area just when the prisoner had been telled, and the old women were dragging his body to the fire; they forced the body from them, and in the presence of the whole clan, who stood astonished at their courage, carried it off. The women soon roused the warriors to revenge this insult, and by the time the Fathers had secretly interred the corpse, the savages were in search of them. The governor received timely in elligence, and sent in haste to call the Jesuits from the mud hovel which they inhabited, upon the spot whereon their magnificent college was afterwards erected. When the sa vages had searched here in vain, they were on the point of attacking the city; the governor was obliged to call out his whole force, and partly by the display of firearms, and partly by fair words, he induced them to retire. This danger over, the Portugueze them selves began an outcry against the Jesuits, saying, that their frantic zeal had endangered the city, and would soon make all the natives their enemies. Thome de Sousa, however, was not to be deterred by any such shortsighted policy from protecting and encouraging Nobrega: and it was not long before these very savages, remembering the true kindness which they had always experienced from the Jesuits, and that those fathers were indeed the friends of the Indians, came to solicit their forgivewers, and beseech the governor that he would command the fathers to forgive them, and visit them as before; and they promised not to repeat these feasts. But the practice was too delightful to be laid aside at once, and they continued it secretly. When the Fathers had obtained sufficient authority over them to make themselves feared, they employed the children as spies to inform against offenders. With "One of the Jesuits succeeded in effectually abolishing it among some clans by going through them and flogging himself before their doors till he was covered with blood, telling them he thus tormented himself to avert the punishment which God would otherwise inflict upon them for this crying sin. They could not bear this, confessed what they had done was wrong, and enacted punishment against any person who should again be guilty. other hordes the Fathers thought themselves fortunate in obtaining permission to visit the prisoners and instruct them in the saving faith, before they were put to death. But the savages soon took a conceit that the water of baptism spoilt the taste of the meat, and therefore would not let them baptize any more. The Je, suits then carried with them wet handkerchiefs, or contrived to wet the skirt or sleeve of their habit, that out of it they might squeeze water enough upon the victim's head to fulfil the condition of salvation, without which they were persuaded that eternal fire must have been his portion. What will not man believe, if he can believe this of his Maker! "If the missionaries, overcoming all difficulties, succeeded in converting a clan at last, that conversion was so little the effect of reason or feeling, that any slight circumstrance would induce the proselytes to relapse into their old paganism. were to come to spoil their trade, and they persuaded the Indians that they put knives, scissars, and such things in their insides, and so destroyed them; a belief in this kind of witchcraft seems to bave prevailed every where. The farther the Jesuits advanced into the country, the stronger did they find this impression of fear But it yielded to their perseverance, and the superstition of the natives led them into the opposite extreme; they brought out their provisions to be blest, and waited to receive their benediction whereever they were expected to pass. paganism. An epidemic disorder appeared among them; they said it was occasioned by the water of baptism, and all the converts whom Nobrega and his fellow labourers had with such difficulty collected, would have deserted them and fled into the woods, if he had not pledged his word that the malady should cease. Luckily for him it was effectually cured by bleeding, a remedy to which they were unaccustomed. Some time afterwards a cough and catarrh cut off many of them: this also was attributed to baptism. The Jesuits themselves did not ascribe greater powers to this ceremony than they did; whatever calamity betel them was readily accounted for by these drops of mysterious water. Many tribes have supposed it fatal to children, -the cagerness with which the missionaries baptize the dying, and especially new born infants who are not likely to live, has occasioned this notion. The neighbouring hordes now began to regard the Jesuins with horror, as men who carried pestilence with them if one was seen approaching, the whole clan assembled, and burnt pepper and salt in his way; -a tumigation which they believed good against plagues and evil spirits, and to keep death, from entering among them. Some, when they saw them coming, carried away all their goods, and forsook their ha-picueta was the captest scholar a bitations; others came out trembling, say the Fathersy like leaves of a tree which is shaken by the wind, entreating them to pass on, and hurt thena uor, and showing them the way forward. The Payes, as may be well supposed, used every effort against these persons who "When the Jesuits succeeded, they made the converts erect a church in the village, which, however rude, fixed them to the spot; and they established a school for the children, whom they catechised in their own language, and instructed to repeat the Pater-noster over the sick every recovery which happened after this had been done, both they and the patient accounted a miracle. They taught them also to read and write, using, says Nobrega, the same persuasion as that wherewith the enemy overcame man; ye shall be as gods, kuowing good and evil, for this knowledge appeared wonderful to them, and they eagerly desired to attain it; good proof how easily such a race might have been civilized. As mong: the missionaries, he was the first who made a catechism in the Tupi tongue, and translated prayers into it. When he became sufficiently master of the language to express himself. io it with fluency and full power, he then adopted the manner of the Payes and course of these wars, the Dutch committed the most atrocious cruelties, the recital of which would scarcely command our credit, if their conduct towards the English at Amboyna did not prove them to be capable of any crime that would subserve their interest. In a note (p. 638, 639.) on a passage, which investigates the language of the Brazilian tribes, and their modes and powers of reckoning, we meet with a severe, yet not unfair critique on the celebrated historian Dr. Robertson. and sung out the mysteries of the faith, running round the auditors, stamping his feet, clapping his hands, and copying all the tones and gesticulatious by which they were wont to be affected. Nobrega had a school near the city, where he instructed the native children, the orphans from Portugal, and the Mestizos or mixed breed, here called Mamalucos. Reading, writing, and arithmetic were taught them: they were trained to assist at mass, and to sing the church service, and frequently led in procession through the town. This had a great effect, for the natives were passionately fond of music, so passionately that Nobrega began to hope the fable of Orpheus was a type of his mission, and that by songs he was to convert the pagans of Brazil. He usually took with him four or five of these little choristers on his preaching expeditions; when they approached an inhabited place, one carried the crucifix before them, and they began singing the Litany. The savages, like snakes, were won by the voice of the charmer; they received him joyfully, and when he departed with the same ceremony, the children followed the music. He set the chatecism, creed, and ordinary prayers to sol fu; and the pleasure of learning to sing was such as temptation, that the little Tupis sometimes ran away from their parents to put themselves." Herrera (4. 10. 4.) describes a under the care of the Jesuits." het In the remainder of this volume Mr. Southey details with much minuteness the invasion of Brazil by the Dutch, in 11623, and the sanguinary wars that succeeded down to the year 1640. In the "The Orinoco tribes count as far as five, then proceed to five-one, five-two, as far as two fives, and so on to four fives. This is digitary numeration. It is remarkable how far the Achaguas carry it. With them, Abacaje means five, and the fingers of one hand; Tuca macaje, ten, or all the fingers; Abacaytacay, twenty, or all the fingers and toes; Incha matacacay, forty, or two persons' complement; and so, says Gumilla, (c. 48.) they can go on to 2000, 6000, and 10,000 fingers in a jargon, which by dint of labour and attention, may be understood at last. In some of the South Sea islands also six is five-one, &c. Numeration naturally proceeds by fives,the number of fingers on one hand; tens, the fingers on both; or twenties, --the fingers and toes. curious mode of arithmetic in Yucatan. They count, he says, by fives, till they come to twenty, and then by twenties as far as a bundred, then to 400, and then to 8000, and from thence to infinity. This numeration which is not not very clearly explained by Herrera, is founded on fives, for small pumbers, scores, and fiye scores, or 100, then for larger numbers, they use twenties as we use tens; thus 20 times 20 is 400, 20 times mus 400 is 8000, and so on. A friend of mine, better acquainted with such subjects than I am, tells me it is the only specimen he has met with, of vigesimal numeration. Our score is the nearest similitude. "When Pauw reasoned upon the ignorance of the Americans in pumbers, did he suppress this remarkable fact, or was he ignorant of it? The same question is applicable to Dr. Robertson, who on this, and many other subjects, in what he calls his History of America, is guilty of such omissions, and consequent misrepresentations, as to make it certain either that he had not read some of the most important documents to which he refers, or that he did not chuse to notice the facts which are to be found there, because they were not in conformity to his own preconceived opinions. A remarkable example occurs respecting a circulating medium; when be mention the cacao nuts, which were used as money in Mexico, and says 'this seems to be the utmost length which the Americans had advanced towards the discovery of any expedient for supplying the use of money.' Now, it is said by Cortes himself, that when he was about to make cannon, he had copper enough, but wanted tin; and having bought up all the plates and pots, which he could find among the soldiers, he began to inquire among the natives. He then found, that in the province of Tachco, little pieces of tin, like thin coin, were used for used for money, there and in other places. And this led him to a discovery of the mines from whence it was taken. These are the words of the Spanish, Quiso nuestro Senor, que tiene cuidado y siempre lo ha tenido, de proveer en la mayor priesa, que tope entre los Naturales de una Provincia que se dice Tachco, ciertas Pececuelas de ello, a manera de Moneda muy delgada, y procediendo por mi pesquisca halle, que en lo dicha Provincia, y aun en otras, se trataba por moneda., Carta, 4 § 17. Barcia, t. 1. p. 149. "The reputation of this author must rest upon his History of Scotland, if that can support it. His other works are grievously deficient." Such a criticism, as this of Mr. Southey, on a writer whose works have so long delighted the public, deserves to be made known, especially as Mr. S. has travelled over nearly the same ground. From the preceding extracts, as well as from our incidental obser. vations, the reader may easily infer our opinion of Mr. Southey's volume. The present interest, which, as a commercial nation, we take in the affairs of Portugal and of her colonies, will justify our extended account of the History of Brazil." Though defaced by occasional quaintness of style, it combines such a variety of well selected and authentic information, that we shall be happy to resume our account of Mr. Southey's historical labors in a future volume of our register. The The Travels of Mirza Abu Taleb Khan in Asia, Africa, and Europe, during the years 1799, 1800, 1801, 1802, and 1803; written by himself in the Persian Language. Translated by Charles Stewart, Esq. 8υο. 2 τοίς. It is not uncommon for Europeans to describe the manners, customs, productions, &c. of oriental countries; but a genuine account of European manners, customs, and governments, by an Asiatic, is indeed rare in the annals of literature. Independently of the circumstance that the author was well known in the highest and most respectable circles during his residence in England, the work bears intrinsic marks of authenticity; and its fidelity and genuineness are further guaranteed to us by the name and situation of the translator, who is professor of oriental languages in the hon. East India Company's college, at Hertford. The author commences his work with an account of his family and pursuits, previously to his leaving India. At Calcutta, he embarked for England; he stopped at the Cape, afterwards at St. Helena, and proceeded to Cork; whence he departed for Dublin. In this city he continued for some time, and has given an interesting account of the metropolis of Ireland; his remarks on the Irish character are marked with much discrimination: "The greater proportion of them are Roman Catholics, or followers of the religion of the pope. Their churches are however built in the same form as those of the English, whom they call dissenters or philosophers (i. e. Deists or Atheists.) Thus "They are not so intolerant as the English, neither have they the austerity and bigotry of the Scotch. In bravery and determination, hospitality and prodigality, freedom of speech and openheartedness, they surpass the English and Scotch, but are deficient in prudence and sound judgment; they are nevertheless witty, and quick of comprehension. my landlady and her children soon comprehended my broken English; and what I could not explain by language, they understood by signs: nay, before I had been a fortnight in their house, they could even understand my distigured translations of Persian poetry. When I was about to leave them, and proceed on my journey, many of my friends appeared much affected, and said With your little knowledge of "the language, you will suffer much aistress in England; for "the people there will not give themselves any trouble to comprehend your meaning, or to make themselves useful to you." In fact after I had resided for a whole year in England, and could speak the language a hundred times better than on my first arrival, I found much more difficulty in obtaining what I wanted, than I did in Ireland. σε In Dublin, if I happend to lose my way, and inquired it of any person, he would, immediately on perceiving I was a foreigner, quit his work, and accompany me to the place where I wished to go. One night, as I was going to pay a visit at a considerable distance, I asked a man which was the road. He |