of a grandee, his favourites, clients, and slaves, carry their extravagance infinitely beyond what is practised in common, and besides the costly presents and foreign commodities which are buried with him, they furnish him with domestics to attend his royal person, and with several young ladies for his amusement in his journey to the other world, who either through compulsion, or the prepossession and artifice of their priests, are strenuous rivals, and contest the honour of being buried alive with their deceased monarch.

There are several religious customs likewise observed at Lovango, that are equally remarkable. Their funeral solemnities are always accompanied with floods of tears, and incessant wailings; and as soon as they have carried the corpse out of the house, they dance all round about it, and during that solemn ceremony, weep most bitterly, and fill the air with most hideous lamentations. At proper intervals they very demurely ask the deceased a thousand impertinent questions; such as, whether he decamped, or removed his quarters, for want of the conveniences of life? and the like. And though the deceased never obliges them with any answer, they always ascribe his decease to some dissatisfaction of one kind or another. This funeral concert, and these melancholy interrogatories, continue for some hours; after which, they collect every individual thing the deceased is to carry along with him, and when his bag and baggage are all packed up and ready, they remove the corpse and his effects, with as much precipitation, as if they had stole them. One moiety, or half part of his aforesaid effects is allotted to be buried with him; the other is hung up and exposed to public view on poles, planted round his sepulchic; but to prevent any clandestine conveyance of them away by necessitous pilferers, they either cut into rags, or tear to pieces, such goods as are thus exposed. In the evening they renew their weepings and wailings, and continue these outward demonstrations of sorrow and concern, every evening for six weeks together, without intermission.

Their degree of mourning varies in proportion to the quality of the person deceased; and when a grandee dies, their lainentations are more vociferous and noisy than ordinary, and their attendance to the grave more solemn and numerous; for the people assemble themselves together from all the adjacent towns on such a public occasion. The magicians exert their skill to the utmost, and leave no charm, nor enchantment whatever unpractised, in order to restore a sick grandee to his former state of health; not but the people too use their utmost endeavours No. 20..

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likewise to prolong his days, but there as well as here, it is grandeur that is the principal attraction, and it is out of a self-interested view of beingwell rewarded for their pains, that they are thus diligent and attentive, There is no question therefole to be made, but that such as are well versed in magical operations, are lavish of their most secret and valuable preparations, when the lives of such men as are thus honoured and esteemed are in apparent danger.

They hover round the corpse, which is either extended on a couch, or supported in a sitting posture, by one of the company, and sometimes, indeed, he is raised by proper supporters, artfully disposed under each arm. In one of these situations, his head is shaved, his nails are pared, his body washed, anointed, and painted red; and his nearest kindred, that is, his male relations, seat themselves at a small distance from the corpse; for the women, who have their tears always at command, and are by nature qualified to excite the passions, are employed, by their violent transports and agitations, to affect the whole assembly. They dance, or rather fly about, like persons distracted, from right to left, in the utmost confusion; but in their intervals they sing encomiums on the deceased, recite all his virtuous actions, and trace his genealogy; and this, in short, is his funeral harangue. To conclude, they bury some part of his patrimony along with him, and all the valuable eflects which his relations and friends have collected together for his more commodious settlement in the other world. The usual place appropriated for the burial of these blacks is generally called the Kienga; where on each respective grave are arranged, in decent order, the bow and arrowsof the deceased, his wooden platter, his cup, or rather calabass, for the convenience of his drinking, when he thinks proper, and a sufficient quantity of pipes and tobacco for his smoaking, &c.

The same solemnities are observed for their king, but with much greater pomp and magnificence; for they embellish the body of the deceased with the usual regalia, according to the dignity of these black princes. He is scated in a chair of state, erected in a vault, reserved for the peculiar reception of such illustrious personages, with the representations, in wood or clay, of such as were his favourites when alive. Before him are ranged a sufficient quantity of kitchen furniture, or utensils, which were made use of at his majesty's table; such as cloths, napkins, &c. A considerable number of slaves are sacrificed, or rather murdered, for his peculiar service, who are buried near him, or in some separate vault, in order to revive with, and wait on his majesty in his

his journey to the other world; for they entertain some idea, though a very confused and imperfect one, of the resurrection of the dead. It was customary, in former times, to bury twelve beauteous virgins alive with the king of Congo, and these young ladies were all so loyal as to offer up their lives a willing sacrifice to the service of their monarch. With warmth and zeal they disputed their title of precedency, and ch one was fond of stepping foremost, and intercepting her competitors. They dressed themselves as gaily as was possible on these tragical and solemn occasions, and their relations supplied them handsomely with all sorts of furniture, and all the conveniences of life, which they thought proper for their accommodation in the other world. This custom, however, we are informed, is at present abolished, as repugnant to the principles of natural religion; and one branch of their funeral solemnities is reduced to an elegant entertainment only, which is renewed for eight days together, on the monument or sepulchre of the deceased monarch. Whilst they are partaking of this regal banquet, they have their intervals, in which they indulge themselves in all the demonstrations of the deepest sorrow and concern, which, in our op!nion, may justly pass under the denomination of a religious custom.

There is but very little difference between the funeral solemnities observed at Angola, and those of Lovango, and Congo; for they wash their dead, comb them, shave them, wrap them up in a kind of shroud, and afterwards lay them on a small earthen bier. The deceased is always dressed after the most elegant manner they can possibly devise, and several beasts at the same time are sacrificed, and their blood spilt in honour of their departed friend. In the kingdom of Matamba, the corpse is covered over with rosin; and thus embalmed, or more properly speaking, besmeared all over, deposited in a deep grave, and guarded by slaves till perfectly reduced to dust and ashes. This precaution is taken, as we are informed, against the natives themselves, who are inclined to plunder these graves, and mangle the bodies of their dead countrymen, in order to carry away their limbs clandestinely, and hoard them up as sacred relics, which are more or less valuable according to the reputation of the deceased.

The relations and slaves, when they go into mourning, shave their heads and besmear their faces with oil, and divers kinds of powder, which serve instead of glue, to fasten the various feathers which at such times they stick about them. To hear their hideous outcries and lamentations, one would imagine that sorrow and affliction had deprived them of their

senses; but, if we may rely on the veracity of our author from whence we extract this account, they do not so much as shed one single tear. We shail close this topic with an agreeable story enough, relating to the widows of Congo. They entertain the notion, that the souls of their departed husbands re-animate their bodies, unless due care be taken to keep them at an awful distance; and such a re-animation would be an absolute bar to any new alliTo prevent, therefore, so direful a disaster, they make their applications to one of their priests, who plunge themselves several times in some rajil streams; after which, as they lie under no feartul apprehensions of their return, they boldly venture on their second nuptials.

ance.

It is surprising how such notions should ever enter into the human heart, or that those who are endowed with rational faculties should stoop lower in their actions than even the animal creation. All is owing to ignorance, and well might the prophet say, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." The fundamental principles upon which the civilization of mankind is built,-consists in knowledge, and upon this foundation, a superstructure of politeness, humanity, benevolence, and piety is formed. To all this we may add, that an attention to these things makes way for the reception of the gospel; for altho' the promulgation of the gospel does not depend on human means, yet God has commanded those to be used, and therefore men are not to slight them, but use them in a proper man

ner.

The Religion of the Guaguas.

THESE people inhabit the kingdom of Matamba, and we are assured both by Purchas, an Englishman, and Father Cavazzi, an Italian, that they not only eat the flesh of their enemies, but even carry it about to sell as we do butchers' meat. However horrid and unnatural this may appear to some, who have not had an opportunity of visiting foreign countries, yet we can see no reason to doubt the truth of it. Some of the American savages eat their prisoners, and it is but a few years since some Englishmen were killed, and eaten in an island in the South Seas. But to proceed with our narrative:

The chief god of these people is called Quisango, and represented under the form of a giant twelve feet high. This idol is shut up and circumscribed within an inclosure made of elephants teeth; each being embellished with the scalp of some slave, or captive, that has been sacrificed in honour of this blood

blood-thirsty deity. But there are oblations made him besides these, such as libations of palm wine, with the blood of goats, deer, and other animals. The person who is at the head of this system of false religion, acts both as high priest and as general of their forces. His hair, which is exceeding long, is adorned with some particular shells, by them called Bamba, which they have a peculiar veneration and respect for, and round his neck he wears a collar composed of other curious shells, but not of such value as the former. At his girdle hangs a chaplet, the beads whereof consists of the eggs of the ostrich. Such an extraordinary chaplet as this is, perhaps, cannot be found in any other part of the world; for many of the beads are as large as the crown of a hat. The priest wears a small vestment round his waist, falling down low enough to cover what modesty requires to be concealed. As for his body, it is embellished with a variety of figures delineated after an inelegant and artless manner. In other respects, their chieftain is besmeared all over with red and white paint, composed partly of the blood of dead men, mixed with the fat. A piece of brass, about an inch in length hangs down from his nose; and two others from his ears. He has commonly about twenty or thirty wives, one of whom carries his bow and arrows, another waits on him when he is disposed to drink, and presents him with his cup which they call calabass. When he takes it, they all fall on their knees, clap their hands, and sing till he has finished his draught. Some of the wild inhabitants of Forida, observe the same customs at this very day.

Before the sovereign of Guagua enters upon any military expedition, he offers up a solemn sacrifice to his idol, before the sun rises, at the celebration whereof, two magicians attend; one at his right hand, and the other at his left, about forty women of distinction round about him, each of them having a wild horses tail in both hands. Thus equipped, they sing a solemn service, accompanied with playing on different instruments, according to the manner of their country. In the midst of the congregation, or assembly, there is a large fire, with an earthen vessel hung over it, in which is contained a certain composition, wherewith they paint their temples, foreheads, breasts, and bellies, at the same time observing sundry ceremonies, charms, and incantations, which continue till the sun is set. After this the magicians present the general with the cafengola, which is a kind of hatchet, and at the delivery of it, they exhort him to be resolute and courageous. Accordingly, he gives them what he thinks an incontestable proof of his valour, by raising up his hatchet,

| and hacking down a youth presented before him for that purpose. Having laid the youth breathless on the ground, four slaves likewise meet with the same untimely fate; two of whom are massacred on the spot, and the other two are put to death by his assistance. This human sacrifice is attended with the sacrifice of ten cows, ten goats, and ten dogs. The blood of these victims is poured forth in honour of their idol, but the flesh is reserved for the repast of the assembly, which solemn feast is concluded with loud acclamations and other testimonies of public joy.

When his troops are assembled together, he delivers a very pathetic harangue, and then orders them. to march. These declarations, delivered in order to animate the soldiers, are spoken in an elevation of voice, with such energy, grace and dignity as may stand in competition with those orations we meet with in the accounts of the ancient Grecian worthies. The captains follow the example of their intrepid generals, and thus these barbarians inspire the private soldiers with a savage brutal ferocity. If any private soldier discovers the least marks of cowardice, or inclination to desert and run away in the heat of an engagement, he is instantly cut in pieces, and eaten up by his companions. All such as are taken prisoners of war, are eaten either sooner or later. Those who are lean are reserved to be fattened, as we do with our cattle, but sometimes they content themselves with selling them as slaves. However, they neither kill nor eat their captives till they are at years of maturity, but are particularly indulgent to such male prisoners as are very young; for they natura lize them and train them up in the practice of their own inhuman and barbarous customs.

They put a collar round their necks, as a badge of their captivity and never take it off till they have produced before the general, the head of one of their enemies. Then they are made free, and honoured with the title of Gongo, which signfics a soldier, or warrior. They try the courage of their young captives, by shooting an arrow directly over their heads and he that starts, or discovers the least signs of fear, is killed immediately and eaten. They are not to be naturalized without the strongest, and most signal proofs of their courage, and even then with initiation; for those who refuse to comply with it are treated with the utmost abhorrence. This ceremony consists in drawing out four of their foreteeth, two from the upper jaw, and two from the under; they likewise bore their ears and noses, making very wide holes in them. And here it may not be improper to relate something concerning an Amazonian princess, who once reigned among them.

The

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The history of the ancient Amazons is well known. They inhabited some part of that extensive country, anciently called Scythia, but now Taitary. One of their queens waited on Alexander the Great and we are told that hero was very intimate with her, perhaps she granted him every favour.

She

This African princess, whom we shall now give an account of prohibited the education of any male child within the limits of the kingdom, but strictly enjoined all parents to murder them, or expose them to the wild beasts as soon as they were born. ordered all such children as had been preserved to be disinherited, and branded with a particular mark. She permitted the women to marry with their prisoners of war, to whom in consequence of that alliance, she granted all the privileges of the state, and this was done in order to preserve the breed of females. She charged all women who were with child, on pain of death, to avoid being delivered within the bounds of her kingdom, lest they should pollute the ground. If in disobedience and contempt of her commands, any male child should be accidently preserved alive, she strictly forbad the reception of him into her kingdom, unless two of his first teeth were first drawn; but when it happened that the up: per fore teeth came down over the others, then he was instantly put to death.

She constituted and appointed proper judges, with other inferior officers, to see that these her laws were duly respected and executed; to put to death such women as should happen to conceal any children, and to oblige every young person to learn the rites and ceremonies of their religion. That these laws might receive the greater sanction, it was necessary to persuade the people to believe that they were the statutes and ordinances of their ancestors; that by the observance of them they would become a terror to their enemies; that their power and authority ought to be confined and established by such examples as might demonstrate a solemn renunciation of that fondness and affection so natural to parents, and which is visible among savage beasts.

Here we may observe what power can do when united with that false fear of the deity called superstition. They imagined upon the implicit faith of their sovereign, that they should so far ingratiate themselves in the favour of their idol, as to obtain the privilege of being invulnerable, if they had the courage to murder their children, and besmear themselves with their blood. The princess herself was the first promoter of this unheard of barbarity, for she murdered her own son, and had his body beaten into a powder, with which she rubbed her body all over, to set an example to the wretched deluded

people. How long this monster of barbarity reigned, does not appear, but probably not long, for barbarous and savage as the people were, yet it cannot be supposed they would suffer these things any great length of time. But we should add a remark here concerning the ancient Canaanites, whom Joshua destroyed. The deists have objected that Joshua had no right to invade their country and destroy them. It is in vain for us to tell them, that Joshua was commanded by the Almighty to extirpate them, for that they do not regard; we must answer them on other principles. These Canaanites had been guilty of the most horrid unnatural crimes, similar to those we have been treating of; and therefore it was but justice that such wretches should be extirpated from the earth. Supposing an army of European Christians were to see such unnatural barbarities committed, as those we have just mentioned, would not every man present think it his duty to punish the cruel perpetrators of them? Certainly he would, and human nature knows no punishment for murder, but that of taking away the life of the murderer. But to return to the subject.

As for the nuptial ceremonies of these people, they have nothing very remarkable in them, being so cruel and ignorant, many of them herd together like beasts, without any regard to age, sex, or decency; some of them, particularly the Jages, who inhabit the province of Ansiko, never bury their dead, but either cat them or bury them alive. They wash their bodies clean when they intend to bury them, and carry them to the grave in a sitting posture, and their wives, if they have any, are buried along with them. The ceremony concludes with cries and dreadful lamentations, which last several days.

We have already, in the course of this work, had occasion to lament, that so many of our fellow creatures are ignorant of the knowledge of Christ, but what shall we say of those Africans, who are worse than the wild beasts of the field? Does it not serve to shew, that mankind are not what their ancestor was when he came from the hands of his maker. Nay, it appears from what is related here, that he is capable of any thing, let it be ever so absurd, ridicu lous, cruel, barbarous, or unnatural, which clearly proves our nature to be corrupted. Unless those things are granted, we shall never be able to account for the practices of many of our fellow creatures, who, even in whole national bodies, commit, or rather live in, and establish, crimes shocking to be mentioned. Hence we may conclude, that altho' there are many things of great value to be met with in the writings of the Greeks and Romans, yet we find they were most shockingly corrupted in their

morals,