ces of a wand used on that occasion; and these they [ iron. These incisions are afterwards rubbed with burn, without hesitation, which completes the di- bear's grease, or the fat of some other wild beast; vorce without any manner of dispute. When they and to expel the poison of serpents, they have a vaimagine a woman to be past child-bearing, they riety of charms. All those who act as physicians never pay their addresses to her; for they look upon are also the priests, and they undergo a long probathe grand end and design of marriage to be that of tion, the manner of which is as follows: They propagating the human species, and certainly this shut themselves up in a but during nine days; and was its original design. Thus we find that the are allowed no other subsistence than water. The Jewish women were considered as objects of re- novice holding a kind of bottle in his hand, full of proach, when they had no children, and something pebble stones, with which he makes a continual of that nature is to be found in all nations in the noise, invokes the spirit, intreats him to speak, and world. to admit him into the number of spirits. The whole is accompanied with the most terrible howling, cries and agitations both of the body and mind, and he foams at the mouth like a madman. In all nations where those people whom we call savages live in a state of nature, they are not much afflicted with disorders, except such as are rather the effect of the climate than the effect of gluttony. And as they have but few diseases, so we should naturally imagine they could have but little occasion for physicians; for it may be said in the words of the poet, The first physicians by debauch were made; But notwithstanding these salutary rules, yet we find, that even those savages who live in a state of nature, have their physicians, or rather impostors, for they deserve no better name; their jugglers or mountebanks pretending to cure all manner of diseases, by charms, spells, and enchantments; but then we may consider that few of these diseases are inveterate. Sweating is one of the methods used by them, and another of their methods is too curious to be passed over in silence. They make a hot bath, into which the patient goes stark naked, along with others as naked as himself, whose business it is to rub him. This bath they cover over with the heads of wild bulls, flint stones, and pieces of rock made quite hot. The patient thus shut up in the bath, is obliged to keep in his breath every now and then, and while the juggler is singing as loud as he can bawl, those who are along with him in the bath also sing in concert. They cure discases of the legs and thighs by lancing the parts infected, with a knife made of stone or No. 23. As soon as this ridiculous part of the ceremony is oyer, he comes out of his hut, and boasts of his having conversed with the spirit; and having received from him the power of healing all sorts of diseases. Father Hennepin adds, that nothing can be more dreadful than the cries and distortions of those jugglers, at the time of their practising their pretended enchantments. It is certain, that they carry on the deception with great skill and cunning, but in general the tricks they perform are too ridiculous to gain the esteem of any man of common sense. And to this may be added, that most of their pretended cures are rather the effect of chance, than any way owing to their knowledge of the human frame. However, they are acquainted with the virtues of several physical herbs, which undoubtedly was the first way in which all diseases were cured. When the juggler visits the patient, he asks him a great number of questions, promising, at the same time, to root out the evil spirit. He immediately withdraws to a little tent for that purpose. Here he sings, howls, and dances like a madman. He then sucks the patients wounds, and drawing some little bones out of his mouth, tells him he has taken them out of his body. He then tells him to be thankful under his sufferings, as it will be in his power to cure him. The juggler then demands his fees, and when he is paid, he sends several young men to hunt the elks and other deer. And here it may be necessary to observe, that many of the tricks practised by our quacks in Europe are as ridiculous as any of those we have now mentioned. It frequently happens, that when the juggler finds he cannot cure the patient, he gives him something to dispatch him, and then tells his relation that the spirit has revealed to him that he is incurable. This supports the credit of the impostor, and ensures to him his fee, which is all he has in view. And is this not like the con6 Z duct duct of many of our European doctors, who amuse the relations of the patient while they are killing him according to the rules of art. The juggler sometimes endeavours to persuade the patient that he is bewitched, and on such occasions, stretches his body upon a floor covered with beaver skins, or of the skins of some other beasts. The juggler then feels every part of the patient's body, till he comes to the place affected, and then he pronounces his charm, which has the desired effect, because the disease instead of being real was only imaginary. Although these savages believe in the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, yet they have but confused notions concerning it; for they believe that souls transmigrate from one body to another; and as we have frequently occasion to mention these notions we may once for all observe, that because they could not account for the apparent unequal distribution of rewards and punishments in this life, and not having proper notions of a future state, they believed that the souls of the wicked went into other bodies to be tormented. They bury their dead with great pomp and ceremony, for they dress them, and paint their faces and bodies with different colours, after which they lay them in coffins made of the bark of trees, the outside of which they make extraordinarily smooth, with light pumice stones. They then set up a palisade round the tomb, which is always raised seven or eight feet from the ground. Their women wear a mourning for eight years together, during which time they are not permitted to marry; but in this there is nothing extraordinary, because among these savages a widow seldom obtains a husband. Several of these people solemnize festivals in honour of the dead, and on such occasions they take the bones out of the graves, and put them into new ones lined with beaver skins. Hunting is considered by these people as a religious exercise; and a few days before they set out to hunt the bull, their old men send out some young ones to view the place where the chace is to be. When the huntets are got there, they dance and sing according to the custom of the country, and at their return they expose for three days successively, several great kettles filled with feathers. During these three days, a woman of distinction walks in procession with a cauldron on her back, before a great number of hunters. The company is headed by an old man, who with great gravity carries a piece of cloth by way of standard or ensign. Before a young hunter goes to the chace for the first time, he is obliged to keep a religious fast, to which he prepares himself with the utmost care and attention that is generally observed by those who go through a state of probation in any order whatsoever. This fast continues three days during which time the novice is obliged to daub his face over with black, and this he imagines to be an homage he owes to the great spirit. When they swear in their courts of judicature, they dip their heads in the blood of the victim that is to be offered up in sacrifice, and rub part of it over their foreheads. This they do as an appeal to the Supreme Being, that they tell the truth; and consequently were they to tell a falsehood, they would look upon themselves as condemned to eternal perdition; and this may serve to shew, that Divine wisdom has impressed on the minds of the most unenlightened Heathens, an obligation of telling the truth. Such was the state of those savages when the French first settled among them; and those who were not converted to Popery, embrace the same sentiments even to this day. It is certain, that it was the design of the legislative power of Britain to convert these savages to Christianity; but unsurmountable difficulties presented themselves. First, when Canada was ceded to the English, the civilized part was inhabited by bigotted Roman catholics, and the priests of that religion are always asssidious in making converts; on the other hand, the missionaries sent from Britain, were obliged to be extremely cautious, because by the treaty of capitulation, the civilized part of the Canadians were to enjoy the free exercise of their religion. Missionaries from Britain could not therefore expect much success, and an act passed in this country, confirming all the privileges which these people formerly enjoyed, whether of a civil or religious nature. But still our society for the propagation of the Christian religion did not stop at these difficulties. Four missionaries were sent over to Canada, and are maintained there to this day, at the rate of two hundred pounds a year each. When. we consider the troubles that have been in that part of the world, we need not be surprised that the labours of the missionaries have not yet been attended with the desired effect. Secondly, another object the society had in view, was to convert the savages, but here many difficulties lay in their way. They were ignorant of the language spoken by these people, consequently they could not communicate their sentiments to them. Probably these difficulties would have been got over, had not the war broken out; and it may be naturally supposed, that the Romish priests in Canada, would would rather wish to see the savages continue in a state of Heathenism, than be made acquainted with the Protestant religion. All those who are members of false religion, are jinveterate enemies to those who practice Christian duties. From the whole we may draw this conclusion, that nothing will ever, under the dispensation of the British government, bring about the conversion of these savages, but the pious lives of our missionaries. Let them only consider that they are accountable beings; let them consider that they were not born for themselves, and then they will go cheerfully on with the work committed to their care; they will enlighten the Heathen nations, and join in immortality with those souls of whose conversion they were the instruments. The Religion of California. IT is much to be lamented, that notwithstanding the many discoveries lately made in commerce, in the extension of trade, and the knowledge of navigation, yet we are still left in ignorance concerning the religon, or even the civil customs and manners of the people of California. This is still the more to be wondered at, when we consider that many of our navigators have visited that country. One thing, indeed, must be observed, that seamen are bad historians, and therefore we must take our accounts of them from such authors as are of the highest reputation for their integrity. The form of their government is such as discovers that they are not totally ignorant of those circumstances that conduce to the maintaining of order and regularity. But nevertheless, the little religion they seem to have, is vastly odd and fantastic, but still they are not, so far as we can learn, very superstitious. Great adoration is paid to water, because, say they, it contributes towards promoting the growth of corn and other food, as the proof of its being the only support of life. Their dress consists mostly of figures, made of rabbit skins, whimsically daubed over. In this manner, the king of the country consents to be daubed also; but it will be asked, what has all this to do with religion? The answer is obvious. These people know nothing of religion, for they observe so many ridiculous ceremonies, that all sentiments of an intellectual nature are alienated from their minds. As they worship idols, so they have temples erected to their memories, where they perform what they call their sacred devotions. They imagine that it is here that the devil comes to divert himself whenever he is forced to ramble from one place to another. But here we must not be too precipitate in our judgments, because travellers are apt to relate things from bare hearsay, without knowing any thing of the nature of them. The Jesuits, who visited the country, imagined that the only way to ingratiate themselves into the affections of these people, was to make them believe they came from the sun; for by an evasion, they thought they might easily substitute the sun of righteousness in place of of that luminary which gives light to the world. Some Indians who suspected the truth of this mission, asked why these messengers had not been sent from the sun before? To which it was answered, he was too young. This answer was suitable enough to a savage, and the conclusion of the conference was that they acknowledged him to be the son of that planet. This pretended son, in order to increase the number of the faithful, raised a wooden cross, and commanded his companions the Spaniards to adore it, as an example for the imitation of the infidels. To these he prescribed the time and manner of adoration, and as we may take it for granted, that he worshipped the rising sun in the morning, they were to worship the cross at the same time. In their marriage ceremonies they have very little remarkable, any farther than that they are of a very mercenary nature. The young man gives a certain sum of money for the bride, who is considered as an article of commerce. When the parties are agreed, the relation of the bridegroom goes to the house of the bride's parents, and makes a formal demand of her. He mentions what money, or other things he has advanced as purchase-money, and they give their approbation in consequence of their being satisfied. These preliminaries being settled, the bride is conducted home in triumph, and there is a feast prepared for her and all the family relations. Polygamy is permitted among these people, for they are allowed to marry as many wives as they can support, but they are not to discard them on every frivolous pretence. Indeed, the nature of conjugal duty is not considered as very sacred in this country, because there are some crimes committed that ought not be named. However, thus much we may take notice of, that the men in this country, if they are rich, keep a great number of boys dressed in women's cloaths; what use they make of these boys needs not be mentioned, but we are only surprised to to find that savages should commit the same unnatural crimes as those who live in what are commonly called civilized nations. Is not this shocking!-Shall those who are called polite, be more addicted to unnatural crimes than savages? Yes and to the dishonour of mankind, and the disgrace of human nature; where learning is cultivated-vice generally increases. And is this owing to learning No: It is owing to the abuse of it. The corruption of human natureis such, that men seldom make great progress in learning, without, at the same time, dishonouring themselves by an attachment to all those vices which are a dishonour to their characters, and make them even more contemptible than the beasts that perish. When we consider the antiquity of this horrid crime, its extension among the Heathen nations, the encouragement it still meets with in Italy, and the progress it has made in Great Britain, we are lost as it were in astonishment to discover that passion which gives rise to it. Indeed it is a just and very pertinent observation of archbishop Fenelon, "That notwithstanding all the pretended politeness of the Greeks and Romans, yet as to moral virtue and religious obligations, they were no better than the savages in America!" But to proceed with our narrative. When any of these people die, the whole village is in an uproar, for the women meet together and scream out in the most hideous manner. They tear their hair, and throw ashes over their upper garments, to make the people believe they are sincerely in earnest. The body of the deceased is washed and laid out, after which they carry it out to a faneral pile erected in the neighbourhood. Here a great many hymns are sung in honour of the deceased, reciting all the heroic actions of his life, and these songs are attended with a great number of gestures. This part of the ceremony being over, a great number of aromatic herbs and flowers are brought to the funeral pile, and when the priests have mumbled over a certain number of prayers, fire is set to the pile and all the materials are consumed along with the body of the deceased. They do not burn the bodies of the women along with their husbands as is done in the East Indies, from which circumstance we may learn, that all Heathens are not equally barbarous. There is one circumstance which must not be omitted relating to these people, and that is, adoption. Men who have no children of their own, in order to perpetuate their names and keep up their family distinctions, make choice of the son of a slave, whom they educate as their own, give him their name, and at their death, leave him in possession of their whole fortune. This piece of mean, vulgar pride, was much attended to by the ancient Romans, and it was common among them to have as many adopted sons as real ones. Perhaps it was owing to this, that the Romans have been so frequently accounted as destitute of natural affections. A parent may be a man of humanity, he may do many things to relieve the wants of his fellow creatures, but still, notwithstanding all that, hé cannot consider the child of another as his own. It is certain, however, that this prevailed in ancient times in Asia, and it is easily to be accounted for. Polygamy, as it makes wives cool and regardless towards their husbands, so it makes fathers forget the duty they owe to their children. The man who has more wives than one, has not a sincere friend in the world, and the parent who has children by different wives, is, in general, partial to those descended from favourites. Had the poet reversed the words, and said, that favourites are generally spoiled in the education, perhaps he would have acted more consistent with his character as an able writer; but this we may venture to affirm, that wherever polygamy exists, the parent can never do his duty to all his children. His affections are as it were divided; he loves his offspring, but he is obliged to offend his favourite wife, if he is not partial to her children instead of the others. We shall conclude this account of the religion of California, by observing, that if our modern navigators had been as assiduous in promoting the interests of these savages, as they have been in giving us a description of the country, they might have procured immortal honour, and brought everlasting glory to their country. But why should we look for that in some men, who deny a particular providence? Bold and intrepid they go out on voyages, paying no regard to death or eternity.They laugh at every thing that is serious in religion, and boldly assert, that Divine Providence has no concern with the affairs of this lower world. Such is the effect of abused talents, such is the use that is too commonly made of human learning. But still let it never be forgotten, that those who love religion, will at all times endeavour to make every one as happy as themselves; for the exercise of real knowledge is to do good to all those who want our assistance. The An Account of the Religion of the Virginians. In treating of the Religion of the Virginians, we do not mean those British subjects now settled in that part of America, but the ancient savages, and particularly those who still inhabit the back settlements. These Indians are so tenacious of every secret relating to their religion, that it is considered as sacrilege in any one to reveal a single secret of it. When the English first settled here in the reign of queen Elizabeth, they found a temple about thirty feet long and eighteen broad, and there was a hole in the roof to let out the smoak. The gate of the temple was at one end, and at some distance on the outside, stakes were set up quite round it, the tops of which were painted, representing mens faces. They did not find one window in all the temple, nor any place for the light to enter in at, except the door, and the hole in the chimney. At the end, over against the door, there was a separation made of matting, worked very close together, which enclosed a place about ten feet in length, and which did not let in one single ray of light. The English adventurers were at first afraid to prevail upon themselves to enter into this place, but at last they did, and found in the middle of the inclo sure, a place surrounded with stakes, at the top of which were great shelves, from whence they drew these mats that were rolled up and sewed together, on one of which some bones were laid, and on another the Indian weapon of destruction, called a tomahawk. They had tied to one of these tomahawks, the waddles of a turkey-cock painted red, and the two longest feathers of his wing hung at the end, tied with a string of about five or six inches in length, having a notch at the top for the setting in of the head. In the third mat was some inlaid work, which they took for the idol of the Indians. Underneath was another board, not half so long as the former, and which they fastened with pieces of wood, that, being set in on every side, stood out about fourteen or fifteen inches from his body, and which are round the knees of the image to bend. The Virginians have several names for this image, but he is in general represented with a pipe of tobacco in his mouth," and what is more surprising he really smoaks, but then there is a priest artfully placed behind him, who, unseen by the worshippers, lights the pipe. The darkness with which this idol is surrounded, prevents the ignorant worshipper from seeing the priest who carries on the deception; for were they once to look in, they would no longer pay any worship to inanimate beings conducted by knaves. And here we have a No. 24. beautiful allusion to many passages in the sacred scriptures, where idolatry is compared to darkness, and the truth or true religion to light. Lord King justly observes, that by darkness is not only meant the ignorance of the Heathen nations concerning divine things, but likewise those numerous abominations which were transacted under the covert of real darkness, and some of these are such as ought not to be described. These Virginians, like many other Heathens, worship the sun; and at day-break the devotees of both sexes go out fasting to their idol temples, and wash themselves in a running stream. The ablution continues till the sun appears, nor do they suffer their children of ten years of age to omit this religious duty. As soon as the sun is above the horizon, they offer him tobacco. They consider all nature as entirely under the direction of their idol, which is much more to their honour, although idolators, than to the reputation of those who call themselves Christians, yet blasphemously deny a particular providence. Whenever they go on a journey, they then burn tobacco to the sun, in order to obtain his assistance. When they cross a lake or river, they throw tobacco into it, in order that the spirit who presides in such place, may grant them a safe passage. And when they return home from hunting, from war, or from any dangerous employment, or enterprize, they offer up the best part of their spoils to their idols. Many of the ancients observed the same customs, and even at present, not only among the Roman Catholics, but even among the Protestants, the colours and standards taken in war, are put up as trophies of victory in the most celebrated churches. And why all this formality? And why should the sentiment so universally prevail? The answer is obvious. There is a principle implanted in the human mind, that leads men to consider themselves as dependent on some superior being. They hereby acknowledge that it was to him they were indebted for the victory obtained; and as a grateful return, they dedicate to him the most valuable of the spoil taken from the enemy. These savages have but a confused notion of the creation of the world, but they all acknowledge that there is a Divine Being, to whom all their gods, or idols are subject. They say, that this Being leaves men entirely to the freedom of their own wills, while he himself continues in a state of indolence, out of which all the worship they offer him is not able to recover him. This system being entirely that which was embraced by the followers of Epicurus amongst the Heathens, and the Sadduces 7A among |