conveying, to many of the Heathens in America, the knowledge of the gospel. This indeed, is one of the great ends Protestants should always have in view, when they make settlements among the Heathens. If the Papists spared no pains to propagate their superstition, why should Protestants be remiss in seeking to make the purity of their Divine religion known?

No excuse can be pleaded for such a neglect, because it is wilful, and proceeds from our not setting a proper value on the precious immortal souls of our fellow creatures. Who can read the accounts we have already given of these Floridans without horror? And what man, who knows the benefits of Christianity, would not desire to see them equally happy with himself? bor this purpose, let a few of our luxurics be retrenched, that we may have an opportunity of laying up treasures in heaven, by diffusing the knowledge of the gospel among the most remote nations. God has given us the means, and he will exact from us an account of the use we make of them. It is necessary, therefore, that we should attend carefully to these things, because the neglect of them will not only be an injury to those who are in want of our assistance, but it will also aggravate our guilt, because we were destitute of bowels of compassion to those who, of all others, stood the most in need of our

assistance.

The Religion of the Savages of Hudson's Bay.

HUDSON's Bay is so far to the northward of America, that were it not for the trade we have established there, it would be difficult to give a proper account of it. Its territories are supposed to join to those of Russia or Siberia, but an exact discovery of this has never yet been made. It is true, some have attempted it, but we may venture to affirm, that till government gives a proper premium to the adventurers, few will undertake to go thro' the danger attending it. This, however, we shall leave to providence, in directing the councils of princes; and just observe what the religion of the people is at present, who have not embraced Christianity.

The savages near Hudson's Bay, have very dark confused notions of religion, for they have a variety of different gods, or rather idols, and address them according to their fancies. Indeed, the licen tious vagrant lives of these savages, prevent them from attending to any proper notions of religion, No. 22.

or of the trne Grd. They are not amenable, however, to the good or ill fortune that happens to them, for like the Mancheans in the primitive times of Christianity, they seem to adore two principles,. the one good and the other evil. They Lelieve the sun to be the good, and the moon the evil principle, which has some affinity with the opinion of the ancients, who ascribed evil and pernicious effects to the moon.

These savages whom we are writing of, seem to consider the sun as the sovereign of the universe, for they offer him tobacco instead of incense, and this is what they call smoaking the sun. This ceremony is performed in the following manner :---

The chiefs of the families assemble by day break, at the house of one of their principal inen, where the latter lights the tobacco, and offers it to the sun, and waving it with his hands according to its course, till it comes to the points from whence he first begun; he addresses his prayers, at the same time, to the sun, implores his protection, beseeches him to direct him in his understanding, and recom. mends all the families of the district or canton to his care. After this, the chief smoaks the tobacco; and then gives it to every one in his turn..

It may not be improper in this place to give a description of the instrument used by them in their religious smoaking, which they call the Columes. It is a kind of very long pipe, made of red stones, adorned with the heads of wood-pickers, and of a kind of ducks that perch upon trees. The heads of those birds are of the finest scarlet colour in the world, and all their feathers are extremely beautiful. In the middle of the tube, or body of the Calumet, they hang or fix certain feathers taken from the wing of a bird which they call Kibon, pretty much resembling an eagle, and they always incense the Calumet before they begin any warlike expedition. But we have a still more accurate description of this instrument called a Calumet by father Hennepin, a learned Jesuit, who visited those parts, and resided there several years

He says it is a great large smoaking pipe, of red, white, or black marble, pretty much like a battleaxe, with a very smooth head. The tube which is above two feet and a half long, is made of a strong reed. or cane, set off with feathers of all sorts of colours,. with several mats made of women's hair variously interwoven. To this they fix two wings, which make it resemble, in some measure, the words used by ambassadors among the ancients when they con-cluded a peace. They thrust this reed thro' the necks of theards, or thears, which are birds speckled with black and white, and about the bigness of 6 Q

Qur

These ducks are of several different colours, and every nation both make and adore the Calumet in what manner they please, or rather according to their own ancient usages. The Calumet is a passport to all those who remove from one place to another, and being a symbol of peace, they are universally of opinion, that some signal vengeance would befal the person who should presume to break the faith of it. It is the seal of all public undertakings, of all important affairs, and all sacred ceremonies. But to return to the other religious ceremonies of these people.

The ceremony of smoaking the sun is never performed but on the most extraordinary occasions, for in common things they address their prayers to some small images which they carry along with them, and which are commonly given them by their jugglers. Some of them imagine that the storms are raised by the moon, who, in their opinion, sometimes lodges in the bottom of the sea.

To pacify her, therefore, they sacrifice to her the most valuable things they have in their canoe, and throw every thing into the sea, not excepting even their tobacco. This sacrifice is preceded with singing, and certain other ceremonies which are efficacious in driving out this evil spirit. In all this there seems to be but little difference between them and the ancients, for they are far from being so barbarous as the Floridans already metioned.

To know the issue of any affair, they address themselves to their jugglers, who pronounce their oracles with great ceremony, and in a manner that is artful enough. The juggler fixes poles in the ground, and thereon raises a circular hut, which he surrounds with the skins of caribons or other animals, leaving a hole at the top wide enough for a man to pass through. Here the artful juggler shuts himself up alone, where he sings, sheds tears, tumbles up and down, torments himself, invokes, breaks out into imprecations and exorcisms. He then receives an answer in a thundering voice; all which is consistent with the notions the Heathens in general form of the Divine being.

This makes them believe that their gods must always deliver their answers to their prayers in a thundering voice; nay, they imagine that no answer can come from the gods, unless it, in some measure, less or more disorders the laws of nature. This would be undoubtedly true; but what these infatuated people believe to be the voice of the Supreme Being, is no other than a trick contrived by their

As soon as the noise is heard, the juggler's enthusiasm, breaks out in a murmuring noise, like that of a rock falling, when all the poles and stakes are shaken with so much violence, that one would imagine all was coming to the ground. It is in the midst of these sacred agitations, that the juggler pronounces the oracles, than which nothing can be more artful, for he takes the opportunity of the people's minds being disordered by fear.

In their marriage ceremonies they are very different from the Floridans. They marry as many wives as they can maintain, and nothing is more common than to find four or five sisters married to one man. She that has the first child enjoys several privileges which the others do not, so that she is considered as the head of the family next to the husband. This is generally the case wherever polygamy is tolerated. The monrent a savage becomes in love with a women, he reveals his passion, and in order to obtain the end of his wishes, he gives an entertainment to her relations. He makes her father some presents, and no sooner has he obtained the parents consent than he takes her home without any farther ceremony. They never marry with an intention of binding themselves to each other for life, for they cohabit together no longer than they are pleased with each other. This practice prevails throughout most of the other nations in North-America, of which we shall take some farther notice afterwards

They bury their dead with as much pomp as possible, they dress them, paint their faces and bodies with different colours, after which they lay them in coffins, made of the bark of trees, the outsides of which they make smooth with light pumice stones. They then set up a pallisade round the tomb, which is always raised seven or eight feet from the ground.

They also make entertainments for their dead, very suitable to their own manners and customs in other respects. Every thing is sad and mournful, suitable to the circumstances of the occasion. The relations of the deceased keep a deep silence, and will not allow dancing or singing. All the guests make presents to the parents and other relations of the diseased, which they throw at their feet, saying, at the same time, "This is to cover him, this is to make a hut for him, this is to surround his grave," and so on they mention other necessaries..

We must not conclude this article without taking notice that many of these people are more civilized in their manners since the English established a company

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pany to trade there. This shews the great advantage of commerce, and the proper use that should always be made of it; namely, to polish the minds of a rude ignorant people, that they may enjoy the benefits of society, and the blessings of religion.

The Religion of the Caribbee Islands.

These islands, like the rest of America, were unknown to Europeans, or at least they were unfrequented by them, till the time of Columbus, in the latter end of the fifteenth century. It was found, that at that time, there were many inhabitants in them; but they were all idolaters. It cannot be ascertained, whether by some accident or other these islands, or some of them, might not have been peopled before the continent of America, but perhaps, upon a nearer inspection, the contrary will appear more probable:

It is almost established as a maxim that America was, for the most part, peopled from the continent of Europe, and if so, it must have been from the more northerly parts. The only objection to the contrary is, that some learned men have asserted that colonies were sent from Africa, but of this we have treated already at large, so that it will not be necessary to resume the subject.

It is sufficient for us that it was found inhabited by many people when Columbus first discovered it, and knowing the near affinity that the northern parts of Russia, have with the northern extremity of America, we are naturally led to rest satisfied, that the continent of that vast territory was peopled before the islands.

It was no difficult matter for the natives of the continent to go over to the islands in their canoes, one of which is now to be seen in the British Museum. These canoes are very curiously constructed, and capable of conveying people in an easy manner, from one place to another, where the voyages are not long. It is probable, that the situation of islands in sight of each other, first furnished men with the idea of navigation, and from building small canoes they came at last to construct large vessels. The violence of a storm might drive them out of their course, and providence might direct them to an unknown shore.

We have been the more particular in our conjectures concerning the origin of these people, because we, as British subjects, have at present a very near connection with some of them. The avarice of the Europeans has extended so far, that whenever a war

takes place, one or other of these islands become the properties of new masters. It is to this circumnstance that those people have been so long kept in a state of ignorance; for the Roman Catholics have left nothing undone to make them superstitious devotees to the worship of saints and images, and Protestants, who attempted to convert them to a rational and spiritual religion, found all their designs frustrated, in consequence of the ambition of princes, who commenced wars against each other before such a salutary end could be answered. We shall therefore proceed to consider what these islands were when the Spaniards invaded them, what they are still considered under the notion of idolatry, and what they are at present in consequence of the extension of commerce, and the connection they have with trade.

The Spaniards have destroyed the greatest part of these islanders, and the rest of the Europeans, who copied after them, have not treated them much better; but still none of them have been able to deprive those unhappy savages of the liberty of exclaming against their injustice, and the cruelties they have suffered under the government of their new masters. "You have driven me out of my habitation, says the Caribbee, which you had not the least right to do, neither can you have the least pretensions to it. You are continually threatening to turn me out of the little that is left ine; must then the poor Carib bee be forced to take up his habitation in the sea with the fishes; Your own country must certainly be very miserable, since you quit it to turn me out of mine; and whence is it that you take so much pleasure in tormenting me?" Ambition and avarice have almost obliterated in our minds all the maxims of the gospel. Our conquests will indeed have one specious pretext, viz. that of winning over the souls of the Americans to Christ; but then a converted Indian will answer, 'Why do you not therefore consider me as a brother, since christianity sets mankind in a state of freedom, and at the same time that it exhorts us to humility, fills our minds with a spirit of tenderness and humanity; a spirit which you have never once breathed with regard to us?" To this we make no other answer, than that our interest calls for their subjection; that we want slaves to cultivate our land; that we have dispossessed these savages of them in order to improve them, and to search into their bowels for wealth, of which they were wholly ignorant; and so great is our infatuation, as to imagine that these venal motives suit with the gentle spirit of Christianity. But surely this cannot surprise us, when it is to be considered that some have endeavoured to justify the

cruel