It arises from the horrible custom of exposing children who are the offspring of illegitimate com

merce.'

In the Spanish settlements, as in every other part of the world, there are females, who, with all the weakness characteristic of too many of their sex, allow themselves to be carried away from the paths of virtue, by the warmth of constitutional propensity, the seduction of love, or the imperious calls of domestic want. Women of this description, who, for the honour of their sex are far from being numerous, find it much easier to gratify, than to subdue their desires. Such is their depravity, that in the preliminary arrangements of their amorous intercourse the only difficulty that occurs, is with respect to the choice of a convenient place; as soon as appearances are saved, all the rest goes on like clock-work. From that illicit commerce, frequently result consequences, which detach the father, and overwhelm the mother with the agonies of despair. Nature in these cases too often thwarted and counteracted, has to struggle against the criminal efforts of a mother, whose object is to destroy in embryo a deposit, which, if allowed to arrive to the maturity of a birth, must prove a lasting monument of her shame. If, in spite of these unnatural efforts, the offspring of her embraces is safely ushered into the world, her prospect on recovery is miserable indeed. The mildest treatment which the unfortunate creature can expect, is to be exposed at the entrance of some house, before the gate of some church, or in the open street. The unjust prejudice which attaches to this kind of maternity, public con

tempt, and family disgrace, are the only reasons that can be assigned for the shocking proceedings which follow the misfortunes of pregnancy and delivery. A white girl is for ever undone, if she is proclaimed mother, if she pays the due honour to nature; but suffers nothing in her reputation, however well grounded the suspicion may be of her abandoned depravity. It is observed that these new born infants, when thus exposed, are generally picked up by women of colour, sometimes by black women. The male children are early received into convents, churches, &c. but the female share the poverty of their fosterfathers, till they get married; and one need not be informed that when bred by persons of colour, and altogether destitute of fortune, they are under the necessity of giving their hands to the first man of colour who asks it. Such disadvantages, and others far more serious, which might more emphatically be called misfortunes, arise from that savage custom of exposing to the too often lukewarm pity of the faithful, or to the voracity of animals, innocent babes, from whom mothers withhold the tenderness, which tigresses lavish on their whelps. But of what use is this declamation ?-it may tend to irritate instead of correcting. The causes of these evils are too deeply rooted to be extirpated by reasoning. A ridiculous pride, called family honour, dispenses with the practice of virtue, but not with the appearance of honouring it. Under an exterior show of decency, one may indulge himself in vice, may gratify all his desires, yield to all his passions, provided he loudly censures a similar conduct in others. To undertake the re

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form of such morals, is to declare war against hypocrisy, which will always be victorious in a country where every individual studies to make a display of false virtues, in order to disguise real vices. Intrigue and prostitution, therefore, will always pursue their successful career, whilst the bold task of endeavouring to destroy their effects, will neither be augmented or diminished in its efforts.

The Necessity of Hospitals for Foundlings.

All that can be claimed with any appearance of success is, that the magistrate should at length prepare in every city an asylum, where the infants, who experience nothing but barbarity from their mothers, may receive the aliment, attention and education, which their country owes them. We see, in all the provinces of Caraccas, and in the city of Caraccas itself, churches richly endowed, religious establishments of every kind, and not a single public hospital for foundlings. Does not piety, a virtue justly deified by the ancients, hold the most conspicuous place in the catalogue of those virtues, which constitute humanity. Can we, then, be pious without being humane? Is there any humanity in leaving a child just come into existence, exposed at the corner of a street, or the threshold of a gate, to be devoured by dogs or hogs, unless some poor free negro woman take charge of it, rather to mingle her tears with the craving cries of the child, than to afford it nourishment and clothing, which she has not for herself? A disorder so shocking requires a prompt reform, and the

magistrates have reason to regret that they have nes glected it so long. But I return to my subject.

Freed-men can practise Medicine.

Freemen of colour are by no means fond of cul ture, nor indeed of any employment which requires personal labour. Yet they all have trades, which the whites, who are equally indisposed to labour, allow them to exercise without any competition. They were formerly debarred from the practice of medicine; but they were admitted to it by the royal ordinance of the 14th of March, 1797; and by a decree of the audience of Caraccas, it was prohibited to give any molestation to that description of physicians, or to any that should thereafter be added to it, until the white physicians should receive such an increase of their number, as would be sufficient for the population. It is even pretended, that they make improvements in that profession, of which they were thought incapable. (See the chapter on diseases.)

CHAPTER IV.

PORTRAIT OF THE INDIANS BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE EUROPEANS :-MEANS EMPLOYED TO CIVILIZE THEM.

How America has been peopled-Smallness of the populationGovernments which are found there-Division of the populationPhysical and moral constitution of the Indians-Their propensity to war-Unworthy manner in which they carried it on. Causes which put an end to wars-Religion of the Indians-They believe in the immortality of the soul-Their priests were likewise physiciansStudies for the priesthood and physic united-Medicines usedParticular gifts of the Piaches-Witchcraft-Reflection-Religious ideas of the Oronoko Indians-Efect of eclipses on the IndiansThey worship toads-Idols-Opinion with respect to the state of the soul after death-Funerals of the Oronoko Indians-Of the SalivesOf the Guaraunos-Of the Aruacas-Idle and sottish lives of the Indians-Exception in favour of the Otomacs-Indians who eat earth-Turtle-fishery-Marriages-Deplorable situation of the Oronoko women-Polygamy-Divorce-Adultery-Exchange of wives -Education of children-Hatred of sons against fathers-DressIndians not reduced-Guaraunos-Guajiros-Their relations with Rio-de-la-Hache-With the English-Serious interest of the Spanish government to reduce these Indians-Civilized Indians-Excessive mildness of the laws in their favour-Measures to keep them in dependence--Their privileges-Distinguished favours which the church grants them-Melancholy results-Difficulty of making them eitizens-Greater still of making them christians-How the Indians ought to be treated-New regulations for the Indians-Result of those regulations.

How America has been peopled.

According to the rules of historical composition, an account of the origin of the people, whose country is to be described, ought to form an introduction to the work. Before, therefore, I speak of the Americans, whom, in imitation of the Spaniards, I shall call Indians, I ought to relate how America received its first population; but this task is the more difficult to perform, as that remarkable event occurred at so