the good, was a fertile vale, clothed with unfading verdure, and lodged in some deep recess to which their enemies could not approach. In this delightful region to which they had given the name of Coyaba, they expected to find those fruits and flowers, those cool recesses, and delicious retreats, provided for them, which nothing but their own imaginations could paint; and which paradise only could bestow. In this abode, so congenial to their wishes, they hoped to wander in indolence and ease; either on the margin of some flowing river, or by the side of some bubbling fountain, overshadowed by the canopy of Elysian foliage, and impervious to excessive droughts. In these tranquil residences, removed at an equal distance from domestic interruptions and elementary violence, they expected to revel in sensual voluptuousness, which nothing could destroy, and which could undergo no change.

But their enjoyments of an hereafter were not confined to sensual gratification. The social intercourse, the friendly conversation, the reciprocity of favours, and the interchange of thought; the company of their departed ancestors, and the smiles of those whom friendship had endeared in life, formed no inconsiderable part of those prospects, which presented themselves to their imaginations. It was in that region that they hoped more fully to discharge those filial obligations, which were but imperfectly accomplished in the present state; and to receive without deduction a full requital of those favours which were conferred without being cancelled here below. In short, they expected a new edition of the present life, revised and corrected beyond the grave; in which terrestrial felicity should be fully possessed without the least alloy.

To the wicked they denied the enjoyment of any of these privileges; and their miseries were to consist chiefly in a privation of bliss. They consigned them over to unwholesome annoyances, and to feel the effects of the warring elements; and doomed them to associate with spirits as degenerate as their own. But the regions of Coyaba they were not to enter; nor enjoy any of the felicities of its fertile vales. The solitary gloom, the violence of the hurricane, the roar of thunders, and the blasts of lightnings, were incessantly to terrify them, in a climate at once hostile to their natures, and inconceivably terrible to their apprehensions.

Such were the notions of these Indians of good and evil, and of rewards and punishments in another life. In their conceptions we behold a mixture of truth and error. The original principles appear to be the genuine impressions of divine Goodness, interpolated with the reveries of fancy, and overrun with

error.

Effaced through the native wickedness of the human

heart, and counteracted through the powers of darkness, the efficacy of divine grace disappears. Sometimes every vestige lies buried beneath a cloud of the most gross and obscene idolatry; and we discover nothing but that ignorance which sin has brought into the world. We behold in these cases the moral image of God totally defaced, and the glory of human nature becoming a prey to the most detestable absurdities. Sometimes the clouds will admit a momentary separation, and unveil to our astonished apprehensions, a gleam of light that dazzles with its brilliancy. But it soon closes again upon us; and we are obliged to grope our way through darkness, heathenism, superstition, and the dismal rites of pagan idolatry. Such was the condition of these poor Indians!"

Of the number of the natives inhabiting the Leeward Islands, our accounts are various and diversified; but all agree that the larger islands were thickly peopled. Indeed their vast numbers seem to be a natural consequence of the tranquillity of their lives, and a natural effect of the soil and climate which Providence had connected with their abode. The bounties they possessed were equal to their simple wants, and left no temptation that could induce them to emigrate to another country.

Bartholomew Las Casas* who accepted the bishopric of Chiapa in Mexico, from principles of humanity towards the unfortunate natives of the New World, has stated the number of inhabitants of the Leeward Islands to amount to no less than six millions; abounding with inhabitants (as he says) as an anthill with ants." In the island of Hispaniola, to which we have

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"This disinterested man, (says Raynal) so famous in the annals of the New World, had accompanied his father in the first voyage of Columbus, The mildness and simplicity of the Indians struck him to such a degree, that he made himself an ecclesiastic, in order to devote his labours to their conver sion. But this soon became the least of his attention."" He felt more for the cruelties exercised against them than for their superstitions. He was continually hurrying from one hemisphere to the other, in order to comfort the people to whom he was attached, or to soften their tyrants. This conduct which made him to be idolized by the one, and dreaded by the other, had not the success he expected. The hope of keeping them in awe by a character revered among the Spaniards, determined him to accept of the bishopric of Chiapa in Mexico. When he was convinced that this dignity was an insufficient barrier against that avarice and cruelty which he endeavoured to check, he abdicated it. It was then that this courageeus, firm, disinterested man cited his country to the tribunal of the whole universe. In his treatise on the tyranny of the Spaniards in America, he accuses them of having destroyed fifteen millions of Indians. They attempted to find fault with the acrimony of his style, but no one convicted him of exaggeration. His writings, which indicate the amiable turn of his dispositions, and the sublimity of his sentiments, have branded his countrymen with a disgrace which time hath not and never will efface." (Abbé Raynal, History of the East and West Indies, vol. ii. b. vi. p. 295.)

confined our observations, Oviedo, a writer rather prejudiced against the Indian character, says there were about one million of souls. Peter Martyr, who drew his information from Columbus, says, they were about one million trvo hundred thousand. Raynal reckons them at one million only, and Bryan Edwards joins in opinion with Oviedo. All historians however agree, that their numbers were considerable; and the least computation which we have quoted, supposes the natives of the island of Hispaniola alone to amount to no less than one million. But to state with any exactness the numbers which covered the surface of such an extensive island, is really impossible. From the statements above given, we have however no just reason to suppose that we have been deceived on the whole. The number of the inhabitants in the different islands, was in proportion to their extent, thickly peopled, and blessed with peace, and all the affluence which they desired.

Such was the state, the number, and condition, of that people whose character and manners have been described; and such was their situation, when first the adventurous spirit of Columbus led the monsters of Castile to infest their peaceful shores, On this as well as on similar occasions, the Spanish historians are not unfrequently inconsistent with themselves. When attempt ing to emblazon their conquests, and to set forth the achievements of their warriors, and the prowess of their arms, they represent the New World which they had conquered, as filled with inhabitants, civilized, in a state of society, and rich and powerful. But when they are charged with the inhuman murders and unparalleled depredations which marked their footsteps, they invert the tale, and represent the country as a wild, inhospitable desert, inhabited by miserable savages, without government, and without laws, living in the practice of the most unnatural vices, and given up to almost every abomination. We have therefore followed neither account implicitly, but struck a medium between these two extremes. And having stated their conduct towards the Spaniards, we now proceed to describe the conduct of the Spaniards towards them, and the requitals which were made, when, through the inscrutable justice of God, their power enabled them to pursue their inclinations without disguise and without restraint.*

* Few things can offer to our observations a greater variety, than the di versity of modes which vice is capable of assuming: they are indeed so nu merous, that the gradations from one extreme to the other, moving by imperceptible degrees, almost prevent us from marking their progress. There is a propensity in the human mind to survey with indifference the first deviations from rectitude, one action unfortunately becomes a precedent for VOL, I.

It has been observed in a preceding page of this chapter, that when Columbus departed from Hispaniola to convey the impor

another; and we suffer ourselves at length to be captivated with vices, which are the more dangerous when they are abstracted from their grossness. The extremes are nevertheless widely dissimilar. We perceive the contrast, when we make the comparison; but unhappily, while testifying our abhorrence of that which appears the most detestable, we forget that its rival partakes of the same nature; and thus we proceed, till we mistake vice for virtue. In no point perhaps will this delusion of the mind appear more conspicuous, than in noticing the contrariety which we perceive between the ferocity of the Charaibeans and the indolent tranquillity of the inhabitants of the Leeward Islands. That the former were cannibals, is sufficiently attested both by the inhabitants of the latter, and by the facts which occur in their own history. But we may hence infer, that of this vice the natives of Hispaniola were not guilty, especially as they mentioned the circumstance to Columbus with horror. It is probable that from beholding the latter as exempted from some of the prevailing traits in savage manners, we are tempted to view them in a more favourable light than truth will justify, and induced to give the colouring of virtue to that which is nothing but vice, either concealed by being varnished, or deprived of some of its deepest shades. The scriptures assure us that "all have sinned," and that "the carnal mind is enmity against God." We have therefore only to pull off the mask which vice assumes, to be convinced of this truth by discovering its native deformity.

The Mexicans, when Cortez first entered their territories, were represented as having emerged from savage darkness and barbarity; and their history at that time excited the astonishment of mankind. Yet among all their boasted perfections, few nations have been guilty of greater abominations. "The men (says Raynal) were in general addicted to that shameful kind of debauchery, which shocks nature, and perverts animal instinct," (vol. ii. p. 268.) and the contempt with which they treated their women in consequence of this depravity, contributed in no small degree to overthrow the Mexican empire. In their system of idolatry they had some observances peculiar to themselves: "A slave was annually chosen, and shut up in the temple; to him they paid adoration, offered incense, invoked him as a god, and concluded the scene by cutting his throat with great solemnity. Their prisoners of war were sacrificed in the temple of the god of battles: the priests afterwards ate them, and sent portions to the emperor and the principal lords of the realm. When peace had lasted for some time, they took care to have it insinuated that the gods were hungry; and war was commenced with no other view than to make prisoners." (Raynal, vol. ii. p. 280.)

The natives of Otaheite, celebrated for their benevolent virtues, were represented to Europe on their first discovery in such glowing colours, that they were thought to be farther removed from the vices than from the dominions of the Old World. A nearer inspection of their character has however detected the fallacy, and placed them in a light which rather excites our abhorrence than commands our respect. Bougainville, who visited this island, describes the lasciviousness of its inhabitants in such terms as I dare not translate. This writer's having asserted that the inhabitants of Otaheite occasionally offered up human sacrifices, induced Captain Cook on one of his voyages to inquire into the fact; and the result was a confirmation of its truth. Captain Cook, in company with Captain Furneaux, and with a sailor who spoke the language, and some of the natives, visited one of their morias, and was personally assured that "they offered bad men to their eatooas or gods." On a subsequent voyage he attended one of these inhuman ceremonies at Attahooroo. The victim was slain before his arrival: he examined

tant intelligence of his discoveries to Europe, he left behind him a small detachment of men to protect that fort, which,

the corpse, and found that he had been beaten to death. No crime however was assigned as the cause of his sufferings. He had been selected by the caprice of the priests, and murdered without ceremony or trial. Captain Cook found in this moria forty-nine skulls, none of which appeared to have been injured; which demonstrates that these sacrifices frequently happen. And it is more than probable that this horrid custom prevails in all the Pacific Islands. More recent observations have not only confirmed the preceding accounts, but have given to the national character of those Otaheitean savages, who were thought to be above the vices and infirmities of human nature, a still deeper shade. The missionaries who have been established among them, assert, that nearly one-third part of their infants were offered in sacrifices to their idols; and that the crime which brought fire from heaven on the cities of Sodom, was even authorized by law.

Of the Pellew Islands, we have no account but through the narrative of Captain Wilson. The inhabitants of these he represents in an amiable light. But much allowance must be made. He was received with unexpected humanity by savages in a moment of the utmost distress: gratitude therefore urged him to descant upon their compassion. Flattering however as the account of Captain Wilson is, he has noticed that they were much addicted to theft, and that they actually stole some of the iron which was necessary to the building of the vessel in which he afterwards sailed to Canton. And in addition to this, notwithstanding their humanity, they murdered those prisoners whom they took in war. An acquaintance with these islanders, similar to that which the missionaries have had with the Otaheiteans, would, it is more than probable, have developed many of those shades in their character, which deform that of the savages of America, and of the natives of the Pacific ocean.

The Leeward Islands present us with a race of human beings, whose pas sions were rather sensual than ferocious; who indulged in savage voluptuousness without invading the territories of the neighbouring tribes; and monopolized their national vices, without attempting to import new ones, or to impart their own to others. Mr. Edwards asserts that "an excessive sensuality was among the greatest defects in their character; and to this cause alone is imputed, by some writers, the origin of that dreadful disease, with the infliction of which they have almost revenged the calamities brought upon them by the avarice of Europe." Vol. i. p. 76. To what extent these excesses were carried, we have no means of knowing with accuracy; it is much to be feared that they were not confined within the bounds of natural criminality; but of this we have no direct evidence. Neither was the humanity which Columbus experienced, of universal application. Peter Martyr has observed" that on the death of a cacique, the most beloved of his wives were immolated at his funeral. On the grossness of their idolatry it is needless to expatiate; their religious rites afford us a melancholy lesson of the barbarism into which human nature sinks, when deprived of the genial light of the Sun of righteousness, as displayed by the gospel to all that cordially embrace it. Nor is the scene much brightened, when, without revelation, the mind is illuminated by science. Mr. Edwards justly observes, when comparing their idolatry with that of Greece and Rome, - "So nearly allied, in religious researches, is the blindness of uncultivated nature to the insufficiency of mere cultivated reason."

If then sensuality, and that too of the grossest nature, is a vice, must we not conclude, notwithstanding their compassion and hospitality, that the inbabitants of the Leeward Islands afford us an awful comment on those scrip

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