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l^ibliQieibjrKlCHAKD FHrrJ.TFS.^.S^rgiiU. ChnrcUTara.ifovfi+aoj.

V ■" ' ■ * ;> ^

THK

HISTORY

OF THK

DISCOVERY AND SETTLEMENT,

TO THE

PRESENT TIME,

NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA,

AND OP

'"^v-.v^'v;

THE WEST INDIES.

BY WILLIAM MAYOR, LL.D.

TICAR OF HURLEY IN BERKSHIRE, AND CHAFLAtN TO THE

EARL OF MOIRA.

LONDON :

-' n-'T'

PRINTED FOR RICHARD PHILLIPS, 71, «T. PAUL*!

CHURCH-YARD.

AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS.

1804.

•tH'

■■

TO THE
RIGHT HONOURABLE

LORD AUCKLAND^

THIS VOLUME
OP

UNIVERSAL HISTORY

IS,

WITH EVERY SENTIMENT OP ESTEEM

AND RESPECT,

INSCRIBED,

BY HIS lordship's

MOST FAITHFUL AND DEVOTED

HUMBLE SERVANT,

THE EDITOR.

ADVERTISEMENT.

I'S the history of tlie world there is no event more
riirious and important than the discovery of Ame-
rica, which, with its surrounding seas, forms a
cnm})lete hemispliere to our planet, of which the
antients certainly knew no more than ISO degrees.
To the glory of an event of such magnitude, and
follovv'ed by such important consc(]uenccs to the in-
terests of commerce, many nations have laid claim.
Tiie limits of a small volume will not allow us to
enter into the various disquisitions which have been
\\Titten on the subject, in defence of the contend-
ing parties. We have followed our own historian,
and given the honour of the discovery to Chris-
topher Columbus. And notwithstanding all that
was said l.'cfore the publicatiijn of Dr. Robertson's
History, by Gomara aiid others, or since by M.
Otlo-, wiih a view of snatching the laurel from
the Genoese, we are persuaded that the e\idence in
behalf of Columbus's claims are clear and satisfao
lorv.

Wc have likewise followed the same authority
in, endeavouring to account for the manner by
which America was originally peopled f. Of the

various

* See a letter from M. Otto to Dr. Franklin, with a me-
moir on the discovery of America. American PhilosopAii"''
cai i raiisactions. Vol.11, quarto. ITbO".

f See chap, iii.

VIU

ADVERTISEMENT.

various other theories on tills subject we judge it
right to mention one in this place which is plau-
sible and well supported. The abbe Clavigero^ a
native of America, thinks that there remains no
other solution to this intricate question than by-
supposing au antient union between the ecjuinoc-
tial countries of America with those of Africa, and
a connection of the northern countries of America
with Europe on the east, and with Asia on the west^
so that according to this gentleman there has pro-
bably been a period since the flood, in which there
was but one continent, when the beasts of tlie cold
climates passed over the northern isthmusses which
perhaps connected Europe, America, and Asia j
and the animals and reptiles peculiar to hot coun-
tries passed over the isthmus that connected South
America with Africa. For from various reasons
he is induced to believe that tliere was formerly a
tract of land uniting the easternmost part of Brazil
to the westernmost part of Africa, which may have
been sunk by some violent agitation of nature,
leaving only a few traces of it in that chain of
islands of which Cape de Verd, Fernandez, Ascen-
sion, and St. Matthew Islands make a part.

All other theories, he says, are subject to enor-
mous difficulties ; and though this be not without
some, yet they are not altogether insurmountable.
The most formidable is the supposition of an earth-
quake so violent as to submerge a tract of land
more than fifteen hundred miles in length, which
according to this hypothesis united Africa and
South America. It is not necessary, however, to
ascribe this stupendous revolution to a single shock,
it may have been effected by a sux^cessiqn of earth-
quakes, such as was felt in Canada, in l663, which
overturned a chain of free-stone mountains up-
ward!

■.■»

ica

stj

ro-

ere

old

lich

iia 5

ivin-

)Uth

sons

rly a

razil

lave

ure,

n of

cen-

jnor-

lOUt

table.

tarth-
land
rhich
and

[er, to

jarth-
rhich

LS up-

ADVj;iniSKMr,NT. ix

Nvnrds (if thrro lumdred inilcs in length, converting
tlu' \dii»)c of that immense ..art into one entire
plain'^. Such is ihe hare oiiriiue of this genllenian's
ihroryulii'h lie lui<- ioilitied hy many arguments
ihat merit the atteuLion of the naturalist and piti-
loMiphv.r

The plan of the ensuing volume will be evident
from slight inspeetic^n of the table ot' contents :
\hc fust six cha[)ters contain a c( mplete history of
llie dihcoveries and settlenKUits made by Columbus,
Cortes, Pizarro, and others, uncler the auspices of
l!ie court of Spain. The seventh gives a brief ac-
count of the Portuguese settlenunits in South Ame-
rica. We then ( ome to the discoveries and settle-
ments made by our own countrymen. And it was by
accident only that Henry Vll. had not an earlier and
more considerable share in those naval transactions,
l)y which that age was so eminently distinguished, ,
He had invited Columbus to London to explain to
him his project; but Bartholomew his brother, the
bearer of the invitation, was, in his voyage, taken
by pirates, and detained in their custody, till Co-
liuTibus had obtained the protection of Isabella, and
had sailed on the fortunate expedition. Henry was
not discouraged by this disa])})ointment, but sent
Sebastian Cal)ot in search of new countrit* s. The
vesiilt of his voyage vwas the discovery and after-
wards the settlement of the more northerly parts of
America, Newfoundland, and that part of the con-
tinent Vv'liich is now erected into the empire of
the United States. The ri.se of these states, and
Iheir proy,ressive history to the present times, to-
gether with an historical account of the West In-
dia

Clavjg^ero's History of Mexico.

X ADVERTISEMENT.

dia IslancU will be found detailed in the remainder
of the volume.

Upon the whole we may venture to assure the
reader that the history of America in its several
parts will nol be found less interesting or less im-
portant than that of any of the foregoing volumes.
Indeed tlie discovery of this great continent with
the neighbouring islands has been attended with
almost incalculable advantages to all the nations of
Europe, even to such as were not immediately con-
cerned in tliose naval enterprises. The enlarge-
ment of commerce and navigation increased indus-
try and the arts every where. The nobles dissi-
pated their fortunes in expensive pleasures : men
of inferior rank, by wealtli gained in America, ac-
quired a share of landed property in Europe, and
created to themselves a considerable property of a
new kind, in stock, credit, and correspondence.
In some nations the privileges of the commons
were increased by this increase of property; and
in all places the condition of the great mass of the
people was improved by the trade cai'ried on b#«
tween the Old and the New World.

CONTENTS-

CuatA, Columbus's Origin: his Application
to different Courts : his Jirst Voij^
age and Discovery of Guanahani :
his second Foyage and Discovery
of Jamaica: his third Voyage and
Discovery of the Continent : his
return Home and Death

II. .State of Hispaniolay Cuba, ^c, :
noble Conduct of' Balboa: Mis»
sionaries sent out. Las Ccusas's
Conduct and Zeal, Origin of the
African Slave Trade

Page

III. A View of America ; and of the

Manners and Customs of the I'a^
rious Inhabita?its when frst dis^
covered - " - ^ 6j

IV. History of the Conquest of Netv

Spain by Hernando Cortes - 113

V. History of the Conquest of Peru,
Chili, ^c, by Pizarro ; with an
Account of the Alanners and CuS"
toms of the Mexicans and Pcru^
vians • . - - 149

VI.

> I

.1 1

CONTENTS.

Page
Chap. VI. Fmv of the other Spa7iish Pos-
sessions and Co?iquests in the
New JFortd - - - ISO

VTI. History of the Portuguese Settle-
ments in yhnerica - -19(3

VIII. History of the Discoveries and Set-
tlements made hy the English. —
The Origin of the Americati IVar 204

IX. History of the American War conti-
lined to the Termination of the
Royal Governmmt - - 233

X. History of the American IFar con-
cluded - - r - 251

XL History of the United States of Ame-
rica to the present Times ^ - 285

XII. History of the British Possessio?is in

North America - - - 297

XIII. History of the IFest- India Islands 308

XIV. History of the JFest Indies continued 336
XV. History of the IVest Indies concluded 3C)1

• Tlvj Binder is requested to place the Map of North
Aiiiciica ai the Ci;d of the Volume*

Page

MODERN HISTORY.

ISO

HISTORY OF AMERICA.

19G

r 204

233

- 251

wc-

285

297

308

336

kii

361

of North

CHAP. I.

Introduct'imi. Importance of the Discovery of Amc»
r'lca. Mariner s Compass. The Portuguese the
first Adventurers in pursuit of foreign Countries*
Birth and Education of Columbus . Enters the
Sir vice of Portugal. His Marriage. Conceives
Hopes of reaching the East Indies hif holding a
ivdsterly Course. His Theory on the Suhject,
His Application to difjerent Courts. His Plans
acceded to hy the King and Queen of Spain. His
Foyage of Discovery. Difficulties. Success,
Lands at Guanahani. Sails to Cuba after Gold.
To Hispaniola. Leaves a Colony there, ami re-
turns to Spain. The Difficulties of his Foyage
Home. Astonishment and Joy of Mankind on
the Discovery of the New JForld. His Reception
a t Court. The Reason of the Na me West Indies.
His second. Foyage. Finds the Colony all de*
sfroyed. Builds a, Town. His Followers muti^
7iy. Builds the Fort St. Thomas. Sets sail.
Discovers Jamaica. -His Distresses. Return^ i 7
Hispaniola. IFar 'with the Indians. Tax im"
posed on them. Desolation of the Indians. Co^
lumbus returns to Spain. His Reception. Third
Foyage. Discovers the Island. Trinidad. En^
tanifledin the River Orinoco. Discovers the Con^
tinent. Foyage of the Portuguese to the East

VOL, S.XIV. M Indies

I'^U:

"!■

■i.t

? h

2 AMERICA.

Indies lif the Cape of Good Hope. The Reason
of the Name America. Distresses of Coliimiicw
Sails in Quest of the East Indies ti/ a new Pas-
sage. Arrives at Hispaniola. His Treatment
there. His Predietion of a Storm . The Conse-
quences of neglecting it. His Distresses. Runs
his Ship aground at Jamaica. Indians rfuse
him Assistance. ForetelLs an Eclipse of the Moon,
and. takes aduafitage of it. Returns to Spain,
His Treatme/it and Death,

AS individuals are protected in the enjoyment of
their wcahh and commerce by the power of
the community, so the general body deduces equi-
vah^nt advantages from the extensive trade and vast
opulence of private persons. The grandeur of the
state, and the happiness and security of its subjects,
are, with respect to commerce, inseparable. That
policy must ever be narrow and short-sighted which
\^'ould aggrandi^^e the state by the oppression of its
members. Every thing is purchased l>y labour,
^\hich alone is infirntely more valuable than I he
richest mines of gold and silver. The possession of
tJie latter has in many instances rendered nations
poor and contemptible 5 but in no instance have
aiilnence and felicity failed to accompany industry
guidx)d by prudence. A superfluity of labour is a
real treasure to society, which may at any time be
employed like money in the public service. Hence
arise the great ad\'antages of foreign commerce,
which, by augmenthig tiie labour, ineflbct increases
(he grandeur of tlie state and the wealth of the
.subject, hy its imports it furnishes the materials
of industry ; and by its e:q)orts it aftbrds encou-
ragement for exertion. I'hus the mind acquires
iidditioiiiil vigour ; it enlarges 5 Is povv^ers and facul-

tie.Sj

fie

flu
i)a
coi
isJf
one
cov
mei
A\e
woi:
ever
silve
of til
but A
To h
i Antii
tain,
Amei
ofgr,
her
every
CLiitoi
tile d
At
tnry \\
which
to hav
^nd to

casofi

Pas-
tnicnl
'Jonsc-

Runs
refuse
Moo7i,
Spain,

nent of I

;)\vev ot
?s equi-
Mu\ vast
ir of tho
subjects,
e. That
id which
on of its
labour,
Jian the
ession of
nations
ice have
industry
(mr is a
time be
Hence
Imnierce,
ii.crease?
:h of the
Iniaterials
s encou-
acquires
ind facul-
tie.?j

AMP.RICA. S

tics, and the spirit of improvement is^ at length,
Fceii in every art and science.

If commerce be considered as essential to in-
dustry, and labour necessary to the opulence and
happiness of society, we cannot but regard the dis-
covery of the vast continent of America, and the
islands with which it is on all sides surrounded, as
one ot the most important consequences of tliedis-
coveiT of the mariner's compass, and the improve-
ments in navigation. Without a knowledge of the
AWst Indies the intercourse with the East Indies
would be of little advantage to luirope ; it might
even be pernicious, by draining it of its gold and
silver: whereas we now purchase the commodities
of the latter not only wdth European manufactures,
but with the silver dug out of the mines of Pot(jsi.
To her possessions in Chili, Peru, Mexico, and the
Antilles, Spain owes all her opulence. Great Bri-
tain, by means of her colonies, on the continent of
America raised herself to a great and envied height
of grandeur and importance. Portugal almost owes
her CKistence to her possessions in Brazil. In short,
every nation in Europe, either immediately or cir-
cuitously, has derived considerable advantages from
the discovery of the western world.

At the beginning of the fourteenth cen- . -p.
tury we date the discovery of the compass, ' *
which may, with great propriety, be said ^
to have opened to man the dominion of the sea,
and to have put him in full possession of the terres-
trial globe, by enabling him to visit every part of
it. The art of steering by this instrument was gra-
dually acquired. Sailors, unaccustomed to quit
siglit of land, durst not launch out and commit
tiicmselves to unknown seas. The first appearance

» ^ • of

AMERICA.

■t;ii

A T\ of a bolder spirit may be dated from the
1 '^AA ' voyages of the Spaniards to the Canary or
' Fortunate Islands. By wJiat accident they
were led to the discovery of those small isles,
which lie 500 miles from the Sj^anish coast, and
more than 150 miles from the coast of Africa, con-
temporary writers have not explained ; and (heir
subsequent voyages thither seem not to have been
undertaken in consequence of any public or regular
plan for extending navigation or of attempting new
discoveries.

At length, liowever, the period arrivcvl wh'^n
Providence decreed that men were to pass the
limits within which they had so long been con-
fined, and open to themselves a more ample field,
wherein to display their talents, their enterprise,
and courage. The first eHbrts towards this were
not made by any of the more powerful states of
Europe, or by those who had applied to navigation
with the greatest assiduity and success. The glory
of leading the way in this new career was reserved
for Portugal, one of the smallest and least powerful
of the European kingdoms.

Among the foreigners whom the fame of the
discoveries made by the Portuguese in Africa had
allured into their service, was Christopher Colon
or Columbus, a subject of the republic of Genoa,
who discovered, at a very early period, a peculiar
propensity for a seafaring life. His parents en-
couraged his wishes by the education which they
gave him. At the age of fourteen he began his
career on that element which conducted him to so
much glory. With a near relation, who com-
manded a small s(]uadron, Columbus continued se-
veral years^ distinguished equally for talents and

txno

)m the
Kivy or
It they
i isles,
it, and
a, con-
d their
,e been
resiular
ing new

y\ wh'^n
pass the
>en con-
ple tield,
iterprise,
this were^
states of
lavigation
'he glory
reserved
powerful

le of the
.frica had
ier Colon
If Genoa,
peculiar
Irents en-
hich they
[began his
Ihim to so

rho com-
Itinned se-

ileuts and
true

AMERICA. 5

true courage. At length, in an obstinate engage-
ment olf the coast of Portugal with some Venetian
caravels, the vessel on board which he served took
iire, together with one of the enemy's ships to
which it was fast grappled. In this dreadful ex-
tremity he threw himself into the sea, laid hold of
a floating oar; and by the support of tliat, and his
own dexterity in swimming, he reached the shore,
and saved a life reserved for great undertakings.

As soon as he had recovered his strength for the
journey, he repaired to Lisbon, where he married a
Portuguese lady. This alliance, instead of detach-
ing him from a seafaring life, contributed to en-
large the sphere of his naval knowledge, and to
excite a desire of extending it still farther. His
wife was daughter of an experienced navigator,
from whose journals and charts Columbus learned
the course which the Portuguese had held in mak-
ing their discoveries, as well as the various circum-
stances which guided or encouraged them in their
attempts. The study of these soothed and inflamed
his favourite passion; and while he contemplated
the maps, and read the descriptions of the new
countries seen by his father-in-law, his impatience
to visit them became irresistible. He made a
voyage to Madeira, and for several years conti-
nued to trade with that island, with the Canaries,
the Azores, the settlements in Guinea, and all the
other places which the Portuguese had discovered
on the continent of Africa.

To find out a passage by sea to the East Indies
was the great object in view at that period. From
the time that the Portuguese doubled Cape de
Verd, this was the point at which they aimed in all
their navigations, and, in comparison with it, all
tlieir discoveries in Africa appeared as inconsider-

B 3 able.

i I

tl' AMEKICA.

able. The Portuguese, however, senrchcd for it
only by steering south, in hopes of arriving nt In-
dia by turning to the east when they had sailrd
round tlie farther extremity of Africa j wlulc Co-
lumbus, after revohing every circumstance sug-
gested by his superior Isnowledge in the theory as
well as the practice of navigation, after comparing
attentively the observations of modern pilots with
the hints and conjectures of antient authors, con-
cluded that by sailing directly towards the west
across the Atlantic, new countries, which probably
formed a part of India, must infallibly be disco-
vered. In this opinion he was confirmed by the
observations of his bnUher Bardiolomew, who was
a geographer by profession, and who, in drawing
his maps of the world, was astonished that of 300
degrees of longitude only 1 80 at most were known 3
and, of course, there remained as much of the
world to be discovered as had already been found
out: and as it seemed by no means probable that
the ocean could extend, without any interruption,
over one entire hemisphere, he maintained that, by
keeping constantly west from the Canaries, they
must infallibly come either to islands or to a con-
tinent. Facts were not wanting to strengthen this
plausible theoiy : a Portuguese pilot having stretch-
ed farther to the west than was usual at that time,
took up a piece of timber artificially carved, float-
ing upon tlie sea; and as it was driven towards
him by a westerly wind, he concluded that it came
from some unknown land situated in that quarter.
Cohimbus's brother-in-law had found to the west
of the Madeira isles a piece of timber fashioned in
the same manner, and brought by the same wind.
Trees torn up by their roots were frequently driven
by westerly winds upon the coasts of the Azores,

and

i
I

AMERICA. 7

and at one time (he dead bodies of two men, villi
si!igular features resembling neither the inhabi-
liinls of Europe nor of Afriea, were cast ashore
there.

As the force of this united evidence, arising from
theoretical principles and practical observation, led
Columbus to expect the discovery of new countries
in the Western Ocean, other reasons induced hini
to b.'lie\e that these must be connected with the
continent of India. He communicated his theory
to Paul, a physician of Florence, eminent » -p.
for his knowledge in the science of cosmo- .^^.Z
graphy, wlio entered warmly into the views
of Columbus, and encouraged him in an under-
taking which promised so much bene^t to the
world.

Having satisfied his own mind with respect to
the truth of his svstem, Columbus stood in need of
no stimulus to urge liim to reduce it to practice.
His lirsi step was to secure the patronage of some
European power. 1 o this end he laid his scheme
before the senate of Genoa, making, as became a
good citizen, his native land the first tender of his
services. I'hey rejected his proposal, as the dream
of a chimerical projector. He next applied to
John n. king of Portugal, a monarch of enter-
prising genius, and n{3 incompetent judge of naval
atTail's. The king listened to him in the most gra-
cious manner, and referred the consideration of
his plan to a number of eminent geographers,
whom he was accustomed to consult in matters of
this kind. These men, from mean and interested
views, started innumerable objections, and asked
many captious questions, in order to betray Co-
lumbus into a full explanation of his system. Hav-
ing

8 AMERICA.

ing in a great measure gained their ends, tlicy ad-
vised the king to dispatch a vessel, secretly, to
attempt the proposed discovery, by following ex-
actly the course which this great man had pointed
out. John, forgetting, on this occasion, the senti-
ments becoming a monarch, meanly adopted their
perfidious counsel.

Upon hearing of this dishonourable transaction,

Columbus indignantly quitted the kingdom, and

* -p. landed in Spain. Here he presented his

lift J.* ^^^^^""^^ ^^ Ferdinand and Isabella, who at
that time governed the united kingdoms of
Castile and Arragon. They injudiciously submit-
ted it to tlie examination of unskilful judges, who,
ignorant of the principles on which Columbus
founded his theory, rejected it as absurd ; main-
taining that, if there were really any such countries
as Columbus pretended, they would not have re-
mained so long concealed 3 nor would the wisdom
and sagacity of former ages have left the glory of
this discovery to an obscure Genoese.

Columbus, who had experienced the uncertain
issue of his applications, had taken the precaution
of sending into England his brother Bartholomew,
to whom he had fully communicated his ideas, to
negotiate the matter with Henry VII. On his
voyage tliither he fell into the hands of pirates,
who stripped him of every thing, and detained
him a prisoner several year^. At length he made
his escape, and arrived at London in extreme in-
digence, where he employed himself some time
in selling maps. With his gains he purchased a
decent dress, and in person presented to the king
the proposals which his brother had entrusted to
his management. Notwithstanding Henry's ex-
cessive

y ad-
y, to
g ex-
)inted
senti-
l their

action,
1, and
:ed his
kvho at
oms of
ubmit-
s, who,
lumbus
; main-
[mntries
bave re-
1 wisdom
glory of

AMERICA, <5

crssivc caution nnd parsimony, he received the
plans of Cuhimbus with more approbation than any
monarch to whom they had been presented.

After several unsneeessfiil applications to other
Euro})ean powers of less note, he was induced, by
the entrenty of Perez, a man of learning, and who
had great inihience with Isabella, to apply a second
time to the court of Spain. Isabella became his
munificent patroness^ and to her ultimately he
owed his success.

I'hough the name of Ferdinand appears con-
joined with that of his queen in this transaction,
yet his distrust of Columbus w^as still so violent,
that he refused to take any part in the eriterprise as
king of Arragon. And as the whole expence of
the expedition was to be defrayed by the crown of
Castile, Isabella reserved to her subjects of that
kingdom an exclusive right to all the benefits which
might redound from its success.

As soon as the treaty was signed, Isabella, by
her attention and activity in forwarding the prepa-
rations for tlie voyage, endeavoured to make some
reparation to Columbus for the time which he had
lost in fruitless solicitation. A squadron of three
ships was fitted out, victualled for twelve months,
and furnished with ninety men. And on the third
day of August he left Spain, in the presence . -p.
of a crowed of spectators, who united their ,^* ^*
supplications to heaven for his success. He *^*^*
steered directly for the Canary islands, where he
arrived and refitted, and on the (idi of September
set sail in a due western course into an unknown
ocean.

Here the voyage of discovery may be said to
begin. The first day, as it w^as very calm, ho
made but little progress 3 but on tlie second he

lost

AMERICA.

^^'

lost sight of tlic Canaries; and many of the sailor.^,
dejected ah*eady and dismayed, when they con-
templated the l)()ldness of the undertaking, began
to beat their breasts, and to shed tears, as if they
were never more to behold land. Cohimbus com-
forted them with assurances of success, and tlie
prospect of vast wealth in those opulent regions
whither he was conducting tliem. Happily for
himself, and for the country by which he was em-
ployed, he joined to the ardent temper and inven-
tive genius of a projector virtues of another species,
which are rarely united with them. He possessed
a thorough knowledge of mankind, an insinuating
address, a patient perseverance in executing any
plan; the perfect government of his own passions,
and the talent of acquiring an ascendant over those
of other men. All these qualities, which formed
him for command, were accompanied with a su-
perior knowledge of his profession, which begets
confidence in times of difficulty and danger. As
soon as tliey put to sea he regulated every thing by
his sole authority; he superintended the execution
of eveiy order ; and allowing himself only a few
hours for sleep, he was at all other times upon deck.
He attended to the motion of tides and currents,
watched the flight of birds, the appearance of
fishes, of sea- weed, and of every thing that floated
on the waves, and entered every occurrence, with
a minute exactness, in the journal wdiich he kept.
By the 1 4th of September the fleet was more than
200 leagues to the west of the Canary isles. There
they were struck with an appearance no less asto-
nishing than new. They observed that tlie mag-
netic needle, in their compasses, did not point ex-
actly to the polar star, but varied towards the west;
»nd as tliey proceeded, this variation increased.

Thii

hu
un

gat
the
fail
app

the!

to tJ

ofti

a I sc

navi,

and

dista

to ni

to re

their

on th

grees

resok

to shi

open

tliat (

make

tlirovv

ting ri

upon t

cessful

be inqi

CoJi

AMERICA.

[Worn,

con-
began

" they

com-

id the

egions

ily for

as em-

inven-

pecies,

ssessed

luating

ing any

assions,

ir those

formed

h a su-

|i begets

er. As

hing by

ecution
a few

Dndeck.
Lirrents,^
ance of
floated
c, with
e kept,
re than
.There
ss asto-
le msg-
loint ex-
lewestj
:reased.
Thii

This phenomenon filled the companions of Cohim*
bus with terror. They were now in a boundless
unknown ocean, far from the usual course of navi-
gation ; natiire itself seemed to have altered, and
the only guide which they had left was about to
fail them. Columbus invented a reason for this
aj^pcarance, whicli, though not satisfactory to him-
sclf, seemed so plausible to them, that it dispelled
their fears, or silenced tiieir murmurs.

Upon the first of October they were, according
to the admiral's reckoning, 7/0 leagues to the west
of the Canaries. They had now been three weeks
at sea, and had proceeded far beyond what former
navigators had attempted or deemed possible,
and their prospect of success seemed to be as
distant as ever. These reflections occurred often
to men who had no other object or occupation than
to reflect on the intention and circumstances of
their expedition. They made impression, at first,
on the timid and ignorant, and extending, by de-
grees, to such as were better informed or more
resolute, the contagion spread at length from ship
to ship. From secret whispers they proceeded to
open cabals and public complaints. All agreed
that Columbus should be compelled by force to
make the best way home. Some even proposed to
throw him into the sea, as the surest mode of get-
ting rid of his remonstrances^ being persuaded that,
upon their return to Spain, the death of an unsuc-
cessful projector would excite little concern, and
be inquired into with no curiosity.

Columbus was fully sensible of his perilous situa-
tion. He had observed witli great uneasiness the
disaffection of his crew: he retained, however,
perfect presence of mind, and affbcted to be ig-
norant of their machinations. Sometimes he em-
ployed all the art& of msumalioa to sootlie hi$

men.

•l I

■ ii:;

ii 'I

13 AMERICA.

men, Sometimes he eiuleavourefl to work upon
their nnibition and avarice, by niagnifieeiit descrip-
tions of the fame and wealth which they were about,
to ac(|uire. On other occasions he assumed tiu;
tone of authority, and tlireatened them with the
vengeance of their sovereign, if, by tlieir dastardly
behaviour, they should defeat this noble elfort to
promote the glory of God, and to exalt the Spa-
nish name above that of every other nation. Thus
lie prevailed with them to accompany their admiral
for some time lono;er.

As they proceeded, the indications of ap]iroach-
ing land seemed to be more certain. I'he birds
began to appear in flocks, making to tlu! south-
west : to the same point Columbus directed the
course of his Heet. The hopes of his men were, for
n time, greatly elevated : but at the end of thirtv
days, no object having been descried but sea and
«ky, their fears revived with additional ibrce j im-
patience, rage, and despair, ap])eared in every ccAin-
tenance. All sense of subordination was lost : the
ofhcers took part with the private men, and they
unanimously required their commander instantly
to tack about and return to Europe. Finding tho
methods which he had before adojHed of no avail,
he promised solemnly to his men that he wcmki
comply with their request, provided they \\-oukl
accompany him and obey his commands for three
days longer j and if, daring that time, land was
not discovered, he would then abandon his enter-
prise, and direct his course to Spain.

Enraged as the sailors were, yet they cotisented
to this proposition, which did not to them appear]
unreasonable. Nor did Columbus hazard much in
contining himself to a term so short. The presagesi
of discovering land were now so numerous andj
promising, that he deemed them infallible ; and!

AMERICA. IS

on the 11th of October, after public prayers for
success, he ordered the hails to be furled, and the
ships to be-to, keeping strict wateli lest Xhry
should be driven ashore in the night. During thi?4
interval of suspense and exiK'etalion no man shut
his eyes, all kept upon deck, g^^-iiig in cntly to-
wards that <]uarter where th^^expt cted to discover
the land, which hatL been so long tlie object of
their wishes,

Al)out ten o'clock in the evening Columbus,
standing on the forecastle, observed a light at a
distance, and privately pointed it out to Pedro Gut-
tierez, a page of the (pieen's wardrobe. Guttierez
perceived it, and calling out to the comi)troUer of
the fleet, all three saw it in motion, as if it wer«
carried from place to place. A little after mid-
night the joyful sound of La?nl, landy was heard
from the Pi/Ua, which ke[)t always a-head of the
otjier ships. They all waited in the anguish of
tnieertainty and im])atience for the return of day.
As soon as mornintr dawned all doubts and fears
were rlispelled. Fiom every ship an island was
seen about two leagues to the north, w hose verdant
iields, w^ell stored with wood, and watered with
many rividets, presented the aspect of a delightful
country. The crew of the Plnta instantly began
7V Dcum, and were joined by those of the other
ships, with tears of joy and transports of congratu-
lation. This office of gratitude to heaven was fol-
lowed by an act of justice to their commander.
They threw them.sf W*uw at the feet of Columbus,
with feelings of seli-eondemnatlon mingled with
reverence. The) implored him to pardon their
past conduct ; and reverting in the phrensy of their
admiration from one extreme to another, they now
pronounced the man \\ horn they liad so lately re-

voL. XXIV, c viled

AMERICA.

■:.i '111

viled and threatened, to be a person inspired hf
heaven with sagacity and fortitude more than hu-
man, in order to accompHsh a design so far beyond
the ideas and conception of former ages.

As soon as the sun arose they rowed towards the
island, with colours displayed, warlike music, and
other martial pomp. As they approached the coast
tliey saw it covered with a multitude of people,
whom the novelty of the spectacle had drawn to-
gether, whose attitudes and gestures expressed
wonder and astonishment at the strange objects
which presented themselves to their view. Co-
lumbus was the first European who set foot on the
new world which he had discovered. He landed
in a rich dress, and with a naked sword in his
hand. His men followed, and kneeling down
they all kissed the ground which they had so long
desired to see. They returned thanks to God for
conducting their voyage to such a happy issue.
They then took solemn possession of the countrj
for the crown of Castile and Leon.

The Spaniards, while thus employed, were sur-
rounded by many of the natives, who gazed in
silent admiration upon actions which they could
not comprehend, and of which they could not fore-
see the consequence. The dress of the Spaniards,
the whiteness of their skin, their beards, their
arms, appeared strange and surprising. The vast
machines in which they had traversed the ocean,
that seemed to move upon the waters with wings,
and uttered a dreadful sound, resembling thunder
accompanied with lightning and smoke, struck
them with such terror, that they began to respect
their new guests as a superior order of beings, and
concluded that they were children of tlie Sun, who
had descended to visit the eartlx. #

The

»c

ini

del

111

ed hf
m hu-
►eyond

rds the
ic, and
e coast
people,
wn to-
pressed
objecU
'. Co-
t on the
landed
L in his
r down
so long
God for
issue,
country

ere sur-
azed in
could
ot fore-
aniards,
their
lie vast
ocean,
wings,
hunder
struck
respect
gs, and
in, who

The

AMERICA. 15

The Europeans were scarcely less amazed at the
scene now before tlicm. Every herl), and shrub,
and tree, was different from those which flourislied
m Europe. The inhabitants appeared in the simple
innocence of nature, entirely naked. Their black
liair, long and uncurled, floated upon their shoul-
ders, or was bound in tresses around tlieir 'eads.
They had no beards, and every part of their body
was perfectly smooth. Their complexion was of
a dusky copper colour, their features singular
rather than disagreeable, their aspect gentle and
timia. Their taccs, and several parts of their
body, were fantastically painted with glaring co-
lours. They were shy at first through fear, but
soon became familiar with the Spaniards, and with
transports of joy received from them glass beads
r^nd other baubles, in return for which they gave
them such provisions as they had, and some cotton
yarn, the only commodity of value that they could
prrnkice. I'owards evening Columbus returned to
his ships, accompanied by many islanders in their
canoes, which, though rudely formed out of tlie
trunk of a tree, they rowed with surprising dex-
terity. Thus, in the first intei*view between the
inhabitants of the old and nejv worlds, every thing
was condi cted amicably, and to their mutual satis-
faction. The one, enlightened and ambitious, form-
ed already va/^t ideas \\ ith respect to tlie advantages
which they might derive from the regions that be-
gan to open to their view. The other, simple
and undiscerning, had no foresight of the cala-
mities and desolation which were approaching their
country.

Columbus, who now assumed the title and au-
thority of admiral and viceroy, called the island
which he had discovered San Salvador. It is better

c 2 knowa

^^ !'

16 AMERICA.

known by the name Guana ii cut i, which the natives
gave it, and is one of that hirje chister of islands
called the Lucaya or Bahama isles. It is sitnated
more than 3000 miles west of Gomera, from
which the squadron took its departure, and only-
four degrees south of it : so little had Columbus
deviated from the westerly course which he had
fixed on as the most proper.

The next day Columbus employed in visiting
the coasts of the island ; and, from the universal
poverty of the inhabitants, he perceived that this
was not that rich country for which he was
looking. He therefore concluded, that San Sal-
vador was one of the isles which geographers de-
scribed as situated in the great ocean adjacent to
India. Having observed that most of the people
whom he had seen wore small plates of gold, byway
of ornament, in their nostrils, he eagerly inquired
where they got that precious metal. They pointed
towards the south : thither he imm.ediately directed
his course. He saw several islands, and touched
at three of tlie largest, on which he bestowed the
names of St. Mary of the Conception, Ferdi-
nanda, and Isabella. He inquired every where
for goldj and tlie signs that were uniformly made,
by way of answer, confirmed him in the opinion
that it was brought from the south. He followed
that course, and soon discovered a large island,
which the natives of San Salvador called Cuba,
Here tlie people, who were all naked, seemed to
be more intelligent than those of San Salvador :
they treated the Europeans with the same re^pect-
fal attention, kissed their feet, and honoured them
as sacred beings allied to heaven.

Columbus visited almost every harbour on the
north coast of the island 3 but, though delighted

witli

natives

islands
situated
I, from
nd only
Dlunibus

he had

visiting
Lii liver sal
that this
he was
San Sal-
:)hers de-
Ijacent to
le people
Id, byway
f inqa.red
J pointed
directed
touched
owed the
n, Ferdi-
ry where
n]y made,
^ opinion
followed
re island,
ed Cuba,
,eemed to
[Salvador :
|e respect-
red them

ir on

the

delighted
witii

AMERICA. 17

v,\ih the beauty of the scenes m hicli every where
presented themselves, he did not find gold in such
quantity as was sufficient to satisfy either the ava-
rice ot his followers, or the ex{)ectations of the
court to which he w^as to return. I'he people of
the country, as much astonished at his eagerness in
quest of gold, as tlie Europeans were at their igno-
rance and simplicity, pointed towards the east,
where an island, which they called Ilayti, Avas
situated, in wiiich that metal was more abundant
than among them.

Retarded by contrary winds, Columbus did not
reach Hayti till the 6th of December. He called
the port where he first touched St. Nicholas, and
the island Hispaniola, in honour of the kingdom
by which he was employed. Here the people pos-
sessed gold in greater abimdance than their neigh-
bours, which they readily exchanged for bells,
beads, or pins; and in this unequal traific both
parties were highly pleased, each considering
themselves as gainers by the transaction. Colum-
bus was visited by a prince or cnxicjue of the coun-
try, who api>eared with all the pomp know n among
a simple people, being carried on a sort of palan-
quin upon the shoulders of four men, and attended
by many of his subjects, who served him with
great respect. His deportment was grave and
stately, he gave the admiral some thin plates of
gold, and a girdle of curious workmanship, re-
ceiving in return presents of small value.

Columbus, still intent on discovering the gold
mines, continued to interrogate all the natives with
whom he had any intercourse concerning tlieir situ-
ation, and in full expectation of reaching soon those
regions which had been the object of his voyage, he
directed his course towards the east. He put into a

c 3 com mo-

AMERICA.

n*}'

ill

commodious harbour, which he called St. Tlio-
mas, and found that district to be under the go-
vernment of a powerful cazique, named Guacana-
hari, who, as he afterwards learned, was one of
the live sovereigns among whom the whole island
was divided. He immediately sent messengers to
Columbus, who, in his name, delivered to him
the present of a mask, curiously fashioned with
ears, nose and mouth, of beaten gold, and invited
him to the place of his residence, near the harbour
now called Cape Francois. Columbus dispatched
pome officers to visit this prince, who, as he be-
liaved himself with greater dignity, seemed to
claim attention. They returned with such favour-
able accounts both of the country and of tlie peo-
ple, as made Columbus impatient for that interview
with the prince to which he had been invited.

He sailed for this purpose from Si. Thomas's
on the 24th of December : his ship, through the
carelessness of the pilot, struck on a rock, and was
lost^ but by the timely assistance of boats from the
other vessels the crew were all saved. As soon
as the islanders heard of their disaster, they crowded
to the shore, with their prince at their head, and
atForded them all the assistance in their powerj by
which means every tiling of value was carried
ashore.

Columbus was now left with a single jessel : he
felt the difficulty of taking all his men on board,
and resolved to leave a part of his crew in the
island, that, by residing tliere, they might learn the
language of the natives, study their disposition,
examine the nature of the country, search for
mines, prepare for the commodious settlement
of the colony with which he proposed to return,
and thus secure and facilitate the acquisition of

tlioso

AMCRICV. 19

those advantages which he expected from his dis-
coveries. His men approved the design, and no-
thing was wanting hut the consent of Guacanahari,

Having taken every precaution i'oi' the security
of the ccvlony, and obtained the full consent of the
prince for his men to reside there, he left the island
on the 4th of January, and on the 0th he * -p.
discovered the Pinta, the vessel from which ,,..,.*
he had been separated more than six weeks. ^'^'*'
Pinzon, the captain, endeavoured to justify his con-
duct, by pretending that lie had been driven from
his course by stress of weather, and prevented from
returning by contrary winds. The admiral, with-
out farther inquiries, felt great satlsfaetion in this
junction with his consort, which delivered him
from many disquieting apprehensions, and restored
Pinzon to his favour.

Columbus found it necessary, from the condition
of his ships, as well as from the tenvper of his men,
to hasten his return to Europe. Ihe voyage was
prosperous to the 14th of February, and he had
advanced near 500 leagues across the Atlantic
Ocean, when a storm arose, which seemed to
bring in its train inevitable destruction. The sai-
lors, at first, had recourse to prayers, to the invo-
cation of saints, to vows and charms 3 but when no
prospect of deliverance appeared, they abandoned
themselves to despair. Columbus had to endure
feelings of distress peculiar to himself. He dreaded
that all tlie knowledge of his amazing discoveries
was now to perish, and that his name would de-
scend to posterity as that of a rash deluded adven-
turer, instead of beinor transmitted with the honour
due to the author and conductor of the most noble
enterprise that had ever been undertaken. These

reflections

AMERICA.

tf'i'

; ti'il

'. V'iit'

reflections extinguished all sense of personal dan-
ger. Less affected with the loss of life than so-
licitous to preserve the memory of what he had
attempted and achieved, he retired to his cabin,
and wrote upon parchment a short account of the
voyage which he had made, of the course which he
had taken, of the situation and riches of the coun-
tries which he had discovered, and of the colonj
that he had left there. Having wrapped up this in an
oiled cloth, which he inclosed in a cake of wax, ho
put it into a cask carefnlly stopped up, and threw it
into the sea, in hopes that some fortunate accident
might preserve a deposit of so much importance to
the world.

At length Providence interposed to save a life
reserved for other services 5 the wind abated, the
sea became calm, and on the evening of the 15th
Columbus and his companions discovered land,
which proved to be St. Mary, one of the Azores,
subject to the crown of Portugal. There Colum-
bus obtained a supply of provisions, and whatever
else he needed. The Pinta he had lost sight of in
the storm, and he dreaded for some time that
she had foundered at sea -, he then became appre-
hensive that Pinzon had borne away for Spain,
that he might reach it before him, and, by giving
the first account of his discoveries, obtain some
share in his fame.

In order to prevent this, he left the Azores as
soon as the weather would permit. When he was
almost in sight of Spain, and seemingly beyond the
reach of disaster, another storm arose, little in-
ferior to the former in violence ; and after driving
before it during two days and two nights, he was
forced to take shelter in the liver Tagus. He was

allowed

AMERICA. 2t

allowed to come up to I,isbon, A\'liere lie was re-
ceived by the king of Portugal with tiie highest re-
spect. He listened to the account which he gave
of his voyage, with admiration mingled with re-
gret j while Columbus, on his part, enjoyed the sa-
tisfaction of describing the importance of his cHsco-
veries, and of being able now to prove the soli-
dity of his schemes, to those very persons who had
lately rejected them as the projects of a visionary
or designing adventurer.

In five days Columbus set sail fc^r Spain, and
on the 15th of March he arrived in the port of
Palos, seven months and eleven days from the time
when he set out thence upon his voyage. As soon
as his ship was di.^covered approaching the port, all
the inhabitants of Palos ran eagerly to the shore,
in order to welcome their relations and fellow-
citizens, and to hear the tidings of their voyage.
When the prosperous issue of it was known, when
they beheld the strange people, the unknown ani-
mals, and singular productions brought from the
countries which had been discovered, the elfusion
of joy was general and unbounded. The l)ells
were rung, the cannon fired j Columbus was re-
ceived at landing with royal honours j and all the
people, in solenm procession, accompanied him
and his crew to the church, where they returned
tlianks to heaven, which had so wonderfully con-
ducted, and crowned with success, a voyage of
greater length, and of more importance, than had
been attempted in any former age. On the even-
ing of the same day he had the satisfaction of see-
ing the Pinta enter the harbour.

The first care of Columbus was to inform the
kino aiid queen of his arrival and success. Ferdi-
nand

ilij

■II-

.,.1,;;

i'N

ij M

■i .■'l.Ifit?

22 AMERICA.

nand and Isabella, no less astonished than delighted
with this unexpected event, desired Columbus to
repair immediately to court, that from his own
mouth they might receive a full detail of his ex-
traordinary services and discoveries. During his
journey, th(i ]-)eople crowded from the adjacent
country, following him every where with admira-
tion and applause. His entrance into tlie city-
was conducted with pomp suitable to the great
event, which added such distinguishing lustre to
their reign. The people whom he brought with
him from the countries which he had discovered,
marched first, and by their singular complexion,
the wild peculiarity of their features, and uncouth
finery, appeared like men of another species.
Next to them were carried the ornaments of gold,
fashioned by the rude art of the natives. After
these appeared tlie various commodities of the
newly-discovered countries, together with their
curious productions. Columbus himself closed
the procession, and att'-.cted the eyes of all the
spectators, who gazed with admiration on the ex-
traordinary man, whose superior sagacity and for-
titude had conducted their countrymen, by a route
concealed from past ages, to the knowledge of a
New World. Ferdinand and Isabella received him
clad in tlieir royal robes, and seated upon a throne
under a magnificent canopy j and when the admiral
had finished his narration, they kneeled down and
offered up solemn thanks to Almighty God, for the
discovery of those new regions, from v/hich tliej
expected so many advantages to How in upon the
kingdoms subject to their government. Every
mark of honour, that gratitude or admiration could
suggest, was coaferred upon Columbus. Letters

patent;

species.
5 of gold,
s. After
s of the
'ith their
If closed
)f ail the
n the ex-
and for-
ly a route
|dge of a
ived him
a throne
admiral
own and
, for the
lich tliej
lupon the
Every
lon could
Letters
patent

AMEfvUA. 23

patent wrre issued, confirniino- to hhn and to his
hi'irs mai^.y iinportant privilt'i;r.s ; Jiis fiiniily were
ennobled ; and hhuseh treated with all that respect
Tihieh was paid to persons of the hig])e.st rank,
put Avhat pleased him nio.-.t, was an order to eqnij),
without delay, an arnianient of such force a.s
might enable him not only to take possession of
tl;e countries ^^hicll he had already discovered,
but to i^o in search of those more opulent regions
■which he still e>;])ected to lind.

While preparations w ere making for this expe-
dition, the fame of C'olumbus's voyage spread over
Europe, and excited general attention. Men of
science, capable of comprehending the n.iture and
f)f discerning the eiiects c>t tins great dihCo\er\-,
received the account of it with admiration and
joA'. They spoke of his voyage with rapture, and
congratidiited one another upon tlie iejieity, iu
having lived in the peviofl wdien, by this extraordi-
nary e\ ent, the boundaries of human kncnvUxhre
were so much extended, and such anew^ iield of in-
tjuiry and observation opened, as w ould lead man-
kind to a perfect acquaintance with the structure
and productions of the habitable globe. \'arioui
opinions and conjectuies w^ere formed concerning
the new countries, and to what division of the
earth they belonged. Columbus had no doubt
tliat they should be reckoned a part of those vast
regions of Asia comprehended under the general
name of India; in consequence of which, the
name of Indies was given them by the king and
queen : and even after the error was detected, and
die true position of the New W^orld w^as ascer-
tained, the name has remained; and the appella-
tion of ^V'est Indies is given by all the people of

Eui'ope

il^

•ni!'^

24 AMF.RICA.

Europe to the country, and that of Indians to Its
inhabitants.

I'hc name by which the countries were distin-
guished was so inviting, the specimens of (heir
riches andfcrtihty so considerable, that volunteers
of every rank solicited to be em})loyed in the new
evpedition. The fleet consisted of 17 ships, which
had on board 1500 persons, among whom were
many of noble families who liad starved in lionour-
able stations. The greater ])art of these, being des-
tined to remain in tlie country, were furnished
with eveiy recpiisite for comjuest or settlement,
and with such artilicers as miu;bt be most tiseful in
an infant colony.

But, formidable as this fleet was, Ferdinand and
Isabella did not rest their title to the possession of
the newly-discovered countries upon its operations
alone. They aj^plied to the Po]>e for a right to
those territoricis which they unshed to occupy 5 who
granted them all the countries inhabited by inti-
dels, which they had discovered, or should disco-
^•er ; and in virtue of that power, which he pie-
tended to derive from Christ, he confer r-^d on the
crown of Castile vast regions, to the possession of
which he himself was so far from having any title,
that he was unacquainted with their situation, and
ignorant even of their existence. To prevent this
grant from interfering with one formerly made to
the crown of Portugal, he decreed that a line,
s apposed to be drawn from pole to pole, a hundred
leagues westward of the Azores, should sei*ve as
the limit between them ; and, in the plenitude of
his power, bestowed all to the east of this imagi-
nary line, upon the Portuguese, and all to tlie westj
of it, upon the Spaniards.

Ferdinand!

AMERICA. 35

Ferdinand and Isabolla Inning thus acquired a
titk> which was, at tliat period, deemed com-
pletely valid, to extend their dominion over such a
considerable portion of the globe, notiiing now re-
tarded the departure of the fleet. Columbus jvot
sail from the bay of Cadiz on the 'i.^th of Septem-
ber. On the twenty-sixth day after his departure
he made land. It was one of the Caribbee or Lee-
ward islands, to which he gave the name of De-
scada. After this, he visited successively Domi-
nica, Marigalante, Cuadeliipe, Antigua, Porto llico,
and several other islands. On these the Spaniards
never attempted to land without meeting vitli
sneh a reception as discovered the martial spirit
of t'le nati\es ; and in their habitations weru
found relics of those horrid feasts which they liad
made upon the bodies of their enemies taken in

Columbus proceeded as soon as possible to His-
paniola, where he arrived on the 22d of November.
AN'hen he reached Nov idad, the station in which
he iind left a few months before tiiirty-eight men,
he was astonished that none of them appeared. Full
of solicitude about their safety, he rowed instantly to
land. All the natives, from whom he mighthavere-
cei\ ed information, had tied. But the fort which he
liad built was entirely demolished ; and the tattered
garments, the broken arms and utensils, scattered
about, left no room to doubt concerning the un-
happy fate of the garrison. While the Spaniards
were shedding tears over those sad memorials of
their fellow-citizens, a brother of thecazique Gua-
canahari arrived. PYoni him Columbus learned
that as soon as the restraint, which his presence
imposed, was withdrawn, the garrison threw otf all

VOL. XXIV. u regard

Ill

!;!'(,

i.i

' ii i; '

J .'•.I'M

W'i '

IlQ

AMERICA.

regard for the oflficer whom he had Invested with
command, and gratitied tlieir desires without con-
trol. The gold, the women, the provisions of
the natives, were all the prey of those licentious op-
pressors. They roamed in small parties over the
island, extending tiicir rapacity and insolence to
every corner of it. Gentle as these people were,
those unprovoked injuries at length exhausted their
patience, and roused their conrage. The cazi()ue
of Cibao surprised and cut otl' several of them
while they straggled in security. He then assem-
bled his subjects, and, surrounding the fort, set it
on tire. Some of the Spaniards were killed in de-
fending it j the rest perished in attempting to make
their escape by crossing an arm of the sea.

Instead of attempting to revenge the death of his
countrymen, Columbus traced out the plan of a
town, in a large plain near a spacious bayj and
obliging every person to put his hand to a work on
"which their conmion safety depended, the houses
and ramparts were soon so far advanced, by tlieir
united labour, as to atibrd tliem shelter and secu-
rity. This rising city he named Isabella, in ho-
nour of his patroness the queen of Castile.

In carrying on the necessary work, Columbus
had to contend widi the laziness, the impatience,
and mutinous disposition of his followers. Many
of them were gentlemen, unaccustomed to the
fatigue of bodily labour, and all had engaged in the
enterprise with tlie sanguine hopes of becoming
suddenly rich. But when, instead of that golden
harvest which they had expected to reap witliout
toil or pains, the Spaniards saw that their prospect |
of wealth was remote as well ^s uncertain, and J
that it could only be attained by the slow and per-
severing

AMERICA. 27

sfvcnnc^ eiTorts of industry, the disappointment of
tho.^e (iiinicnral hopes occasioned such dejcdiou
ot mini I as kd to general discontent. The spirit
ot dis.iil*e( tion sprcail, ar.d a ton> piracy was formed
which might have been latal to Columbus and the
colony. Happily h<* iliscovi red it, and, seizing the
rin'.'Uaders.punir^hed some (il ihem, and sent others
prisoneis into Spain, v Iniher he dispatched twelve
of tiie .'5hi[)s which hi\l served as transports, witli
aii'earncsi request lor a reinforc ment of men and
a large sup])]y of pro\isions. Jn the mean time
Columbus planned several expeditions into the
country, in which he displayed all the military
magniiicence that he could exhibit, in order to
strike the imai);ination of the natives. He marched
with colours Hying, wiih martial nmsic, and with a
fimall body of cavalry, that paraded sometimes in the
front and sometimes in the rear. As these were
the first horses which had appeared in the New
World, they were ol jects of tcnTor no less than
admiration to the Indians, who having no tame
animals themselves, were unacquainted with that
vast accession of power which man hath ac-
quired by subjecting them to iiis dominion. Ihey
supposed them rational creatures. Ihey imagined
that the horse and the rider formed one animal,
with whose speed they were astonished, and whose
impetuosity and strength they considered as irre-
sistible. But while Columbus endeavoured to in-
spire the natives with a dread of his power, he did
not neglect the arts of gaining their iove and con-
fidence. He adhered scrupulously to the princi-
ples of integrity and justice in all his transaciions^
and treated them on every occasion with huma-
Jiity and kindness. The district of Cibao, into

D 2 which

II';

f ■ f :

23 AMERICA.

which he had sent one expedition, was mountain-
ous and nncaltivated, biU in every river and brook
gold was <^athered either in (hist or in grains. PYoni
these indications tlie Spaniards could no longer
doubt that the country contained rich treasures in
its bowels, of which they hoped soon to be the
masters. To secure the connnand of this valuable
province Columbus erected a fort, to which he
gave the name of St. 'I'homas, by way of ridicule
upon some of his incredulous followers, who would
not believe that the country produced gold till they
saw it with their own eyes, and touched it with
their own hands.

As soon as he saw it prudent to leave the Island,
Columbus resolved to pursue his discoveries, that
he might be able to ascertain whether those new
countries with which he had opened a communi-
cation were connected with any region of the earth
already known, or whetlier tliey were to be con-
sidered as a separate portion of the globe, hitherto .
unvisited. Having appointed his brother Don Di-
ego, with a council of oliicers, to govern the island
in his absence, and given all necessary instructions,
he weighed anchor on the 24th of April with one
ship and two small barks under his command.
During a tedious voyage of full five months he
made no discovery of importance, except the island
of Jamaica. As he rans^ed along: the southern coast
of Cuba, he w^is entangled in a labyrlntli formed
by an incredible number of small islands, to whicii
he gave the name of the Queen's Garden. In this
unknown course he was retarded by contrary
winds, assaulted with furious storms, and alarmed
with terrible thunder and lightning, which arc
often almost incessant between the tropics. At
length his provisions fell shorty and his crew was

ready

rt'-ady

H'^ains

tbrms,

observ

issue e

of it.

tense

stitutio

had ne

But

lion of

brother

to his

the two

in close

and dui

tercours

ha\e arr

more in

with hi J

cares an(

Columbi

the sold

conform

had give

island, li

their pre

that inofl

tnry o]jpr

Self-pi

for ihe d(

visions, t

hospitalit

niards wc

they saw

tliem wil

d brook
;. lYoni

longer
siircs ill

be the
valuable
hich he
ridicule
o would
till they

it with

e island,
ies, that
ose new
)mmuni-
the earth
be cou«
hitherto ,
Don Di-
le island
notions,
ith one
iimand.
)nths he
le island
rn coast
formed
o which
In this
contrary
alarmed
iich arc
cs. At
rew \\ as
ready

AMERICA. 29

n':ady to proceed to the most desperate extremities
a.;ainst him. Ecset with danger in such various
forms, he was obliged to keep continual watch, to
observe every occurrence with his own eyes, to
issue every order, and to superintend tlie execution
of it. Ihis unremitting fatigue of body, and in-
tense application of mind, overpowering his con-
stitution, though naturally vigorous and robust,
had nearly been fatal to his life.

But on his return to llispaniola, the sudden emo-
tion of joy wluch he felt upon meeting with his
brother Baitholomew at Isabella contributed greatly
to his recovery. It was now thirteen years since
the two brothers, whom similarity of talents united
in close friendship, had separated from each other,
and during that long period tliere had been no in-
tercourse between them. Bartholomew could not
have arri\ed at any junctin*e when Columbus stood
more in need of a friend capable of as.-i^ting him
with his counsels, or of dividing with him the
cares and burthen of government. No sooner had
Columbus set out on the voyage of di.sco\ ery, than
the soldiers whom he had kit behind, instead of
conforming to the prudent instructions which he
had given, dispersed in straggling parties over the
island, lived at discretion upcM the natives, wasted
their provisions, seized the women, and treated
that inofiensive race with all the msolence of mili-
tary ojjpression.

Self-preservation prompted the Indians to wish
for the departure of guests who wasted their pro-
visions, and in other respects violated the rights of
hospitality. They had long expected that the Spa-
niards would retire of their own accord ; but when
they saw no chance of this, they resolved to attack
them widi united fgrce, and drive them from the

D 3

settle-

!l'

• '^

It"*"!"

30 AMERICA.

settlements of which they had taken possession.
Some of the caz/uines had ah'eady surprised and cut
oli* several stragglers, llie dread of impending
danger united the Spaniards, and re-established the
authority of Columbus, as they saw no prospect of
safety but in committini^ themselves to his pnident
guidance. It was now necessary to have recourse
to arms, which had hitherto been avoided with the
greatest solicitude. The Spaniards were very much
reduced, and the whole body which took the field
consisted only of 200 foot, 20 horse, and 20 large
dogs 5 and how strange soever it may seem to
mention the last as composing part of a military
force, they were not the least formidable and de-
structive of the whole, when employed against
naked and timid Indians. The Indians assembled ;
and instead of attempting to draw the Spaniards
into the fastnesses of the woods and mountains,
tliey took their station in the most open plain in the
country. Columbus perceived their error, and at-
tacked them during the night, when undisciplined
troops are least capable of acting with union and
concert, and obtained an easy and bloodless victory.
The consternation with which the Indians were
filled by the noise and havoc made by the fire-
arms, by the impetuous force of the cavalry, and
the fierce onset of the dogs, was so great tliat they
threw down their weapons, and fled without at-
tem]:)tlng resistance. Many were slain, more were
taken prisoners and reduced to servitude -, and so
completely were the rest intimidated, that from
that moment they abandoned themselves to despair,
relinquishing all thoughts of contending with ag-
gressors whom they deemed invincible.

Columbus employed several months in marching
tlirough the island^ and in subjecting it to the

Spanish

Slgl

AMERICA.

Spnnisli government, witlioiU meeting with any
opposition. He imposed a tribute upon all the in-
habitants above the age of fourteen. Each person
who hved in those districts where gold was found,
was obliged to pay quarterly as much gold dust as
filled a hawk's bell ; from those in otlier parts of
the country twenty-tive pounds of cotton were de-
manded. This was the first regular taxation of the
Indians, and served as a precedent for exactions
more intolerable. The labour, attc-ntion, and fore-
sight which they were obliged to employ in pro-
curing tliis tribute, appeared to them most dis-
tressing. They were through long habit incapable
of such regular and persevering industry, and, in
the excess of their impatience and despair, they
formed a scheme of starving their oppressors. With
this view they suspended all operations of agricul-
ture, pulled up the roots of the casada plant, and,
retiring to the mountains, left the uncultivated
plains to their enemies. This desperate resolution
produced in some degree the effects which they ex-
pected. The Spaniards were reduced to extreme
want^ but they received seasonable supplies of
provisions from Europe, and found so many re-
sources in their own ingenuity and industry, that
they sutFered no great loss of men. I'he w^retched
Indians were the victims of their own ill-concerted
policy : they soon felt the utmost distresses of
famine. This brought on contagious diseases 3 and
in the course of a few months more than a third
part of the inhabitants of the island perished, after
experiencing misery in all its various forms.

But while Columbus was establishing: the foun-
dations of the Spanish grandeur in the New World,
his enemies at home laboured with unwearied assi-
duity to deprive him of tlie glory and rewards

which^

AMERICA.

II :i'

r '!

2H'

which, by his services and suflerhigs, he was en-
titJed to enjoy : he took theieiore the resohition of
returning to Spain, in order to lay before his so-
vereign a full account of all his transactions. He
conimitled the administration of athiirs to Bartho-
lomew, his brother, and appointed hrancis Holdan
chief justice, with extensive powers.

. j^ Columbus, after experiencing great diffi-
' ,p* cuities, arrived in Spain, and appeared at
^ * covdt with the modest but determined con-
fidence of a man conbcious not only of his own
integrity, but of having performed great services.
Ferdinand and Isabella, who in his absence had
lent a too favourable ear to frivolous accusations,
recei\ed him with such distinguished marks of re-
spect as covered his enemies with shame. The
gold, the pearls, the cotton, and other commodi-
ties of value which Columbus produced, seemed
fully to refute what the malecontents had propa-
gated w iili respect to the pc;verty of the countr}'.
By reducing the Indians to obedience, and impo-
sing on them a regular tax, he had secured a large
accession ot new subjects, and the establishment
of a revenue that promised to be considerable. By
the niines which he had ibimd, a source of wealth
still more copious was opened. Great as these
advantages were, the admiral represented them
only as prelude.-^ to iuture acquisitions, and as die
earntst of moie important discoveries, to which
those he had aheady made would conduct him
\\ ith ease and certainty.

Every preparation that Columbus required was
now made lor a new expedition. A suitable r am-
ber of w omen was to be chosen to accompany the
new settlers 3 and it was agrted that persons con-
victed of certain crimes should hereafter be con-
demned

Lition of
his so-
s. He
Bartho-
Roldan

at diffi-
^ared at
ed con-
lis own
ervices.
ice had
isatioiis,
s of re-
;. The
mmodi-
seemed
propa-
:oiintr)'.
i inipo-
a large
shment
le. By
\\ealth
s these
them
as tlie
which
t him

\ed was

Tctm-

my the

Ls con-

)e con-

jmned

i
I

AMERICA. 33

damned to work ia the mines which were to be
opened in the New ^Vorld. Hiou.'^h the royal ap-
probation was obtained to every m;»asure and re-
gulation thai Columbus proposed, yet his endeavours
to carry them into execution were lou;^ retarded,
and almost two years were spent before a small
Mjuadron was ecp lipped, of which he was to take
the command. I'liis scjuadron consisted of only
six ships, but inditlli-ently provided for a long and
dangerous navigation. He set sail May the 30th,
and no remarkable occurrence happened » -p.
till they arrived within tive degrees of the , J .q*
il line, which was on the 19th of July. " ^
There they were becalmed ; and the heat being so
excessive, many of their casks burst, the liquor in
others soured, and their provisions became cor-
rupted. The Spaniards now were afraid that the
ships would take lire ; but their t^ars were relieved
by a seasonable and very heavy tall of rain. On
the first of August they discovered the island of
Trinidad, which lies on the coast of Guiana, m.dr
the mouth of the Orinoco. In this river, which
rolls towards the ocean with impetuous force,
Columbus was entangled before he was a.^^are.
With the utmost dithculty he escaped through a
narrow strait j and as soon as th.^ consternation
which diis occasioned subsided, he discerned in it
a source of comfort and hope. He concluded, that
such a vast body of water, as this river ^contained,
could not be supplied by an island, and conse-
quently that he was now arrived at that continent
which it had long been the object of his wishes to
discover. He landed, and found the people re-
semble those of Hispaniola in their appearance
and manner of life. They wore, as ornaments,
j»muU plates of gold, and pearls of considerable

value.

AMERICA.

! l>

.iff''! It

ii ''

;!Ni!

1,1.1^

-I'T

MM ■..-i"»!

[U ;|)i' ■*!'•' II

fiii

value. The admiral was so delighted with tlie
beauty and fertility of the country, that he ima-
gined it to be the Taradiso desc ribed in scripture.
'Jlius Colunibiis had the glory not only of disco-
vering to nianhind the existence of a new^ wcrld,
but made considerable progress to a perfect know-
ledge ol it ; and was the hrst man w ho conducted
tht Spaniards to that vast continent which lias been
the chief seat of their empire, and the source of
their treasures in thi^ cjuarter of the globe- The
coLdiilon of his ships niade it necessary for him to
bear aw ay for Hispan ola, and in his way thither
he discovered the islands of Cubugua and Marga-
rita, which afterwards became remarkable for their
pearl fishery.

During his absence, Columbus found that many
revolutions had happened at Hispaniola^ and on his
iiriival the colony was in a very distracted state^
owing to the rebellion of Rolclan, vvhom he had
left as chief justice. By a seasonable proclama-
tion, ottering free pardon to such as should return
to their duty, he restored the appearance of order,
regular government, and tranquillity.

it was at this period that the Portuguese^ ex-
cited by ^\ hat had been done by Columbus, under-
took a voyage, with a view of finding a passage
to the Eabt Indies by the Cape of Good Hope.
The command of this expedition was given to
Vasco de Gnma, who set sail from Lisbon on the

. -pj 9th of July, reached the Cape on the 20th

,** of November, and arrived at Calicut, on
^^ ' the coast of Malabar, on the 22d of May
following. As, however, he did not possess suf-
ficient force to attempt a settlement, he hastened
back to Portugal, with an account of his success,
in periormung a voyage^ tlie longest as well as the

niQijt

wilh tlie
L he ima-
sciiptnre.
of disco-
w w cild_,
ct know-
oiiducted
1 has been
r.ource of
be. The
or him to
ay thither
id Marga-
e for their

that many
and on his
ted state,
)m he had
proclama-
dd return
of order.

uese, ex-
is, under-
a passage
od Hope,
given to
on on the
the 20th
licut, on
of May
ssess suf-
hastened
success,
\el\ as the

AMERICA. 35

most difficult that had ever been attempted since
the invention of navigation. He landed at Lisbon
on the 14th of September, after an absence of two
years two months and five days.

This spirit of enterprise, though but . y.
newly awakened in Spain, began soon to ^!^'
operate extensively. All atti»mpts towards ^^'
discc)\ ery made in that kin;,^dom had hitlierto been
made by Columbus alone, and at the expence of
the sovereign. But now private adventurers, al-
lupxi by the descriptions he gave of the regions
which he had visited, offered to fit out squadrons
at dieir own risk, and to go in (piest of new coun-
tries. The Spanish court seized with joy an op-
portunity of rendering the efforts of projectors in-
strumental in promoting designs of certain ad-
vantage to the public, though of doubtful success
with respect to themselves. One of the first pro-
positions of this kind was made by Alonso de Ojeda,
a gallant olficer, who had accompanied Columbus
in his second voyage. Amerigo Vespucci, a Flo-
rentine, accompanied him in his voyage. In what
station he served is uncertainj bat soon after his
return he transmitted an accou'it of his adventures
and discoveries to one of his countrymen, in which
he had the addiess so to frame his narrative, as to
make it appear that he had the glory of having first
discovered the continent in the New World. Ame-
rigo's account was drawn up with elegance 3 it
contained an amusing history of his voyage^ and
as it was the first description that was published,
it circulated with rapidity, and was read with ad-
miration The country of which Amerigo was
supposed to be the discoverer came gradually to be
called by his name. The caprice of iTK^.nkind has
perpetuated the error. By the univerbai consent

! iS

:|i(Hj,i;i,

:!,(•

{ .l.i''

i
mm

li^l

iii

:';|i?

36 AMERICA.

of all nations, Amkuica is the nanie brstouTcl on
this now (]nartcr of the glohe. I'he boM ])retcn-
sions of the fortunate inij)ost(^r have robbed the
discoverer of the New World of a distinction which
belonged to him. The name of Amerigo has snp-
planted that of Colnmbns; and mankind may regret
an act of injustice which, having recei\ed the sanc-
tion of time, it is now too late to redress.

While the vSpaniards and Portiignese, by sncces-
sive voyages, were daily ac(|niring more erdarged
ideas of the extent and opulence of that part of the
globe which Columbus had made known to them,
he himself was struggling with every distress in
M'hicli the envy and malevolence of the people
under his command, or tiie ingratitude of the court
that he served, could involve him. A commis-
« -pv sion was at length appcnnted to repair to
' ' Hispaniola to inqui'o into the co)iduct of
Columbus. By such a court it \^•as im])os-
sible that this great man should escape. lie under-
went a mock trial, \\\as condemned, mikI sent home
loaded with cliains. Conscious of his ov» n inte-
grity, he endured the insult with composm-e and
dignity. The \ oyage to Spain was extremely diort.
"When he entered the royal ])resence, Columbus
threw himself at the feet of his sovereigns. For
some time he remained silent -, the various passions
that agitated his mind suppressing his power of ut-
terance. At length he recovered himself, and vin-
dicated his conduct in a long discourse, producing
satisfactoiy proofs of his own integrity and honour.
Ferdinand received him with decent civility, and
Isabella with tenderness and resiject. lliey both
expressed their sorrow for what had happened,
disavowed their knowledge of it, and joined in
promising him protection and future favour. But
o though

owed on
I preten-
bi^etl the
on wliich
» has siip-
lav rec;ret
the sane-

)y succes-

enlargeil
nirt of tbt*
1 to them,
distress in
he people
f the eunrt
^ comniis-

rejrdir to
X)iuUict of
vas inipos-

{e under-
sent home
ov.n inte-
)0snre and
iiely Jilu)rt.

Columbus
fgn.s. lor

AS nassior.j

hver of ut-

and vin-
I producing
lid honour.
viUty, and
hliey both "I
IhappenCLl, I

joined in 'i
lour. But I
thouj;:h

AMERICA. 3/

though they disgraced his accuser and judge, yet
they did not restore Columbus his jurisdiction and
privileges as viceroy of those countries which he
had discovered. They were afraid to trust a man
to whom they had been so highly indebted 3 and
retaining him at court under various pretexts, they
appointed Nicholas de Ovando governor of Hispa-
niola. Columbus was deeply affected with this
new injury, and could no longer conceal the senti-
ments which it excited. Wherever he went he
carried about with him, as a memorial of tlie in-
gratitude which he experienced, those fetters with
which he had been loaded. They were constantly
hung up in his chamber, and he gave orders that
when he died they should be buried in his grave.

Notwithstanding the treatment which Columbus
had experienced, still the spirit of discovery was
not abated; several private persons fitted out ships
for this purpose : ^nd in order to limit exorbitant
gain which individuals were supposed to make by
working the mines, an ordinance was published,
directing all the gold to be brought to a public
smelting-house, and declaring one half of it to be
the property of the crown.

While these steps w^ere taking for se- * y.
curing to the government the advantages to * *
be gained from tlie discovery of the New
World, Columbus demanded, in terms of the ori-
ginal capitulation, to be reinstated in his office of
viceroy over tlie countries which he had found out.
The circumstance, however, which he urged in
support of his claim, determined a jealous monarch
to reject it. The greatness of his discoveries, and
the prospect of their increasing value, made Ferdi-
nand consider the concessions in the capitulation as
extravagant and impolitic. He inspired Isabella
VOL, XXIV. B with,

i«

I:!'

iRi

ih)

il ' il !■

;l -'

iillli

!ll!il

•'• ti'

,;ii:

' 'i

38 AMERICA.

with the same views : they chided all Cf^lumlms'i
requisitions ; and after attending the eourt of Sjxiin
for nearly two years, as an humble suitor, he found
it impossible to obtain justice from an interested
and unfeeling prince. Sdou after lit^ applied for
ships and men, in order tliat he might attempt ;j
discovery of the East Indies by a new passaof-.
This was a favourite project of the Spaniards ; Fcr-
dinand warmly approved the undertaking, bur
would allow him only four vessels, the largest of
which did not exceed 70 tons burthen. He* sailed
. yx from Cadiz on the gth of May -, but iindino-
' ' his largest vessel clumsy and unfit for sir-
*^* vice, he bore away for Hispaniola, in hojv^
of exchanging her for some other that had carried
out his successor. When he arrived ott' St. Do-
mingo, he found eighteen ships ready loaded and
on the point of departing for Spain. Columbus ac-
quainted the governor with the destination of \\\<
voyage, and the accident which had obliged him (0
alter his route. He requested permission to enter
the harbour, not only that he might negotiate tik*
exchange of his ship, but that he might take shel-
ter during a violent hurricane, of which he dis-
cerned the approach by various prognostics. Or.
that account he advised him likewise to put off fo;
some days the departure of the licet bound for
Spain. ButOvando refused his request, and despised
his counsel. Thus was Columbus denied admittana*
into a country of which he had discovered the exist-
ence and acquired the possession. His salutary warn-
ing was regarded as the dream of a visionar}- prophet,
who arrogantly pretended to predict an event beyond
the reach of human foresight. I'he fleet set sail for
Spain. Next night the hurricane came on \\^itli
di-eadful impetuosity. Columbus, fully apprised

f M

olnmhns> !
•t of Spnin
, he tonnd ^i
iiiteri'stcd
ippliod for
attempt i\
w passage,
irds J Fer-
king, bur
; lan^est of
tie sailed
but linding
ifit ibr ser-
a, in liojv^
lad carried
oti' St. 1)0-
loadcd and
lumbus ac-
tion ot liis
iged him to
on to enter
crotiate till*
It take shcl-
eh he lIU-
)stics. On
put off i\)\'
bound for
|nd despi>cd
admittnna'
the exist-
tary Warn-
er}' prophet,
ent beyond
set sail for
e on with
y apprised
ot

AMERICA. 39

of the danger, took precautions against it, and
saved his little s(|uadron. The fleet destined for
Spain met with the fate which the rashness and ob-
hiinacy of its commanders deserved. Of eighteen
bhips two or three only survived. In this general
wreck perished the greater part of those who had
been the most active in persecuting Columbus and
oppressing the Indians j and together with tliem-
fic Ives, all the wealth which they had acquired by
their injustice and cruelty. It exceeded in value fifty
thousand pounds; an immense sum at that period,
and suliicient not only to have screened them from
any severe scrutiny into their conduct, but to have
secured them a gracious reception in the Spanish
court. Among tlie ships tliat escaped, one had on
board all the effects of Columbus, which had been
recovered from the ruins of his fortune. Thus did
Providence avenge the wrongs of an innocent man,
and punish the oppressors of an innocent people.
Many of tlie ignorant and superstitious, on this oc-
casion, believed that Columbus was possessed of
supernatural powers, and imagined that he had
conjured up this dreadful storm by magic, in order
to be avenged of his enemies.

Columbus soon left Hispaniola; and after a tedi-
ous voyage he discovered Guanaia, an island not far
distant from the coast of Honduras. He then bore
away for the east, towards the Gulf of Darien, and
explored all the coast of the continent from Cape
GracVias a Dios to a harbour which, on account of
ks beauty and security, he called Porto Bello.
Icre he resolved to plant a small colony, under the
omniand of his brother. But tlie ungovernable
pirit of the people under his command deprived
Columbus of the glory of planting tlie first colony
m the continent of America. Their insolence and

£ 2 rapacity

AMERICA.

ill'".:

I II

■f r ;:*

rapacity provoked the natives to take arms against
them. This repulse was followed by a series of
other disasters. One of his ships perished j he was
obliged to abandon another j and with tJie two that
remained he again bore away for Hispaniola: but it
•was "\yith the utmost difficulty they reached Ja-
maica, where he was obliged to run them aground
to prevent them from sinking. The measure of his
calamities seemed now to be full ; his ships were
ruined beyond the possibility of repair, and, of
course, he had no means of making his situation
known to his countr}'^men at Hispaniola. At lengtli
he obtained two canoes from tlie natives, and Men-
dez a Spaniard, and Fieschi a Genoese, offered
to set out for that island, upon a voyage of above
thirty leagues. This they accomplished in ten days,
after surmounting incredible dangers, and enduring
such fatigue, that several of the Indians who ac-
companied them sunk under it and died. Eight
months did these gallant men spend in seeking as-
sistance from the Spanish commander in vain. The
situation of Columbus was now the most alarming t
his men mutinied, and threatened him, as the cause
of their misfortunes, with deatli : the natives brought
them in provisions with reluctance, and menaced
to withdraw those supplies altogether. Such a re-
solution must have been qviickly fatal to the Spa-
niards. Their safety depended upon the good-will of
the Indians 3 and unless tliey could revive the ad-
miration and reverence with which that simple
people had at first beheld them, destruction was
unavoidable. Columbus, by a happy artifice, not
only restored but heightened the high opinion
which the Indians had originally entertained of
them. By his skill in astronomy he knew there
was shortly to be a total eclipse of the moon. He

assembled

[gainst
ies of
le was

that
but it
}d Ja-
;round

of his
s were
nd, of
:uatiou
lengdi

1 Men-
offered

above
n days,
idnring
^ho ac-
, Eight
ing as-
1. The
rming t
e cause
rough t
enaced
h a re-
e Spa-
will of
he ad-
siniple
on was
;e, not
>pinion
ned of
there
He
jmbled

AMERICA. 4t

tssombled all the principal people of the district
around him on the day before it happened ; and,
alter reproaching them for their fickleness in with-
drawing their alfection and assistance from men
whom they had lately revered, he told them that
the Spaniards were servants of the Great Spirit
who dwells in heaven, who made and governs die
world J that he, offended at their refusing to sup-
port persons who were die objects of his j^culiar
care, was preparing to punish diis crime with ex-
emplary severity, and diat very night the moon
should withhold her light, and appear of a bloody
ime, as a sign of divine wradi and of the vengeance
ready to fall on them. To diis prediction some had
listened with carelessness ; others with credulous
astonishment. . But when the moon began gra-
dually to be darkened, and at length appeared of a
red colour, all were struck witJi terror. They ran
widi consternation to their houses, and, returning
instantly to Columbus, loaded widi provisions,
threw them at his feet, conjuring him to intercede
with the Great Spirit to avert the destruction widi
which they were threatened. Columbus promised
to comply with their desire j the eclipse went off,
the moon recovered its splendour j and from diat
day the Spaniards were not only furnished pro-
fusely with provisions, but die natives widi super-
stitious attention avoided every diing diat coali
give diera offence.

During these transacdons the mutineers had
made many fruitless attempts to pass over to His-
[<aniola in the canoes which they had seized. At
length they appeared in open rebellion against thcii
commander. His brother marched against theiu,
killed some, and took their captain prisoner. The
rest j»ubniitted, and bound diemselves oy tlie most.

,1
It

h''

,•/♦<

'^«'

]•«<

■

soiem:i

''*>.^

42 AMERICA.

solemn oaths to obey all the commands of Colum-
bus. Hardly was tranquillity re-established when
ships appeared from Hispaniola to convey them
tliither, after having been exposed to all kinds of
misery for more than a year.
A yv Soon after his arrival he made prepara-
iknA tions to sail for Europe. Disasters simi-
* lar to those which had accompanied him
through life, continued to pursue him to the end
of his career. At length, however, he reached
with difficulty the port of St. Lucar, in Andalusia.
There he received the account of the deatli of Isa-
bella, in whose justice, humanity, andre^^vd, he
confided as his last resource. None now remained
to redress his wrongs, or to reward his services. To
Ferdinand he applied for remuneration 3 but from
him he obtained nought but fair words and un-
meaning promises. Disgusted w ith the ingratitude
of a monarch whom he had served witli fidelity and
success, exhausted with the fatigues and hardships
which he had endured, and broken with the infir-
* y. mities which these had brought upon him,
* ^* Columbus end'id his life on (he 20th of
' May, in the fifty-ninth year of his age. He
died with a composure of mind suitable to the magr
nanimity which had ever distinguished his charac-
ter, and with sentiments of piety becoming that
supreme respect for religion which he manifested
in every occurrence of his life»

State

Coi

to r

Out

, Doi

his

' Reci

Com

ofF

tions

Dea

Zeal

fereji

impo

Las

Unsu

Yuca

Cam^

Spat

acquire(
ciety.
compell
This ret
ment.
of hand
the soil
been ac
quitted 1

CHA?.

AMERICA.

CHAP. II.

of
He

agr
rac-
that
ited-

State of the Colony m Hispaniola. Policy of the
Court of Spain. Attempts wade by the Indians
to regain their Liberty. Cruelty of the Spaniards,
Ovandd's wise Conduct. Cuba found to be an Island,
. Don Diego Columbus lays claim to and obtains
'his Rights, Attempts to colonize America. The
'Reception which the Spaniards met with. Settle
on the Gulf of Darien. Conquest of Cuba.
Conduct and cruel Death of Hatuey. Discovery
of Florida. Of the South Sea. Great Expecta-
tions formed of it. Noble Conduct and shameful
Death of Balboa. Missionaries sent out. Their
Zeal, Dominicans and Franciscmis take dif-
ferent Sides. Conduct of Las Casas. N^egroes
imported. Origin of the African Slave Trade.
Las Casas' s Idea of a netv Colony. Attempted,
Unsuccessful. Discoveries toivards the IVest,
Yucatan, Reception given to the Spaniards there,
Campeachy, Preparations for invading Neiu
Spain.

WHILE Columbus was employed in his Jast
voyage, tiie colony in Hispaniola gradually
acquired the form of a regular and prosperous so-
ciety. Isabella had prohibited the Spaniards from
compelling the Indians to work against their will.
This retarded for a time the progress of improve-
ment. The Spaniards had not a sufficient number
of hands either to work the mines or cultivate
the soil. Several of the first colonists, who had
been accustomed to the service of the Indians,
quitted the island when deprived of those instru-
ments.

44 AMEHICA..

ments, without which they knew not how to cany
on any operation. Many of the new settlers wJio
came over with Ovando, Columbus's successor,
shortly died of distempers peculiar to the climate.
At the same time, the exacting one half of the
product of tlie mines, as the royal share, was
found to be a demand so exorbitant, that no ad-
venturers would engage to work them upon such
terms. In order to save the colony from ruin,
A y> Ovando ventured to relax the rigour of the
' ^' royal edicts. He made a new distribution
' of the Indians among the Spaniards, and
compelled them to labour, for a stated time, in
digging the mines, or in cultivating the ground.
He red\iced the royal share of the gold found in
tlie mines from the half to the third part, and soon
after lowered it to a fifth j at which it long re-
mained.

The Indians felt the yoke of bondage to be so
-galling, that they made many attempts to vindicate
dieir liberty. This the Spaniards considered as
rebellion, and took arms in order to reduce them to
subjection. They considered them not as men light-
ing in defence of their rights, but as slaves who had
revolted against their masters. Their caziques,
when taken, were condemned, like the leaders of
banditti, to tlie most cruel and ignominious pu-
nishments. Overawed and humbled by the atro-
cious treatment of their princes and nobles, who
were objects of their highest reverence, the people
in all the provinces of Hispaniola submitted, without
further resistance, to the Spanish yoke. Upon the
death of Isabella, all the regulations tending to mi-
tigate the rigour of their servitude were forgotten.
Qvando, without any restraint, distributed Indians

amon
to wh
half (
ments
milar
sive n
farme
dered
compe
city o
longer
the go
Hispai
hundr(
create(
in oste
facility
ed to J
share i
countr
Ova
justice
ing the
of the
several
attenti(
industr
in the r
been b
experii
incrcas
object
begun,
manufi
cupatic
most c

AMERICA. 45

among his friends in the island. Ferdinand, . -p.
to wliom tlie queen had left by will one * ,, *
half of die revenue arising from the settle-
ments in tlie New World, conferred grants of a si-
milar nature upon his courtiers, as the least expen-
sive mode of rewarding their services. They
farmed out tlie Indians, of whom they were ren-
dered proprietors; and that wretched people, being
compelled to labour in order to satisfy the rapa-
city of both, tlie exactions of their oppressors no
longer knew any bounds. During several years
the gold brought into the royal smelting-houses in
Hispanioia amounted annually to more than one
hundred tliousand pounds. Vast fortunes were
created, of a sudden, by come; otliers dissipated
in ostentatious profusion what they acquired with
facility. Dazzled by both, new adventurers crowd-
ed to America, with the most eager impatience, to
share in those t^-p-isures which had enriched their
countrymen, avn 'v colony continued to increase.
Ovando govei « - ihe Spaniards with wisdom and
justice. He established equal laws, and, by execut-
ing them with impartiality, accustomed the people
of the colony to reverence tliem. He founded
several new towns, and endeavoured to turn tlie
attention of his countrymen to some branch of
industry more useful tlian that of searching for gold
in the mines. Some slips of the sugar-cane having
been brought from the Canary islands by way of
experiment, they were found to thrive with such
increase, that the cultivation of them became an
object of commerce. Extensive plantations were
begun, sugar- works erected, and in a few years the
manufacture of this commodity was the great oc-
cupation of tlie inhabitants of Hispanioia, and the
most considerable source of their wealtli.

The

y,r,

fc'!

4d AMERICA.

The prudent endeavours of Ovando, to promote
the welfore of the colony, were powerfully se-
conded by Ferdinand. The large remittances
which he received from the New World opened
his eyes, at length, with respect to the value and
importance of those discoveries, which he had
hitherto affected to undervalue. He erected a
board of trade, composed of persons eminent for
rank and ability, to whom he committed the admi-
nistration of American affairs. But, notwitlistand-
ing this attention to the welfare of the colony, a
calamity impended which threatened its dissolu-
tion. The original inhabitants, on whose labour
the Spaniards in Hispaniola depended for their
prosperity, and even their existence, wasted so fast
that the extinction of the whole race seemed to
"be inevitable. When Columbus discovered this
island, the number of its inliabitants was computed
to be at least a million. They were now reduced
to sixty thousand, in the space of fifteen years.
The Spaniards being thus deprived of the instru-
ments which they were accustomed to employ,
found it impossible to extend their improvements,
or even to carry on the works wdiich they had
already begun. To provide an immediate remedy,
Ovando proposed to transport the inhabitants of tlie
Lucayo islands to Hispaniola, under pretence tliat
they might be civilized with more fecility, and
instructed with greater advantage in the Christian
religion, if tliey were united to die Spanish colony,
and placed under the immediate inspection of the
missionaries settled there. Ferdinand gave his
assent to the proposal 5 several vessels were fitted
out for die Lucayos, and forty thousand of the in-
habitants were decoyed into Hispaniola, to share
die sufferings which were the lot of those who

lived

with

forme

de O

certai]

one o

tion of

his

licitin^

vicero)

years s

he com

the cou

court, \

proceecj

tained ]

As sc

Don Di.

where 1]

ficence

the fami

honours

ofwhicl:

Jiowevei

change

landed, c

priated a

The I

a colony

of oyster

place of

were acq

carried o

especiall

compelle

tiau

/>"'
Itlie

lliis

Ited

lin-

ire

rho

red

AMERICA. 4^

lived there, and to mingle their groans and tear?
with those of that wretched race of men.

New discoveries were made, and new colonic;?
formed ; and by the cimimand of Ovando, Sebastian
de Ocampo sailed round Cuba, and proved witli
certainty that it was an island. This voyage was
one of the last occurrences under the administra-
tion of Ovando. Ever since the deatli of Columbus,
his son, Don Diego, had been employed in so-
liciting Ferdinand to grant him the offices of
viceroy and admiral in the New World. After two
years spent in incessant but fruitless importunity,
he commenced a suit against his soverefgn before
the council which managed Indian affairs 3 and that
court, with integrity which reflects honour upon its.
proceedings, decided against the king, and sus-
tained Dieo:o's claim.

As soon as the obstacles were removed, . -^
Don Diego repaired quickly to Hispaniola, * *
where he lived with a splendour and magni-
ficence hitherto unknown in the New World 5 and
the family of Columbus seemed now to enjoy the
honours and rewards due to his invciiti^'e genius,
of which he had been cruelly defrauded. No benefit,
however, accmed to the unhappy natives from this
change of governors. Don Diego, soon after he?
landed, divided such Indians as were still unappro-
priated among his relations and attendants.

The next care of the new governor was to settle
a colony in Cubagua, celebrated for large quantities
of oysters which produced pearls. This became a
place of considerable resort, and large fortunes
were acquired by the fishery for pearls, which was
carried on with extraordinary ardour. The Indians
especially those from the Lucayo islands, were
Goriapelled ta dive for tliem -, and this dangerous

and

".,.*■,

ii,;;

48 AMERICA.

and unhealthy employment was an additional ca-
lamity which contributed not a little to the ex-
tinction of that devoted race.
y. p. About this period Juan Diaz de Solis

* ' and Pinzon set out upon another voyage,
"* They stood directly south, towards the equi-
noctial line, which Pinzon had formerly crossed,
and advanced as far as the 40th degree of southern
latitude. They were astonished to find that the
continent of America stretched on their right-
hand through all this vast extent of ocean. They
landed in several places to take possession in the
name of their sovereign 5 but though the country
appeared to be extremely fertile and inviting, their
force was so small that they left no colony behind
them. Their voyage served, however, to give the
Spaniards more exalted and adequate ideas with
respect to the dimensions of this quarter of tlie
globe.

Though it was about ten years since Columbus
had discovered the main land in America, yet it
was not till this period that the Spaniards seriously
attempted to make any settlement upon it. The
scheme took its rise from Alonzo de Ojeda, and
Diego de Nicuessa, who were encouraged by Fer-
dinand. They erected two governments on tlie
continent, one extending from Cape de Vela to
the Gulf of Darien, and the other from that to
Cape Gracias a Dios. The former was given to
Ojeda, the latter to Nicuessa. Ojeda fitted out a
ship and two brigs, with three hundred men j
Nicuessa, six vessels, with seven hundred and
eighty men. They sailed about the same time from
St. Domingo for their respective governments.
They found the natives in those countries to be of
a character very different from that of their coun-
trymen

fryme

like.

noxioi

certair

sevent

the firs

of the

pie eqi

Nothir

Spaniai

refiised

residen

their lit

enmity

surmou

by the

the art

accumu

complel

accident

the chn

cessant J

a succes

strikes (

two con!

the great

pedition

extreme

a feeble <

commani

duct and

more spl

was he tl

will here;

tant sceni

ttompanio

VOL. X

1 ca-
; ex-

Solis

)'age.

equi-

)ssed,

thern

It the

right-

They

n the

mntiy

, their

)chhid

ve the

J with

of tlie

ambus
yet it
riously
The
a, and
»y Fer-
n tlie
ela to
hat to
liven to
out a
men J
:d and
e from
ments.
[o be of
coun-
men

AMERICA, 4g

trymen in the islands. They were fierce and war-
like. Their arrows were dipped in a poison so
noxious, that every wound was followed with
certain death. In one encounter they slew above
seventy of Ojeda's followers, and tlie Spaniards, for
the first time, were taught to dread the inhabitants
of the New "World. Nicuessa was opposed by peo-
ple equally resolute in defence of their possessions.
Nothing could soften their ferocity. Though the
Spaniards employed every art to soothe them, they
refused to hold any intercourse with men whose
residence among tliem tliey considered as fatal to
their liberty and independence. This implacable
enmity of the natives might perhaps have been
surmounted by the perseverance of the Spaniards,
by the superiority of their arms, and tlieir skill in
the art of war j but every disaster which can be
accumulated upon the unfortunate combined to
complete their ruin. The loss of their ships, by
accidents, upon an unknown coast j the diseases of
the climate 3 the want of provisions 5 and the in-
cessant hostilities of the natives, involved tliem in
a succession of calamities, the bare recital of which
strikes one with horror. Though they received
two considerable reinforcements from Hispaniola,
the greater part of those who engaged in this ex-
pedition perished in less than a year, in the most
extreme misery. A few who survived settled as
a feeble colony on the Gulf of Darien, under the
command of Vasco Nugnez de Balboa, whose con-
duct and courage marked him out as a leader in
more splendid and successful undertakings. Nor
was he tlie only adventurer in this expedition who
will hereafter appear with lustre in more impor-
tant scenes. Francisco Pizarro was one of Ojeda's
companions, and in this school of adversity ac-
voL. XXIV. F quired

mm .

;

AMERICA.

quired or improved the talents which fitted him
for the extraordinary actions which he afterwards
performed. Herman de Cortes had likewise en-
gaged early in this enterprise, which roused all
the active youtli of Hispaniola to arms; but tlu;
good fortune that accompanied him in his subse-
quent adventures interposed, and saved him from
the disasters to which his companions were ex-
posed. He was taken ill at St. Domingo before
the departure of the fleet, and detained there by a
tedious indisposition.

Notwithstanding the unfortunate issue of this
expedition, tlie Spaniards were not deterred from
engaging in new schemes of a similar nature-
Don Diego Columbus proposed to conquer the
* -p. island of Cuba, and to establish a colony
Y"* * there, and many personsof chief distinction
^ * in Hispaniola engaged with alacrity in tlic
measure. He gave the command of the troops
destined for that service to Diego Velasquez, one
of his father's companions in his second voyage,
and who^ having been long settled in Hispaniola,
seemed to be v/ell qualified for conducting an ex-
pedition of importance. Three hundred men were
deemed sutficient for the conquest of an island
above seven hundred miles in lenp-tli, and filled
with inhabitants. But they were ol the same un-
Warlike character with the people of Hispaniola,
and had made no preparations towards a defence.
The only obstruction the Spaniards met with was
from Hatuey, a cazique, who had fied from His-
paniola, and had taken possession of the eastern
extremity of Cuba. He stood upon the defensive
at their first landing, and endeavoured to drive
them back to their ships. His feeble troops, how-
ever, were won dispersed, and he himself taken

prisoner.

prisoi

maxii

who

denin

faster

to cor

the jo

tian f

'* in

"^Yes

worth

the in<

goodn^

meet '\

fill ex

Cuba \

opposil

Velasq

extensi

narcliy,

The

was coj

tmdert^

both fa;

Rico, i

for a vc

west, i

the Spa

tempte(

such vi

were fi(

increase
ment.

It wa
countrie
voyage :

[ him
wards
e en-
^d all
It tlu;
iubse-
L from
•e ex-
before
s by a

of this
d from
nature,
ler the
colony
finction
in tlic
troops
z, one
voyage,
>aniola,
an ex-
n were
island
II filled
e un-
aniola,
fence,
th was
His.
astern
Ifensive
drive
, how-
taken
fijioner.

AMERICA. ^1

prisoner. Velasquez, according to the barbarous
maxim of the Spaniards, considered him as a slave
who had taken arms against his master, and con- '
demned him to the flames. When Hatuey was
fastened to the stake, a Franciscan friar laboured
to convert him, and promised him admittance into
the joys of heaven, if he would embrace the Chris-
tian faith. ** Are there any Spaniards," says he,
'* in that region of bliss which you describe ?"
'^ Yes,'' replied the monk, *' but only such as are
worthy and good." *' The best of them," retunied
the indignant cazique, '' have neitlier worth nor
goodness j I will not go to a place where I may
meet with one of that accursed race." This dread-
fill example of vengeance struck the people of
Cuba with such terror, that they scarcely gave any
opposition to the progress of the invaders, and
Velasquez, without the loss of a man, annexed thia
extensive and fertile island to the Spanish mo-
narchy.

The facility with which tliis important conquest
was completed, served as an incitement to other
tmdertakings. Juan Ponce de Leon having acquired
both fame and wealtli by the reduction of Puerto
Rico, fitted out, at his own expence, three shipa
for a voyage of discovery. He stood to the south-
west, and reached a country hitherto unknown to
the Spaniards, which he called Plorida. He at-
tempted to land in different places, but met with
such vigorous opposition from tlie natives, who
were fierce and warlike, as convinced him that an
increase of force was requisite to effect a settle-
ment.

It was not merely a passion for searching new
countries that prompted Leon to undertake this
voyage : he was influenced by one of diose visionary

F 2 ideas*

it '

\\i\

AMERICA.

>iHB|l

Wr.

ijIBH

III

^Hir'i>i

BP""''

P'i.''

wJa

Hit

ideas, which at that time often mingled with the
spirit of discovery, and rendered it more active.
A tradition prevailed among the natives of Puerto
Rico, that in one of the Lucayo islands tliere was a
fountain of such wonderful virtue, as to renew the
youth and recall the vigour of every person who
bathed in its salutary waters. In hopes of finding
this grand restorative, Leon and his followers
ranged tlirough the islands, searching, with fruitless
solicitude and labour, for the fountain which was
the chief object of their expedition.

Soon after the expedition to Florida, a discovery
of much greater importance was made in another
part of America. Balboa, having been raised to
the government of a small colony at Santa Maria,
in Darien, by the voluntary suffrages of his asso-
ciates, was extremely desirous of obtaining from
the crown a confirmation of their election. Hav-
ing, however, no interest at court, he endeavoured
to merit the dignity to which he aspired, and aimed
at performing some signal service, that would se-
cure him preference to every competitor. Full of
this idea, he made frequent inroads into the ad-
jacent country, subdued several caziques, and
collected a considerable quantity of gold. In one
of these excursions the Spaniards contended with
such eagerness about the division of some gold, that
they were proceeding to acts of violence against
one another. A youjg cazique who was present,
astonished at the high value which they set upon ^
thing of which he did not discern the use, tumbled
the gold out of the balance with indignation ; and
turning to the Spaniards, *' Why do you quarrel,"
says he, '' about such a trifle? If you are so pas-
sionately fond of gold as to abandon your own
country, and disturb the tranquillity of distant na-
tions

lions

wbcr

litems

they

>iapp)

thed

towar

r>rcan

AMERICA. 53

tinns for its sake, I will conduct you to a region
where the metal is so common tliat the meanest
nttmsils are formed of it." Transported with what
they heard, Balboa eagerly inquired where this
happy country lay. He informed him, that at
the distance of six suns, that is, six days journey
towards the south, tliey should discover another
orean, near to which this wealthy kingdom was
situated J but if tliey intended to attack that power-
ful state, they must assemble forces far superior
in number and strength to those which now ap-
peared.

Tliis was the first information that the Sj)a-
ninrds received concerning the opulent country of
Peru. Bjrlboa had now before him objects suited
to his ambition and enterprising genius. He im-
nKxliately concluded that he should find, what
Columbus had sought for in vain, a direct commu-
niralion with the East Indies. Elated with the idea
of performing what so great a man had fruitlessly
attempted, he was impatient until he could set out
upon this enterprise, in comjiarison of which all
his former exploits appeared inconsiderable. Pre-
vious arrangement was, ho\s'ever, necessary j he
sent oificers to Hispaniola, from which place he
allured a great number of volunteers, and he
thought himself in a condition to aUen}pt the
discovery. He set out upon this important expe-
dition on the 1st of September, about the * yv
time when tji':.' periodical rains began to. ' ,/
abat(\ Y/ithout any dithcuity ihey reached
the territories of a cazique whose friendship he
liad gained. Though their guides had represented
the breadth of tlie isthnms to be only a journey of
six days, they spent twenty-live in forcing their
way through the woods and moantaii.s. Many of

y 6 them

'i..'j
'"^i^

»ft''>

AMERICA.

U '

*- n«

them were ready to sink witli fatigue and disease.
At length the Indians assured them, that from the
top of the next mountain tliey should discover the
ocean which was the object of their wishes. When,
with infinite toil, they had climbed up the greater
part of that steep ascent, Balboa commanded his
men to halt, and advanced alone to the summit,
that he might be the first who should enjoy a spec-
tacle which he had so long desired. As soon as he
beheld the South Sea stretching in endless prospect
below him, he fell on his knees, and, lifting up his
hands to heaven, returned thanks to God, who had
conducted him to a discoveiy so beneficial to his
country and so honourable to himself. His followers,
observing his transports of joy, rushed forward to
join in his w(jnder, exultation, and gratitude. They
held on their course to the shore with great alacri-
ty ; when Balboa, advancing up to the middle in the
waves, with his buckler and sword, took posses-
sion of the ocean in the name of the king his mas-
ter, and vowed to defend it, witli those arms,
against all his enemies.

That part of the great Pacific Ocean which Bal-
boa first discovered still retains the name of the
Gulf of St. Michael, which he gave it, and is
situated to the east of Panama. From several of
the petty princes who governed in the districts ad-
jacent to that gulf, he extorted provisions and gold 5
others sent them to him voluntarily. To these
presents some of the caziques added a consider-
able quantity of pearls, and he learned from
them, with much satisfaction, that pearl oyster*
abounded in tlie sea which he had newly disco-
vered. Together with the acquisition of this
wealth, which served to soothe and encourage his
ibllowers, he received accounts which confirmed

his

his sa

bcnef

the c(

bim

dom,

the so

anima

was tc

restrai

handfi

ibllow

Maria,

a forct

prise.

self m(

or assi

openin

which

part.

Balb
Spain {
made, {
sand m
tlie Ne
the une
found i;
standing
him 0UI
great u:
was so
point P
gave h
1200 so]
gentlen:
conduct
ported.

Bal-
If the
d is
•al of
sad-
;old5
hese
lider-

AMTRICA. 5S

his san^ilne hopes of future and more oxtrnsivo
benefits from the expedition. All the people on
the coast of the South Sea concurred in intorming
bim that there was a miglUy anil opulent king-
dom, situated at a considerable distance towards
the south-east, the inhabitants of whic h had tame
animals to carry their burthens. Anxious as B'dboa
was to visit this unknown country, his pnuience
restrained him from attempting to invade it with a
handful of men. He determined to lead back his
followers, at present, to their settlement at Santa
Maria, in Daricn, and to return next season with
a force more adequate to such an arduous enter-
prise. None of Kalboa's officers disting\ushcd hiii-
self more in this service than Francisco Pizari;>,
or assisted with greater courage and ardour in
opening a communication with those countries in
which he was destined to act a most illustrious
part.

Balboa's first care was to send information to
Spain of the important discovery which he had
made, and to demand a reinforcement of a thou-
sand men. The first account of the discovery of
tlie New World hardly occasioned greater joy, than
the unexpected tidings that a passage was at last
found into the great Southern Ocean. Notwith-
standing Balboa's recent services, which marked
him out as the most proper person to finish that
great undertaking which he had begun, Ferdii n^^d
was so ungenerous as to overlook these, and to ap-
point Pedrarias Davila governor of Darien. He
gave him tlie command of 15 stout ves ..^Is and
1200soldiers3 and such was the ardour of tlie: Spanish
gentlemen to follow a leader who was about to
conduct them to a country where, as fame re-
portedj tliey had only to tlirow nets into the sea
3 and

>^1

,->i'
#

56 AMERICA.

and draw out gold, that 1500 embarked on board
the fleet.

Pedrarias reached the Gulf ofDarienwitlioutany
remarkable accident, and, to his astonishment,
found Balboa, of whose exploits they had heard so
much, and of whose opulence they had formed
such high ideas, clad in a canvas jacket, and wear-
ing coarse hempen sandals, used only by the
meanest peasants, employed, together with some
Indians, in tliatching his own hut with reeds.
Even in this simple garb, which corresponded so
ill with the expectations and wishes of his new
guests, Balboa received tliem with dignity. And
though his troops murmured loudly at tlie Injus-
tice of the king, in superseding tlieir commander,
Balboa submitted with implicit obedience to tlie
will of his sovereign, and received Pedrarias with
all the deference due to his character.

Notwithstanding this moderation, towhichPedra-
ria i owed the peaceable possession of his govern-
ment, he appointed a judicial inoniry to be made
into Balboa's former conduct, and imposed a con-
siderable fine upon him. His enmity did not stop
here. Jealousy of his s?uperior talents led him to
the most unjustifiable conduct j and though, at one
time, he gave him his own daughter in marriage,
in proof of reconciliation, yet he dreaded the pro-
sperity of a man whom he had injured so deeply,
and, in the end, brought him to trial for disloyalty
to his king, got him condemned nnd executed.

During these transactions in Darien, Ferdinand
was intent upon opening a communication witli
the Molucca or Spice islands, by the west. He fit-

. -pj ted out two ships to attempt Fuch a voyage,

* ' and gave them in command to Juan Diaz

'^' de Sohs, who discovered tlie rivers Janeiro

and

and I
in til
were
cut t
them,
was,
tlie w
great
plishe<
emplo
ments
as the
render
and ha
rations
at leng
it upor
nister.
hope
tered i
indiger
and by
of Indi
The
the fat
only ex
tliemse
all whc
the tim
into Ai
which
dered
mission
m^ximi
Americ
hibutio

board

utany
ment,
ard so
Drmed
wear-
>y the

some

reeds.

ied so

s new

And

injus-
lander,
to tlie
s with

Pedra-
overn-
made
a con-
ot stop
lim to
at one
rriage,
le pro-
[eeply,
loyalty
1.

linand

witli

efit-

)yage,

Diaz

[aiieiro

and

AMERICA. 57

and La Plata. In endeavouring to make a descent
in tliis country, De Solis and several of his crew
were slain by the natives, who, in sight of the ships,
cut their bodies in pieces, roasted and devoured
them. Discouraging and horrible as this event
was, yet it was not without benefit 5 it prepared
tlie way for a more fortunate voyage, by which the
great design that Ferdinand had in view was accom-
plished. Though the Spaniards were thus acti\ely
employed in extending their discoveries and settle-
ments in America, they still considered Hispaniola
as their principal colony. Don Diego Columbus
rendered the members of this colony prosperous
and happy. But he was circumscribed in his ope-
rations by the suspicious policy of Ferdinand, who
at length stripped him of all power, and bestowed
it upon Rodrigo Albuquerque, his confidential mi-
nister. Don Diego repaired to Spain with the vain
hope of obtaining redress. Albuquerque en-
tered upon his office with all the rapacity of an
indigent adventurer impatient to amass wealth ;
and by his tyranny the wretched and innocent race
of Indians were quickly extirpated.

The violence of these proceedings, together with
the fatal consequences which attended them, not
only excited complaints amongst such as thought
tliemselves aggrieved, but aiiected the hearts of
all who retained any sentiments of humanity. From
the time that ecclesiastics were sent as instructors
into America, tJiey perceived that the rigour with
which their countrymen treated tlie natives ren-
dered their ministry altogether fruitless. I'he
missionaries early remonstrated against the ^ -rx
maxims of the planters with respect to the , ci^*
Americans, and tl\Q repartimic7itnx, or dis-
iributious, by which tliey were given up as slaves

'■"■It.. : *

■1^

"I,

AMERICA.

to their conquerors. The Dominicans, to whom the
instruction of the Americans was originally com-
mitted, were most vehement in testifying against
the repartunientos. Montesino, one of their most
eminent preachers, inveighed against this practice,
jn tlie great church at St, Domingo, with all tlie
impetuosity of popular eloquence. Don Diego
Columbus and the principal people of the colony
complained of the monk to his superiors 3 but
they, instead of condemning, applauded his doc-
trine, as equally pious and seasonable. The FraU"
ciscans espoused the defence of the repartimientos,
and endeavoured to palliate what they could not
justify, alleging that it was impossible to carry on
any improvement in the colony, unless the Spa-
niards possessed such dominion over tlie natives
that they could compel them to labour.

The Dominicans, regardless of such political and
interested considerations, would not relax the
rigour of their sentiments, and even refused to
absolve, or admit to the sacraments, such of their
countrymen as continued to hold the natives in
servitude. Botli parties applied to the king for his
decision, who determined in favour of tlie Domi-
nicans, and declared the Indians to be a free peo-
ple. Notwithstanding this decision the reparti^
mientos were continued upon their antient footing,
nor could the repeated remonstrances of the Domi-
nicans obtain any practical relief for the Indians ;
and in the end Ferdinand himself concurred in
admitting the lawfulness of the distributions, and
even conferred new grants of Indians upon several
of his courtiers.

The violent operations of Albuquerque, the new
distributor of Indians, revived die zeal of the Do-
xninicans against the repartimientos^ and called

forth

forth
posse?
requij
This

SevilL

Colun

order

the op

spect

to ser\

sinceri

Indian;

vision

declari

misfort

nient

tures.

tron of

he had

the exc(

:igaint t

found tl

sanguini

the hear

the opf

would e

He ei

he four

freedom

the fatnl

World,

thorizcd

misery

nocent r

under 1:

deep cor

tithe

com-

;ainst

most

cdce,

lltlie

3iego

:)lony

5 but

; doc-

FraU"

entos,

id not

•ry on

i Spa-

latives

al and
the
ed to
their
^es in
for his
>omi-
peo-

|oting,
lomi-
lians ;
led in
;, and
5veral

new
Do-

called
forth

AMERICA. Sg

forth an advocate for that oppressed people, wIio>
possessed all the courage, talents, and activity
requisite in supporting such a desperate cause.
This was Bartholomew de las Casas, a nalive of
Seville, and one of the clergymen sent out with
Columbus in his second voyage to Hispaniola, in
order to settle in that island. He early ado|)ted
the opinion prevalent among ecclesiastics with re-
spect to the unlawfulness of reducing the rialives
to ser\'itude ; and that he mighi demonstrate the
sincerity of his conviction, he relincjuished all the
Indians who had fallen to his own share in the di-
vision of the inhabitants among thv'w conquerors^
declaring that he should ever bewail his own
misfortune and guilt, in having exercised for a mo-
ment tliis impious domini(jn over his fellow-crea-
tures. From that time he became the avowed pa-
tron of the Indians, and by his zeal and authority
he had often the merit of setting some bounds to
the excesses of his countrymen. He remonstrated
againt the conduct of Albuquerque 3 and when he
found that vain, he set out for Europe, with tlie .nost
sanguine hopes of opening the eyes and softening
the heart of Ferdinand, by that striking picture vf
the oppression of his new subjects \^hich he
would exhibit to his view.

He easily obtained admittance to the king,whom
he found in a declining state of health. With
freedom and eloquence he represented to him all
the fatal effects of tiie rcpartimientos in the Nev/
World, charging him with the giiilt of iiaving au-
thori7.cd this impious measure, which had brought
misery and destruction upon a nimierous and in-
nocent race of men, whom Providence had plai ed
under his protection. Ferdinand listened with
deep compunction, and promised to take hito sun-

ous

I, A

QO AMERICA,

ous consideration the means of redressing the evil
of which he complained. But deatli prevented
him from executing his resolutions. Charles of
Austria, to whom all his crowns devolved, ap-
pointed cardinal Ximenes his regent. With him
Las Casas pleaded the cause of tlie Indians, and ob-
tained a commission from the monks of St. Jerome
to go to America and examine their situation, and
give them every relief tliat the case admitted. —
Las Casas was appointed to accompany them, with
the title of Protector of the Indians. The fathers
of St. Jerome proceeded with caution and pru-
dence j and having compared ditferent accounts,
and maturely considered every thing connected
with the subject, they determined that the Spa-
niards must relinquish their conquests entirely, or
give up the advantages to be derived from them,
unless the repartimicntos were tolerated. They
used, however, their utmost endeavours to prevent
the fatal effects of this establishment, and to se-
cure to tlie Indians the consolation of the best
treatment compatible with a state of servi-
tude.

With these decisions, Las Casas, of all the Spa-
niards, was alone dissatisfied. He contended, that
the Indians were by nature free, and, as their pro-
tector, he required the superintendants not to be-
reave them of the common privilege of humanity.
They received his most virulent remonstrances
with emotion, but adhered firmly to their own sy-
stem. The Spanish planters did not bear with him
so patiently, but were ready to tear him in pieces
for insisting in a requisition so odious. Las Ca-
sas found it necessary to take shelter in a con-
vent ; and perceiving that his efforts were fruitless,
he !>oon set out for Europe, with a fixed resolution

nevei*

never

had ei

declin

thorit)

with

at lenj

JeroiiK

examii

ings.

l^he
ment ii
comma
rabie ot
subjects
this, wi
mention
cJiase a
tngnese
to transj
employe
tivating t
whicli^tl:
coveries
Various
odious ai
long aboj
repugnan
principles
ready bee
found mc
more cap*
vitudcj ai]
to be equ;
menes rej
he perceiv
nien to sla
VOL. x:{

evil

nted

5S of

ap-
liim

iob-

rome

, and

3d. —
with

ithers
pru-

)unts,

lected

5 Spa-

jly, or

them,
Tliey

revent
to se-
best
servi-
le Spa-
I, that

|ir pro-
Ito be-
lanitv.
Irances
ai sy-
|h him
Ipieces
\s Ca-
con-
litless,
^lution
never

AMERICA. 61

never to abandon the people in whose cause lie
had engaged. Wlien he arrived, he found Ximenea
declining in health, and preparing to resign his au-
thority to the young king. Him Las Casas plied
with intercessions in behalf of the Americans, and
at length obtained the recall of the monks of St.
Jerome, and a new commission was appointed to
examine their claims, and to alleviate their suffer-
ings-

The impossibility of carr}'ing on any improve-
ment in America, unless the Spanish planters could
command the labour of the natives, was an insupe-
rable objection to his plan of treating them as free
subjects. In order to provide some remedy for
this, without which he knew it would be vain to
mention his scheme. Las Casas proposed to pur-
chase a sufficient number of negroes from the Por-
tut^uese settlements on the coast of Africa, and
to transport them to America, that they might be
employed as slaves in working the mines and cul-
tivating the ground. One of the first advantages
which the Portuguese had derived from their dis-
coveries in Africa arose from the trade in slaves.
Various circumstances concurred in reviving the
odious and diabolical commerce which had been
long abolished in Europe, and which is no less
repugnant to the feelings of humanity than to the
principles of religion. Some negro slaves had al-
ready been sent into the New World, who were
found more robust and hardy than the natives,
more capable of fatigue, more patient under ser-
vitude j and the labour of one negro was computed
to be equal to that of four Indians. Cardinal Xi-
menes rejected this species of commerce, because
he perceived the iniquity of reducing one race of
men to slavery, while he was consulting about the

\0L. XXIV. o means

.ill

■.■« ; i

*::■%

02 AMF,»nCA.

means of restoring libert}' to another. Las Casas,
however, seemed incapable of making this distinc-
tion. Whilst he contended zealously for the li-
berty of the people born in one quarter of the
globe, he laboured to enslave the inhabitants of
another region, and, in the warmth of his zeal to
save the Americans from the yoke, pronounced it
lawful and expedient to impose one still heavier
upon the Africans. Unfortunately for the latter.
Las Casas' s plan was adopted. Charles granted to a
favourite a patent, containing an exclusive right of
importing four thousand negroes into America.
The favourite sold his patent to some Genoese mer-
chants for twenty-five thousand ducats, and tliey
were the first who brought into a regular form
that commerce for slaves between Africa and
America, which has since been carried on to such
an amazing extent.

But the Genoese demanded such an high price
for negroes, that the number imported into Hispa-
niola made but little change upon the state of the
colony. Las Casas, whose ardour was no less
inventive than indefatigable, had recourse to an-
other expedient for the relief of the Indians. He
applied for a grant of unoccupied country, stretch-
ing along the coast from the Gulf of Paria to the
western frontier of that province, now known by
the name of Santa Martha, intending to form there
a new colony consisting of husbandmen, labourers,
and ecclesiastics. After long and tedious discus-
sions on the subject, his request was granted : but
having fairly made tlie experiment, he was obliged
to abandon it, having lost most of the people who
accompanied him in his project. From that time
Las Casas, ashamed to shew his face, shut him-ieli
up in tlic convent of the Dominicans at St. Do-
mingo,

miiigc

order.

covei i(

Vel;

the gc

Diego

tration

the Spj

tliither

hopes c

ment, (

Cuba la

the Spa

yond it

exploiec

inhabitai

elation \

which w

quez apf

Jng it oi

the pure

enibarke

directly

great C(

tained th

tile most

twenty-fi

Jago the^

eastern p

As tliey i

off full of

Cordova e

good will

vited the

an appear

tiiat, if tl

isas,
tinc-
e U-
: tlie
ts of
?.al to
ced it
wavier
latter,
d to a
^ht of
lerica.
3 mer-
d tliey
f form
;a and
to such

AMEFxICA. 63

mlngo, and soon af.ar assumed tlie habit of tliat
order. But it is time to return to the Spanish dis-
co veiies.

Velasquez, who conquered Cuba, still retained
the government of that island as the deputy of
Diego Columbus 3 and under his prudent arlminis-
tration Cuba became one of the most flourishing of
the Spanish settlements. The fame of tliis allured
tliither many persons from the other colonies, in
hopes of finding either some permanent establish-
ment, or some employment for their activity. As
Cuba lay to the west of all the islands occupied by
the Spaniards, and as tlie ocean which stretches be-
yond it towards that quarter had not hitlierto been
explored, these circumstances naturally invited tlie
inhabitants to attempt new discoveries. An asso-
ciation was formed for this purpose, at the head of
which was Francisco Hernandez Cordova. Velas-
quez approved of the design, and assisted in carry-
ing it on. He and Cordova advanced money for
the purchase of three small vessels, on which they
embarked one hundred and ten men. They stood
directly west, in conformity to the opinion of the
great Columbus, who uniformly main- * y.
tained that a westerly course would lead to -.^^J
tlie most important discoveries. On the ' *
twenty-first day after their departure from St.
Jago they saw land, which proved to be the
eastern point of the large peninsula of Yucatan.
As they approached the shore, five canoes came
off full of people decently clad in cotton gaiments.
Cordova endeavoured by small presents to gain the
good will of these people. They, in return, in-
vited the Spaniards to visit tlieir habitations, with
an appearance of cordiality : but they soon found
that, if the people of Yucatan had made progregjj

G 2 ip

^ I

'Ijiljlf'^'lf'

04 AMERICA.

improvement beyond their countrymen, they were
likewise more artful and warlike. For though
the cazique received Cordova with many tokens
of friendship, he had posted a considerable body of
Jiis subjects in an ambush behind a thicket, who,
upon a signal given, rushed out and attacked the
Spaniards witli great boldness, and some degree of
martial order. At the first flight of their arrows,
fifteen of the Spaniards were wounded -, but the
Indians were struck with terror by the explosion
of the fire-arms, and so h'urprisod at the execution
done by them with the cross-bows, that tliey fied
precipitately. Cordova quitted a country where
he had met with such a fierce reception, carrying
otf two prisoners, together with the ornaments of
a small temple, which he plundered in his retreat.
He continued his course towards the west, and on
the sixteenth day arrived at Campeachy, where
the natives received him hospitably. As their
water began to fail, they advanced and discovered
a river at Potonchan, some leagues beyond Cam-
peachy. Cordova landed his troops, in order to
protect the sailors while employed in filling the
casks J but notwithstanding this precaution, tlie
natives rushed down upon them with such fury,
and in such numbers, that forty-seven of the
Spaniards were killed on the spot, and one man
only of the whole body escaped unhurt, After
this flUal repulse, nothing remained but to hasten
back to Cuba with their shatiered forces. In their
passage they suffered excjuisite distress for want of
water : some of them sunk under these calamities,
and died by the way. Cordova, tlieir commander,
expired soon after they landed at Cuba.

Notwithstanding the disastrous conclusion of
this expedition, it contributed rather to animate

than

than
Spanij
and fi
new t
Juan c
part o
lieen
1'hey
Tabas<
chan J
ceived
some
Guaxai
spect I
fumed
coj)al,
choices
extrem
and in
of gold
change
whom
served i
stand tl;
learned
subjects
wjjose
other p
towards
which h
^he Spai
spectacle
He tou(
from wh
one of J
count (

were
oiigli

)ktMlS

dy ot*
who,
i the
ree of
rows.
It the
losion
:utioii
\y fted
where
rrying
;nts of
e treat,
and on
where

; their

overed
Cam-

der to
g the
, die
fury,
f the
man
After

Ihasten
n their
'ant of
nities,
lander,

ion of
liinate

than

AMERICA. 63

than to damp the spirit of enterprise among the
Spaniards. Vcla.s(]uez encouraged their ardour,
and fitted out, at his own expence, four ships for a
new enterprise. The command of it was given to
Juan de Grijalva, who soon discovered that » -p.
part of the condnent which has ever since .1.^
'been known by the name of New Spain.
I'hey lan<led at a river which the nadves called
Tabasco ; and the fame of their victory at Poton-
chan liaving reached this place, the cazique re-
ceived them amicably, and bestowed upon them
some vakiable presents. They next touched at
Giiaxaca, where they were received with the re-
spect paid to superior beings. The people per-
fumed them as they landed with incense of gum-
copal, ai^d presented to them as offerings the
choicest delicaei s of the country. They were
extremely fond of trading widi the new visitants ^
and in six days the Spaniards obtained ornaments
of gold to the value of more than 3CXX)l. in ex-
change for European toys. The two prisoners
whom they brought from Yucatan had hitherto
served as interpreters ; but as they did not under-
stand the language of diis country, 'the Spaniards
It^arned frv)m the natives by signs, that they were
subjects of a great monarch named Montezuma,
wjjose dominion extended over diat and many
other provinces. Grijalva continued his course
towards the west. lie landed on a small isle
which he called the Isle of Sacrifices, because there
the Spaniards beheld, for the first time, die horrid
spectacle of human victims oflered to die gods.
He touched also at the island St. Juan de Ulua,
from which place he dispatched Pedro de Alvarndo,
one of his otficers, to Velasquez with a full ac-
count of the important discoveries diat he had

66 AMERICA.

made. In the mean time he proceeded nlonc; the
coast as flir as the river Paiiueo. Several of his
ofhcers were desirous of planting a colony in some
proper station, in order that they might extend
the dominion of their sovereign. This scheme,
however, appeared to Grijalva too perilous to he
attempted. He judged it more pnident to return
to Cuba, having fultilled the purpo^;e of his voy-
age ; which he did after an absence of six months.
This was the longest as well as the most suc-
cessful voyage which the Spaniards had made in
the New World. As soon as Alvarado reached
Cuba, Velasquez, transported with success so much
beyond his expectations, immediately dispatched a
person in his confidence to carry this important in-
telligence to Spain, and to solicit such an increase of
authority as might enable him to attempt projects
on a much larger scale. Without waiting for the
return of his messenger, or for the arrival of
Grijalva, of whom he became so jealous as to
resolve to employ him no longer, he began to
prepare such a powerful armament as might prove
equal to an enterprise of danger and importance.
But before we enter upon a detailed account of the
expedition on which Velasquez was intent, it may
be proper to pause, and take a brief view of the
state of the New World when first discovered, and to
contemplate the policy and manners of the rude
tribes that occupied the parts of it witli which the
Spaniards were at this time acquainted.

CHAP,

the

his
onie
tend
Miie,
o he
'turn
voy-
nths.

suo
\e ill
iched
much
hed a
lit in-
ase of
ojects
Dr the
al of

as to

riiU to

prove
tance,
of the
t may
f the
and to
i rude
h the

AMERICA.

CHAP. III.

Viciv of Amerha when , first discovered. Its vast
Kitent. Gnnidcnr of its Objects. Its Mountniiis,
Rivers. Lakes. Climate. Its uncultivated State,
Its SoiL Hofr Ai)i erica was peofylcd, Condi"
lion and Character (f the Americans. All Sd"
vages, excefitthe Meiicans and Peruvians. The
bodily Constitution. The Qualities of their Minds,
Their domestic State. Their political InstitU"
lions. Their System of IFar. The Arts with
which they were aet/wjinted. Their religious
Institutions. Detached Customs. General He-
view of their Firtues and Fices,

npWENTY-SIX years had elapsed since Co-
-•*- lumbus conducted Europeans to the New
World. During that period the Spaniards had
made great progress in exploring its various re-
gions. They had sailed along the eastern coast
of the continent, from the river De la Plata to the
bottom of the Mexican Gulf, and had found that it
stretched, without interruption, through this vast
portion of the globe. They had discovered the great
Southern Ocean, and acquired some knowledge of
the coast of Florida ; and though they pushed their
discoveries no farther north, other nations had vi-
sited those parts which they had neglected. The
English had sailed from Labrador to the confines
of Florida, and the Portuoraese had viewed the
same regions. Thus, at this period, the extent of
tlie New World was kiiown almost from its north-
ern extremity to 35 degres south of the equator.
The countries which stretch from tlience to the

soutlieru

{

?,«

■j^v *

,.;n

68 AMP.RICA,

southern boum^ary of America, the great empire
of Feni, and the interior state of the eNtensi\e do-
minions subject 'o the sovereigns of Mexico, were
still undiscovered.

When we contemplate the New World, we are
struck with its immense extent. Cokmihu,>. made
known a new hemisphere, larger than either Eu-
rope, Asia, or Africa, and not much inferior in
dimensions to a third pair of the habitable globe.
America is remarkab'e also for its position j it
stre'ches from ihe m^rthern polar circle to a high
southern latitude, more than J50()miles beyond
the farthest extreniity of the old continent on that
side of tlie line. A country of such extent passes
through all < he clunriies capable ot beeoniing the
habiiation of man, and tii lor yielding the Narious
productions j)ecu]iar either to the temperate or to
the torrid regions of the earth.

Next to the extent of tht New W^orld, the gran-
deur of the objects which ir presents to \ievv, is
most apt t( strike the eye of an observer. Nature
seems to have carried on her operations upon a
larger s( ale, and with a bolder hand, and to have
distinguish* d the features of this countiy by a pe-
euliar niagnificencc. Ihe mountains in America
are nmch superior in height to those ^n the other
di\isions of the g'obe. Kven the plain of Quito,
which may l:e considered as the base of the Andes,
is eievateii larther i\ho^ e the sea than the top of
the Pyrenees. This stupendous ridge of the Andes,
no less remarkable for extent than elevation, rises
in ditl'erent places more tl^an one third above the
Peak of Teneritfe, the highe.st land intheantient
hemisphere. The Andes may literally be said to
hide their heads in the clouds; the storn»s often
roll and tiie tjiunder bursts below tlieir summits,

which.

vhi

the

last

port

anti(

Afar

rica ,

AUK

bcfoi

reser

wate

perly

tJiere

whicl

NortI

I'll

vonra

the ni

and gi

w^aten

wiiat c

eartli,

and th

respecl

maxim

of our

In the

gour oi

regions

tion. C

ripen, a

and lam

most f(

roj)e, ar

most dt

•' • ..

pi re
do-
ze re

are
Kifle
Eu-
r in

obe.
i it
high
yoiid

I that
►asses
o; I he

II ions
or to

gran-

whirh, thougli exposed to the rays of the sun in
the centre ot the turri J zone, arc covered with evcr-
lastiiiij snows.

From these lofty mountains descend rivers pro-
portionally l:ir<;e, with which the streams in the
antieiit continent are not to be compared. Th^
Maragnon, the Orinoco, the Plata, in South Ame-
rica; the Mississippi and St. liaurv-nce, in Ko. th
America, tiow in such sp.icious channels, that long
before they feel the intluence ot the tidf they
resemble arms of the sea rather than rivers of fresh
water. The lakes of the New World may pro-
perly be termed inland seas of fresh water, and
tliere is nothing in die other parts of die globe
which resembles the prodigious chain of lakes in
North America.

The New World is of a form extremely fa-
vourable to conunercial intercourse, on account of
the numerous inlets of the ocean, the deep bays
and gulfs, the surrounding inlands, and being itself
watered with a variety of navigable rivers. But
what distinguishes America from other parts of the
earth, is the peculiar temperature of its climate,
and the ditierent laws to which it is subject, with
respect to the distribution of heat an 1 cold. The
maxims which are founded upon the observation
of our hemisph'Te will not apply to the other.
In the New World cold predominates. The ri-
gour of the frigid zone extends over half of tho.se
regions wdiich should be temperate by their posi-
tion. Countries where the grape and the fig should
ripen, are buried under snow one half of the year ;
and land- situated under the same parallel with the
most fertile and best cultivated provinces of Eu-
roi)e, are chilled with perpetual frosts, which al-
most destroy the power of vegetation. As we

advance

imm

(.«••

Illl

70 AMERICA.

advance to those parts of America which he in the
same parallel with provinces of Asia and Africa
blessed with an uniform enjoyment of such genial
warmth as is most friendly to life and to vegeta-
tion, the dominion of cold continves to be felt, and
"winter reigns, though during a short period, with
extreme severity. If we proceed along the Ame-
rican continent into the torrid zone, we shall
find the cold prevjilent in the New World extend-
ing itsflf also to this region of the globe, and mi-
tigating the excess of its fervour. While the negro
on the coast of Africa is scorched with unremitting
heat, the ii habitant of Pern breathes an air equally
mild and teniperate, and is perfectly shaded under
a canopy of grey clouds, which intercepts the fierce
beams of the sun, without obstructing his friendly
influence.

Various causes combine in rendering the cli-
mate of America so extremely different from that
of the antient continent. America advances nearer
to the pole than either Europe or Asia. Both these
have large seas to the north, which are open dur-
ing part of the year, and even v hen covered with
ice, the wind thai blows over them is less intensely
cold than that \\ liich blows over land in the same
high latitudes. But in America the land stretches
from the river St. Laurence towards tlie pole, and
spreads out immensely to the west. A chain of
enormous mour.tains, covered with snow and ice,
runs th tough all this dreary region. The wind,
in passing ovei riich an ext«^nt of high and frozen
land, becomes so impregnated with cold, that it
acquires a piercing keenness, which it retains in its
progress through warmer climates, and is not en-
tirely mitigated until it reach the Gulf of Mexico.
Over all tlie continent of North America a north-
westerly

AMERICA. 71

westerly wind and excessive cold are synony-
mous terms. Even in the most sultry weatiier,
the moment that the wind veers to that (|i;arier,
its penetrating influence is felt in a transition from
heat to cold, no less violent than sudden, lo this
powerful cause may be ascribed the extraordinary
dominion of cold, and its violent inroads into the
southern provinces in that part of the globe.

After contemplating those peiinanent and cha-
racteristic fiualiiies of the American continent,
which arise from the peculiarity of its situation
and the di>?position of its parts, the next object tliat
merits attention is its condition when first disco-
vered, as far as that depended on tlie industry and
operations of man. The eftects of human inge-
nuity and labour are more extensive and consider-
able than even our own vanity is apt at first to
imagine. When we survey the face of the ha-
bitable globe, no small part of that fertility and
beauty which we ascribe to the hand of nature is
the work of man. His etibrts, when continued
though a succession of ages, change the appear-
ance, and improve the qualities of tlie earth. As
a great part of the antient continent has long been
occupied by nations far advanced in arts and in-
dustry, our eye is accustomed to view the earth
in that form which it assumes when rendered lit
to be the residence of a numerous race of men, and
to supply them widi nourishment. But in the
New World the state of mankmd was ruder,
and the aspect of nature extremely different. Im-
mense forests covered a great part of the uncul-
tivated earth ; and as tlie hand of industry had not
taught the rivers to run in a proper channel, or
drained off the* stagnating water, many of die most
fertile plains were overflowed, or converted into

nur$ii<$5.

|il

■nj

mmi-'m v

72 AMERICA.

marshes. When the English began to set/e in
America, they termeii the countries ot ^\hich they
took possession The JVildcruess. Nothing but the
eager expectation of finding mines ot' gold could
have induced the Spaniards to penetrate through
the woods and marshes of America, wliere, at
every step, they observed the extreme diflbrence
between the uncultivated fare of nature, and tJiat
which it acquires under the hand of industr}\

I'he labour and operations of man not only im-
prove and embellish the earth, but render it more
wholesome and friendly to life. All the provinces
of America when first discovered were found to be
extremely unhealthy. Great numbers of the first
settlers were cut off by the unknown and violent
diseases with which they were infected. Such as
survived the rage of malady, were not exempted
from the noxious influence of the climate. Ihey
returned to Europe feeble and emaciated, with
complexions tliat indicated the unwiiolesome tem-
perature of the countries where they had resided.

The uncultivated state of the New World af-
fected also the qualities of its prcxluctions. Ihe
principle of lite seems to have bt'en less active and
vigojous there than in the antient continent. 1'Jie
diti'erent species of animals are nuich fewer in
America than those of the other hemisphere. In
the islands there were only four kinds of quadru-
peds known j the largest of which did not twceed
tlie size of a rabbit. Of two hundred ditferent
kinds of animals s])read over the face of the earth,
only about one third existed in America at the time
of its discovery. The same causes whicli checked
the growth auvi the vigour of the more noble ani-
mals, were friendly to the pit^pagation and increase
of reptiles and insects : the active piinciple of life

seems

«eeii
rior
of ii
and
Kell(
hide
and
is in
ainio
of ai
veget
baje,
Th
gnishi
we h;
more
chang
the fii
pen sit
and ca
difHcu
commi
that of
to An
mankii
antient
torrid 2
Africa,
eye wit
tisfied
denied
riety of
birds of
did in
greater
districts

VOL,

AMERICA. 73

RecMTis to waste its force in productions of the infe-
rior form. The air is often darkened with clouds
of insects, and the ground covered with shocking
and noxious reptiles. The country around Porto
Kello swarms with toads, in such multitudes as
hide the surtaceof the earth. At Guyaquil, snakes
and vipers are hardly less nuixerous. Cartliagena
is infested with numerous tlocks of bats which
annoy both man and beast. In the islands, legions
of ants have at ditlerent times consumed every
vegetable production, and left the earth entirely
bare, as if it had been burnt with fire.

The birds of the New World are not distin-
guished by (jualities so conspicuous as those which
we have observed in its quadrupeds. Birds are
more independent of man, and less atfected by the
changes which his industry and labour make upon
the face of the earth. They have a greater pro-
pensity to migrate from one country to another,
and can gratity this instinct of their nature without
ditHculty or danger. Hence the number of birds
common to both continents is much greater than
that of quadrupeds ; and even such as are peculiar
to America nearly resemble thofe with which
mankind were acquainted in similar legions of the
antient hemisphere. The American birds of the
torrid zone, like those of the climate of Asia and
Africa, are deckt in plumage which dazzles the
eye with the beauty of its colours, but nature, sa-
tisfied witli clotJiing them in this gay dress, has
denied most of them that melody of sound and va-
riety of notes which catch and delight the ear. The
birds of the temperate climate tliere are less splen-
did in their appearance, but they have voices of
greater compass, and more melodious. In some
districts of America tlie unwholesome temperature

VOL, XXIV. H Oi

i< I

l< I

^4 AMKRICA.

of the air wems to be iinfavnnrable ev(^n to tlii*
part of the creation. America however produces
the Condor, w hidi is entitled to preeminence over
all the flying tribe,, in bulk, in strength, and in
coiimge.

1 he soil in America must of course be extremely
variors, but the cold and moisture \vhi( h jirevail
there have considerable influence over it. If we
vish to rear in America the productions which
ah'dund in any particular district of the antient
world, we nmst advance several degrees nearer to
the line than in the other hemisphere, as it recjuires
«U(li an increase of heat to counterbalance the na-
tural frigidity of the soil and climate. At the Cape
of Good H(^pe, several of the plants and fruits pe-
culiar tothe countries within the tropics are culti-
vated with success j w hereas in Florida and Soutli
Carolina, though considen'bly nearer the line, they
cannot be brought to thri\e with equal certainty.
But if allowance be made for this diversity in the
degree (f heat, the soil of Americn is naturally as
rich and fertile as that in any part of the (\arth. As
the coiuilry was thinly inhabited, the earth was not
exhausted by consumption. The vegetable pro-
<luctions to which the feitility of the soil gave
birth, being sntfered to corrupt on its surface, re-
turned with increase into its bosom. As trees and
plants derive a great part of their nourishment from
air and water; if they were not destroyed, they
vould render to the earth more, perhaps, than they
t'.ke from it, and feed rather than impoverish it.
T'le vast number, as well as enormous size of the
trees in America, indicate the extraordinary vigour
of the soil in its native state. When tlie Europeans
first began to cultivate the New World, they were
asionibhed at tlie luxuriant power of vegetation in
2 its

Its VI

nuity
its su
fitfo
W
pled r
men
volun
Amei
mon
tend t
of thi
survi\
uncivi
pet>p](
from
antifpi
not as

WitJK

quisiti(

g^i'fy,

its tirsi

the noi

There

that tl

from C

dor, n

former

Anierii

any res

are mii]

other 1

guage,

original

north o

of Aai<

AMERICA. 7^

its virgin mould ; and in several i)laces the inge-
nuity of the planter is still employed in diminishing
its superfluous fertility, to bring it down lo a stata
fit for portable culture.

We are now to encjuire how America was peo-
pled ? The theories and s|)ecalations of ingenious
men with respect to this subject would fill many
V(^lumes. Some have imagined that the people of
America were not the offspring of the same com-
mon \)arent with the rest of mankind : others con-
tend that they are descended from some remnant
of the antediluvian inhabitants of the earth who
survived the deluge, and acc(n*dingly suppose the
uncivilized tribes to be ihe most antient race of
pet^ple on the earth. There is hardly any nation
from the nordi to the south pole to which som»
antitpiary, in the ex.travagance of conjecture, has
not asciibed the honour of peopling of America.
Without entering at large upon this elaborate dis-
quisition, we may observe that, from 'tl»e conti-
guity, it is possible that America may have received
its tirst inhabitants from our contiiioa', either by
the noith-west of Ei ope or the north-east of Asia.
There seems, however, good reason f )r supposing
that the progenitors of all the American nations,
from Cape Horn to the southern coufuvvs ol Labra-
dor, migrated from the latter rather th !i fern the
former. The Ksquiiuaux. are the only pe(jple iii
America who, in ihi'ir aspect or charactei', bear
any resemblance to the northern Europeans. They
are manifestly a race of men .dist.nct from all t!^e
other nations of the American continent, in lan-
guage, disposition, and in hal)its of life. Their
original then may warrantably be traced up to the
north of Europe. But among the other inhabitants
of America there is such a striki :g similitude in

H 2 th9

[.If

^(5 AMERICA.

the form of their bodies, and ihe qualities of their
minds, as to force us to pronounce tiiem to be de-
scended from one source. There mny be a variety
in the shades, but we can every -where trace the
same original colour. Each tribe has something
peculiar which distinguishes it, but in all of them
we discern certain features common to the whole
race ; they have some resemblance to the rude
tribes scattered over the north-east of Asia, but
scarcely any to the nations settled in tlie northern
extremities of Europe : we tiierefore refer them to
Asiatic ];rogenitors having settled in those parts of
America where the Russians have discovered the
proximity of the two continents, and spread gradu-
ally over its various regions. I'his account of the
progress of population in America coincides with
the tradition of the Mexicans concerning their own
origin. According to them their ancestors came
from a remote country, situated to the north-west
of Mexico. They point out the variovis stations
as they advanced from this into the inferior pro-
vinces ; and it is precisely the same route which
they must have held, if they had been emigrants
from Asia. The Mexicans, in describing the ap-
pearance of their progenitors, their manners, and
habits of life at that period, exactly delineate those
rude Tartars from whom probably they sprung.

The condition and character of the American
nations, at the time when they became known to
the Europeans, deserve more attentive considera-
tion than the inquiry concerning their oiiginah
The latter is merely an object of curiosity, the for-
mer is one of the most important as well as instruc-
tive researches that can occupy the philosopher or
historian. To complete the history of the human
mind^ we must contemplate man in all those vari-
ous

Incan

i^n to

tlcra-

:ina].

for-

:ruc-

ler or

iman

Ivari-

ous

AMERICA. 77

ous situations in which he has been placed. W©
nuist tohow hiiTi in his progress tln'ough the cli tie-
rent stages of society, and observ^e how the faculties
ot the understanding untold ; we must attend to
the eiforts of liis active powers, watch the various
emotions of d^'sire and altection, as they rise in the
brea-it, and mark whither they tend and with what
they are exerted.

In America, man appears under the rudest tonn
in which we can conceive him to subsist. I'here
were only two nations in tliis vast continent that
had made any consideral)le progre^i.^ in acquiring
the ideas and adopting tlie institutions wliich be-
long to pohshed societies. I'heir gou-n*nment and
manners will fall naturally under our nn lew in re-
lating the discovery and concjue^st of Mexico and
Peru. For the present our attention must be turned
to the small independent tribes which occupied
every other part of America, to whom may be ap-
plied the denomination of Savagt^. To conduct
this inquiry with greater accuracy, it should be ren*
dered as simple as possible : tor this purpose it will
be proper to consider*

I. The bodily constitution of the Americans. — .
The human body is less aifected by climate than
that of any other animal. Man is the onl) liviu'^
creature whose frame is at once so havdy, anti so
flexible, that he can Sj)read over the whole earth,
become the inhabitant cjf every region, and thrive
and multiply under every climate. Subject, how-
ever, to the general law of naiire, trie human
body is not entirely exempt from tlu- operation of
climate, and when exposed to the extremes of cold
and heat, its size or vigour diuiiuislies. I'he t'o/w-
pU'ihm of the Americans is of a redchon t)rown,
nearly resembling tlie colour of copper j the hair

U i of

: 11

%':u

J,*

jrS AMERICA.

of their heads is long, black, coarse, and without
curl. They have no heard, and every f)art of their
body is smooth. Their persons are of a full si/e,
extremely straight, and well proportioned. Jn the
islands, the constitution of the natives was extremely
feeble and languid. On the continent the human
frame acquired greater firmness : still the Ameri-
cans were more remarkable for agility diaii strengtJi.
They resembled beasts of prey rather tJian animals
formed fDr labour. They were not only averse
from toil, but incapable of it j and when compelled
to work, they sunk under tasks which the people
of the other continent would have performed with
ease. 1 he beardless countenance and smooth skin
of the American seem to indicate a defect of vi-
goiu'. Ihis |)eculiarity cannot be attributed to tlieir
mode of subsistence. For though tlje food of many
Amei leans be extremely insipid, as they are altoge-
ther unacquainted with the u*.e of salt, rude trilies
in otherparts of the earth have subsi.^ted on aliments
equally simple, without any apparent diminution in
tlieir vigour.

As the external form of the AmeritTins leads us
to suspect that there is some natural debiiity in
their frame, the smallness of their appetite for ibod
has been mentioned as a confivmation of tliis suspi-
cion. I'he quantity of food which men consume
raries according to the temperature of the climate
jn which they live, the degree of activity which
tliey exert, and the natural vigour of their consti-
tutions. Under the enervating heat of the torrid
zone, and where men pass their days in indolence,
they require less nourishment than the active inha-
bitants of temperate or cold countries. But neither
the warmth of the climate, nor their extreme lazi-
ness^ will account for tlie uiiccmmon defect of

appetite

appet

astoni

petite

insati?

Spanij

ricans

Ali

mor(?

to the
The A
gers tc
e\ery
womei
neither
takes j;
desire

This

to phy

influen

upon t[

ciety is

which <

of indu

comes

reason! I

concern

where t

etibrt o

their af

The opt

niore cc

tachmei

civilizat

fined b)

pies anc

simple I

AMERICA. 73

appetite amoncj the Americans. The Spanirds were
astonished at this ; while on the other hand the ap-
petite of the Spaniards appeared to the Aineritans
insatiably voracious, and they affirmed that one
Spaniard devoured more in a day than ten Ame-
ricans.

A proof of some feebleness in their frame still
more striking is the insensibility of the Americans
to the charms of beauty, and the power of love.
1'he Americans are, in an amazing degree, stran-
gers to the force of the first instinct of nature. In
every part of the New World the natives treat tlieir
A\'omen with coldness and inditference. They are
neither the objects of that tender attachment which
tjskes place in civilized society, nor of that ardent
desire conspicuous among rude nations.

This dilVerence of character must not be imputed
to physical causes alone, to the exclusion of the
influence which political and moral causes have
upon the constitution. Wherever the state of so-
ciety is such as to create many wants and desires
which cannot be satisfied without regular exertions
of industry, tlie body, accustomed lo labour, be-
co3nes robust and patient of fatigue. The same
reasoning will apply to what has been obser\ed
concerning their slender demand for foodj for
where the people are obliged to exert any unusual
ettbrt of activity in order to procure subsistence,
their appetite is not inferior to that of other men.
The operation of political and moral causes is still
more conspicuous in modifying the degree of at-
tachment between the sexes. In a state of high
civilization this passion, inflamed by restraint, re-
fined by delicacy and cherished by fashion, occu-
pies and engrosses the heart. It is no longer a
fchnple instinct of nature : sentiment heightens the

ardour

iir_

80 AMERICA.

ardour of desire, and the nu)^t tender emotions of
vhicli our traiue is susceptible sooth and aj.ot.dft
tlie soul. Ihi^ ilv scriptiou, however, applies only
to those who, by (heir situation, areexi'inptcd from
the caies and labours oi' lile. Anionj^ persons
doomed by their condition to incessant toil, the
dominion ot j)as.>-ion is less violent ; their solicitude
to procun* subsistence, and to provide for the first
demand of naUire, leaves little leisure tor attcndiu'^
to its second call. Kut if the nature of the inter-
course between the sexes varies so much in persons
ot ditferent rank in poiisheu society, the condition
of man while iie remains uncivilized must occasion
a variation still more apparent. We may well sup-
pose that amidst the hardsiiip.^, the dangers, and
the simplicity of savage life, w here subsistence is
always precaiious and often scanty, where men are
{ihnost continually engaged in the jjursuil of their
enemi*.'S or in liuardini: against their attacks, and
where neither dress nor reserve are employed as
arts of t'emale allurement, that the attention of the
An}ericans to their women would be extremely
feeble, without impufnig this st)lely to any physical
defect or degradation in their frauie.

jNotvvithsianding th.^ feeble make of the Ameri-
cans, hardly any of them are dcfcrmed or muti-
lated in any of their s^^nses ; ard there is less va-
riety hi the human foiin throughout the New
World than in t e ancient contment. America
contains no negroes, which is probably owing to
thti less deirree of heat that is ieit there to what the
inhabitaiUs of the torrid zone in Asia and Africa
are exposed to. Still, however, there are excep-
tions to die general rule, and a coubide; able variety
has i>een observed in. three districts. In the isthmus
of Daiien, we are told that there are people of a low

fctauue.

fttature,
milk wl
down of
their cy
hue. 'I
weak I hi
but the
active ai

I'he
bitants c
j)Ie of
tude, ext
the i)ole
people i
known t
inaux.
heads of
markabl)!
f^uropear
of Ameri
tiines bus
of distinc
manx are
ricans.

The in
nious Pa
America,
wanderin
extends f
Magellan
accurate
tiiough SI
extraordii
rest of th
gigantic r
points in

I' il

eri-
luii-

ica

ihe
ica

Icp-
]ety

AMERICA. 81*

Btature, feeble frame, and of a colour tliat is a dead
milk white : their skin is coveied with a fine hairy
down of a chalky white ; the hair of their heads,
their eye-brows, and eye-la.-hes, are of tiie same
hue. Their eyes are of a singular form, and so
wrak that they can hardly bear tlie light of the sun;
but they see clearly by inorjn-lightj and are most
active and gay in the night.

I'he second district that is occupied by inha-
bitants ditfering in appearance from the other peo-
|)le of America is situated in a high northern lati-
tude, extending from the coast of Labrador towards
the j)ole as far as the country is habitable. Ihe.
peo})le scattered over those dreary regions are
known to the Europeans by the name of Esqui-
maux. 7'hey are of a middle size and robust, with
heads of a disproportioncd bulk, and feet as re-
markably small. Thc.'u' complexion inclines to the
p^uropean white rather than to the copper colour
of America, and they have beards which are some-
tiines bushy and long. From these and other marks
of distinction we may conclude that the Esqui-
maux are a race difierent from the rest of the Ame-
ricaivs.

The inhabitants of the third district are the fa^
mous PatagoTiians at tiie southern extremity of
America. They are supjiosed to be one of the
wandering tribes that occupy the region which
extends from the river De la Plata to the straits of
Magellan. It has, however, been ascertained, by
nccuratf observers, that the natives of Patagonia,
tliough stout and well made, are not of such an
extraordinary size as to be distinguished from the
rest of the human species. Ihe existence of this
gigantic race of men seems then to be one of those
points in natural history, with respect to which a

cautious

.^i

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TEST TARGET (MT-S)

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lAaiM |2.5

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1.6

6" -

►

Hiotographic

Sciences
Corporation

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WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

82 AMERICA.

cautious inquirer will hesitate, and suspend his as*
sent, until more complete evidence shall decide
whether he ought to admit a fact seemingly incon-
sistent with what reason and experience have dis-
covered, concerning the structure and condition of
man in all the various situations in which he has
been observed.

In order to form a complete idea with respect to
tlie constitution of the inhabitants of tliis and the
other hemisphere, we should attend nor only to the
make and vigour ot their bodies, hut consider wl.at
degree of health they enjoy, and to wliat period of
longevity they usually arrive. As most of them
are unacquainted with the a"*t of numbering^, and
all of them forgetful of what is pa-t as they are
improvident of what is to come, ir i, impos'^ible to
ascertain their age with any Jegree of precision.
They seem, however, to be e\erv \vhe"e exempt
from many of the distempers .vhich alf^ict polished
nations. None of the mala ies vhich are the im-
mediate otfsp! ing of luxury ever vi^iie/. them ; and
they have no names n th.-ir languages by which
to distinguish this numerous train of adventitious
evils.

But whatever be the siioation in which man is
placed, he is born to sude' ; aod his diseases in ♦^he
ravage state, though f wer in numi^er, are, like
those of the anima-s whom he nearly resem[)les in
his mode of life, more violeiit and more fatal. If
luxury engender and nou i-h disiempers of one
jpecies. the rigours of .-.a :g' die bring on those of
another. In the ^nva'je sM'e h'^r Ishio'^ and fatigue
violently assault the const iuition : in polished so-
cieties intempera^ice undei'mines it. Jt is not easy
to dete "mine which ot them opiates with most
fatal elfect, or tends moat to abridge human life.

The

llie in
tensive,
reach oi
distressc
best evi(
the gen(
savas^es
cieties.

II.

liar in t

turn our

of their

the igno

vigour a

similar t(

the speci

infancy,

mind are

tive in tj

man is sii

ercised,

sphere. I:

limited, ]

guid. Y

culative i

known in

comes tli(

faculties,

have seen

the posse

thoughts

within th(

ducive to

thing bey

While th(

present ui

AMERICA. 83

llie influence of the former is certainly most ex-
tensive. The pernicious consequences of luxury
reach only to a few members in any community j the
distresses of savage life are felt by all. Upon the
best e\ idence that can be obtained, it appears that
the general period of human life is shorter among
savages than in well regulated and industrious so-
cieties.

II. After considering what appears to be pecu-
liar in the bodily constitution of the Americans, we
turn our attention towards the powers and qualities
of their minds. As the individual advances from
the ignorance and imbecility of the infant state to
vigour and maturity of understanding, something
siniilar to this may be observed in the progress of
the species. With respect to it there is a period of
infancy, during which several of the powers of the
mind are not unfolded, and all are feeble and defec-
tive in their operation. While the condition of
man is simple and rude, his reason is but little ex-
ercised, and his desires move within a narrow
sphere. Hence the intellectual powers are extremely
limited, his emotions and efforts are few and lan-
guid. What among polished nations is called spe-
culative reasoning or research is altogether un-
known in the rude state of society, and never be-
comes tlie occupation or amusement of the human
faculties, until man becomes so far improved as to
have secured the means of subsistence, as well as
the possession of leisure and tranquillity. The
thoughts and attention of a savage are confined
within the small circle of objects immediately con-
ducive to his preservation or enjoyment. Every
thing beyond that is perfectly indifferent to him.
While they highly prize such tilings as serve for
present use or minister to present enjoyment^ they

set

III i

l^;-/«l.

AMERICA.

»et no value upon those which are not the object
of some immediate want. When in the evening a
Caribbee feels himself disposed to go to rest, no
consideration will tempt him to sell his hamm(/vjk :
but in the morning, wlien he is sallying out to the
business or pastime of the day, he will part witli
it for the slightest toy tliat catches his fancy.
Among civilized nations arithmetic, or the art of
numbering, is deemed an essential science, but
among savages, who have no property to estimate,
no hoarded treasures to count, no variety of ob-
jects or multiplicity of ideas to enumerate, arith-
metic is a superfluous and useless art. Accordingly,
among some tribes in America it seems to be quite
unknown. There are many that cannot reckon
further than three ; several can proceed as far as
ten or twenty, but when they would convey an
idea of any number beyond these they point to the
hairs of their head, intimating that it is equal to
them, or with wonder declare it to be so great that
it cannot be reckoned. In other respects the exer-
cise of the understanding among rude nations is
still more limited. The first ideas of every human
being must be such as he receives by his senses.
Eui in the mind of man, while in the savage state,
there seem to be hardly any ideas but what enter
by this avenue. The objects around him are pre-
sented to his eye j and such as may be subservient
to his use, or can gratify any of his appetites, at-
tract his notice j he views the rest without curio-
sity and attention. The active efforts of the mind
are few, and on most occasions languid. The de-
sires of simple nature are few, and where a favour-
able climate yields almost spontaneously what suf-
fices to gratify them, they excite no violent emo-
tion. Hence the people of tlie several tribes in

America

Amer
con tin
or seat
chang
the gn
tJieir a^
of fut
can su
rouse t
sion ar(
force of
to tlie n
tient ha
Man cai
fancy,
tlie pow(
of his CO
cardingi)
especial I3
some effc
cautions t
is deemec
to wo k (
put his h;
tirely upo
munity re
down witJ
tions. Th
sight whic
markable
rangement
They depe
of the year
during a th
Though ej
return of tl

VOL. XX

AMERICA,

America waste their life in indolence : they will
continue whole clays stretched in their hammocks
or seated on the earth, in perfect idleness, without
changing their posture or raising their eyes from
the ground, or uttering a single word. Such is
tlieir aversion from labour, that neither the hope
of future good nor the apprehension of future evil
can surmount it. The cravings of hunger may
rouse them, but the exertions which these occa-
sion are of short duration. They feel not tlie
force of those powerful springs which give vigour
to the movements of the mind, and urge the pa-
tient hand of industry to persevere in its efforts.
Man cannot continue long in this state of feeble in-
fancy. He was made for industry and action, and
tlie powers of his nature, as well as the necessity
of his condition, urge him to fulfil his destiny. Ac-
cordingly, among most of the American nations,
especially those seated in the rigorous climates,
lome efforts are employed and some previous pre-
cautions taken for securing subsistence, but labour
is deemed ignominious and degrading. It is only
to wo k of a certain kind that man will deign to
put his hand. The greater part is devolved en-
tirely upon tlie women. One half of the com-
munity remains inactive, while the other is borne
down with the multitude and variety of its occupa-
tions. Thus their industry is partial, and the fore-
sight which regulates it is no less limited. A re-
markable instance of this occurs in the chief ar-
rangement with respect to their manner of living.
They depend for their subsistence during one part
of the year on fishing 5 during another on hunting 5
during a third on the produce of their agriculture.
Though experience has taught them to foresee the
return of those various seasons, and to make pro-
voL. XXIV. I vision

fi' H

8() AMERICA.

vision for the exigencies of each ; they either want
SLJgacity to proportion this provision to their con-
smnption, or are so incapable of any command over
their appetites, that from tiieir inconsiderate waste
they often feel the calamities of famine as severely
as the rudest tribes. What they suffer one year
does not augment their industry, or render them
more provident to prevent similar distresses. This
inconsiderable thoughtlessness about futurity, the
effect of ignorance, and the cause of sloth, ac-
companies and characterizes man in every stage of
savage life, and he Ls of en least solicitous about
supplying his wants, when the means of supplying
them are most precarious, and procured with the
greatest difficulty.

III. After viewing the bodily constitution of
the Americans, and contemplating the powers of
their minds, we are led to consider them as united
together in society. The domestic state is the first
and most simple form of human association. The
union of the sexes among diiferent animals is
of longer or shorter duration, in proportion to
the ease or dilticulty of rearing their olfspring.
Among those tribes where the season of infancy
is short, and the young soon acquire vigour
or agility, no permanent union is formed. Na-
ture commits the care of training up the off-
spring to the mother alone, and her tenderness
without any other assistance is equal to the task.
But where the state of infancy is long and helpless,
and the joint assiduity of both parents is requisite
in tending their feeble progeny, there a more in-
timate connection takes place, and continues till
the new race is grown up to full maturity. As
the infancy of men is more feeble and helpless
than tiiat of any other animal, the union between

husband

AMERICA.

iinsband and wife cimo i ''

«pe.-n,anen( contract if ^ *" ^^ «'"side,cd a,
the rudest nil,es T r. > '^™«'''<--a. even amono-

^■i>ere su!.si.stence wT Vcan ; ' /", '^'"'" '"•^'■•'^''«
xnamt^ining a famij/ va?" ,{^'"1 ""^ '''^'^"">' <'f
ii'mseJf to one xvife Tn H ' '"^ ™" confined

tiie provinces, the ininhifpnT"-'™^'' """^ more fer-
of rheir wiv^s/ L.ti^^ '""J;''-'^'! the number
"nion subsisted dt n'^ hfr "'"V" *" ™^"-^''-'?e
«oJvedo„verys]iJht;?e£'"°'^^^'-^ " -«^ di-

*I'e obligation of tliis contrnc, T,''""'"' ^""«'ler«d
jomen was e,,un)) h^™ ;, ' J''^' ?'"d'tion of the
*.s]Hse. and to degrade the f^ T'' '"'*' ''^le. To
"cteristic of the ««% ^/e ^^'f '^^^ ''^ f^^ cha-
g'of'e. Man, proud of excdl n. i,"^.''"" "^ '^^
courage, <he chief marks of ire? '"•<■""§"' and
;;^J'te_ people, treats Ztf^^^'lT^.'^^^'^S^
oisdam. In Amerir^ fi, ,. " '"ferior, with

« ^o peculiarly g^f ^'f"- f the ^omej
complete, that serviutde is n L '"■ ^l^'^'^^ion so
--be their wretchedtt ' aIV^ "^''^ '" ''-
tnbes, ,s no better than a b^n^t^fK ',""""§ '^iost

to.every office of labour and f^ '"'l'"' ^^■^'''"^d

J«'fer out the day i„ „',f J-^'g'^^ '7:hile the men

•nent, the worn L , fcon /^'"1 " "' '-"""■'«-
*0'} Tasks are im^o^ed c T"''' '°, ""^^^'»»t
and services are rec iveH „ >, ""^ '^'f^°"t Pi<y,
gratitude. Everv rtl "'""^ complacency or

of thismorti^^^in ~'Th ""'"''^ "^--
tl.e.r lords «^th t-evem cf r. ^^ T"'' 'PP"'^'^^ •
exalted beings, and ailnnt A ^- *'*'""' ^^ "i^re
P--^--e. li some di."rLrr a'' '° ^^^ '" ''^i"-
«J"i,on is so grievoi^ ri ° ^™f™^ *'***>-

have

88 AMERICA.

have destroyed their female children in flieir In-
fancy, in order to deliver them from that intole-
rable bondage to which they knew they were
doomed. It is owing, perhaps, in some measure,
to this state of depression, that women in rude
nations are far from prolific. The vigour of their
constitution is exhausted by excessive fatigue, and
the wants and distresses of savage life are so nu-
merous, as to induce them to take precautions m
order to prevent too rapid an increase of their pro-
geny. Among some of the least polished tribes,
whose industry and foresight do not extend so far
as to make any regular provision for their own sub-
sistence, it is a maxim not to burthen themselves
with rearing more than two children ; and no such
numerous families as are frequent in civilized so-
cieties are to be found among men in a savage state.
When twins are born, one of them is commonly
abandoned, and when a mother dies while she is
nursing a child, all hope of preserving its life fails,
and it is buried together with her in the same
grave. Thus their experience of the difficulty of
training up an infant to maturity, amidst the hard-
ship of savage life, often stifles the voice of nature
among the Americans, and suppresses the strong
emotions of paternal tenderness.

But though necessity compels the inhabitants of
America thus to set bounds to the increase of their
families, they are not deficient in affection and at-
tachment to their offspring. As long as their pro-
geny continue feeble and helpless, no people ex-
ceed them in tenderness and care. But in tlie
savage state, the affection of parents ceases almost
as soon as their offspring attain maturity. Little
instruction fits them for that mode of life to which
they are destined. The parents, when they have
J .. conducted

eondi

fancy

in the

and I

them

In an

poster

mere

tion o

nectio

than o

neglec

lence,

tlieir c

seem t(

tJiey n

in tliat

relatior

be twee

the dui

tion bel

JV.

we turn

pie of i

prehend

savage,

the art

were v(

South A

in whicl

can exis!

bounty (

no solici

scarcely

cessary :

plant j e

il '

AMERICA. fi^

eonducted them throiivrh the helpless years of in-
fancy, leave them aftcr>A ards at entire liberty. Even
in their tender age, they seldom advise or admonish,
and never ciiide or chastise them. 1'hey sutler
them to be absolute masters of their own actions.
Jn an American hut, a father, mother, and their
posterity li\e together, like persons assembled by
mere accident, without seeming to feel the obliga-
tion of the duties mutually arising from this con-
nection. Parents arc not objects of greater regard
than other persons, lliey treat them always with
neglect, and often with such harshness and inso-
lence, as to till those who have been witnesses of
their conduct with horror. Thus the ideas which
seem to be natural to man in his savage stat^-, as
they result from his circumstances and cciiClitioii
in that period of his progress, aliect the two capital
relations in domestic life. They render the union
between husband and wife unequal. Ihey shorten
the duration and weaken the force of the connec-
tion between parents and children.

IV. From the domestic state of the Americans,
we turn to their political institutions. All the peo-
ple of America, now under review, may be com-
prehended under the general denomination of
savage, but the advances which they had made in
the art of procuring to th :; selves subsistence
were very unequal. On the .extensive plains of
South America, man appears in the rudest state
in which he has ever been observed, or perhaps
can exist. Several tribes depend entirely upon the
bounty of nature for subsistence. They discover
no solicitude, they employ little Ibresight, they
scarcely exert any industry to secure what is ne-
cessary for their support, lliey neither sow nor
plant 3 even the culture of tlie manioc, of which

1 3 the

§0 AMERICA.

the cassada bread is made, is an art too intricate for
tlieir ingenuity or too fatiguing to their indolence.
What the earth produces spontaneously, supplies
them with food daring part of tlie year j and at
other times tliey subsist by fishing, or by hunting.
But the life of a hunter gradually leads man to
a state more advanced. The chace affords but aa
uncertain maintenance. If a savage trust to hi,<?
bow alone for food, he and his family will be of-
ten reduced to extreme distress. Their experience
of this surmounts the abhorrence of labour natural
to savage nations, and compels them to have re-
course to culture as subsidiary to hunting. Ihcre
is scarcely, through the whole of America, asinglt*
nation of hunters which does not practise some
species of cultivation.

The agriculture of the Americans is, however,
neitlier extensive nor laborious : all they aim at is
to supply the defects of fish and game. On the
southern continent the natives confined their in-
dustry to rearing a few plants, which in a rich soil
and warm climate were easily trained to matu-
rity. The maizej the manioc, the plantain, the
potatoe, and the pimento tree, are almost the only
species of plants upon which the American tribe*
of hunters bestowed any care. Two circumstances,
common to all the savage nations of America, con-
curred with those already mentioned in rendering
their agriculture imperfect, and in circumscribing
their power in all their operations. They had no
tame animals, and were unacquainted with tlie
useful metals.

In other parts of the globe, man, in his rudest
state, appears as lord of the creation, giving law to
various tribes of animals which he has tamed and
reduced to subjection. The Tartai* follows his prey

ling

AMERICA. ()1

•n the horse which he has reared ; or tends hi*
numerous herds, wliieh furnish him hoth with
food L.id cloa thing : the Arah has rendered hi.i
camel docile, and avails himst^lf of its persevering
strengtli : the Laplander has formed the rein-deer
to be subservient to his will ; and even tiie people
of Kamtschatka have trained their dogs to labour.
This command over the inferior creatures is one
of the noblest prerogatives of man, and among the
greatest elibrts of his wisdom and power. Without
this, his dominion is incomplete : lie is a monarch
who has no subjects, a master without servants,
and must perform every operation l)y the strength
ofhisownarm. Such was the condition of all
the rude nations of America. Iheir rt ason was so
little improved, or their union so incomplete, that
they seem not to have been conscious of the supe-
riority of their nature, and suti'ered all the animal
creation to retain its liberty, without establishing
their own authority over any one species. Most of
the animals, indeed, which have been rendered do-
mestic in our continent, do not exist in the New
World J but those peculiar to it are neither so
fierce nor so formidable as to have exempted them
from servitude. There are some animals of the
same species in both continents. But the rein-
deer which has been tamed to the yoke in one he-
misphere runs wild in the other. The bison of
America is manifestly of the same species with the
horned cattle of the other hemisphere, and might
have been rendered usefiil to the wants of the in-
habitants. But a savage, in that uncultivated state
in which the Americans were discovered, is the
enemy of the other animals, not their superior. He
wastes and destroys, but knows not how to multir
ply or to govern tJiem. This, perhaps, is the most

notablt

g2 AMRRlCil.

notable distinction bi^lween the inhabitants of the
Antit'nt and New World, and a liigh preeminence
of civilized men above such as contiime rude,
Suppose them, even when most improved, to be
deprived ot" their uset'ul ministry, their empire over
nature must, in si>me measure, cease, and be inca-
pable of such arduous untlertakings as their assist-
ance enables him to execute with ease.

It is a doubtful point, w hether the dominion of
man over the animal creation, or his accpiiring the
use of metals, has contributed most to exttnid his
power. The a:ra of this important discovery is
unknown, and in our liemispluM*e very remote.
Nature conipleles the formation of some metals :
gold, silver, and coi)per are found in their perfect
state in the clefts of rocks, in the sides of moun-
tains, or in the cliannels of rivers. These were
accordingly the metals first known, and hrst ap-
plied to use. But iron, the most serviceable of all,
and to which man is most indebted, is never disco-
vered in its perfect form } it must feel twice the
force of lire, and go through two laborious pro-
cesses before it become lit for use. All the sa-
vage tribes scattered over America were totally
unacquainted with the metals which their soil
produces in abundance, if we except some tri-
tling quantity of gold. Their devices to supply
this want of the serviceable metals were extremely
awkward. The most simple operation was to
them an undertaking: of immense labour and dif-

iiculty. To fell a tree with no other instruments
than hatchets of stone was employment for a
month. To form a canoe into shape and to hol-
low it consumed more time than is now expended
in building a hundred sail of the line. Their
operations ui agriculture were equally slow and

defective ;

AMEHICA. ()3

ficfective ; and they were more intlcbtcd for the
increase to the fertility of the soil than to their
own industry. It is not wonderful tiien, that peo-
ple without the assistance of tame animals should
have made so little progress in cultivatifMi, — that
they must be considered as depending for subsist-
ence on fishing and hunting, rather than on the
fruits of their own labour.

From this description of the mode of subsistinj^
among the rude American tribes, the form and
genius of their political institutions may be de-
ducedj and we are enabled to trace various circum-
stances of distinction between them and more ci-
^ ilized nations.

1. They were divided into small independent
communities. While hunting is the chief source
of subsistence, a vast extent of territory is requisite
for supporting a small number of people. In pro-
portion as men multiply and unite, the wild ani-
mals, on which they depend for food, diminish, or
fly to a greater distance from the haunts of their
enemy. The increase of a society in this state is
limited by its own nature, and the members of it
must either disperse or fall upon some better me-
thod of procuring food than by hunting. They
cannot form into large communities, because it
would be impossible to iind subsistence. This wa*
the state of the American tribes 3 the numbers in
each were inconsiderable, though scattered over
countries of large extent. In America the word
riatnyn is not of tlie same import as in other parts
of tlie globe. It is applied to small societies not
exceeding, perhaps, two or three hundred persons,
but occupying provinces greater than some king-
doms of Europe. I'he country of Guiana, though
of larger t^xtent than France, and divided among u^
> greater

I !•

il:

f)4 AMERICA.

greater number of nations, did not contain more
tIian25,0(X) inhabitants. In the provinces which bor-
der on the Orinoko one may travel several hundred
miles, in difterent direction: , without finding a single
hut, or observing the footsteps of a human creature.
In North America, where the climate is more ri-
gorous, and the soil less fertile, the desolation is
still greater, and journies of several hundred leagues
have been made through uninhabited plains and
forests. As long as hunting continues to be the
chief employment of man, and ro which he trusts
for subsistence, he can hardly be said to have occu-
pied the earth.

2. Nations which depend upon hunti^ig are, ia
a great measure, strangers to the idea of property.
As the animals on which the hunter feeds are not
bred under his inspection, nor nourished by his
care, he can claim no right to them while they are
wild in the forest. They belong alike to all j and
thither, as to a general store, all repair for suste-
nance. The same princi].>les by which they regu-
late tlieir chief occupations extend to that wbick
is subordinate. Even agriculture has not intro-
duced a complete idea of properly. As the men
hunt, the women labour together, and after they
have shared the toils of seed-time, they enjoy the
harvest in common. Thus the distinctions arising
from inequality of property are unknown. The
terms of rich and poor enter not into their lan-
guage, and being strangers to property, they are un-
acquainted with what is the great object of law and
policy, and with the . arrangements of regular go-
vernment.

3. People in this state retain a high sense of
equality and independence. All are freemen, all
feel tliemselves to be sucli^ and assert widi iirni-

iiesfi

f!fK^ t

A ecus
f)wn c(
of an(
tliey w
Anieric
as sJavi
•trciyed

assume

ordinatii

the idea

conceive

tfie eartl

sidered j

such sub

the sam(

authority

the right

tiie great

exist. \

into the 3

ceive tha

duiinor tii<

they seei

union. 1

not in use

hands. I

punishmei

the family

slain. Tl:

is rather i

preserve u

watch the

them will;

form of I

hey
the

AMERICA. Q5

iTf«r«; the rights which belong to that condition.
Accustomed to be the absohite masters of their
f)wn conduct, they disdain to execute the orders
of another j and having never known control,
they vvdll not submit to correction. Many of the
Americans when they found that they were treated
as slaves by tl-e Spaniards died of grief, many de-
itrciyed thcnn selves in despair.

-1. Among people in this state, government can
assume little authority, and the sense of civil sub-
ordination must remain very imperfect. While
the idea of property is unknown, or incompletely
conceived, while the spontaneous productions of
the earth, as well as the fruits of industry, are con-
sidered as public stock, there can hardly be any
such subject of ditference among the members of
the same community as will require the hand of
authority to interpo.se in order to adjust it. Where
the right of exclusive possession is not introduced,
the great object of law and jurisdiction docs not
exist. When the members of a tribe are called
into the field against a common enemy, they per-
ceive that they are part of a political body. But
duiing the intervals between such common efforts,
they seem scarcely to feel tlie ties of political
union. The names of magistrate and suljcct are
not in use. The right of revenge is left in private
hands. If violence be committed, the power of
punishment belongs not to the community, but to
the family or friends of the person injured or
slain. The object of government among savages
is rather foreign than domestic. They labour to
preserve union among themselves that they may
watch the motions of their enemies, and act against
them with vigour and concert. Such was the
form of politicjal order established among the

greater

(}6 AMERICA.

greater part of the American nations, and this de-
scription will apply, with little variation, to every
people, b<^th in its northern and southern division,
who have advanced no farther in ciA ilization than
to add some slender degree of agriculture to fishing
and hunting

In the New World, as well as in other parts of
the globe, cold or temperate countries appear to be
the favourite seat of freedom and independence.
I'here the mind, like the body, is firm and vigo-
rous. These men, conscious of their own dignity,
stoop with reluctance to the yoke of servitude.
In warmer climates men acquiesce, almost without
a struggle, in the dominion of a superior. Ac-
cordingly, proceeding from north to south along
tlie continent of America, we shall find the power
of those vested with authority gradually increasing,
and the spirit of the people more tame and passive.
In Florida the authority of tlie sachems, caziques,
or chiefs, was not only permanent but here-
ditary. They were distinguished by peculiar or-
naments, and enjoyed the prerogatives of sovereign
power. Among the Natchez, a tribe now extinct,
formerly situated on the banks of the Mississippi,
the body of tlie people was considered as formed
only for subjection. The great chief was reputed
to be a being of a superior nature, tlie brother of
the sun, and the sole object of their worship. His
will was the law, to which all yielded implicit obe-
dience. Nor did tlieir dominion end with life, but
their principal officerSj their favourite wives, toge-
tlier with many domestics, were sacrificed at their
tombs, that tliey might be attended in tlie next
V'orld by die same persons who served them rn
tliis : and such was the reverence in Wiiich they
were held that those victims welcomed death with

exultation j

rxulta
fidelit)
to acc(
niola,
or chic

c
1.

I'hey
lieavei
gulatim
sun shin
of them
V. A
the rudt
fiider tJi
fence,
are not
engaged
1 hough
property
America:
rights of
I'his rigli
entitling
of neigh
extensive
ascertainc
arise, wl
shed. I
of society
often proi
to repel c
or plains t
interest is
tions to c
revenge, \
among thi

VOL. XJ

or-
jigii
net,

>pi,

ned

ited

|r ot

iHis

Ibe-

but

lieir

^ext

j\ey

rith

)n;

AMERICA. 97

exultation j deeming it a recompense of their
fidelity, and a mark of distinction, to be selected
to accompany their deceased masters. In Hispa-
niola, Cuba, and the larger islands, the caziques
or chiefs, possessed extensive power. Their sub-
jects executed their orders without hesitation.
They delivered their mandates as the oracles of
heaven, and pretended to possess the power of re-
gulating the seasons, and of dispensing rain or
sunshine, according as their subjects stood in need
of them.

V. After examining tlie political institutions of
the rude nations in America, we are next to con-
fiider tlieir provision for public security and de-
fence. The small tribes dispersed over America
are not only independent and unconnected, but
engaged in perpetual hostilities with one another.
Ihovigh most are strangers to the idea of separate
property vested in any individual, the rudest of the
American nations are well acquainted with the
rights of each community to its own dominions.
I'his right they hold to be perfect and exclusive,
entitling tlie possessor to oppose the encroachment
of neighbouring tribes. As their territories are
extensive, and the boundaries of them not exactly
ascertained, innumerable subjects of dispute
arise, which seldom terminate without bloods
shed. Even in tliis simple and primitive state
of society interest is a source of discord, and
often prompts savage tribes to take arms, in order
to repel or punish such as encroach on the forests
or plains to which they trust for subsistence. But
interest is not so much the motive with savage na-
tions to commence hostilitiles as the principle of
revenge, which acquires a degree of force unknown
among those whose passions are dissipated by the

VOL. xxiv. K variet/

'II

98 AMERICA.

variety of their occupations and pursuits. The de-
sire of vengeance, which takes possession of the
heart of savages, resembles the extinctive rage of an
animal rather than tlie passion of a man. It turns
with indiscriminating fury even against inanimate
objects. If struck with an arrow in battle, they
will tear it from the wound, break and bite it with
their teeth, and dash it on the ground. When un-
der the dominion of this passion, man becomes the
most cruel of animals. He neither pities, nor for-
gives, nor spares.

The force of this passion is so well understood
by the Americans themselves, that they always ap-
ply to it in order to excite the people to take arms.
'' The bones of our countrymen," say they, '* lie
uncovered. Their spirits cry against us : they must
be appeased. Let us go and devour the people by
whom they were slain. Sit no longer inactive on
your mats j lift the hatchet ; console the spirits of
the dead, and tell them that they shall be avenged."
Animated with such exhortations, the youths raise
the song of war, and burn with impatience to em-
bme their hands in the blood of their enemies. A
leader is chosen, but no man is constrained to fol-
low him. Each individual is still master of his
own conduct, and his engagement in the service is
perfectly voluntary.

The maxims by which they regulate their mili-
tary operations, tliough extremely different from
those which take place among more civilized peo-
ple, are well suited to their political state and the
nature of the country in which they act. Their
armies are not incumbered with baggage or mili-
tary stores. Each warrior, besides his arms, carries
liis mat. and a small bag of pounded ma'ze, and
with tliese he is completely equipped for any ser-
vice.

vice.

tier, th

As the

nation

their

Even ii

by stra(

their ei

destroy

the higl

as the e

on his g

tie in an

cess is a

chased v

and the}

blood of

instead c

a misfor

"vx'arrior t

dence.

Ihis s

rica, anc

through :

more crai

But whej-

so that tl

can sustai

without bi

rations of

those of c

tention ar

object of

the Ameri

can seJdor

niost essei

Ifl

AMERICA. 99

vice. While at a distance from the enemy's fron-
tier, they support themselves by hunting or fishing.
As they approach nearer to the terri lories of the
nation which they intend to attack, they collect
their troops, and advance with greater caution.
Even in their most active wars they proceed wholly
by stratagem. They pjace no glory in attacking
tlieir enemies with open force. To surprise and.
destroy is the greatest merit of a commander, and
the highest price of his followers. They regard it
as the extreme of folly to meet an enemy w ho is
on his guard, upon equal terms, or to give liim bat-
tle in an open tield. The most distinguished suc-
cess is a disgrace to a leader if it has been pur-
chased with any considerable loss of his followers ^
and they never boast of a victory, if stained with the
blood of their own countrymen, lb fall in battle,
instead of being reckoned an honourable death, is
a misfortune \\'hich subjects the memory of a
warrior to tlie imputation of rashness and impru-
dence.

I'his system of warfare was universal in Ame-
rica, and the small uncivilized tribes dispersed
through its diflerent regions and climates display
more craft than boldness in carrying on hostilities.
But where their communities are more populous,
so that they can act with considerable force, and
can sustain the loss of several of their members,
without being sensibly weakened, the military ope-
rations of the Americans more nearly resemble
those of other nations. Though vigilance and at-
tention are qualities chiefly requisite where the
object of war is to deceive or surprise, yet, when
the Americans are led into the field in parties, they
can seldom- be brought to observe the precautions
most essential to their own security. Such is the

K 2 difficulty

100

AMERICA.

difficulty of accustoming savages to subordination,
or to act in concert j siicli is tlieir impatience un-
der restraint, that it is rarely they can be brought
to conform themselves to the counsels and direc-
tions of tlieir leaders, lliey never station centi-
nels around the place where they rest at night -, and,
after marching some hundreds of miles to surprise
an enemy, are often surprised themselves, and cut
oH', while sunk in a profound sleep, as if they were
not within tlie reach of danger.

If they catch an enemy unprepared, they rush
upon them with the utmost ferocity j and tearing
off the scalps of all those who fall victims to their
rage, they carry home those strange tr(;phies in
triumph. But they are still more solicitous to seize
prisoners whom, in their return, they guard from
insult, and treat with humanity. As soon, how-,
ever, as they approach their own frontier, some of
their number are dispatched to inform tlieir coun-
trymen of the success of the expedition. Then
the prisoners begin to feel the wretchedness of
their condition. The women of the village, toge-
ther with the youth who have not attained the age
of bearing arms, assemble, and, forming themselves
mto two lines, through which the prisoners must
pass, beat and bruise them with sticks or stones in
a cruel manner. After this first gratification of
their rage, follow lamentations for the loss of such
of their countrymen as have fallen in the service,
accompanied with words and actions which seem
to express the utmost anguish and grief. But in a
moment, on a signal being given, their tears cease,
and they begin to celebrate their victory with all
the wild exultations of a barbarous triumph. The
fate of the prisoners remains still undecided. The

it. Some are de-
stined

•Id men deliberate concerning

AMERICA. lOl

f!tined to be tortured to death, in order to satiate
the revenge of the contjuerors ; some to replace the
members which the community has lost in that
and lormer wars. They who are reserved for this
milder fate, are led to the huts of those whose
fiMends have been killed. The women meet them
at the door, and, if they receive them, their sulVer-
ings are at an end. They are adopted into the fa-
mily, and thencetbrw ard are treated witii all the
tenderness due to a faiher, a brother, a husband, or
a friend. Bat if the women refuse to accept of the
prisoner who is oti'ered to them, his doom is tixed.
No power can then i^ave him from death. I'hose
thus devoted to death are tied to a stake, and all
who are present, men, w^omen, and children, rush
upon them like furies. Every species of torture is
applied that rancour or revenge can invent. No-
thing sets bounds to their rage, but the fear of
abridging the duration of their vengeance by has-
tening the death of the sulterers 3 and such is their
cruel ingenuity in tormenting, that they often pro-
long this scene of anguish for several days. In
spite of all they suffer, the victims continue to
chant their death-song with a firm voice 3 boast
of their own exploits ; insult their tormentors, and
w^arn them of the vengeance w hich awaits them
on account of what they are now doing. To dis-
play undaunted fortitude in such dreadful situa-
tions is the noblest triumph of a warrior. Ani-
mated with this thought, they endure, without a
groan what seems almost impossible for human
nature to sustain. They appear not only insen-
sible of pain but to court it : " Forbear," said an
aged chief of the Iroquois, when his insults had
provoked one of his tormentors to wound him with
a knifc^ ** ibrbear these stabs of yovir kifife, and

K 3 rather

i I

102 AMERICA.

ratlier let me die by fire, that those dogs, your al-
lies, from beyond the sea, may learn by my exam-
ple to suffer like men."

This barbarous scene is often succeeded by one
no less shocking, namely, that of eating their ene-
mies. Human flesh was never used as common
food in any country j the rancour of revenge first
prompted men to tliis barbarous action. The
fiercest tribes devoured none but prisoners taken in
war, or such as they regarded as enemies. The
perpetual hostilities carried on among the Ameri-
can tribes are productive of fatal effects : the loss
of men is considerable among them in proportion
tp the degree of population. Sensible of this de-
cay, there are tribes which endeavour to recruit
their national force, when exhausted, by adopting
prisoners taken in war, and by this expedient pre-
vent their total extinction. The practice, how-
ever, is not universally received. Resentment
operates more powerfully among savages than
considerations of policy.

But though war be the chief occupation of men
in their rude state, and to excel in it their highest
distinction and pride, their inferiority is always
manifest when they engage in competition with
polished nations. Destitute of that foresight which
discerns and provides for remote events, they are
strangers to union and mutual confidence, and in-?
capable of subordination. Savage nations may asto-
nish a disciplined enemy by tlieir valour, but sel-
dom prove formidable to him by their conduct 5 and
when tlie contest is of long continuance must yield
to superior knowledge.

VI. The arts of rude nations unacquainted with
the use of metals hardly merit any attention on
their own account, but ^re worthy of some notice

^•9

AMERICA. 105

as they serve to display the genius and manners of
man in this stage of his progress. The tirst dis-
tress a savage must feel will arise from the man-
ner in which his body is aft'ected by the heat,
or cold, or moisture, of the climate under which
he lives ; and his lirst care will be to provide some
covering for his defence. In tlie warmer and more
mild climates of America none of the rude tribes
were clothed. To most of them nature had not
even suggested any idea of impropriety in being al-
together uncovered. Others were satisfied with
some slight covering, such as decency required.
But though naked, they were not unadorned.
They dressed their hair in different forms. They
flistened bits of gold, or shells, or shining stones in
their ears, their noses, and cheeks. They stained
their skins with great variety of tigures, and spent
much time, and submitted to great pain in orna-
menting their persons in this fantastic manner.
Vanity, however, which finds endless occupation
for ingenuity and invention in nations vvdiere dress
has become a complex, and intricate art, is circum-
scribed within so narrow bounds, and is confined tg
so few articles among naked savages, that they are
not satisfied with those simple decorations, and
have a wonderful propensity to alter the natural
form of their bodies in order to render it, as they
imagine, more perfect and beautiful. This practice
was universal among the rudest of the American
tribes, and the operations lor that purpose began as
soon as the infant was born. In all their attempts
either to adorn or new-model their persons, it
seems to have been less the object of the Americans
to please, or to appear beautiful, than to give an
jiir of dignity and terror to their aspect. Their

regard

h I

^ i i

. 104 AMERICA.

regard to dress had inure reference to w\ir than
to gallantry.

I'he next ohiect to dress that will cnoa^e the at-
tent ion ol the savage, is to prepare a habiiation
which may a fiord him a shelter by day and a re-
treat by night. Some of the Ameriean tril)es had
advanced so little beyond the primeval simplicity of
nature tliat they had no houses at all. JJuring the
&Ay they take shelter from the scorcliing rays of
tlie sun under thick trees ; at night they form a
shed v\'ith their branches and leaves. In the rainy
season they retire into coves formed by the hand of
nature, or hollowed out by their own industry.
Others sojourn in temporary huts which they
erect with little labour, and abandon without con-
cern. The inhabitants of those vast plains which
are celuged wdth periodical rains raise houses
upon piles fastened in the ground, or place them
among the boughs of trees, and are thus safe amidst
that wide extended inundation which surrounds
them. Such w^ere the first essays of tlie rudest
Americans towards providing themselves with ha-
bitations. One circumstance merits attention as
it is singular and illustrates the character of the
people. Some oi their houses are so large as to af-
ford accoirmiodation for a hundred persons. These
are built for the reception of dif^erent families
which dwell together under the same roof, and
often round a common fire, wdthout separate apart-
menrs or any kind ot partition between the spaces
which they respc ctively occupy. As soon as men
have acquired distinct ideas of property, or when
they are so mucii attached to their females as to
watch them witli care and jealousy, families, of
course^ divide and settle in separate houses^ where

tliey

AMF.RTCA. 105

they can secure and gnard whatever they wish to
preserve.

After making som(3 provision for his dress and
habitation, a savage will perceive the necessity of
preparing proper avnjs with which to assault or
repel an enemy. This, accordingly, has early ex-
ercised the ingenuity and invention of all rude na-
tions. The first oti^ensive weapons were doubtless
such as chance presented, and the lirst attempts to
improve upon these were extremely awkwnrd and
simple. Clubs and lances armed with flints and
bones are weapons known to the nidost nations.
But for the purpose of annoying their enemies
while at a distance, the bow and arrow is the
most easy invention. I'his weapon is familiar to
the inhabitants of every quarter of the globe.
Some of the tribes in America were so destitute of
art and ingenuity, that they had not attained to
the discovery of this simple invention, and seem to
have been unacquainted with the use of any missive
weapon. The sling was little known to the people
of North America, but in several of the provinces
of Chili, and those of Patagonia, they fastened
stones about the size of a fist to each end of a
leathern thong eight feet in length, and, swinging
these round their heads, threw them with such dex-
terity that they seldom missed the object at which
they aimed.

Among people whose food and habitations are
perfectly simple, their domestic utensils are few
and rude. Some of the southern tribes had dis-^
covered the art of forming vessels of earthern
ware, and baking them in the sun so that they could
endure the fire. In North America, they hollowed
a piece of hard wood into'^the form of a kettle, and
billing it with water, brought it to boil by putting

red-hot

1 1

lo5 amkrica/

red-hot stones in it-^". I'hcse vcs";els thcv used in
j)reparing' piirt of their provisions, nnd this may be
consitlcivd as a step towards rtfincment and luxury;
for, in the rudest state, men were not arcjuainted
V ith any method of dressing their victuals but by
n^asting them on the lire j and among several tribes
hi America this is the only species of cookery yet
kn(>\vn. lint the niastcr-piece of art among the
savages of America is in the construction of their
canoes. An Escjuimaux shut up in his l)oat of whale-
bone, covered with the skin of seals, can brave that
stormy ocean on which the barrenness of his coun-
try compels him to depend for the chief part of his
subsistence. The pe(jple of Canada venture upon
their rivers and lakes in boats made of the bark of
trees, and so light that two men can carry them
^vherever shallow s or cataracts obstruct the naviga-
tion. In these frail vessels they undertake and ac-
complish long voyages.

But in every attempt towards industry among
the Americans, one striking quality in their charac-
ter is conspicuous. Ihey apply to work without
ardour, carry it on v\ ilh little adivity, and, like
childn n, are easih diverted from it. Their opera-
tions advance under the hand with such slov\ iiess,
that an eye-witness comj)ares it to the impercepti-
ble progress of vegetation. They will suffer one ])art
of a ri;of to decay and perish before they complete
tlie other. I'his slowness of tlie Americans may be
severally imputed to the little value put upon

*See Goldsmith's Geography, p. 431. 1st edition. To
this work we can with pleasure refer our youthful readers
for accurate and entertaining descriptions of the manners,
customs, and distresses of all nations in the known world,
illustrated with a multitude of engravings and maps.

their

AM Fine A. 107

their time, to the awkward and defective na-
ture of their tools, and to tlieir cold and phleg-
matic temper : it is almost impossible to rouse
them iVom that hal)ilual indolence in which they
are suiik ; notliing but war and hunting can excite
in them a sinrle vio-orous edi)rt.

Vli. We next come to the consideration of their
rehi^i )us rites and tenets, vvliich have been imper-
fectly understood, and in iijeneral represented with
little tidelit) . I'hero are two fundamental doctrini»s
npon which the whole system oi' fuitiiral reli.-:;ion is
established. These respect the Ix'ing of God, and
the immortalitv of tlie so\d. In the earjy and most
rude periods of savage hie, dispositions of this na-
ture are entirely unknown. When the iniellectual
powers are just beginning to unfold, iheir feeblt3
exertions are directed towards a few objects of pri-
mary necessity and use. Several tribes of America
have no idea whatever of a supreme lacing, and no
rites of religious worshi'p ; they pass their days,
like the animals around them, witho.it knowledge
or veneration of any superior power. It is, how-
ever, only in the most uncultivated state of nature
that men are totally insensible to impressions of an
invisible power. Tl)e hunian mind, to which the
principles of religion are peculiarly adapted, socn
opens to the reception of ideas which are destined
to be the source of consolation amidst the calami-
ties of life. Among some of the American tribes
may be discerned apprehensions of some mvisible
and powerful beings. These seem to be suggested
rather by the dread of impending evils, than to tiow
from gi'atitude for blessings received. While
Nature holds on her course with imiform and
undisturbed regularity, men enjoy the benefits
resulting from it without inquiring concerning

its

109 AMERICA.

its cause. But every deviation from this regulttt
course rouses and astonishes them : they search for
the reasons of it with eager curiosity. Dejected
v^'ith calamities which oppress him, and exposed to
dangers which he cannot repel, the savage no
longer relies upon himself j he feels his own impo-
tence, and sees no prospect of being extricated but
by tlie interposition of some unseen arm. Hence,
in all unenlightened nations, the iirst rites whicli
bear any resemblance to acts of religion have for
their object to avert evils which men sujfer or
dread.

Among other tribes who have made great pro-
gress in improvement may be discerned some fee-
ble pointing towards more just and adecjuate con-
ceptions of the power wliich presides in nature.
They seem to perceive that there nuist be some
universal cause to whom all things are indebted
for their being, whom they denominate the Great
Spirit, But their ideas are faint and confused;
and the word spirit has a meaning \\ ith them very
different from that which we assitin to it. Ther
believe their gods to be of human form, though
of a nature more excellent tlian man, whose pro-
tection they implore wlien threatened \\'ith danger
or oppressed with calamity. I'he sun was the
chief object of worsliip among the Natchez. In
their temples, which were constnicied with mag-
nificence, and decorated with varicnis ornamenthf,
they preserved a perpetual £re, as the purest em-
blem of their divinity. Ministers \\'ere appointed
to watch and feed the sacred llame. To tjiis great
lumhiary they paid their daily devotions, and in-
stituted in his honour stated remrning festivals.
This is, perhaps, the most relined species of super-
iitition kno^^•n in America, and one of the mo^t

natural

AMERICA. 10(>

natural, as well ns most seducing. Tlie snn is the
apparent S(^urce of the joy, tertUity, mul Jlle, dif-
fused through n.'iturej and while the human mind
contemplates and atlmires his universal and ani-
mating energy, its admiration is apt to stop short at
what is visible, without reaching to the unseen
cause; and pays tbit adoration to the benetieial
work of God which is due only to him who form-
ed it.

Am.ong the people of Bogota the sun and m(wn
were the chief objects ot veneration. Their system
of religion was more complete, though k'ss pure,
than that of the Natchez. They had temples, al-
tars, priests, sacrifices, and that long train of cere-
monies which superstition introduces wherever she
has fully established her dominion over the minds
of men. But the rites of their worship were cruel
and bloody.

With respect to the doctrine of the immortality
of the soul the sentiments of the Americans were
more united. It may be traced from one extremity
of America to the other j in some regions more
faint and obscure, in others more periectly dev e-
loped, but no where unknown. The most unci-
vilized of its savage tribes do not apprehend deaih,
as the extinction of being. All entertain hopes of
a future and more happy state, where they shall be
forever exempt from the calamities which embitter
human life in its present condition. The highest
place in this state they assign to the skilful hunter
and successRil warrior : and as they imagine that
departed spirits begin their career anew in the
Vr'orld whither they are gone, that their friends may
not enter upon it defenceless and unprovided, they
bury, together with the bodies of die dead, their
bow, their arrows, and otlier weapons used in

vol.. XXIV. i huuting

I m

AMERICA.

hunting or war : they deposit in their tombs alf^o
whatever is reckoned necessary for their simple
mode of life.

VIII. To form a complete idea of the unculti-
vated nations of America, we must not pass unob-
served some singular customs which, though uni-
versal and characteristic, could not be reduced to
any of the foregoing articles : such as dancing, for
which savages in every part of the globe have an
unbounded passion. This is not merely a pastime
but a serious and important occu})ation, which nfin-
gies in every occurrence of public and private life.
If any intercourse be necessary between two Ame-
rican tribes, the ambassadors of the one approach in
a solemn dance and present the calumet, or em-
blem of peace y the sachems of the other receive it
with the same ceremony. If war is denounced
against an enemy it is by a dance, expressive of the
resentment which they feel and of the vengeance
which they meditate. If the wrath of the gods is
to be appeased, or their beneficence to be cele-
brated 3 if they rejoice at the birth of a child or
mourn the death of a friend, they have dances ap-
propriated to each of these situations, and suited to
the different sentiments with which they are then
animated. If a person is sick, a dance is prescribed
as the most effectual means of restoring health j
and if he cannot endure the fatigue of such exercise,
the physician or conjurer performs it in his name,
as if the virtue of his activity could be transferred to
his patient.

AH their dances are imitations of some action j
but the war dance is the most striking. It is a per-
fect representation of a complete American cam-
paign : the departure of the warriors from their vil-
lage, their march into tiie enemy's country, the

cautioft

AMERICA. Ill

tt^ution with which tiiey encamp, the address with
which they station some of the party in ambush, the
manner ot" surprising the enemy, the noise and fe-
rocity of the combat, the scalping of those who are
slain, the seizing of prisoners, the triumph nt re-
turn of the con(juerors, and the torture of the vic-
tims, are successfully exhibited.

An immoderate love of play, especially at games
of hazard, which seems natural to all people unac-
customed to the occupations of rcg-ular industry, is
Kkewise uni versal among the Americans. The same
cause which so often prompts persons in civilized
life, who are at their ease, to have recourse to this
pastime, renders it the delight of the savage. The
former are independent of labour, the latter do not
feel tlie necessity of it;, and as both are unemployed,,
they run with transport to whatever is interesting
enough to stir and to agitate their minds. Hence
the Americans, who at other times are so indiffe-
rent, and animated with so few desires, as soon as
they engage in play, become rapacious, impatient,
noisy, and almost frantic w^th eagerness. Their
furs, their domestic utensils, their clothes, their
arms, are staked at the gaming-table 3 and when all
is lost, high as their sense of independence is, in a
wild emotion of despair and hope they wili often
risk their personal liberty upon a single cast.

From cavises similar to those which render them
fond of play, the Americans are extremely addicted
to drunkenness. It seems to have been one of the
first exertions of human ingenuity to discover some
composition of an intoxicating quality, and there is
hardly any nation so rude as not to have succeeded
in this fatal research. The most barbarous of the
American tribes have been so ttnfortunate as to
attain tijis art. Accordingl)^, whatever be the occa-

h 'M sioii

* ^jt

112 AMERICA.

fiion or pretext on which the Americans assemble,
the meeting always terminates in a debauch. Many
of their festivals have no other object j and they
welcome the return of them with transports of joy.
Their eagerness for present enjoyment renders them
blind to its fatal cunse(]uences} and when their pas-
sions are inflamed by drink they are frequently
guilty of the most enormous outrages, and the fes-
tivity rarely concludes without deeds of violence or .
bloodshed.

It were endless to enumerate all the detached
customs w hich have excited the w^onder of travel-
lers in America: one more, how^ever, must be
n.entioned. When parents and other relations be-
come old, or labour under any distemper which
their slender knowledge of the healing art cannot
rem-ove, the Americans cut short their days with a
violent hand, in order to be relieved from, the bur-
then of supporting and attending them. The same
hardships and difficully of procuring subsistence,
which deter savages in some cases from rearing
tlieir rhild^ en, prompt them to destroy the aged
and infirm. This is not regarded as a deed of cru-
elty but as an act of mercy. An American broken
with years and infirmities, conscious that he can
no longer depend on the aid of those around him,
places himself contentedly in his grave 5 and it is by
the hands of his children or nearest relations that
the thong is pulled, or the blow inflicted, which re-
leases him tor ever from the sorrows of lite.

IX. After contemplatinu; the rude American
tribes in such various lights, it only remains to form
a general estimate of their character, conij^ared
with that of more polished nations. A human be-
ing, as he comes originally from the hands of his
maker, is every where the same. Tiie capacity for

improve-

red
)e-
his
for
ve-

AMKRICA. 113

improvement seems to be the same, and his future
talents and virtues depend, in a great measure,
upon the st:ite of society in wliich he i;; phiced. To
this state his mind naturally accommodates itself,
and from it receives discipline and culture. In
proportion to the \\ ants which it accustoms a hu-
man being to feel, and the functions in which these
engage him, his intellectual powers are called forth.
According to the connections which it establishes
betA^'een iiim and the rest of his species, the affec-
tions of his heart are exerted. It is only by attend-
ing to this great principle, that we can discover
what is the character of man in every different
period of his progress. In savage life, of course,
the intellectual powers of man must be extremely
limited in their operations. They are confirted
within the naj'row sphere of what he deems neces-
sary for supplying his wants. But the knowledge
to which he does attain he possesses completely; it
is the fruit of his own experience, and accommo-
dated to his condition and exigencies. While em-
ployed in the active occupations of war and hunt-
ing, he often finds himself in difficult and perilous
situations, from which the efforts of his own saga-
city must extricate him. He must rely solely upon
his own penetration to discern the dangers to which
lie is exposed, and up^ni his own wisdom in pro-
viding against them. Hence in deliberation and ac-
tion he rests on himself alone.

As the talents of individuals are exercised and
improved by such exertions, much political wisdom
is said to be displayed in conducting the affairs of
their small communities. The council of old men
in an American tribe deliberating upon its interests
has been compared to the senate in more polished
republics. The proceedings of the former are often

h 3 no

114 AMERICA.

no less formal and sagacious tlian those of the lat-
ter. Much address and eloquence are employed
by the leaders, who aspire at ac(|iiiring such t onfi-
dence with their countrymen as to have an as-
cendant in their assemblies. But among savage
tribes, the field for displaying political talents can-
not be extensive. They have neither foresight nor
temper to form complicated arrangements with re-
spect to their future conduct. The strongest feel-
ing in the mind of a savage is a sense of his own in-
dependence. He has sacrificed so small a portion of
his naiural liberty by becoming a member of soci-
ety, that he remains in a great degree the sole mas-
ter of his own actions, in many of his operations
he stands as much detached from the rest of his
species as if he had formed no union with them.
He pursues his own career and ii^.di^dges his own
fancy, without inquiring or regarding whether they
may derive benefit or receive hurt from it. Hence
the ungovernable caprice of savages, their impa-
tience under any species of restraint, the scorn with
which they receive advice, their high estimation
of themselves, and their contempt of other men.
Among them the pride of independence produces
almost the same effects with interestedness in a
more advanced state of society ; it refers every thing
to a man himself, and renders the gratification
of his own wishes the measure and end of his
conduct.

To the same cause may be imputed the hard-
ness of heart and insensibility remarkable in all
savage nations. Their minds, roused only by strong
emotions, are little susceptible of gentle, delicate,
or tender affections. Taciturnity and cunning are
to be traced to the same cause. Impeneti.bly secret
in forming their measures, the rude tribes of Ainc^

rica

all

te,
are
ret
le-*

ica

AMERICA. 115

rica pursue them with a patient undcviatlng atten-
tion, and there is no refinement of dishinmlation
which they cannot employ in order to insure suc-
cess. The natives of Peru were engaged ahove
thirty years in concerting the plan of that insurrec-
tion which took place under the vice-Rjyalty of the
marquis de Villa Garcia; and though it was com-
municated to a great n\uril)er of persons in every
diiferent rank, no indication of it ever transpired
during that long period; no man betrayed his trust,
or gave rise, by look or \s'ord, to any suspicion of
what was Intended.

But if there be defects or vices peculiar to the
savage state, there are likewise virtues which it in-
spires, and good (]uali ties to the exercise of which
it is friendly. The bonds of society sit so loose
upon the members of the more rude American
tribes that they scarcely feel any restraint. Hence
the spirit of independence and fortitude which are
the pride of a savage, and which he considers as the
unalienable prerogative of man. In no situation
does the human mind rise more superior to the
sense of danger or the dread of death than in its
most simple and uncultivated state. Another vir-
tue lemarkable among savages is attachment to
the community of which they are members, and
perfect satisfaction with their own condition. On
this account they have no inclination to relin(]uish
their own habits, or to adopt those of civilized
life. The transition is too violent to be suddenly
made. Even where endeavours have been used to
wean a savage from his own customs, and to render
the accommodations of polished society familiar to
him, he droops and languishes under the restraint
of laws and forms ; he seizes the first opportunity
of breaking loose from them^ and returns witlj

tiuH'^rort

l\6 AMERICA.

transport to the forest or the wild, where he can
enjoy a careless and uncontroled freedom.

Such are the manners and character of tJie unci-
vilized trihes scattered over the vast continent of
America. In surveying these rude nations, a natu-
ral distinction is observable between the inhabitants
of the temperate and torrid zones. They may be
divided into two great classes. The one compre^
hends all the North Americans from the river St.
I^awrence to the Gulf of Mexico, together with
the people of Chili, and a few small tribes towards
(he extremity of the southern continent, lb the
other belong all the inhabitants of the islands, and
those settled in the various provinces wliich extend
from the Isthmus of Darien almost to the southern
confines of Brasil, along the east side of the Ande«.
In 'the former, which comprehends the regions of
the temperate zone, the human species appear
manifestly to be more perfect. The natives are
more robust, more active, more intelligent, and
more courageous. They have defended their li-
b(^';^y with persevering fortitude against the Euro-
peans, who subdued the other rude nations of Ame-
rica with the greatest ease. The natives of the
temperate zone are the only pec^ple in the New
World who are indebted for their freedom to their
valour. The North Americans, though long en-
compassed by three formidable European povwers,
still retain part of their original possessions, and
continue to exist as independent nations. T'he peo-
ple of Chili, though early invaded, still maintain a
gallant contest with the Spaniards, and have set
bovmds to their encroachments; w^hereas, in the
warmer regions, men are more feeble in their
frame, less vigorous in the efforts of their mind,
n^ore enslaved by pleasure, and more sunk in in-
dolence,

AMERICA. 117

dolence. Accordingly in the torrid zone the Eu-
ropeans have most completely established their do-
minion in America.

Conspicuous as this distinction may appear be-
tween the inhabitants of those ditlerent regions, it
is not universal. There are some tribes in tiie torrid
zone hardly inferior to the natives of more tem-
perate climates. Thus this law of climate, more
universal, perhaps, in its operation than any that af-
fects tlie human species, cannot be applies!, in judg-
ing of their conduct, witliout many exceptioui.

CHAP.

118

AMEKICA.

• CHAP. IV.

History of the Con f/ nest nf Neiv Spain. Hernando
Cortes has the Command (f the Expedition. Fe^
lasquezs Jealousy. Battle ivith, and Victory
over, the Indians. CoUes lands at St. Juan da
JJliia. Receives Officers from Montezuma. Pre-
sents Irought from the Prince. Marches to
Mexico. Tradition if the Mexicans. Grandeur
of the City. Cortes makes Alontexuma Prisoner.
Cruel Death of his Son. Acknowledges himself
Vassal of the King of Castile. Attempts to con-
vert him to Christianity. Orders Cortes to de^
part. Narvaez sent to seize Cortes. Fights.
Is conquered and taken Prisoner. The Mexicans
attack Cortes. Montezuma s Disi^race and Death.
Spaniards retreat from Mexiuj ivith great
JjOSs. New Resources arrive. March again io
Mexico. Quet/avaca dies of the Small -pox.
Cortes lays siege to and takes Mexico. Takes
the King. Tortures him to fnd his IVealth.
Cortes appointed Gov em or -General of New
Spcdn. Lays the Foundation of a viagnificent
City. His savage Cruelty to the conr/uered Mexi-
cans. Returns to Spain. Ennolled. Goes hack
to America. Discovers California. Returns to
Spain. Is neglected. Dies.

TJTT'HEN Grijalva returned to Cuba, he found
tJie armament destined to attempt tJie con-
quest of that rich country which he had discovered
ahiiost complete. Not only ambition but avarice
had urged Velascjuez to hasten his preparations j
and having such a prospect of gratifying botli^ lie

had

had advanced con.si(U»r:alj wms out of his private
fortune loxsards defray in. the expt-ise of tlie ex-
m-dition. He exerted his inf^uei) i as governor
in engaging the most distin;';iiished '.x^rsor • in llu*
colony to undertake tlie service. A m. .jer (»
M)ldiers were fc;und eager to embark in a - darin, ;
enterprise, but it was not so easy to tind <t persi>u
qualilied to take the command in an expedition of
such great importance. At length, after much de-
liberation, Hernando Cortes was pitched on for
the purpose. He had not hitherto acted in high
con)mand, but had displayed such qualities in se-
veral scenes of difficulty and danger as raised uni-
versal expectation, and turned the eye»of his coun-
trymen towards him, as one capable of perfornfnig
great things. Neither the rank nor fortune of
Cortes was such as to create sentiments of jea-
lousy in the breast of Velasquez. He received hi.s
commission with gratitude, and immediately erect-
ed his standard before his own house. He soon
after set sail froni St. Jago de Cuba, and proceeded
to Trinidad, a small settlement on the same side of
the island, where he was joined by a multitude of
adventurers, and received a supply of provisions
and military stores. From Trinidad he sailed for
tlie Havanna, in order that he might raise more
soldiers, and complete the victualling of his fleet.
While he was at this place Velasquez formed a
j)lan of taking the command olit of the hands of
(x)rtes, of wdiom he became violently jealous.
Cortes, forewarned of his danger, took precautions
for his own safety. He appealed to his troops,
whether the honour of their general, and tlieir san-»
guine hopes of wealth and glory, ought to be sa-
criticed to the illiberal uisinuations and grouiidles?
jealousies of Velasquez. Witli one voice they en-
treated

120 AMKRICA.

treated tliat he would not abandon the important
station to w hi( h he had so good a title, ottering, at
the same time, to shed in his beiialf the last drop
of their blood. Cortes was easily induced to com-
ply with what he hini-^elf so ardently wished. He
swore that he would never desert soldiers who had
given him sueh a signal proof of their attachment,
and promised instantly to conduct tliem to that
rich country, which had been so long the object of
their thoughts and wishes. I'his declaration was
received with transports of military applause, ac-
companied with imprecations against all who should
presume to call in (juestion the jurisdiction of their
general, or to obstruct the execution of his de-
signs.

With a slender and ill-provided train did Cortes
set sail, to make war upon a monarch whose domi-
nions were more extensive than all the kingdoms
subject to the Spanish crown. As religious entini-
fiiasm always mingled with the spirit of adventure
in the New World, and united with avarice in
prompting the Spaniards to all their enterprises, a
large cross was displayed in their standards, with
this inscription : " Let us follow the cross, for un-
der this sign we shall conquer." As Cortes had
determined to touch at every place which Grijalva
had visited, he steered directly towards the island
of Cozumel ; there he had the good fortune to re-
deem Jerome de Aguilar, a Spaniard, who had been
eight years a prisoner among the Indians, and who
proved hereafter extremely useful as an interpreter.
From (>ozumel, Cortes proceeded to the river Ta-
basco; but after repeated endeavours to conci-
liate the good-will of the inhabitants, he was con-
strained to have recourse to violence. The forces
of the enemy were numerous 3 and though they ad-

' vanced

AMERICA. 121

ranced with cxtiaortlinnry courage, they were
routed with gTcat slaughter in several suecessive
aelions. I'lie loss whieh they sustained, and the
terror excited by the destructive ett'ect of the tire-
arms, and the dreadt'ul appearance of the horses,
humbled their tierce spirits, and induced them to
fiie for peace. They acknowledgetl the king of
Castile as their sovereign, and granted Cortes a
Kupply of provisions, w iih a present of cotton gar-
ments, some gold, and twenty female slaves.

Cortes continued his course to the westward,
but could discover no proper place for landing
until he arrived at St. Juan de Ulua, by the ndia-
bitants of which he was addressed in a most re-
spectful manner, but in a language altogether un-
known to Agiiilar. Cortes was in the utmost
perplexity and distress at an event of which he
instantly foresaw the consequences : a tortunatc
accident, however, extricated him. One of th«
female slaves whom he had received from tiie
cazi([ue of Tabasco perfectly understood the Mex-
ican language, and explained w'hat had been said in
the Yucatan tongue, with which Aguilar was ac-
quainted. This M'oman, known afterwards by the
name of Donna Marina, was born in a Mexican
province, and having been sold as a slave in the
early part of her life, tell intD the hands of the
Tabascans, and had resided long enough among
them to accjuire their language, without losing the
use of her own. From her Cortes learned that
the two persons whom he had received on board
his ship were deputies from 1'eutile and Pilpatoe;
otliccrs entrusted with the government of that
pro\'ince by a great monarch whom they called
Montezuma, and that they were sent to inquire
wliat his intentions were in visiting tlieir coast, and

VOL. XXIV. M to

I'll

|.fli

il!

!|i

ilii

123 AMERICA.

to oflftT him what assistance he niight need, in or-
der to continue his voyage. Cortes, struck with
the appearance of tliose people as well as the te-
nor of the message, assured them that he ap-
proached their country with the most friendly
sentiments, and came to propose matters of great
importance to the welfare of their prince and hi.'?
kingdom, which he would unfold more fully in
person to the governor and general. Next mora-
ijig he landed his troops, his horses and artillery,
'i'he natives, instead of opposing the entrance of
tiiese fatal guests into their country, assisted them
m all their operations witli an alacrity of which
liiey had S(^on reason to re})ent.
. ,>j When the Mexican ministers entered the
J ' Spanish camp, Cortes received them with
^' much formal ceremony, assuring them that
his business with the monarch was oi' so high im-
portance, that he could impart it to none but the so-
vereign himself. This they knew would be extreme-
ly disLigreeable to Monte/Auna ; in hopes therefore
of being able to dissuade the Spaniards from their
purpose, they brought a great quantity of cotton
cloth, [)lumes of various colours, and ornaments of
gold and silver to a considerable value. The display
of these produced a very ditferent effect from what
the Mexicans intended. Cortes insisted upon a per-
sonal interview with their sovereign, which they
endeavoured by every means in their power to pre-
vent. During this interview, some painters in the
train of the Mexican chiefs had been diligently
employed in delineating, upon v/hite cotton cloths,
ligures of the ships, horses, artillery, soldiers, and
w hatever else attracted their eyes as singular. As
soon as Cortes knew that these pictures were to Ix?
$tnit to Montezuma, he resolved to render the re-

presentaticii

an(
pr
of
for

re-

ioa

AxMKRICA. 123

presentation more nniniated and interesting, by ex-
hibiting sucli a sjiectacle as might give both iheni
and their monarch an awful impression of the
prowess of his followers, and the irresistil»le force
of their arms. The trumpets sounded, the troops
formed in order of battle, the artillery, pointed to-
wards the thick woods A^hich surrounded tlie
camp, were fired, and made dreadful havock among-
tlic trees. The Mexicans looked on ^^"ith silent
amazement 5 but at tbe explosion of the cannon
many of them fled, some fell to the ground, and all
were so confounded at the sight of men whose
power so nearly resembled that of the gods, that
Cortes found it difficult to compose and re-animate
them.

Messengers were immediately dispatched to
Montezuma with the pictures, and a full account
of every tiling that had passed since the arrival of
the Spaniards, and with presents from Cortes
Though the capital in which Montezuma resided
was IbO miles from St. Juan de Uluaj the news
was carried and an answer received in a few days.
Another negotiation was set on foot, which wa?
commenced by introducing a hundred Indians
loaded with presents, sent to him by Montezuma.
The magnificence of those far exceeded any idea
which tiie Spaniards had hitherto formed of his
wealth. Tliey were spread on mats, and exhibited
to tl.'e greatest advantage. Cortes and his officers
>iewed with admiration the various maiuifactures
©f the country, cotton stutfs so fine and of a tex-
ture so delicate as to resemble silk, pictures of
juiimals, trees, and other natural objects, formed
witli feathers of different colours, disposed and
mingled with .such skill and elegance as to ri\al
tiie works of the pencil in trutlj and beauty of

M 'Z imitation :

"■■I

!=ii

is .

1 1; ' r

lli

. ' ; J

!24 AMERICA.

imitation: but what chiefly attracted their admira-
tion were two large plates of a circular form, one
of massiv^e gold, representing the sun, the other of
silver, an emblem of the moon» These were ac-
companied with bracelets, collars, rings, and other
trinkets of gold; and, that nothing might be want-
ing that could give the Spaniards a complete idea
of what the country aftbrded, with some boxes
filled with pearls, precious stones, and grains of
gold wrought, or as they had been found in the
mines or rivers. Cortes received all these with an
appearance of profcmnd veneration for the mo-
narch by whom they were bestowed ; but when
he was informed that it ^'^as Montezuma's inten-
tion that foreign troops should not approach nearer
to his capital, he declared, hi a resolute and per-
emptory tone, that he could not, without disho-
nour, return to his own country until he was ad-
mitted into the presence of tlie prince whom he
was appointed to visit in the name of his sovereign.

We cannot enter into a detail of all the minute
circumstances which attended the negotiation. By
consummate address Cortes made himself cibsolute
and independent of die governor of Cuba : he then
alienated from Montezuma several of the petty
states, with their caziques ; others he fought, con-
quered, and attached to himself by force of arms.
By degrees he marched up the country, and with
the addition of tlie natives he found himself at the
head of a large army consisting of several thousand
persons.

When they drew near the city, about a thousand
persons, who appeared to be of distinction, came
forth to meet them, ad(.)rned with phimes, and clad
in mantles of line cotton. Each of these, in hi*
order^ passed by Cortes, and saluted him in the

iaost

ino|

thel

firs

mai

wit]

foil

mo a

Mol

gol(

• It

AMERICA. 125

iTiost respectful manner. They announced the
approacli of Montezuma himself, and soon after
the harbingers came in sight. There appeared
first two hundred persons in an uniform dress,
marching two and two, in deep silence, barefooted,
with their eyes fixed to the ground. These WTre
followed by a company of higher rank in their
most showy apparel, in the midst of whom wn^
Montezuma, in a litter richly ornamented with
gold, and feathers of various colours. Four of his
principal favourites carried him on their shoulders,
others supported a canopy of curious workmanship
over his head. Before him marched three officers
witJi rods of gold in their hands, which th.ey lifted
up on high at certain intervals j and at that signal
all the people bowed their heads and hid their
faces, as unworthy to look on so great a monarch.
When he drew near, Cortes dismounted, advan-
cing to\vards him with otficious haste, and in a re-
spectful posture. At the same time Montezuma
alighted from his chair, and, leaning on the arms
of two of his near relations, ap]")roached with a slow
anci stately pace, his attendants covering the street
w'tli cotton cloths, that he might not touch the
ground. Cortes accosted him v^'ith profound re-
verence, after tlie European fashion. He returned
the salutation, according to the mode of his coun-
try, by touching tlie earth with his hand and then
kissing it. Nothing material passed in this first
hiterview. Montezuma conducted Cortes to the
quarters tliat he had prepared for his reception, and
took leave of him, saying, '* You are now with
your brothers in your own house ; refresh your-
selves after your fatigue, and be happy until I re-
turn." The first care of Cortes was to take pre-
cautions for his security, by planting the artillery

M 3 i»d

I .11

<\.

Vlfl

\i' ,

12(5 ' AMERICA.

SO iis to commnnd llie dliferent avenues which led
to the place allotted for their reception, by nppoint-
ing a large division of his troops to be always on
guard, and by posting sentinels at proper stations,
with injuncuons to observe the same vigilant dis-
cipline as if they were widiin sight of an enemy's
camp.

In the evening Montezuma returned to visit his
guests, and brouglit presents of such value as proved
the liberality of the monarch to be suitable to the
cpulen 'e of his kingdom. A long conference en-
sued, in which Montezuma told him that it was
an established tradition among the Mexicans, that
their ancestors cnme originally from a remote re~
gion, and conquered the provinces now subject to
his dominion ; that after they were settled there,
the great captain who conducted this colony re-
turned to his own country, promising that at some
future period his descendants should visit them.,
iissume the government, and reform their consti-
tution and laws j that fiom what he had heard
and seen of Cortes and his followers, he was con-
vinced that they were the very persons whos^ ap-
pearance the Mexican traditions and prophecies
tauglit them to expect ; and accordingly he had
received them not as strangers, but as relations of
the same blood and parentage, and desired that
thev miiJ^ht consider themselves as masters in his
dominions, as both he and his subjects should be
ready to comply with their will. Cortes made a reply
in his usual style,, and the next day he and some
of his principal attendants were admitted again to
an audience of the emperor. The three subsecjuent
days were employed in viewing the city, the ap-
pearance of which, so far superior in the order of
iu» buildings and the number of its inhabitants to

any

cbj|
felt
sitii
no

AMERICA. 127

any place the Spaniards had bt'hcld in America,
and yet so liUle resembling the stmcture of an
European cityj filled them with surprise and ad-
miralion.

But how much soever the novelty of various
rbjects might amuse or astonish the Spaniards, they
felt the utmost solicitude with respect to their own
situation. From a concurrence of circumstances,
no less unexpected than favourable to their pro-
gress, they had been allowed to penetrate into the
heart of a powerful kingdom, and were now lodged
in its capital. They had been warned by their new
allies of trusting to Montezimia ; and now they
felt the danger to wliich they were exposed. After
levolving the matter with deep attention, Cortes
fixed upon a plan no less extraordinary than daring.
He determined to seize Montezuma in his palace,
and to carry him prisoner to the Spanish quarters.
He communicated his, plan to his principal ofiicers,
and found means almost instantly to put it into ex-
ecution. Thus was a powerfiil prince seized by a
few strangers in the midst of his capital at noon-
day,- and though his own soldiers and people broke
cut into transports of rage, yet upon seeing Mon-
tezuma cheerful and contented, tliey quietly di-
spersed. History contains notliiug parallel to this
event, either with respect to tiie temerity of the
attempt, or the success of the execution.

Montezuma was received in the Spanish quar-
ters with great ceremonious respect : he was at-
tended by his own domestics, and served with his
usual state His principal oiHcers had free access
to him, and he carried on every function of go-
vernment as if he had been at perfect liberty. The
S})aniards, however, watched him with scrupulous
vigilance, endeavouring at the same tiiue to soothe

ami

:■ : i

>!'

, i;

128 AMERIC\.

find reconcile him to his situation by eveiy exter-
nal demonstration of regard and attachment. But
from captive princes the hour of humiliation and
suffering is never far distant. Qualpopoca his son,
and five of the princi]ial officers who served under
him, were brought prisoners to the capital in con-
sequence of the orders which Montezuma had
issued. The emperor gave them up to Cortes,
who caused them to be tried by a Spanish court-
martial ; and though they had acted no other part
than what became loyal subjects and brave liien,
in opposing the invaders of their country, they
\vere condemned to be burnt alive. Tlie ex-
ecution of such atrocious deeds is seldom h^ig
suspended. The unhappy victims were instantly
led forth. I'he pile on which tliey were laid
was composed of the weapons collected in the
ro}'al magazine for public defence. — But these
were not the most shocking indignities which
the Mexicans :ad to bear. Just before Qualpo-
poca was led out to sulier, Cortes entered tjie
apartment of Montezuma followed by some offi-
cers, and a soldier carrying a pair of fetters, and,
approaching the monarch v>ath a stern countenance,
told him that he had been the cause of the out-
rage committed, and that it was necessary he should
make atonement for that guilt; then turning ab-
ruptly, without waiting for a reply, commanded
the soldier to clap the fetters on his legs. The
orders were instantly executed. The disconsolate
monarch, considering this as a prelude to his own
death, broke out into lamentations and complaint.
His attendants, struck with horror, fell at his feet,
bathing them with their tears ; and, bearing up the
fetters in their hands, endeavoured, with officious
tenderness^ to lighten tlieir pressure. Nor did

their

1 I

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1 cxefl

the 1

hapfl

haiifl

1*1 ^ ]H

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I the !

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K Mex

■ to pi

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B (lai:i(

■ kixio

AMERICA. 125

tlieir c;rief abate, until Cortes returned from the
execution and with a cheerful countenance ordered
the fetters to be taken otf.

The rigour with which Cortes punished the un-
happy persons who first presumed to lay violent
hands upon his followers, seems to have made all
ilie impression that he desired. The spirit of
JMontezuma was not only overawed, but svibdued.
Such ^^'as the dread which both the monarch and
his subjects had of the Spaniards, that no attempt
was made to deliver their sovereign from confine-
ment. Thus, by ^he fortunate temerity of Cortes,
the Spaniards at once secured to themselves moi-e
extensive authority in the Mixican empire than tt
was possible to have acquired in a long course of
time by open force, and they exercised more ab-
eolute sv/ay in the name of Montezuma than tliey
rould have done in their own. Of this power
Cortes availed himself to the utmost : he appointed
commissioners, who were accompanied by some
Mexicans of distinction, to survey the empire, and
to prepare the minds of the people for submitting
to the Spaniards ; and in the end he persuaded
Montezuma to yield to the lowest point of degra-
tia»:ion, by acknowledging himself a vassal of the
khig of Castile, and by subjecting Ms dominions
to the paymicnt of an annual tribute. The fallen
monarch, at the desire of Cortes, accompanied this
profession of fealty and homage with a magnificent
present to his new sovereign ; and, after his exam-
ple, his subjects brought in very liberal contribu-
tions. The Spaniards now^ collected all their ti-ea-
«ure together ; and having melted the gold and
silver, the value of which, without including the
jewels, amounted to much more than one hundred
thousand pounds sterling, the soldiers were impa-
tient

1. ''

;l!lii

>'f*'l

1 I

«!■■

130 AMERICA.

tieut to i^ave it divided ; and Cortes complied with
(heir desire. A fifth part was set apart for the
kiivj^, another fifth was allotted to Cortes as com-
mander in chief. The sums advanced by Velas-
quez, by Cortes, and by some of the otiicers, to-
wards defraying the expense of fitting out tlie ar-
mament, were then deducted. The remainder
was divided among the army in proportion to their
ditierent ranks. After all the defalcations, the share
of a private man did not exceed twenty pounds j
a sum so much below tlieir expectations, that se-
veral of the soldiers rejected it with scorn, and
others murmured so loudly at this cruel disappoint-
ment of their hopes, that it required all tlie address
of Cortes to appease them.

Cortes had frequently urged Montezuma to re-
nounce his false s^ods and to embrace Christianity;
which he rejected with indignation. The Mexi-
cans adhered tenaciously to their mode of worship,
which was ever accompanied w^ith such order and
solemnity as to render it an object of the highest
veneration. Cortes, finding all his attempts in-
effectual to shake the constancy of Montezuma,
was so much enraged at his obstinacy, that in a
transport of zeal he led out his soldiers to throw
down die idols in the temple by force. But the
priests taking arms in defence of tlieir altars, and
the people crowding with great ardour to support
them, Cortes's prudence overililed his zeal, and
induced him to desist from his rash attempt, after
jdislodging the idols from one of the shrines, and
placing in their stead an image of the Virgin Mary.

From that time the IVIexicans began to medi-
tate how they might expel or destroy the Spa-
niards, and thought themselves called upon to
avenge their insulted deities. The priests and

leading

AMERICA.

J3T

:)a-
to

nd
112"

leading men held frequent consultations with Mon-
tezuma for this puri)()se. But as ir niij^ht prove
fatal to the captive monarch to atte!n[)t either tJie
one or the other by violence, he was wiliinjr tp try
more gentle means. Having called Cortes into hi.s
presence, he observed, th?it now, as all the pur-
poses of his embassy were fully accomplisjied, the
gods had declared their will, and the people signi-
iied their desire, that he and his followers should
instantly depart out of the empire. "With this he
required them to coniply, or unavoida})le destruc-
tion would fall suddenly on their heads. Cortes,
perceiving that avowed opposition might ruin him,
replied with seeming composure, that he had al-
ready begun to prepare for returning to his own
country, but that time was necessar}' for building
otlier ships. 1 his appeared reasonable, and the
Mexicans afforded them assistance in cutting down
timber for the purpose. Cortes flattered himself
tliat during this interval he might either find means
to avert the threatened clan<i:er, or receive such re-
inforcements as would enable him to despise it.
A -pj Nine months had elapsed since he had
,* „* dispatched messengers to Spain j and he
daily expected their return with a confir-
mation of his authority from the king. While he
was reflecting on the dany-er to which he was ex-
posed, a fleet arrived j but it was what he least
wished for : it was from Velasquez, who had given
tlie command of it to Narvaez, with instructions to
seize Cortes and his principal officers ; to send them
prisoners to him, and then to complete the discovery
and conquest of the country in his name. Cortes,
aware of the dangers which presented themselves
on all sides, endeavoured to accommodate matters
with Narvaez; who treated his overtures with con-
i tempt.

132

AMnRICA.

^■!i!

tempt, holding it impossible that Cortes should
be able to resist his power. Presumption always
leads to mischievous consequences : in the present
instance it gave Cortes a complete victory over his
enemies. Narvaez was wounded, made prisoner,
and thrown into tetters : his army capituhited^ and
ijuietly submitted to their conquerors.

I'his sio;nal victory proved more acceptable as
it was gained almost without bloodshed; onlv two
soldiers were killed on the side of Cortes. He treated
the vanquished not like enemies, but as countrymen
and friends, and offered either to send them back
to Cuba, or to take them into his service as partners
in his fortune, on equal terms with his own soldiers.
This latter proposition they almost all closed with,
and seemed to vie with each other in professions
of fidelity and attachment to a general, whose re-
cent success had given them such a striking proof
of his abilities for command. Thus, by a series of
events no less fortunate than uncommon, Cortes
not only escaped from perdition, which seemed in-
evitable, but, when he least of all expected it, was
placed at the head of a thousand Spaniards, readj
to follow wherever he shoidd lead them.

This seasonable addition to his army had but just
time to enrol themselves under their new leader,
before the Mexicans, wearied of their oppressors,
attacked them in all quarters. Several times, in-
deed, were they beaten with prodigious slaugliter ;
but fresh men iTished forwai'd to occupy the place*
of tlie slain, who meeting with the same fate were
succeeded by others no less intrepid and eager for
Vengeance, The utmost effort of Cortes' s abilities
and experience, seconded by the disciphned valour
of his troops, was scarcely sufficient to defend the
fQitiiication* tliat surrounded tlie post where the

Spaniards

AMERICA.

133

Spaniards were stationed, into which the enemy
were more than once on the point of forcing tlieir

way.

Cortes beheld with wonder the implacable fe-
rocity of a people who seemed at hrst to submit
tamely to the yoke, and had continued so long
passive vmder it. The force of the Mexicans wai
greatly augmented by fresh troops which poured
in continually from the country, and their animo-
sity was in no degree abated. They were led by
their nobles, intlamed by the exhortations of their
priests, and fought in defence of their temples and
families, under the eye of their gods, and in pre-
sence of their wives and children. After a day of
incessant exertion, though vast numbers of the
Mexicans were killed, and part of the city burnt,
the Spaniards were obliged to retire, with the mor-
titication of having accomplished nothing so deci-
fiive as to compensate the unusual calamity of hav-
ing twelve soldiers killed and above sixty wounded.
Another sally, made with greater force, was not
more effectual, and in it the general himself was
wounded in the hand.

Cortes now perceived, too late, the fatal error
into which he had been betrayed by his own con-
tempt of the Mexicans, and was satisfied that he
could neither maintain his present station in the
centre of an hostile city, nor retire from it without
the most imminent danger. One resource still re-
mained, to try what etfect the interposition of Mon-
tezuma migiit have to soothe or overawe his sub-
jects. When the Mexicans approached next morn-
ing to renew the assault, that unfortunate prince,
at the mercy of the Spaniards, and reduced to thd
gad necessity of becoming the instrument of his
own disgrace and of the slavery of his people, ad-
voL. xxiv. ir vanced

131 AMERICA.

vanccd to the battlements in his royal robes, and
with all the pomp in which he used to appear on
solemn occasions. At the sight of their soveicign,
whom they had been accustomed to re\ ere as a
god, the weapons dropped from their hands, erery
tongue was silent, all bowed their heads, and many
prostrated themselves on the ground. Monlezunia
addressed them with every argument that could
mitigate their rage, or persuade them to cease from
hostilities. When he had ended his discourse, a
sullen murmur of disapprobation ran through the
ranks ; to this succeeded reproaches and threats j
and the fury of the multitude rising in a moment
above every restraint of decency or respect, flights
of arrows and volleys of stones poured in so vio-
lently upon the ramparts, that before the Spanish
soldiers, a])pointed to cover Montezuma with their
bucklers, had time to lift them in his defence, two
arrows wounded the unhappy monarch, and a blow
of a stone on his temple struck him to the ground.
On seeing him fall, the Mexicans passed in a.
moment from one extreme to the other ; remorse
succeeded to insult, and they fled with horror, as
if the vengeance of heaven were pursuing the crime
which they had committed. The Spaniards, \\ ith-
out molestation, carried Montez.uma to his apart-
ment, and Cortes hastened thither to console him
under his misfortune : but he indignantly refused
the comfort which was ministered ; he scorned to
survive this last humiliation, and to protract an
ignominious life. In a transport of rage he tore
the bandage from his wounds, ar.d refused with
such obstinacy to take any nouristiment, that he
soon ended his days, rejecting with disdain all the
solicitations of the Spaniards to embrace the Chris-
tian faitli.

Upon

tlie

pon

AMERICA. 135

Upon the death of Montezumn, Cortes, having
lost all liope ot' bringing the Mexicans to an ac-
connnodatioii, saw no prospect ot'satety but in at-
lenij)ting a retreat, and began to prepare tor it. A
Midden motion, however, of the Mexicans engaged
}iini in new conflicts. I'hey took possession of a
)iigh tower in tlie great temple which overlooked
tlie Spanisli quarters, and placing there a garri>on
of their principal warriors, not a Spaniard could
stir without being exposed to their missile weapons.
From this post it was necessary to dislodge them
at any risk, and Juan de Escobar, widi a numerous
detachment of chosen soldiers, was ordered to make
the attack. He was thrice repulsed j which when
Cortes perceived he rushed himself with his drawn
sword into the diickest of the combatants. Encou-
raged by the presence of their general, the Spaniards
returned to the charge, and drove the Mexicans to
the platform at the top of the tower. There a dread-
ful carnage began ; when two young Mexicans of
high rank, observing Cortes as he animated his sol-
diers, resolved to sacrifice their own lives in order to
cut otr the author of all the calamities which deso-
lated their country. They approached him in a sup-
pliant posture, as if they had intended tv.> lay down
tiieir arms, and, seizing him in a momv'nt, hurried
him towards the battlements, over which they
threw themselves headlong, in hopes of dragging
him along with them to be dashed in pieces by the
same fall. But Cortes, by his strength and agility,
broke loose from their grasp, and the gallant youths
perished in this generous though unsuccessfid at-
tempt to save their country. As soon as the Spa-
niards became masters of the tower they set fire to
it, and w^ithout further molestation continued tlie
preparations for their retreat.
, When the necessary prep::rations were made,

N 2 tiiey

13(5 AMERICA.

they began to move, towards midnight, in thrfe
divisions, Sandoval led the van ; Pedro Alvarado
and Velasquez de Leon had the conduct of the
rear j and Cortes commanded in the centre, where
he placed the prisoners, among whom were a son
and two daughters of Montezuma, the artillery,
the baggage, and a portable bridge of timber, in-
tended to be laid over the breaches in the cause-
way. They reached the lirst breach in it without
molestation, hoping that their retreat was undis-
covered. But the Mexicans had watched all their
motions with attention, and !iad made proper dis-
positions for a most formidable attack. While the
Spaniards were ii: .^nt upon placing their bridge *
in the breach, and occupied in conducting tJieir
horses and artillery along it, they were suddenly
alarmed with the tremendous sound of warlike in-
struments, and a general shout from an innume-
rable multitude of enemies : the lake was covered
with canoes, flights of arrows and showers of stones
poured in upon them from every quarter; the
Mexicans rushed forward to the charge with fear-
less impetuosity, as if they lumped in that moment
to be avenged of all their wrongs. The Spaniards,
unable to sustain the weight of the torrent that
poured in upon them, began to gi\ e way. In a
moment the confusion was uni\ i rsal ; horse and
foot, officers and soldiers, friends and enemies,
were mingled together ; and while all fought, and
many fell, they could hardly distinguish from what
hand the blow came.

Cortes, with about a hundred foot soldiers and
a few horse, forced his way over the remaining
breaches in the causeway, and reached the main
landj and having formed them as soon as tliey

* The city of Mexico was built in the midst of a lake.

arrived^

i ■ v

'Hi!

!i!

i and
ning
naiii
they

ke.
ved^

AMERICA. 137

arrived, he returned with such as were capable of
service to assist his friends in their retreat. He
met witli part of his soldiers who had brokea
through the enemy, but found many more over-
whelmed by the multitude of their aggres.^ors, or
perishing in the lake 5 and heard the piteous la-
mentations of others whom the Mexicans, having
taken alive, were carrying off in triumph to be sa-
criliced to the god of war. Before day, all who
bad escaped assembled at Tacuba j but when the
morning dawned, and discovered to the view of
Cortes his shattered battalions, his soul was pierced
with such anguish, that while he was forming their
ranks, and issuing some necessary orders, his sol-
diers observed tears trickling from his eyes, and
remarked, with much satisfaction, that while at-
tentive to the duties of a general he was not insen-
sible to the feelings of a man.

In this fatal retreat many officers of distinction
perished 5 all the artillery, ammunition, and bag-
gage, were lost j the greater part of the horses and
above two thousand of their I'lascalan allies were
killed, and only a very small portion of the trea-
sure which they had amassed was saved. Some
interval of tran(|uillity was now absolutely neces-
{iary j not only that the Spaniards might give atr
tention to the cure of their wounds, but in order
to recruit their strength, exhausted by such a long
succession of fatigue and hardships. During this
period Cortes was not idle j he was considering of
measures for retrieviuix his misfortunes. He drew
a small supply of ammunition and two or three
field-pieces from his stores at Vera Cruz. ITe
dispatched an officer with four ships of Narvaoz's
fleet to Hispaniola and Jamaica to engage adven-
turers, and to purchase horses^ gunpowJcr, and

N 3 other

I5&

AMERICA.

^1%

,■1.

' »-

other military stores. As he knew it wonld ht
vain to attempt the reduction of Mexico unless he
could secure the command of the lake, he gave
orders to prepare materials for building twelve bri-
gan tines, so that they might be carried tl:iither in
pieces ready to be put together, and launched when
he stood in need of them.

While he ,was taking those necessary steps to-
wards the execution of his measures, the spirit of
discontent and mutiny broke out in his own army;
they were unwilling to hazard the dangers of an-
other campaign. The utmost he was able to eti'ect
was to prevail with them to defer their d*^narture,
for which they loudly called, for some time, on a
promise that he would, at a more proper juncture,
dismiss such as should desire it. At this juncture,
two small ships arrived from Cuba wiih men and
military stores j these had been sent by the gover-
nor to Narvaez, whose success against Cortes ap-
peared to Velasquez as certain. The officer whoni
Cortes had appointed to command on the coa-
artfully decoyed them into the harbour of Ver^.
Cruz, seized the vessels, and easily persuaded the
8oldiers to follow the standard of a more able
leader than him whom they had been destined to
join. Soon after, three ships of more considerable
force came into the harbour. These belonged to
an armament titled out by Francisco de Garay, go-
vernor of Jamaica, who hoped to divide with Cortes
the glory and gain of annexing the empire of New
Spain to the crown of Castile. The men belong-
ing to these ships abandoned also the master w^hom
they were bound to serve, and enlihted under
Cortes. Nor was it America alone that fiirnished
such unexpected aid. A ship arrived from Spain,
freighted by some private merchants, witli mili-

tar/

go-

lain,
lili-
tar/

AMERICA. 139

iciry stores, in hopes of a proti table market in a
country, the fame of whose opulence began to
spreail over Europe. Cortes eagerly purchased a
cargo which to him was invaluable, and tj^e crew>
following the general example, joined his army.

From these various quarters the army of Cortes
was augmenied with a hundred and ei^jhty men
and twenty horses j and it is not a little remarka-
ble, that the two persons chiefly instrumental in
furnishing him with supplies should be an avowed
enemy w iio aimed at his destruction, and an en-
vious rival who wished to supplant him. Having
dismissed such of Narvaez's soldiers as remained
with reluctance, he was able to muster 550 infan-
try, 40 horsemen, and a train of nine field-pieces.
At the head of these, accompanied by 10,000 Tlas-
calans and other friendly Indians, Cortes began his
march towards Mexico on the 28th of December,
six months after his disastrous retreat from that
city.

Nor did he advance to attack an enemy unpre-
pared to receive him. Upon the death of Monte-
zuma, the Mexican chiefs, in whom the right of
electing the emperor was vested, had instantly
raised his brother Quetlavaca to the throne, a man
distinguished for his courage and capacity. He
repaired what the Spaniards had rained in the city,
and strengthened it with such new fortifications' as
the skill of his subjects was capable of erecting.
He summoned the people in every province of the
empire to take arms against theii* oppressors, and,
as an encouragement to exert them,selves with vi-
gour, he promised them an exemption from all tho
taxes which his predece<6sois had imposed. While
this prince was arranging his plan of defence with
a degree of foresight uncomiuon to an American,

his

I. ,|r

' ' : I ;

1 j:

140 AMERICA.

bis days were cut short by ilie small-pox. This
distemper, wliich rnged at that time in New Spain
with fatal malignity, was vinknown in that quarter
of tlie globe until it was introduced by the Euro-
peans, and may be reckoned among the greatest
calamities brought upon them by their invaders.
In his stead the Mexicans raised to the throne Gua-
timozin, nephew and son-in-law of Montezuma,
a young man of such high reputation for abilities
and valour, tliat in this dangerous crisis his coun-
trymen, with one voice, called him to the supreme
command.

During the siege, which was long, and attended
with heavy loss on both sitles, the Mexicans, in
their own defence, displayed valour which was
hardly inferior to that with which the Spaniards
attacked them. On land, on water, by night and
by day, one furious conflict succeeded to another.
Once tiie Spaniards committed an error, which
Guatimozin instantly dibcerned, and prepared to
take advantage of. On a signal which he gave,,
the priests in the principal temple struck the great
drum consecrated to the god of war. No sooner
did the Mexicans hear its doleful solemn sound,
calculated to inspire them with contempt of death
and enthusiastic ardour, tlian they rushed upon the
enemy with frantic rage. 1 he Spaniards, unable
to resist men urged on no less by religious fury
than hope of succejrs, began to retire at first lei-
surely j but as the enemy pressed on, and their
own impatience to escape increased, the terror and
confusion became so general, that when they ar-
rived at the gap of the causeway, Spaniards, Tlas-
ciilans, horsemen and infantry, plunged in promis-
cuously, while the Mexicans rushed upon them
fiercely from every side. In vain did Cortes at-
tempt

)]e

is-
\m
It"

AMERICA. 141

tempt to stop and rally his flying troops j Jear ren-
dered them regardless of his entreaties or com-
mands. Finding all his endeavours to renew the
combat fruitless, his next care was to save some of
those who had thrown themselves into the water j
but while thus employed, with more attention to
their situation than to his own safety, six. Mexican
captains suddenly laid hold of him, and were hur-
rying him off in triumph ; and though two of his
othcers rescued him at the expense of their own
lives, he received several danwrous wounds before
he could break loose. Above sixty Spaniards pe-
rished in the rout, forty of whom fell alive into
the hands of an enemy, never known to show mercy
to a captive.

The approach of night, though it delivered the
dejected Spaniards from the attacks of the enemy,
ushered in, what was scarcely less grievous, the
noise of their barbarous triumph, and of the horrid
fesdval with which they celebrated their victor)^
Every quarter of the city was illuminated j tlie
great temple shone with such peculiar splendour,
that the Spaniards could plainly see the people in
motion, and the priests busy in hastening the pre-
parations for the death of the prisoners. Through
the gloom they fancied that they discerned their
companions by the whiteness of their skins, as they
were stript naked and compelled to dance before
the image of the god to whom they were to be
offered. They heard the shrieks of those who
were sacrificed, and thought that they could di-
stinguish each unhappy victim, by the well-known
sound of his voice. Imagjination added to what
they really saw or heard, and augmented its horror;
The most unfl^eling melted into tears of compas-

sioD»

;''>' ■■'■ ,

l':?r

;^,i-

' kit,

l»il

!*'.iil

142

AMERICA.

sion, and the stoutest heart trembled at the dread-
ful spectacle which they beheld.

The Mexicans, elated with their victory^ sallied
out nex< morning to attack Cortes in his quarters.
But they did not rely on tl-e ettbrts of their own
arms alone. They sent the heads of the Spaniards
whom tlicy had sacriliced, to the leading men in the
adjacent, provinces, and assured them, that the god
of war, appeased by the blood of tlieir invaders,
had declared with an audible voice, that in eight
days time those hated enemies should be linally
destroyed, and peace and prosperity reestablished
in the empire.

A prediction uttered with such confidence gained
universal credit, among a people prone to supersti-
tion. The zeal of those who had already declared
against the Spaniards augmented 3 and those who
had hitherto been inactive took arms with enthu-
siastic ardour to execute the decree of the gods.
The Indian auxiliaries who had joined Cortes
abandoned his army as a race of men devoted to
certain destruction. Even the fidelity of the Tlas-
calans was sh^hen, and the Spanish troops were
left almost alone in their stations. Cortes, findnig
that he attempted in vain to dispel the superstitious
fears of his confederates by ajgnment, took advan-
tage from the imprudence of those who had framed
the prophecy, in fixing its accomplishndent >-;o near
at hand, to give a striking demonstration of its fal-
sity. He suspended all military operations during
the period marked out by the oracle. Undercover
of tlie brigantines, which kept the enemy at a di-
stance, his troops lay on the lake in safety, and the
fatal term expired without any disaster.

Many of his allies^ ashamed of their own cre-
dulity.

jrvea

AMKRICA. 143

dulity, returned to their station. Other tribes,
judging that the gods, who had now deceived the
Mexicans, had decreed finally to withdraw their
protection from them, joined his standard 3 and so
striking was the levity of this simple people, moved
by every slight impression, that in a short time
after such a general defection of hi'^^ confederates,
Cortes saw himself at the head of a hundred and
fifty thousand Indians. Notwithstanding this im-
mense force, Cortes proceeded against the city with
great caution j nor co\ild he make any impression
till the stores, which Guatimozin had laid up, were
exhausted by the multitudes which had crowded
into the capital, to defend their sovereign and the
temples of their gods. Then people of all ranks
felt the utmost distresses of famine. What they
suffered brou^rht on infectious and mortal diseases,
the last calamity that visits besieged cities, and
which filled up the measure of their woes.

But, under the pressure of so many and such
various evils, the spirit of Guatimozin remained
firm and unsubdued. He rejected with scorn
every overture of peace from Cortes ; and, disdain-
ing the idea of submitting to the oppressors of his
country, determined not to survive its ruin. At
the earnest solicitations of several of his chiefs he
attempted to escapee, but was taken by the Spa-
niards. When brought before Cortes he appeared
with a dignified countenance ; " I have done,'*
said he, *' what became a monarch. I have de-
fended my people to tlie last extremity. Nothing
now remains but to die. Take this dagger," lay-
ing his hand on one which Cortes wore, '' plant
it in ray breast, and put an end to a life which caji
no longer bs useful to my country.'*

M, I ' ■

144
AD.

1521.

AMERICA.

As soon afi tlie fate of their sovereign
was known, the resistance of the Mexicans
ceased, and Cortes took possession of that
Rmall part of the capital which yet remained un-
destroyed. Thus terminated the siege of Mexico,
the most memorable event in the concjuest of Ame-
rica. The exultation of tJie Spaniards on the ac-
complishment of this arduous enterprise was at first
excessive j but this was quickly damped by hndiiiLj
so small a quantity of booty, the gold and siher
am( unting to much less than 30,0CX^1. sterliiiL^.
1'he murmurs and sullendiscontent of the Spanish
soldiers led Cortes to the commission of a deed
.which stains the glory of all his great actions.
Vv'ithout regarding the former dignity of Giiati-
mozin, or feeling any reverence lor the virtues
\\ liich he had displayed, he sulijected tlie unhappy
monarch, together with his chief favourite, to tor-
lure, in order to force from them a discovery of
the royal treasures, wliicli it was supposed they
had concealed. Ihe monarch bore whatever hi,s
tormentors could inflict with invincible fortitude,
till Cortes, ashamed of a scene so horrid, rescued
the royal victim from the hands of his tortm-evs,
and prolonged a life reserved for new indignities
and sufterings.

The fate of the capital, as both parties had fore-
seen, deci led that of tlie empire. The provinces
submitted one after another to tlie conquerors.
Small detachments of Spaniards, marching through
them without interruption, penetrated in different
quarters to the great Southern Ocean, which, ac-
cording to the ideas of Columbus, they imagined
woukl open a short as well as easy passage to the
East Indies, and secui*e to the crown of Castile ail
a tlie

AMERICA. 145

the envied wealth of those fertile regions ; and
the active mind of Cortes began already to form
schemes for attempting this important discovery.
He did not know, that during the progress of his
victorious arms in Mexico, the very scheme of
which he began to form some idea, had been un-
dertaken and accomplished by Ferdinand Magel-
lan-^. Though an untimely fate depr,ved tliis
great man of the satisfaction of accomplisliing the
undertaking, his contemporaries, just to his me-
mory and talents, ascribed to him not only the ho-
nour of having formed the plan, but of having sur-
mounted almost every obstacle to the completion
of it 5 and in the present age his name is still ranked
among the highest in the roll of eminent and suc-
cessful navigators. The naval glory of Spain now
eclipsed that of every other nation j and by a sin-
gular felicity she had the merit, in the course of a
few years, of discovering a new continent almost as
large as that part of the earth which was foimerly
known, and of ascertaining by experience the form
and extent of the whole terraqueous globe.

At the time Cortes was acquiring such extensiv^e
territories for his native country, and preparing the
way for new conquests, he was represented by mi-
nisters in the court of Spain as an undutiful and
seditious subject. His conduct in assuming the
government of New Spain was declared to be an
irregular usurpation, in contempt of royal autho-
rity. A person was sent out with fa': powers to
supersede him, and even to send Ivin home pri-
soner. But Cortes soon prevailed on him to sur-
render his powers, and in the mean time dispatched
deputies to Spain with a pompous account of the

'!!♦;

iiy.

* See Vol. XII. ch. V. of tjiis work.
VOIv XXIV. O

success

146 AMr.nicA,

success of his nrms, with further specimens of the
j)ro(lnolions of the country, and with rich presents
to tJie emperor, as the earnest of future contrihu-
tions from his new cominest j re(juesting, in re-
compense for all his services, the approbation of
Lis proceedings; and that he might he entrusted
Avith the government of those dominions, \^hi(•h
Ills conduct and the valour of his followers liad
added to the crown of Castile. The public voice
«leclared warmly in favour of his ])retensions, and
the emperor aj)pointed Cartes captain-g<,;neral and
governor of N^w Spain-
Even before his jurisiliction ref'e'H'ed tlm legal
sanction, Cortes ventured to exercise all the powuis
of a governor, and endeavoured to lender his con-
quest a secure and benelicial ac<jui,iition to his
country. He determined to raise INlexico from it^
ruins : andhavins; conceived hiiih Ideas concernino
the future n'randeur of the state of which he \\as
laying the foundatfou, he began to rebuild its ca-
pital on a plan which hath gradually formed tiic;
most magnihcent city in the New World.

it was not, however, without difliculty that the
Mexican empire was reduced into the form of a
Spanish colony. And to the everlasting infamy of
the concjuerors, they affected to consider every ef-
fort of the Mexicans to assert their own independ-
ence, as the rebellion of vas.sals against their sove-
reign, or the mutiny of slaves against their master.
Under the sanction of those ill-founded maxims,
they reduced the conmion people in the provinces
to the most humiliating of all conditions, that of
personal servitude. Their chiefs were punished
with greater severity, and put to death by the most
excruciating tortures. In almost every district of
the iMexican empire, the progress of Spanish arms

AMERICA. 147

is marked w'ltli bloovl, and with deeds so atrocious
as di>;grace the enterprising valour that condueted
them to success. In the country ot" Panuco, sixty
<M'/i(iues anil four huiuh'cd nobles were burnt at
one time j and to complete the hoiTor of the scene,
the children and relations of the wretched victims
were assembled, and compelled to be spectators of
their dyin-!: atijonies. But we will not enlareo oa
facts which are disgraceful to human nature.

The passions of jealousy were revived . ,^
with still stronger force against Cortes at ,-.',,^*
home, and Ponce de Leon was sent out
to seize his person and seiad him prisoner to Spain,
^'rhe sudden death of this man, wuhin a few days
after his arrival in New Spain, prevented the exe-
cution of this commission. And Cortes immedi-
ately set out ibr Castile, and hi the presence of his
sovereign vindicated his condvict very successfully.
His arrival in Spain removed from the » -p.
monarch every suspicion and fear that had . rr^^'
been entertained with respect to his inten-
tions. The sovereign presented him with the order
of St. Jago, and the title of marquis del Valle de
Guaxana, and a grant of an ample territory in New
Spain. But amidst those external proofs. of regard,
symptoms of distrust appeared. Cortes returned to
America, but In the remainder of his life nothing
more is remarkable ex<x^pt the discovery of the
peninsula of California. He returned to . ta
his native country. But his recejnion tliere '. ' *
was unwortJiy of his great merit. His antient
exjxloits seemed to be ah'eady forgotten : the em-
peror behaved to Km with cold civility ^ his mi-
nisters treated him, sometimes with neglect, some-
times w^ith insolence. His grie\ances received no
redress ; }iis claims were urged without eifect ;

o 2 and^

148 AMERICA.

and, after several years spent in fruitless applica-

ti(;n to ministers iiiul judges, lie ended his days on

the second of December in the sixty-second year

. -p. of his age. His fate was the same with

■ ' tliat of all the persons who distinguished

' * themi^elves in the discovery or conquest of

the New World : envied by his contemporaries,

and ill requited by the court which he served, he

has been admired and ceKbrated by succeeding

ages. AVhich has formed the most just estimate

of his characier, an impartial consideration of liis

actions must determine.

nil]

■'f

CHAP.

AMT-RICA.

CHAP. V.

H'lstnn/ of the Conquest of Peru ly Pharro, Alma-
gro, and Lupine. Tlwir Character. Pizarro sets
n II' from Panania. yfrriaes at Tunibez. Z)<'-
I'lghted with the great Plentij of Gobi and Silver,
Eil)lor"s the Countrt/. Returns. Goes to Spain,
Inuadjs Peru a second time. Seizes the Gold at
Coaf/ue. Meets irith Resistance at Puna. Ei-
tent of Peru. The Incas. Civil IFar in the
Country. yltahualpa solicits Pizarro' s yiid.
Visits hiniy and. is taken Prison r. O/jers a Ran-
som. The Brile iiken, but the Prince detained.
The Spaniards share th ' M'ney, and basely mur*
der Jtahualpa. Pe^uviav attac^ the Spaniards,
Ahnagro penetrates into Chili. Lays claim cO
Cuzco. Takes Ferdinand J'harro Prisoner,
Releases him. Is made J'f- oner by P.:^arro, and
put to Death. Pizarro's Conduct and D'0*h,
Faca de Castro arrives. H's wise and rcso-
lute Conduct. Is superseded by Gasca. His
benevolent Plans and Disinterestedness. Returns
to Spain universally honoured. Institutions and
Manner's of the Mexicans and Pcruvia?LS. The
recent Origin of the Mexican Empire. The Pro-
gress of the Mexicans in Civilizatinn. Religion,
Peruvian Mouu hy viore antienf. Its Policy
founded in Religion. State of Property among
the Peruvians. Their public Works and^h Is.

Roads. B
like Spit it.

xlges.

Buildinsj[s, Their linwar'

E must now resume our chronological his-
tory of discoveries in this continent^ and we

o 3 find

>*"•

150

AMERICA.

." I

'■i

I •

!< .<-,

. j^ find tlirce names particularly celebrated :
*^ * these are Francisco Pizarro, Diego de Al-
magro, and Hernando Luqiie. Pizarro
was the natural son oi a gentleman of an honour-
able family, by a very low woman : liis education
and prospects were so totally neglected, that when
bordering on manhood he was in no higher em-
ployment than a kee^ er of hogs. But the aspiring
mind of this young man suddenly abandoned his
charge : he enlisted as a soldier, and, having sensed
several years in Italy, embarked for America,
where he very soon distinguished himself. Al-
niagro had as little to boast of his descent as Pi-
zarro. 1 he one w as a bastard, the other a found-
ling. Bred, like his companion, in the camp, he
yielded not to him in the qualities of valour^ acti-
vity, or insurmountable constancy in enduring tlie
hardships inseparable from military service in tlie
Kew World. In Almagro these virtues were ac-
companied with openness^ generosity, and can-
dour : ir Pizarro, they were united with the ad-
dress, the craft, and the dissimulation of a politi-
cian. Hernando de Luque was an ecclesiastic,
wlio acted both as a priest and schoolmaster at Pa-
nama, and had acquired riches that inspired him
"with thoughts of rising to greater eminence. Such
were the men destineil to overturn one of the most
extensive empires on the face of the earth. Their
confederacy for this purpose was authorised by Pe-
drarias, the governor of Panama. Each engaged
to employ his whole fortune in the adventure.
Pizarro, who was the least wealthy, offered to
take the department of tiie greatest fatigue and
danger, and to command in person the armament
which was to go first upon discovery. Alma-
gro was to conduct the supplies of provisions,
2 and

AMERICA.

151

and reinforcements of troops, of which Pizarro
might stand in need j and Luque was to remain at
Panama to negotiate with the governor, and super-
intend whatever was carrying on for the general
interest. Luque celebrated mass, divided a con-
secrated host into three parts, and, reserving one for
himself, gave the other two to his associates j of
which they partook, and thus, in the name of the
Prince of Peace, ratified a contract of which plim-
der, bloodshed, and every enormity, were the ob-
jects.

Pizarro set sail from Panama November . -^
the 14th, with a single ship and 112 men ; '*
and so little was he acquainted with the pe- ^
culiaritios of the climate, that he spent two years in
sailing from Panama to the northern extremity of
Peru, a voyage which is now frequently performed
in a fortnight. He landed, and found that ^he
wealth of the country was as great as he imagined ;
and that the resistance he was likely to meet in
endeavouring to possess himselfof it, would be full
as considerable. At Tumbez, a place about three
degrees south of the line, Pizarro and his compa-
nions feasted their eyes with tlie first view of the
opulence and civilization of the Peruvian empire.
This place was distinguished for its stately temple,
and a palace of the incas or sovereigns of the coun-
try. But what chiefly attracted their notice was
such a show of gold and silver, not only in the or-
naments of tlieir persons and temples, but in se-
veral vessels and utensils for common use, formed
of those precious metals, as left no room to doubt
that they abounded with profusion there. Having
explored the country sufficiently to satisfy his own
mind, Pizarro procured two of their llamas, or tame
cattle, to which the Spaiiiards gave the name of

sheep.

li!

-:?'m

'»ji

,1*

♦t;

1.^2 AMERICA.'

sheep, some vessels of gold and silver, anrl two
young men whom he in t tended to bring up as in-
terpreters; and with these he arrived at Panama

A Y) towards the close of the third year from the
^ rr.^ <i'iie of his departure. No adventurer of
*"• ' the age sutfered hardships or encountered
dangers which equalled those to which he was ex-
posed, during this long period. The patience with
which he en lured tiie one, and the fortitude with
which he surmounted the other, are said to exceed
whatever is recorded even in the histoiy of the New
World, where so many romantic displays of those
virtues occur. But neither Pizarro nor his asso-
ciates were deterred from the prosecution of their
scheme.

It was agreed that Pizarro should go into Spain
to release themseh'es from the government of Pe-
clrarias, and to obtain the grant of whatever they
should conquer. Pizarro was to be chief governor,
with the property of 200 leagues along the sea-
roast; Almagro, they agreed, should be adelanto,
or king's lieutenant ; and Luque, who was a priest,
was to be first bishop and protector of the Indians.
TJie other profits of the enterprise were to be
equally divided. Pizarro solicited only his own
suit at court, and obtained for himself alone, the
property of the land, the government, the lieute-
nancy, and in short every tiling he was capable as
ii layman of taking ; Almagro was forgotten j and
to Luque was left the eventual bishopric. This
breach of faith had nearly ruined the scheme : but
IMzarro knew how to retreat ; he satisfied Alma-
gro, and a reconciliation \\'as efi'ected.

Pizarro completed his next voyage from Panama
to the bay of St. Matthew in thirteen days. He
advanced by land as quickly as possible towards*

Peru*

AMERIC\4

153

Peru. At the province of Coaque he surprised
the natives, and seized their vessels of gold and
silver to the amount of several thousand pounds
sterling. Delighted with this spoil, he instantly
dispatched one of his ships with a large remittance
to Almagro, and another to Nicaragua with a con-
siderable sum to several persons of influence in
that province, ^a hopes of alluring adventurers by
this early dispir} of the wealth which he had ac-
quire'!. In the mean time he continued his march
along the coast, meeting with scarcely any resist-
ance till he arrived at tlie island of Puna in the bay
of Guayquil. Here he spent six months in redu-
cing the inhabitants to subjection. From » -p.
Puna he proceeded to Tumbez, and from . ' '
thence to the river Piura, near the mouth
of which he established the first Spanish colony in
Peru, to which he gave the name of St. Michael,

When the Spaniards invaded Peru, the domi-
nions of its sovereigns extended in length from
north to south 1500 miles along the Pacific Ocean.
Its breadth was much less considerable, being uni-
formly bounded by the vast ridge of the Andes,
which stretched from its one extremity to the
other. The empire was governed by a race of
kings or incas. The twelfth in succession was
then on the throne. The first of this race, named
Mango Capac, was a man of great genius, and
with the assistance of Mama Ocollo laid the foun-
dations of a city, civilized a barbarous people, and
instructed them in useful arts. They declared
themselves to be children of the Sun, and that they
were sent by their beneficent parent (o instruct
and reclaim them.

When the Spaniards first visited the coast of
Peru, Huana Capac w^as seated on the throne. By

him

»• .

H^ n

154 AMERICA.

him the kingdom of Quito was suhjerted ; a con-
quest of such extent and importance as ahnost dou-
bled the power of the Peruvian empire. He mar-
ried the daughter of the vanquished monarch of
Quito, by whom he had a son named Atahualpa,
whom, on his death at Quito, he appointed suc-
cessor in that kingdom, leaving the rest to Huas-
car, his eldest son, by a mother of the royal race.
liuascar, discontented with his father's will, re-
quired his brother to renounce the government of
Quito, and to acknowledge him as his lawful su-
perior, which Atahualpa refused, and marched
against Huascar in hostile array. Victory declared
itself in f^ivour of Atahualpa, who made a cruel
use of his success. Conscious of the defect in his
own title to the crown, he attempted to extermi-
nate the royal race by putting to death all the chil-
ihen of the Sun, descended from IVIanco Capac.

"When Pizarro landed in the bay of St. Matthew,
this civil war raged between the brothers with th^
greatest fury. His alliance and assistance were
sought by Atahualpa, which he readily promised,
and by these means was allowed to march his troops
in safety across the sandy desert between St. Mi-
chael and Motupe, where their career might easily
have been stopped. As they approached Caxa-
nialca, Atahualpa renewed his professions of friend-
ship, and as an evidence of their sincerity sent tlie
Spaniards presents of great value. On entering
this place Pizarro took possession of a large comt,
on one side of which was a palace of the inca, on
the other a temple of the Sun -, the whole was sur-
rounded with a strong rampart or wall of earth.
He then sent messengers inviting Atahualpa to
visit him in his quarters ; which he readily pro-
raised. On tl>e return of tlie deputies they ga\ <*

SUvli

easily

jieiul-
iu the

lerinix

foiirt,
, oil
sur-

tnrth.
)a to
pro-

jga\ (*

JUvll

AMEKICA. 155

such a description of the wealth which they had
seen, as determined Pizarro to seize upon the Pe-
ruvian monarch, in order that he might more easily
come at the riches of his kingdom. The next day
the inca approached Caxamalca without suspicion
of Pizarro's treachery. First of all appeared 40O
men in uniform dress, as harbingers to clear the
way before him. He himself, sitting on a throne
adorned with, plumes of various colours, and al-
most entirely covered with plates of gold and silver
(Miriched with precious stones, was carried on the
shoulders of his principal attendants. Behind him
( ame some chief officers of his court, carried in
the same manner. Several bands of singers and
dancers accompanied in this cavalcade, and the
whole plain was covered with troops, amounting
to more than thirty thousand men.

As the inca drew near the Spanish quarters, fa-,
tber Vincent Valverde, chaplain to the expedition,
advanced with a crucifix in one hand, and a bre-
^iary in the other, and in a long discourse attempt-
ed to convert him to the catholic faitli. 1 his the
monarch declined, avowing his resolution to ad-
here to the worship of the Sun -, at the same tiuit*^
he wished to know where the priest had learned
the extraoidinary things which ho had related,
*' In this book," answered Valverde, reaching out
to him his breviary. I'he inca opened it eagerly,
and turning over the leaves raised it to his ear :
" This," says he, *' is silent, it tells me nothing,'*
and threw it with disdain to the ground. The en-
raged monk, running towards liis countrymen,
cried out, *' To arms, Clnristians, to arms ! I'h^
word of God is insulted 5 avenge tlie profanation
vi\ these impious dogs."

Pizarro^ who during this long conference hacl

wiih

,trv

"•(.

|i' '

156 AMERICA.

with difficulty restrained his soldiers, eager to seize
the rich spoils of which they had now so near a
view, immediately gave the signal of assault, which
terminated in the destruction of 4000 Peruvians,
without the loss of a single Spaniard. The plunder
of the field was rich beyond any idea which even
the conquerors had yet formed concerning the
wealth of Peru.

The inca, who was taken prisoner, quickly
discovered that the ruling passion of the Spaniards
was avarice j he offered, therefore, to recover his
liberty by a splendid ransom. The apartment in
which he was confined was 22 feet long by \6 in
breadth j this he undertook to fill with vessels of
gold as high as he could reach. Pizarro closed
with the proposal, and a line was drawn upon
the walls of the chamber to mark the stipulated
height to which the treasure was to rise.

Atahualpa performed his part of the contract,
and the gold which his subjects brought in was
worth between three and four hundred thousand
pounds sterling. When they assembled to di\ ide
the spoils of tliis innocent people, procured by de-
ceit, extortion, and cruelty, the transaction began
with a solemn invocation to heaven, as if they ex-
pected the guidance of God in distributing those
wages of iniquity. In this division, above eight
thousand pesos, at that time not inferior in effec-
tive value to 10,0001. sterling in the present day,
fell to the share of each horse soldier. Pizarro
and his otficers received dividends in proportion to
tlie dignity of their rank.
. y. The Spaniards having divided among

' * them the treasure, the inca insisted that they

' should fulfil their promise of setting hira

at liberty. But nothing was further from Pizarro's

tlioughts I

AMKRICA. 157

(liorigbts 5 he was even at Ibat very moment plan-
ning schemes to take aw ay his life : an action the
ino:>t criminal and atrocious that stains the Spanish
name, amidst all the deeds of violence committed
in carrying on the conquest of the New World.
In order to g've some colour of justice to this out-
rage, and that he might not stand singly respon-
sible for the commission of it, Pizarro resolved to
try the inca with all the formalities observed in the
criminal courts of Spain. The charges exJiibited
against him were, the deposition and death of hi*
brother -, the permission of offering up human sa-
crifices j the keeping of a great number of concu-
bines ; find the exciting his subjects to take arms
against the Spaniards. On these he was found
ouilty, as his intamous judges had predetermined,
aiul condemned to be burnt alive. Friar Valverde
prostituted the autliority of his sacred function to
confirm the wicked sentence, and by his signature
warranted it to be just. Pizarro ordered him to
be led to execution, and tl\e cruel priest oiiered to
console, and attempted to convert him. The dread
of a cruel death extorted from the trembling victim
a desire of being bnptized. The ceremony was
performed ; and Atahualpa, instead of being burnt,
was strangled at the stake. '

The death of the inca was no sooner known,
than tlie principal nobility at Cuzco proclaimed
the brother of Huascar as his successor : but Pi-
zarro set up a son of Atahualpa j and two generals
of the Peruvians claimed the sovereign power for
themselves. Thus was this wretched country torn
to pieces at once by foreigners, and by .1 domestic
war among themselves. Notwithstanding, the Pe-
ruvians gained some considerable advantages over
tlie Spaniards even m this distracted condition,

VOL. XXIV. P which

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umm

■ . /J
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158

AMKKICA.

)

It^

which mride Pizarro listen to torms of peace-, which
he knew how to viohite when his ati'airs required
it. He made use of the interval to settle the Spa-
niards in the country, and shortly after renewed the
war, making himself master of Cuzco, then the
capital of the empire. New grants and supplies
had lately arrived from Spain, Pizarro obtained
200 leagues along the sea-coast, to the soutliward
of his former government. Almagro ]\ad a grant
also of two hundred more to the southward of Pi-
zarro's. Jt seems to have been a doubtful point
in whose territory the city of Cuzco lay. Both
<-on landed for it ; but it was at length awarded to
Pizarro, and a reconciliation was again eftected.
Almagro, with an addition of Pizarro's troops to
liis own, penetrated \^'ith difficulty and danger in^^o
Cliili, losing many of his men, whilst he passed
(ner mountains of immense height, and always
covered with snow. He succeeded, however, in
reducing a valuable and considerable part of thai
country. No sooner did the inca perceive this di-
\ ision of the Spanish troops, than he desired lea\e
from Pizarro's brother, who managed his affairs
for him at Cuzco, to assist at a solemn festival of
his nation, which was to be held at some distance.
1 his feast was in reality a sort of an assembly of
the states of the kintj^dom. The inca havinsc !iis
re(juest granted, he made the best use of his time
in exciting his countiymen to avenge themselves of
tlie Spanish wrongs and cmelty. They laid siege
to Cuzco with a large army ; but the garrison under
i^'erdinand Pizarro, though it consisted of only se-
venty men, was, with their artillery, successtul.

News was brought to Almagro of the danger to
which Cuzco was exposed, and tlie general insur-
rection of the Peruvians. Relinquishing his new

• oonquests.

AMERICA. 159

conquests, he. hastened bark to preserve Iiis old,
with great expedition. At his approMoh the In-
dians raised the siege, to the joy of the garrison,
who were ahnost exhausted by the leno ;th of the
defence. Ahnagro resohed to renew his chiinn
to Cu7Xo ; he had now a sort of right to it by hav-
nig raised tlie siege, and he had "trength suiheient
to support that right. Ferdinand anci Gonzalo,
the two brothers of Pizarro, making some opposi-
tion, w^re thrown into prison, and their little army
either joined tlie conqueror, or shared the same
fate.

Pizarro, unacquainted with the arrival of Alma-
gro, had got together an army for the relief of
Cuzco, who were near the tow n before they found
that they had any other enemy than the Indians to
contend WMth. Almagro, after having in vain tried
to seduce their fideUty, engaged and routed them.
His friends represented to him that now was the
hour of his fortune, and that he was bound to em-
ploy k by estabUshing himself beyond all possibi-
lity of being removed. That he ought to |«ut the
Pizarros, his prisoners, to death, and march di-
rectly to Lima, and seize his rival. Almagro re-
jected this advice ; and while he was deliberating
what course he should pursue, Gonzalo Fizarro
made his escape, with a hundred of those who were
affected to his cause. Shortly after, by the solicita-
tions and art of Pizarro, he released liis brother Fer-
dinand. The treaty which they entered into wilh
Almagro was now forgotten ; they attacked him,
gained a complete victory, and took him prisoner.
In spite of Alm^gro's age, whicn ought to have ex-
cited pity ; in spite of their common warfare, their
dangers and triumphs j in spite of every sentiment
of gratitude, for what this unfortunate man had

r 2 contributed

f-'^

'Mi

IMP

160 AMERICA.

contributed to his greatness; and in spite of his
late mercy to his brother ; all which were pathe-
tically and strongly urged by Alinagro, — Pizarro
was deaf to every thing bat barbarous policy : he
had him formally tried, condemned, and strangled
in prison. His body was afterwards publicly be-
headed on a scaffold, and for a long time denied
burial. A negro slave interred it at last by stealth.
He left one son by an Indian woman of Panama,
whom, though at that time a prisoner at Lima, ho
named successor to his government, p\irsuant to a
power which the emperor had granted him.

Pizarro considering himself now the unrivalled
possessor of that vast empire, proceeded to parcel
out its territories among the conquerors, but uith an
unequal hand. Of course, all who were disappointed
in their expectations, exclaimed loudly against the
rapaciousness and partiality of the governor. The
partisans of Almagro murmnred in secret, and me-
ditated revenge. This party was yet numerous,
though dispersed about the country. The heads of
them, finding Pizarro implacable^ entered into a
conspiracy to murder him.

Their frequent cabals for this purpose did not
pass unobserved, and the governor was warned to
be on his guard against men who meditated some
desperate deed. He disregarded the admonitions
of his friends. *' Be in no pain," said he, " about
my life ; it is perfectly safe, as long as every man
in Pern knows that I can, in a moment, cut otf any
head which dares to harbour a thought against it."
This security gave the Almagrians full leisure to
ripen every part of their scheme j and Juan de Her-
-rada, an officer of great abilities, who had the
charge of young Almagro's education, took the di-
rection of their consultations, with all the zeal

which

A^MERICA. I6l

which this conncctiou inspired, and \\ ith all the
authority whicli the ascendant thai he was known
tohavcover the mind of his pu])il gn\e him.

On Sunday tJie'iO'lh oCJnne, at mid-day, » j^
thcseason of tran(|uillity and repose in all sul- , * *
try chmatcs, FK-rrada, at the ht^ad (>f eighteen
of the most determined conspirators, salhed out of
Ahnagro'shour^e, in compleie armour, and, drawini;
their swords as they advanced hastily towards the
governor's palace, cried out, ^' Lon^ live the kiiii;,
but let the tyrant die !" Though Pi/arro was
usually surrounded hy sueli a numerous train of
attendants as suited the maonificenre of the nicst
opulent subject of the aj^e in which he lived ; yet
as he was just risen from table, and most of his do-
mestics had retired to their own apartments, the
conspirators passed thoui^h the two outer courts of
the palace luiobserved. Tizarro, with no otlu r
arras than his sword and b\ickler, defended the en-
try of his apartment; and supported by his half
brother Alcantara, and a little knot of friends, he
maintained the unequal contest with an ijurepidity
worthy of his past exploits, and with the vigour of
a youthful combatant : ** (Courage," cried he,
*' companions, we are yet enow to make those
traitors repent of their audacity." But the armour
of the conspirators protected them, while every
thrust they made took etr'ect Alcantara fell dead
at his brother's feet ; his other defenders were*,
mortally wounded. The governor receiv ing a deadly
thrust full in his throat, sunk to the ground, aiul
expired.

As soon as he was slain, the assas^sins rah into
the streets, and, waving their bloody swords, pro-
claimed the death of the tyrant. They tlien con-
ducted young Almagro hi solemn procession

V 3 thruugii

■f;

■k

102

AMERICA.

\k t

i ■.•A:,

througii the city, and, assembling th * magistrates
and principal citizens, conipcii^. d them to acknow-
ledge him as lawful successor to his father in hi«
government. But the officers who commanded ia
some of the provinces refused to recognize his au-
thority, until it was confirmed by the emperor. In
others, particularly at Cuzco, the royal standard
was erected, and preparations were begun, in order
to revenge the murder of their antient leader.

In this state of things, the new governor, Vaca
de Castro, appointed by the court of Spain, ar-
rived. I'his gentleman had been chosen to the
important trust, at the instance of the emperor
alone, on account of his high reputation for justice
and integrity. He immediately assumed the su-
preme authority, and, by his influence and address,
soon assembled such a body of troops, as not only
set him above all fear of being exposed to any in-
sult from the adverse party, but enabled him to ad-
vance from Quito with the dignity that became
his character. Encouraged by the approach of the
new governor, tlie loyal were confirmed in tlieir
principles, and avowed them with greater boldness ;
the timid ventured to declare their sentiments ; the
neutral and wavering, finding it necessary to choose
a side, began to lean to that which now appeared
to be the safest, as well as the most just.

De Castro had scarcely landed, when Almagro
sent an embassy to him, proposing terms ; to which
the governor replied, that he was come under the
emperor's authority, to do justice to all j of which,
if a good subject, he could have no room to com-
plain^ if a bad one, he must prepare for the result.
This was new language to those who held the su-
preme power in this part of the world, who almost
forgot that they had a superior. Aknagro resolved

IxJth

"'"'^Ip*-'

AMERICA. 163

to nbidt' thr fortune of war ; but victory was on the
sick' ui" Castro — not howevci ' ithout considerable
loss. 1 he superior number ot his troops, his own
intiepidiiy, nnd the marti il talents ot* Francisco de
Ciujaval, his principal ofbcer, triumphed over the
bravery of his opponent^N, th(m;j;h led on by Alma-
gro with a <;nllant spirit, worthy of a better cause,
and deserving anothi r f ite. The carnage was j^reat,
in proportion to the number of combatants. Of
fourtt en hundred men, five hundred lay dead nu
the field, and the number of wounded was still
greater.

If the miliiar}' talents displayed by De Castro,
lx>lh in the council and the ticld, surprised the ad-
venturers in Peru, tliey were still more astonished
nt his conduct after tlie victory, lie proceeded
directly to tr)' his prisoners as rebels. Forty were
condemned to suffer death, others were banished
fnjm Peru. Their leader made his escape from
the field of battle; but being betrayed by some of
his officers, he was pid)lic]v beheaded at Cuzco j
and in him the name of Almagro and the spirit of
tlie party became extinct.

The severity of this procedure, whilst it terrified
eveiy body, drew dow n no odium upon the gover-
nor, who acted clearly without prejudice or self-
interest. To the follow^ers of Pizarro he shewed
but little favour ; he proceeded with such con-
stancy, that in a short time the Spaniards were re-
duceci to an entire subjection, and the Indians were
treated by them as fellow subjects and fellow crea-
tures. He obliged the clergy to attend diligently
to tiie dnty of their function, and to the conversion
of the Indians, rather than to the acquisition of
their gold. He laid the foundation for the excel-
lent adninibtration of justice. He founded several

tttwns,

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I64 AMERICA.

towns, anrl established scliools and colleges in
them, and placed the royal revenues on such a
footing, that the conquest of Peru became imme-
diately a great public advantage, which had hi-
therto been little more than an object of private
plunder. But while he remained poor aiuong some
of the richest conliscations that ever were made,
and while he enriched the royal treasuiy with
most prodigious reniiltances, the great men at
court received no presents j which induced them to
got judges appointed to supersede, in a great mea-
sure, the authority of De Castro. The end was an-
swered ; disputes arose ; the colony was unset-
tled J appeals and complaints were made to the
court of Spain by ajl parties. In this confusion,
Gonzalo, the brother of the celebrated Pizarro,
availed himself of the general discontent, and
contrived to set himself up at the b'.ad of a party.
He strengdiened himself daily, and even went so
far as to behead a viceroy who was sent to curb
him.

The court, justly alarmed at this progress, sent
Peter dc la Gasca, a man differing from De Castro,
only by being of a milder and more insinuating be-
haviour, hut possessing the same 'jve of justice,
tlie same greatness of soul, and the same disinte-
rested spirit. This mildness of character suited
the circumstances of the times, as well as the rigid
justice of Castro did those in which he was ap-
pointed ; for, as the revolt was now almost gene-
ral » he had no friends but such as he could render
so 'j though he was invested with the most ample
authority from Spain, he neither carried men to
enforce it, nor money j and the whole success of tlie
expedition rented solely in his own capacity.

When he arrived in Mexico, he declared that he

came

Ik r>^

AMEKICA. 165

came not to exercise severities, but to heal the di-
visions by gentle measures. He drew the cities of
Lima and Cuzco from the party of Pizarro. This
rebel leader hazarded a batde, was defcated and
t:iken prisoner. He was soon after condennied and
executed, with those who had been the chief in-
struments of his rebellion. Such was the fate of
all those who had taken a lead in the reduction of
]Vru. Almagro beheaded 5 his son sharing the
snnie fate ; Pi/arro murdered in his own palace j
his brother Ferdinand kept a prisoner twenty-three
years j and his other brother Gonzalo suffering
death as a traitor. The new governor, having by
necessary severities quieted his province, took ef-
fectual care to heal its disorders by tlie arts of
peace, and to complete what De Castro had beea
obliged to leave unfinished. He settled tlie civil
government, the army and the miiies, upon such a
basis, as to ensure, under a wise administration, the
most important advantages to his country. He is-
sued re«nilations concernini^ tlie treatment of the
Indians, well calculated to protect them from op-
pression, and to pi f)vide for dieir instruction in the
principles of religion, without deprivuig tlie Spa-
niards of tlie b.eneiil accruing from their labour.

Having u' v accumpli.«»hed the object of his mis-
?ion, Ga^ca, wishing to leturn to a private station.
Committed the government of Peru into the handi
of the court of audience, and set out for Spain.
As during the last four years of anarchy and tur-
bulence' there had been no remittances made of
tlie royal re\enue, he carried with him three hun-
dred tJiousand pounds of public money, which the
frconomy and o der of his administration enabled
him to save, after paying all the expenses of the
var.

He was received in his native countiy with uni-
versal

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1()6 AMERICA.

versal admiration for his abilities and his virtue.
Without army, or fleet, or public I'uiid.s, Jie set
out to oppose a formidable rebellion. By his ad-
dress and talents he seemed to create instruments
for executing his desij^ns. He acquired such a
naval force as gave him the command of llu; sea.
He raised a body of men able to contend with and
conquer bands which gave law to Peru. In the
place of anarchy and usurpation he established the
government of laws and the autliority of the rightfi J
sovereign. His abilities were, however, far ex-
ceeded by his virtue. After residing in a country
where wealth presented allurements which had
hitherto seduced every person who possessed
power there, he returned with unsuspected inte-
grity. After distributing among his countrymen
possessions o^ greater extent and value than had
ever been in the disposal of a subject in any age or
nation, he himself remained in his original state of
poverty j and, at the very time when he brought
such a vast recruit to the royal treasury, he was
obliged to apply by petition for^a small sum to dis-
charge some petty debts which he had contracted
during the course of his service. Charles was not
insensible to such merit : he received Gasca with
the most distinguishing marks of esteem 3 and
being promoted to tlie bishopric of Palnicia, h':i
passed the remainder of his days in the tranquillity
of retirement, respected by his country, honoured
by his sovereign, and beloved by all.

Notwithstanding Gasca' s wise regulations, the
tranquillity of Peru was not of long continuance.
Several successive insurrections desolated the
country for some years. During these contests
many of the iirsl invaders of Peru, and many of
those hcentious adventurers whom the fame of
tlieir success had allured thiilier, fell by each others

hands

AMERICA. Id/

hands. Each of the parties gradually cleared the
country of a number of turbulent spirits, by exe-
cuting, proscribing, or banishing their opponents.
Men less enterprising, and less desperate, and
more accustomed to move in the sober and peace-
able road of industry, settled in Peru j and the
royal authority was gradually established as lirmly
there as in the other Spanish colonies.

We shall conclude this chapter with a brief ac-
count of the political institutions and national man-
ners of the Mexicaus and Peruvians. When com-
pared with other parts of the New World, Mexico
and Peru may be considered as polished stales.
But if the com})arison be made with the people of
the antient continent, the inferiority of America in
miprovement will be conspicuous. The people of
both these great empires were totally unacquainted
with the useful metals, and the progress they had
made in extending their dominion o\ er the animal
creation was inconsiderable. The Mexicans had
goi'j no farther than to tame and re;>r turkeys,
ducks, a species of small dogs, and rabbits. Tlie
Peruvians seem to have neglected the interior
animals, but they were more fortunate in taming
tiic llama, an animal peculiar to their country,
of a form which bears some resemblance to a deer,
and some to a cai\iel, and is of a size somewhat
larger than a sheep. Under the protection of man
tliis species greatly multiplied. Its wool fun.tshed
the Peruvians with clothing, its tiesh with food.
It was even employed as a beast of burtlien, and
carried a mod<^'ate load with patience and docility.

According to the accounts given by the Mexi-
cans thcmsehes, the duration of their empire was
ihort. From the iirst migration of their parent
tribe, tliey can reckon little more than 300 years.
The right oX' private property was, ho\ve\cr;, per-
fectly

I ■

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,1 '

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168 AMERICA.

fectly understood, and established in its full extent.
In Mexico, where agriculture and industry had
made some progress, the distinction betvveen pro-
perty in land and property in goods had taki*ii
place. Both might be transferred by sale or barter;
both might descend by inheritance. Every person
who could be denominated a freeman had property
in land. The title of others to their lands was
derived from the office or dignity which they en-
joyed, and when deprived of tiie latter they lost
possession of the former. Both these modes of
occupying land were deemed noble, and peculiar
to citizens of the highest class. The tenure by
which the great body of the people held tlieir pro-
perty was very different. In every district a cer-
tain quantity of land was measured out, in propor-
tion to the number of families. This was culti-
vated by the joint labour of the whole ; its pro-
duce was deposited in a common store-house, and
divided among tliem according to tlieir respective
exigencies. The members of the Calpullee, or
associations, could not alienate their share of the
common estate ; it was indivisible permanent pro-
perty, destined for the support of their fami-
lies. In consequence of this distribution of the
territory of the state, every man had an interest in
its welfare, and the happiness of the individual
was connected with the public security.

Another striking circumstance, which distin-
guishes the Mexican empire from those nations in
America which have been already described, is the
number and greatness of its cities. Mexico, the
capital, is supposed to have contained 60,000 in-
habitants. Among the Mexicans, too, the sepa-
ration of the arts necessary in life had taken place
to a considerable extent. The fiinctions of the
mason^ the weaver, the goldsmith, the [>ainter,

&c.,

AMERICA. 1^

&c., were carried on by difTerent persons, who
were regularly instructed in their several call-
ings.

The distinction of ranks was established also
in the Mexican empire j and a systenn very like
the feudal system in several European states was
acted upon there. The spirit of the people, thus
familiarised to subordination, was prepared for sub-
mitting to monarchical government.

In tracing the great lines of the Mexican consti-
tution, an image of feudal policy in its most rigid
form rises to view j and we may discern in it three
distinguishing characteristics : a nobility possessing
almost independent authority, a people depressed
into the lowest state of subjection, and a king en-
trusted with the executive power of the state. Its
spirit and principles seem to have operated in the
New World in the same manner as in the antient.
The jurisdiction of the crown was extremely li-
mited. All real and eifective authority was re-
tained by the Mexican nobles in their ow n hands,
and the shadow of it only left to the king.

The improved state of government among the
Mexicans was conspicuous, in the taxes which they
levied and in their mode of assessment. Taxes
were laid on land, upon the acquisition of indus-
try, and upon all commodities exposed to public
sale in the markets. They were imposed accord-
ing to established niles, and each knew what share
of the common burthen he had to bear. As the use
of money was unknown, all the taxes were paid in
kind 5 and from these the emperor supplied his at-
tendants in time of peace, and his armies during
war. People who possessed no visible property
were bound to the performance of various services.
TOL, XXIV. a By

170

AMERICA.

h '^1

« ;•,!;

By tlieir labour the crown lands were cultivated^
public works were carried on, and the various
houses belonging to tlie emperor were built and
kept in repair.

Their attention to the order and management
of the police was very striking. Public couriers,
stationed at proper intervals to convey intelligence
iVoni one part of the empire to the other, led to a
refinement in police not introduced into any king-
dom of Europe at tliat period. I'he structure of
the capital in a lake, with artificial dykes, and
causeways of great length, which served as ave-
nues to it from ditferent quarters, seems to be an
idtra that could not have occurred to any but a
civilized people. The same observation may be
npplied to tlie structure of the aqueducts, by which
they conveyed a stream of fresh wMter from a con-
siderable distance into the city along one of tlie
causeways. The appointment of a number of per-
sons to cleanse the streets, to light them by tires
kindled atditferent places, and to patrolc as watc h •
men durinsc the nii:cht, discovers a degree of atteii-

CJ O CD

tion which even polished nations are late in mi-
<]uiring.

Their mode of computing time is a decisive evi-
dence of their progress in improvement. 1'hcy di-
vided the year into eighteen months, each consist-
ing of twenty days, amounting in all to 3()0. But
as tiiey observed tliat the course of the sun was not
completed in that time, they added five days to the
year, which they termed supernumerary, or waste ;
and as these did not belong lo any month, no work
was done, and no sacred rite performed on them ;
they were devoted wholly to festivity and pastime.
Such are the striking particulars which exhibit the

Mexicans

' ' ki

^ evi-

leni ;
[ime.
It the

icans

AMERICA. 171

Mexicans as a people considerably refined. But,
from other circumstances, one is apt to suspect
that in many things ihey did not greatly ditt'er
from the other inhabitants of America.

Like the rude tribes around them, the Mexicans
were incessantly engaged in war j and the motives
which j)rompted tht.m to hostility seem to have
been the same. They fought to gratify their ven-
geance l)y shedding the blood of their enemies. In
ixittle they were chiefly intent on taking prisoners,
and it w:is by the number of these that they esti-
mated the glory of victory. No captive was ever
ransomed or spared. All were sacrificed without
mercy, and their flesh devoured wiih the same
barbarous joy as among the liercest savages. On
some occasions it rose to even wilder excesses.
Their principal warriors covered tliemselves witli
the skins of the unliappy victims, and danced about
the streets j boasting of their own valour, and ex-
ulting over tlieir enemies. This ferocity of cha-
racter prevailed among all the nations of New
Spain. But in proportion as mankind combine
in social union, their niumers soften, sentimcnt-S-
of humanity arise, and the rights of the species
come to be understood. The fierceness of war
abates, and even while engaged in hostility men
remember what thev owe one (o another. The
savage fights to destroy ; the citizen, to conquer.
The former neither pities nor spares ; the latter
has ae(|eired sensibility, which tempers his rage.
To this sensibility the Mexicans seem to have been
perfect strangers ^ which leads us to suspect lliat
tiieir degree of civilisation must have been very
imperfect.

Their funeral rites were not less bloody than
those of the most savage tribes. On the death of

u 2 any

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J t. '

172 AMERICA.

any distinguished personage, especially of the em-
peror, a certain number of his attendants were
chosen to accompany him to die other world j and
those unfortunate victims were put to death with-
out mercy, and buried in tlie same tomb.

Though their agriculture was more extensive than
that of the roving tribes, yet it was not sufficient
to supply them with such subsistence as men re-
quire when engaged in efforts of active industry ;
and consequently every mean was taken to prevent
any considerable increase in their families.

Their religious tenets, and the rites of tlieir wor-
ship, indicate no great progress in civilization. The
aspect of superstition in Mexico was gloomy and
atrocious. Its divinities were clotlied with terror,
and delighted in vengeance, llie figures of ser-
pents, of tigers, and of other destructive animals,
decorated their temples. Fear was the only prin-
ciple that inspired their votaries. Fasts, mortifica-
tions, and penances rigid and excruciating, were
the means employed to appease tlie wrath of tlie
gods, and the Mexicans never approached their
altars without sprinkling them with blood drawn
from their own bodies. But of all offerings, human
sacrifices were deemed most acceptable. Every
captive taken in war was brought to the temple,
was devoted as a victim to the deity > and was sa-
crificed with the most cruel rites. The heart and
the head were the portion consecrated to the gods ;
the warrior by whose prowess the prisoner had
been seized, carried off the body to feast upon it
witli his friends.

The empire of Peru boasts of higher antiquity
than that of Mexico. But die knowledge of dieir
antient history, which the Peruvians could commu-
nicate to their conquerors, was both imperfect and

uncertain ;

AMERICA. 173

wicortain; for, being unac(|uainted with the art of
writing, they were destitute of tlie onJy means by
which the memory of past transactions can be pre-
served with any degree of accuracy. The qtdpos,
or knots on cords of dilferent colours, which have
been celebrated as regular annals of the empire,
imperfectly supplied the place of writing. Ac-
cording to the description of Acosta, by the va-
rious colours ditierent objects were denoted, and
by each knot a distinct number. Thus an account
was taken, and a register kept, of the inhabitants
in each province, or of the several productions col-
If cted there for public use. But they could con-
tjibute however but little towards preserving tlie
memory of antient events and institutions.

Very little credit then is due to the details which
have been given of the exploits, the battles, the
conquests, and private character of the early Pe-
ruvian monarchs. We can depend upon notliing
\\\ their story as authentic, but a few facts so inter-
woven in the system of their religion and policy
as preserved the memory of tliem from being lost,
unfX upon the description of such customs and in-
stitutions as continued in force at the time of tli®
conquest, and fell under the immediate observa-
tions of the Spaniards.

The people of Pern had not advanced beyond
the rudest form of savage life, when Mango Capac,
and his consort Mama Ocollo, appeared to instruct
and civilize them. Who these extraordinary per-
sonages were, we are not able to ascertain ; but,
taking advantage of the propensity in the Peruvians
to super:;<"ition, and particularly of their venera-
tion for the Sun, they pretended to be the children
of that luminary, and to deliver instructions in his
name and by authority from hiin. The multitude

u 3 listened

.1 >'

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•.i.«

174 AMIRICA.

listened and believed, and in process of time tjie
successors of Mango Capac extended their domi-
nion over all the re i^ion?: that stretch to the west
of the Andes from Chili to Quito, establishing in
every province their peculiar policy and religions
in.Jtitutions. Indeed the whole system of civil
policy among the Peruvians was founded on reli-
gion. TJie inca not only appeared as legislator, but
as tlie messenger of heaven ; and his injunctions
were received as the mandates of the deity. His
race was held to be sacred j and, to preserve it di-
stinct, tlie sons of Capac married their own sisters,
and no person was ever admitted to the throne who
could not claim it by such pure descent. To these
children of the Sun, for that was the appellation
bestowed upon all the offspring of the first inca, the
people looked up with the reverence due to beings
of a superior order. Hence the authority of the
inca was unlimited and absolute. And all crimes,
being considered as insults otfered to tlie deity^
were punished capitally.

The system of superstition on m hich the incas
ingrafted their pretensions to such high authority
was of a genius very different from that established
among the Mexicans. Mango Capac turned the
veneratio:) of his followers entirely towards natural
objects. The Sun, as the great source of light, of
joy, and fertility, in the creation, attracted their
principal homage. The moon and the stars, a»
co-operating witli him, were entitled to secondary
honours. Wherever the human mind k employed
in contemplating the order and beneficence that
really exist in nature, the spirit of superstition is
mild. Wherever imaginary beings, created by the
fears of men, are supposed to preside in nature,
and become objects of worship^ superstition as-
sumes

AMERICA. 175

snmcf? a more severe and atrocious form. Of the
latter we have an example among the Mexicans ;
of the former, among the people of Peru. The
Peruvians offered to the Sun a part of those produc-
tions which his genial warmth had called fortli
from the bosom of the earth and reared to matu-
rity. They sacrificed as an oblation of gratitude
some of the animals which were indebted to his
influence for nourishment. They presented to him
choice specimens of those works of ingenuity which
his light had guided the hand of man in forming.
But the incas never stained his altars with human
blood, nor could they conceive that their benefi-
cent father, the Sun, would be delighted with such
horrid victims. Thus the Peruvians had attained
to a national character mor^ mild and gentle than
that of any people in America, which was dis-
played in tlieir government, and even in tlieir mi-
litary system.

The state of property in Peru was singular, and
contributed towards giving a mild turn of character
to the people. All the lands capable of cultivation
were divided into three shares : one was consecrated
to the Sun and to the rites of religion ; the second
belonged to the inca for the support of govern-
ment; the third and largest share was reserved
for the maintenance of the people, among whom
it was parcelled out. Neither individuals, how- '
ever, nor communities, had a right of exclusive
property in the portion set apart for their use.
They possessed it only for a year, at the expiration
of which a new division was made in proportion to
the rank, the number, and exigencies of each fa-
mily. All those lands were cultivated by the joint
industry of the community. The people, sum-
moned by a proper officer^ repaired in a body to

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the fields and performed the>r common task, while
songs and musical instruments cheered them to
their labour. A state thus constituted may be con-
sidered as one great family, of which tlie several
members were bound together in closer intercourse
than subsisted under any form of society established
in America. From this resulted gentle manners
and mild virtues unknown in the savage state, and
with which the Mexicans were little acquainted.

The distinction of ranks was, nevertheless, fully
established in Pern. A great body of the inhabi-
tants were held in a state of servitude, their garb
and houses were of a different form from diose of
freemen. They were employed in carrying bur-
thens, and in performing every other species of
drudgery. Next to them in lank were such of the
people as were fi-ee, but distinguished by no official
ov hereditary honours. Above them were laised
those whom the Spaniards call orejones, from the
ornaments worn in their ears. These formed what
may be denominated the order of nobles, and in
peace, as well as in war, held eveiy office of power
or trust. At the head of all were the children of
the Sun, who, by their high descent and peculiar
privileges, were as much exalted above the ore*
Jones as these were elevated above the people.

In Peru, agriculture was more extensive and
carried on with greater skill than in any part of
America, so that even the calamity of an unfruitful
season was but little felt 3 for the productof the lands
consecrated to the Sun, as well as that of those set
apart for the incas, being deposited in storehouses,
it remained as a stated provision for times of scar-
city. The use of the plough, indeed, was unknown to
the Peruvians. They turned up the earth with a kind
of wooden mattock 5 and in lliis labour bodi sexes
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AMERICA. 177*

joined the efforts of industry. Even the children
of the Sun set an example of activity, by cultivating
a lield near Cuzco with their own hands ; and they
dignified this function by denominating it their tri-
umph over the eartii.

The superior ingenuity of the Peruvians is like-
wise obvious in the construction of their houses and
public buildings, some of which are of immense
extent, and all of remarkable solidity. The temple
of Pachacamac, together with the palace of the
inca, and a fortress, were so connected as to form
one great structure above half a league in circuit.
The walls, indeed, owing to their entire ignorance
of the mechanical powers, were not more than'
twelve feet from the ground. And, though they
had not discovered the use of mortar or cfany'
other cement, the bricks and stones were joined
with so much nicety, that the seams could hardly
be discerned. The public roads and bridges claim
also a brief notice. The two great roads from
Cuzco to Quito extended in an uninterrupted stretch
above 1500 miles. The one was conducted through
the interior and mountainous country ; the other
through the plains on the sea-coast. The forma-
tion of those roads introduced another improve-
ment in Peru. In its course from nortli to south,
the road of the incas was intersected by all the tor-
rents which roll from the Andes towards the West-
ern Ocean. These were not fordable, nor could
the Peruvians construct bridges either of stone or
timber. They therefore formed cables of osiers
of great strength, six of which they stretched across
the stream parallel to one another, and made them
fast on each side. These tliey bound together with
Bmailer ropes so close as to form a compact piece

178 AMERICA

of net- work, over which they passed with tolerable
security.

The Peruvians had made also, some progress in
the arts. They had discovered the method of
smelting and refining the silver ore which they
found in the channels or dug for in the earth.
They made mirrors by highly polishing hard shining
stones 5 vessels of earthen ware of different forms ;
hatchets and otlier instruments, some destined for
war, and others for labour.

Notwithstanding so many particulars, which
seem to indicate an high degree of civilization,
other circumstances occur that suggest the idea of
a society still in the first stages of its improvement.
In all the dominions of the incas, Cuzco was the
only place that had the appearance or was entitled
to the name of a city. Everywhere else the people
lived mostly in detached habitations, dispersed over
the country or settled in small villages. Of course,
the separation of professions in Peru was not so
complete as among the Mexicans. The less closely
men associate, the more simple are their manners,
and the fewer their wants. All the arts, accord-
ingly, which were of daily and indispensable uti-
lity, were exercised by every Peruvian indiscrimi-
nately. None but artists employed in works of
mere curiosity or ornament constituted a separate
order of men, or were distir guished from other
citizens. Another consequence resulting from the
want of cities, was tlie little commercial intercourse
among the inhabitants of that great empire. But
the un\^'arlike spirit of the Peruvians was the most
remarkable as well as tlie most fatal defect in their
character. By tliis, Pei-u was subdued at once, awd
almost without resistance 5 and tlie most favoura-
ble

AMERICA. 15^9

ble Opportunities of regaining their freedom, and of
crushing their oppressors, were lost through the
timidity of the people. This character hath de-
scended to their posterity : the Indians of Peru are
now more tame and depressed than any people of
America.

I'he cruel custom that prevailed in some of the
most savage tribes, subsisted also among the Pe-
ruvians. On fhe death of the incas, a considerable
number of their attendants were put to death and
interred around them, that they might appear in
the next world with their former dignity, and be
nerved with proper respect. On the death of
liuana-Capac, the most powerful of their mo-
narchs, above a thousand victims were doomed to
accompany him to the tomb.

m V '«

CHAP,

180

AMERICA*

CHAP. VI.

^icw of the other Spanish Possessions aM Con^
guests in the Nejv Horld. CinuUm. Sonara.
Neiv Navarre. New Mcaico. Chili. Tacii-
wan. Rio de la Plata, Terra Firm a. New
Granada. Galleons. E/J]'ct of the Spa?i'ish Set^
tlements tvith reirard to the Colonies. Depo-
piilation ii'ith respect to Spain. Idleness and
Poverty. Register- Ships. Trade of Acapulco,
Revenue.

jeci

ALTHOUGH Mexico and Peru are the pes-
sessions of Spain in the New World which
have attracted the greatest attention, yet her other
dominions there are far from being inconsiderable
either in extent or value. The greater part of
tliem was reduced to subjection during the first
part of the sixteenth century by private adven-
turers, who fitted out their small armaments either
in Hispaniola or in Old Spain: and if our limits
would allow us to follow each leader in his pro-
gress, we should discover the same daring cou-
rage, the same persevering ardour, the same rapa-
cious desire of wealth, and the same capacity of
enduring and surmounting every thing in order to
attain it, which distinguished the operations of
the Spaniards in their greater American conquests.
Instead, however, of entering into a detail of this
kind, it will be right to give a brief description of
those provinces of Spanish America which have
not hitherto been mentioned.

The jurisdiction of the viceroy of New Spain

extends

AMERICA. 181

extends over several provinces which were not sub-
ject to the dominion of the Mexicans, The coun-
tries of Cinaloa and Sonara, that stretch along the
east side of the Gulf of California, as well as the im-
mense kingdoms of New Navarre and New Mexi-
co, which bend towards the west and north, and did
not acknowledge the sovereignty of Montezuma
or his predecessors, are reduced, some to a greater,
otliers to a less degree of subjection to the Spanish
yoke. They extend through the most delightful part
of tlie temperate zone, and have a communication
either witli the Pacific Ocean or with the Gulf of
Mexico, and are watered by rivers which not only
enrich them but may become subservient to com-
merce. The number of Spaniards settled in these
provinces is extremely small 5 but from the rich
mines tliat have been discovered, opened, and
worked witlx success, they are becoming more po-
pulous, and may soon be as valuable as any part of
tlie Spanish empire of America.

The peninsula of California was discovered by
Cortes in tlie year ] 536, but the Spaniards have
tnade little progress in peopling it. Don Joseph
Galvez, who was sent by the court of Spain to visit
it, brought a very favourable account : he found
the peai'l fishery on its coasts to be valuable, and he
discovered mines of gold of a very promising ap-
pearance. From its vicinity to Cinaloa and Sonara,
California may, perhaps, hereafter be no longer
regarded among tlie desolate and almost useless
districts of the Spanish empire. On the east of
Mexico, Yucatan and Honduras are comprehended
in the government of New Spain. They stretch
from the Bay of Campeachy beyond Cape Graci^d
a Dios, and derive their value principally from the
logwood tree» which for tlie purposes of dyeing

VOL. XXIV. R ha»

( 1

.,&

l« i'

J81

AMERICA.

has become an article in commerce of great value.
Still farther east than Honduras lie the two pro-
vinces of Costa Riga and Veragua, which are of but
small value, and merit no particular attention.

The most important province d(.'pcnding on the
riceroyalty of Peru is Chili, ths' inhabitants of
which were, in a great measure, independent of
the incas, and for a considerable time successfully
resisted the arms of the Spaniards. The moun-
tainous parts of the country are still possessed by
tribes of the original inhabitants, who are formida-
ble neighbours to the Spaniards, with whom, dur-
ing the course of two centuries, they have been
obliged to maintain almost perpetual hostility.

That part of Chili which may l:)e properly
deemed a Spanish province, is a narrow district ex-
tended along the coast from the desert of Atacamas
to the island of Chiloe, above 9OO miles. Its cli-
mate is the most delicious in the New World.
The soil is very fertile, and accommodated to
European productions : among these are corn,
tvine, and oil. All the fruits imported from
Europe attain to full maturity there, and the ani-
mals of our hemisphere multiply and improve,
Kor has Nature exhausted her bounty on the
surface of the earth j she has stored its bowels in
various parts widi mines of gold, of silver, of cop-
per, and of lead.

. To tlie east of the Andes, the provinces of Tu-
cuman and Rio de la Plata border on Chili, and
stretch from north to south 1300 miles, and in
breadth more than a thousand. This country forms
itself into two great divisions, one on the north
and the other to the south of Rio de la Plata. The
former comprehends Paraguay, the famous .mis-
sions of the Jesuits, and several otlier districts,

, Th«

AMERICA.

193

The cnpitnl of I.a Plata is Buenos Ayres, the most
■considerable sea-port in vSouth America. From
this town a great part of the treasure of Chili and
Peru is exported to Old Spain. Most of the coun-
try is inhabited by native Americans. The Jesuits
v/ere indefatigable in their endeavours to convert
the Indians to the belief of their religion, and to
introduce anionsf them the arts of civilized life :
^nd they met with surprising success. More thari
300,000 families were formerly subject to the
Jesuits, living in obedience and with an awe bor-
<lering on adoration. But in 17(^7 ^^^^ Jesuits were
sent out of America by royal authority, and tluur
subjects were put upon the same footing witli the
rother inhabitants of the country.

All the other territories of Spain in the New
World, the islands excepted, of whose discovery
,and reduction an account has already been given,
are comprehended under two great divisions j the
former denominated the kingdom of Terra Firma,
the provinces of which stretch along the Atlantic
from the eastern frontier of New Spain to the
mouth of the Orinoco ; the latter tlie new king-
dom of Granada, situated in the interior country.
Terra Firma is divided into twelve large pro-
vinces, which contain a vast deal of mountaJT;ous
country : the valleys are deep and narrow j rnd
being for a great part of the year flooded, the whole
district is perhaps the most unhealthy part of the
torrid zone. The plains are fertile, and produce
great abundance of corn, fruits, and drugs. No
place abounds more in rich pasturage, or has a
greater stock of black cattle. Its capital city,
Panama, is situated upon one of the best harbours
of the South Seas. Hither is brought all the trea-
sure which the rich mines of Peru and Chili pay

r2 to

81 II

1S4

AMERICA.

III

I
it

*!a

I*''

to the king, or produce upon a private account.
In the bay is a pearl fishery of great value. The
tov^^n contains 5000 houses elegantly built of brick
and stone, disposed in a semicircular form, and en-
livened with the spires and domes of several
churches and monasteries. At Carthagena, the
second town in Terra Firma, the galleons on their
voyage from Spain put in first, and dispose of a
considerable part of their cargo. The fleet of
galleons consists of about eight men of war, la-
den with every kind of merchandize, as well as
with military stores for Peru. No sooner are
these ships arrived in the haven of Carthagena
than expresses are immediately dispatched to tlie
adjacent towns, that they may get ready all the
treasure which is deposited there to meet the gal-
leons at Porto Bello. Here all persons concerned
in the various branches of this extensive traffic
assemble, and business of wonderful extent an(i
importance is negotiated in a short time. Jn
about a fortnight the fair is over 3 during which
tlie display of gold and silver and precious stones
on the one hand, and of all the curiosities and
variety of European fabrics on the other, is as-
tonishing. Heaps of wedges and ingots of the
precious metals are rolled about on the wharfs like
things of little or no value. At this time an hun-
dred crowns are given for a mean lodging, a tliou-
€and for a shop, and provisions of every kind are
proportionably dear.

The new kingdom of Granada is so far elevated
above the level of the sea, that though it approaches
almost to the equator the climate is remarkably
temperate. Some districts yield gold with so great
profusion, that single labourers have been known
to collect in a day what was cc^ual in value to 250L

Its

Its
is t

on
]
the
the*
gir)

AMERICA. lfi.5

Its towns are populous nnd tiourishing. Industry
is encouraj^ed, and a considerable trade is carried
on with Carthagena.

Having traced tlie progress of the Spaniards in
their discoveries and conquests, to that period when
their authority was established over all the vast re-
gions in the New World still subject to their do-
minion ; it remains only to consider the etiect of
their settlements upon the countries of which tiiey
took possession, as well as upon their own.

Thelirst visible consequence of the establishments
made by the Spani^irds in America, was the dimi-
nution of the antient inhabitants to a degree equally
astonishing and deplorable. But, notwithstanding
the rapid depopulation of America, a very consi-
derable number of the native race still remains"
both in Mexico and Peru. Their settlements in
some places are so populous as to merit the name
of cities. In Peru, several districts, particularly in
the kingdom of Quito, are occupied almost entirely
by Indians; and in some provinces they are min-
gled with the Spaniards, and are almost the only
persons who practise the mechanic arts, and fill
most of the inferior stations in society. In the di-
stricts adjacent to Carthagena, to Panama, and
Buenos- Ayres, the desolation is more general than
even in those parts of Mexico and Peru of which
the Spaniards have taken most full possession.

When the conquests of the Spaniards in Ame-
rica were completed, their monarchs, in forming
the plan of internal policy for tlieir new dominions,
divided tliem into two immense governments 3 one
subject to the viceroy of New Spain, the other to
the viceroy of Peru. The jurisdiction of the for-
mer extended over all the provinces belonging to
Spain in tlie northern division of the American

R S continent.

t ti

I' '

18(5 AMERICA.

continent. Under that of the latter was compre.
bended whatever she possessed in South America.
7'he authority of the viceroy over districts so far
removed from his own eye and observation, was
unavoidably both feeble and ill directed. A third
viceroyalty has therefore been established at Santa
Fc de Bojoia, the capital of the new kingdom of
Granada, the jurisdiction of which extends over
tlie whole kingdom of I'erra Firma, and the pro-
vince of Quito. In subjection to the viceroys are
other oibcers of ditlerent ranks and degrees. I'he
various duties assigned to each, and the several
powers which tliey exercise, cannot be discussed
in this volume. \Ve shall therefore proceed to
explain by what means the colonies enrich tlie
Uiotlier country.

Of all the methods by which riches may be ac-
quired, that of searching for the precious metals
is one of the most inviting to men unaccustomed to
the regular assiduity with which the culture of tlie^
eartli and the operations of commerce must be car-
ried on, or who are so rapacious as not to be satis-
fed -with the gradual returns of prolit which tliey
yield. Accordingly, as soon as the several coun-
tries in America were subjected to the dominion
cf Spain, tliis was almost the only method of
accpiiring wealth which occurred to the adventu-.
rers by \\ horn they were conquered. All crowded
to Mexico and Peru, where the quantities of gold
and silver foimd among tlie njitives promised an
unexhausted store. During several years the J^r-
dour of their researches was kept up by hope ra-
ther than success. At length the rich min^s of
Potosi, in F^ru, were accidentally discovered in
the year 1545, by an ImU;m, as he was clambering
up the mountain in pursuit of a llama which had

strayed

lrr>i

AMKKICA, 18/

strayed from his flock. Soon afYor, the mines
of Sacotecas, in New Spain, little inferior to the
other in value, were opened. From that time the
working of mines has become the capital occupa-
tion of the Spaniards, and is reduced into a system
no loss complicated than interesting.

The exuberant profusion \\ itu which the moun-
tains of the New World poured forth tlieir trea-
sures astonished mankind, who had been accus-
tomed hitherto to receive a penui'iou*^ supply of
the precious metals from the more scanty stores
contained in the mines of the antient hemisphere.
According to principles of computation, which
a})pear to be extremely moderate, the quantity of
gold and silver that has been regularly enteretl in
the ports of Spain is equal in value to four million*
sterling annually, reckoning from the year 1492,
in which America was discovered, to the present
time. This in 311 years amounts to twelve hun-
dred and forty-four millions. Immense as this sum
is, the Spanish writers contend that as much more
ought to be added to it, in consideration of trea-
sure which hfis been extracted from the mines,
and imported fraudulently into Spain without
paying duty to tlie king. By thi3 account Spain
has drawn frorn the New World a supply of
wealth amounting to nearly two thousand rive
hundred millions of pounds sterling.

Though the mines are the chief object of the
Spaniards, yet the fertile countries which they
possess in America abound with other commodi-
ties of such value or scarcity as to attract a consi-
derable degree of attention. Cochineal is a pro*
duction almqst peculiar to New Spain : the Jesuits
bark, the most salutary simple, perhaps, and of
Hiost restorative virtue;, that Providence has made

knowi>

I i

m' r''.f

%aJ'

188

AMERICA.

known to man, is found only in Peru : the indigo
of Guatimala is superior in quality to that of any
province in America : cocoa attains to its highest
perfection in the Spanish colonies, and, from the
great consumption of chocolate in Europe, as well
as in America, is a valuable commodity : the to-
bacco of Cuba is of more exquisite flavour than any
brought from the New World: the sugar raised in
that island, in Hispaniola, and in New Spain, toge-
ther with drugs of various kinds, may be mentioned
among the natural productions of America which
enrich the Spanish commerce. To these must be
added the exportation of hides. The cattle from
which these are taken range over the vast plains
which extend from Buenos-Ayres towards the
Andes, in herds of thirty or foity thousand ; and
the unlucky traveller who once falls in among
them, may proceed for several days before he can
disentangle himself from among the crowd that
covers the face of the earth, and seems to have no
end. They are scarcely less numerous in New
Spain, and in several other provinces, where they
are killed merely for the sake of their hides 3 and
the slaughter at certain seasons is so great, that
the stench of the carcases which are ieft in the
iield would infect the air, if large packs of wild
dogs, and vast flocks of American vultures, the
most voracious of all the feathered kind, did not
instantly devour them. The number of those hides
exported in every fleet to Europe is very great, and
is a lucrative branch of commerce.

When the importation into Spain of those various
articles from her colonies first became active and
considerable, her interior industry and manu-
factures were in so prosperous a state, that with
the product of these she was able both to purchase'

th«

AMERICA. 19p

the commodities of the New World and to answer
Its growing demands. Nor was the state of the
Spanish marine at this period less flourishing than
that of its manufactures. In the beginning of the
sixteenth century, Spain is said to have possessed a-
bove a thousand merchant ships, a number far supe-
rior to that of any nation in Europe in that age. By
the aid which foreign trade and domestic industry
give reciprocally to each otl^er in their progress, the
augmentation of both must have been rapid and
extensive 3 and Spain might have received the
^ame accession of opulence and vigour from her
acquisitions in the New World, that otlier powers
have derived from their colonies. But various
causes prevented this.

The same thing happens to nations as to indi-
viduals. Wealth which flaws in gradually, and
with moderate increase, nourishes that activity
which is friendly to commerce, and calls it forth
into vigorous exertions j but when opulence pours
in suddenly and with too full a stream, it overturns
all sober plans of industr)% and brings along with
it a taste ior what is wild and extravagant. Such
^vas tlie great and sudden augmentation of power
and revenue that tlie pcssessions of America
brought into Spain, and symptoms of its perni-
cious influence soon began to appear. When
Philip II. ascended tlie Spanish throne, remit-
tances from the colonies became a regular and
considerable branch of revenue. The fatal ope-
ration of tliis change in the state of the king-
dom was at once conspicuous. And under the
weak administration of Philip III. the vigour
of the nation sunk into the lowest decline. The
inconsiderate bigotry of that monarch expelled at
onc^ nearly a million pf his most indust;rious sub*

jectSy

190 AMERICA.

jects, at the very time when the exhausted state of
the kingdom required some extraordinary excr-
lions of political wisdom to augment its numbers,
and to revive its strength. Spain felt that her
manutactures were fallen into decay ; that her
fleets, which had been the terror of Europe^ were
ruined^ and that her commerce was lost. Even
agriculture, the primary object of industry in
every prosperous state, was neglected^ and one of
the most fertile countries in Europe hardly raised
what was sufficient for the support of its own in-
habitants. The Spaniards, intoxicated with the
wealth which poured in upon them, deserted the
paths of industry to which they had been accus-
tomed, and repaired with eagerness to those re-
gions from which this opulence issued | till at
length Soain was unable to supply the growing
demands of the colonies. She had recourse to her
neighbours. The manufactures of the Low Coun-
tries, of England, of France, and of Italy, fur-
nished in abundance whatever she required. In a
short time not above a twentieth part of the com-
modities exported to America was of Spanish
growth or fabric. The treasure of the New World
may be said henceforward not to have belonged t<|
Spain. That wealth, which by an internal circu-
lation would have spread tlirough each vein of
industry, and have conveyed life and motion to
-every branch of manufacture, flowed out of die
kingdom with such a rapid course as neither en-
riched nor animated it. On the other hand, the
artisans of rival nations, encouraged by ihe quick
sale of tlieir commodities, improved so much in
industry as to be able to aflbrd them at a rate so
low that the manufactures of Spain were still
hnher depressed. This destructive commerce

drained

drl

nii

ni€

tht

otl

toi^

trej

poi

AMERICA. 191

drained ofF the riches of the nation, and the Spa-
niards, in fact, became only the carriers of foreign
merchandize, and the channel through which
the precious metals flowed from America to the
other European states. Spain was so much as-
tonished and distressed at beholding her American
treasures vanish almost as soon as they were im-
ported, that Philip III. issued an edict, by which
he endeavoured to raise copper money to a value in
currency nearly equal to that of silver ; and tlic
lord of the Peruvian and Mexican mines was re-
duced to a wretched expedient, which is tlie last
resource of petty impoverished states.

Ihus the possessions of Spain in America have
not proved a source of population and of wealth to
her, in the same manner as tliose of other nations.
In those countries of Europe where industry is in
lull vigour, every person settled in such colonies
as are similar in their situation to those of Spain, is
supposed to give employment to three or four at
home in supplying his wants. But wherever the
mother country cannot atibrd this supply, every
emigrant may be considered as a citizen lost to
the community 5 and strangers must reap all tlie
benelit of answering his demands.

We have already noticed tlie trade carried oa
by the galleons : tliese were frequently retarded
by various accidents, and on such occasions the
scarcity of European goods in the Spanish settle^
ments frequently becdme excessive ; their price
rose to an enormous height. 1'he vigilant eye of
mercantile attention did not fail to observe tlus
favourable opportunity : an ample supply was
poured in from tlie English, French, and Dutch
islands j and when the galleons at length arrived
tliey found the markets so glutted by this illicit

comiAieice^

IQZ AMERI9A.

commerce, that there was no demand for the com-
modities with which they were loaded. To re-
medy this, Spain permitted a considerable part of
her commerce with America to be carried on in
register ships. These were fitted out during the
Intervals between tlie stated seasons when the gal-
leons sailed, by merchants of Seville or Cadiz,
upon obtaining a license from the council of the
Indies, for which they paid a high premium.

In proportion as experience manifested the ad-
vantages of carrying on trade in this mode, the
number of register ships increased j and at length
in the year 1748, tlie galleons, after having been
employed upwards of two centuries, were linally
laid aside. From that period there has been no
intercourse with Chili and Peru, but by single
ships, dispatched from time to time as occasion
requires. These sail round Cape Horn, and con-
vey directly to tlie ports in the South Sea the pro-
ductions and manufactures of Europe, for which
the people settled in those countries were before
obliged to repair to Porto-Bello or Panama.

It remains only to give some account of the
trade carried on between New Spain and the
Philippine Islands. Soon after the accession of
Philip II. a scheme was formed of planting a
colony in these islands, which had been neglected
since tlie time of tlieir discovery. Manilla, in the
island of Luconia, was the station chosen for the
capital of tliis new establishment. From it an active
commercial intercourse began with the Chinese;
and a considerable number of that industrious peo-
ple, allured by the prospect of gain, settled in tlie
Philippine Islands, under Spanish protection. They
supplied the colony so amply witli all the valuable
productions and manufactures of the East, as
^ enabled

AMERICA. IQ'3

enabled it to open a trade with America, by 3
course of navigation the longest from land to land
Dn our globe. In the infancy of this trade, it was
carried on with Callao on the coast of Peru, but
afterwards it was removed to Acapulco on tlift
coast of New Spain.

After various arrangements it has been brought
into a regular form. One or two ships depart an-
anally from Acapulco, which are permitted to
carry out silver to the amount of more than one
hundred thousand pounds sterling ; in return for
which, tliey bring back spices, drugs, china, and
jnpan wares -, calicoes, chintz, muslins, silks, and
t'very precious article with which the East can
supply the rest of the world. For some time tlie
merchants of Peru were permitted to participate
in tliis traffic, but now it is confined solely to
New Spain. In consequence of this indulgence,
the inhabitants of that country enjoy advantages
unknown to the other Spanish colonies* The
manufactures of the East are not only more suited
to a warm climate, and are more shoAvy than those
of Europe, but can be sold at a lower price j while,
at the ?ame time, the profits upon them are so
considerable as to enrich all those who are em-
ployed either in bringing them from Manilla, or
vending them in New Spain. As the interest
both of the buyer and seller concurs in favouring
this branch of commerce, it has continued in spite
of regulations, concerted with the most anxioua
jealousy, to circumscribe it. Under cover of what
the laws permit to be imported, great quantities of
India goods are poured into the mapkets of New
Spain ; and when the European ships arrive at Vera
Cruz, they frequently find the wants of the peopl(>

VOL. xx^v. » §u^plied

194 AMElRICA.

aupplled by cheaper and more acceptable com-
modities.

Notwithstanding these frauds, the Spanish mo-
narclis receive a very considerable revenue from
the American dominions. This arises from taxes
of various kinds, which maybe divided into, 1.
What is paid to the sovereign as lord of the New
World : to tliis class belong the duty on the pro-
duce of the mines, and the tribute ' exacted from
the Indians : the former is termed by the Spaniards
the right of signory, the latter is the duty of vas-
salage. 2. Into the numerous duties on com-
merce, which accompany and oppress it in every
step: and, 3. What accrues to the king as head
of the church. In consequence of this, he receives
the spiritual revenues levied by the apostolic cham-
ber in Europe, and is entitled likewise to the pro-
fit arising from the sale of the bull of Cruzado.
This bull, which is published every two years,
contains an absolution from past offences, and a
permission to eat several kinds of prohibited food
during Lent. Every person in the Spanish colonies,
of European, Creolian, or mixed race, purchases
a bull, which is deemed essential to his salvation,
at the rate set upon it by government. It is not
easy to get at the amount of those various funds -,
but it is probable that the net public revenue raised
in America does not exceed a million and a half
sterling per annum. Spain and Portugal are, how-
ever, the only European powers who derive a direct
revenue from their colonies. All the advantage
that accimes to other nations from their American
dominions arises from the exclusive enjoyment of
tiieir trade.

. But if the revenue which Spain draws from
,.' . 3- . JVmerica

AMERICA. igS

America be great, the expense of administration
in her colonies bears full proportion to it. I'he
salaries allotted to every person in public olKce are
very high. I'he viceroys maintain all the state
and dignity of royalty. Their courts display such
pomp as hardly retains the appearance of a dele-
gated authority. All this expense is defrayed by
the crown.

The salaries constitute but a small part of the
revenue enjoyed by the viceroys. From the single
article of presents made to him on the anniver-
sary of his name-day y a viceroy has been known to
receive fifteen thousand pounds sterling. Accord-
ing to a Spanish proverb, the legal revenues of a
viceroy are known : his real profits depend upon
his opportunities and conscience. Hence tlieir
commission is granted only for a very short term of
years j which renders them often more rapacious,
in order quickly to repair a shattered fortune or to
create a new one. But even in situations so trying
to human frailty, there are instances of virtue that
remains unseduced. In the year 1772, tlie marquis
de Croiz finished the term of his viceroyalty in
New Spain with unsuspected integrity 5 and, in-
stead of bringing home exorbitant wealth, returned
with the admiration and applause of a grateful peo-.
pie, whom his government had rendered happy.

CHAP.

\()b

AMERICA.

CHAR VIL

Uisiori/ of the Portuguese Settlements in Arwerktt.
Dlscoi^ery of Brazil, Extent of the Porluguese
Empire, Conquest of Portugal, Brazil taken
lu the Dutch. Recovered, Extent of Brazil,
HqjutJ divided and governed, Inhahitants, Trade,
Ama%onia, River Amazon. Pimple, French
Settlement of Cayenne. Dutch Settlements at
G?ilana. Chief Towns. Climate, Inhahitants,
Productions.

THE discovery of America by Columbus was;
as we have seen, owing originally to just rea-
soning on the figure of tlie eartli, though the par-
ticular land that he discovered was far from that
which he sought. Here was evidently a mixture
.of wise design and fortunate accident 3 but tlie Por-
tuguese discovery of Brazil may be regarded as
^merely accidental. For, sailing with a considerable
armament to India, by the way of tlie Cape of
Good Hope, but standing out to sea to avoid the
calms upon the coast of Atrica, the Portuguese
Heet fell in with the continent of South America.
Upon their return they made so favourable a re-
port of the land which tliey had discovered, that
the court resolved to send a colony thither. This
was at first opposed by tlie Spaniards, who consi-
dered the country as within their dominions. Mat-
ters were, however, at length accommodated by a
treaty, in which it was agreed that £he Portuguese
should possess all that tract of land tliat lies be-
tween the River of Amazons and that of La
Plata.

When

i as
able
; of
the
ese
ica.
re-
hat
his
nsi-
AaX-
by a
lese
be-
La

AMERICA. lyf

When thtir right was thus confirmed, * y%
the Portuguese pursued the settlement with * *
such vigour, that in a little time more than ^'
two thousand miles of sea-coast was colonized ;
which was infinitely to the benefit of the mother
country. Their settlements on tlie coast of Africa
forwarded this establishment, by the number of
negroes which they atforded them for their works.
Hence the introduction of negroes into this part of
America, and the foundation of a traffic, disgrace-
ful to allconcerned in it.

In the very meridian of their prosperity, when
the Portuguese were in possession of so extensive
an empire, and so flourishing a trade in Africa, in
Arabia, in India, in the Asiatic isles, and in tlie
most valuable part of America, they were crushed
by one of those incidents which decides the fates
of kingdoms. Don Sebastian, one of their * j^
greatest princes, in an expedition he had ' '
undertaken against the Moors, was slain 3 by
which accident the Portuguese lost their liberty, and
were absorbed into the Spanish dominions.

Soon after this misfortune, tlie same yoke that,
galled the Portuguese grew so intolerable to the
inhabitants of the Netherlands, that they threw
it off with great fury and indignation. Not sa-
tisfied with erecting themselves into an inde-
pendent state, they fell upon the possessions of the
Portuguese ; took almost all their fortresses in the
East Indies 3 and then turned their arms upon Brazil,
whicl was unprotected by Europe, and be- a -p) ^
trayed by the cowardice of the governor of ,^'r,q'
their principal city. They would have over-
run the whole, had not the archbishop DonMickael
de Texeira believed, tliat in such an emergency the
danger of his country superseded the common ob-

t> '4 ligations

IC'% AMERXC4.

ligations of his profession. He took arms, and at
the head of his monks, and a few scattered forces,
put a stop to tlie torrent of the Dutch conquest. He
made a -gallant stand until succours arrived, and
then resigned the commission with which the pub-
lic necessity and his own valour had armed him,
into the hands of a person appointed by authority.
By this noble conduct the archbishop saved seven
of the fourteen provinces into which Brazil was di-
vided : the rest fell into tlie hands of tiie Dutch,
. -p from whom they were again partly recon-

i^fii * ^^^^*^^ ^y ^^^^ Portuguese, bat not without
* a considerable struggle, and after much
loss on both sides. The Portuguese agreed to pay
the Dutch eight tons of gold, to reUnquish their
interest in this country : which was accepted j and
tlieyhave remained in peaceable possession of all
Brazil till about 1/62, when the Spaniards took
the fortress of St. Sacrament j but by treaty of
peace it was restored.

I'his vast territory is but little known, partly
from tlie want of science and curiosity, and partly
on account of the thick forests which cover tlie ex-
tensive plains of La Plata. Though in strict alli-
ance witli Portugal, we have little precise know-
ledge of Brazil, and still less of tlie interior country
of Amazonia. The chief city of Brazil was for-
merly Saint Salvador, w^hich has since yielded to
Bit) de Janeiro.

Brazil is now divided into eight independent go-
vernments, besides that of Rio de Janeiro, of which
alone the governor retains the style of viceroy ot"
the Brazils. The discovery and improvement of tlic
gold and diamond mines, about one hundred
leagues to the N. W., have secured to Janeiro a
decided preponderance. But ^U th^ provinces

ai*{^

go.

lick

tllG

Ired

o a

Hces

AMERICA. 1^9

>re gt-owlng fast into opulence and importance ;
ind we are informed by sir George Staunton,
that they manufactured of late years several of tlic
most necessary articles for their own consumption,
and their produce was so considerable tliat the ba-
lance of trade began to be already in their favour ;
and remittances of bullion were made to them
from Europe, in return for the overplus of their ex-
ports beyond their imports. The diamond mines
belong exclusively to die crown ; and one fifth of
the gold is exacted. There are also numerous
taxes and impositions, which instead of enlarging
the revenue are the great causes of its diminution.

The European settlers in Brazil are fond of plea-
sure, but extremely observant of the ceremonies of
religion. I^abour is chiefly performed by slaves,
about twenty thousand negroes being annually im-
ported. The natives are said to be irreclaimable
savages, who chiefly subsist apart on the coast be-
tween Janeiro and San Salvador. The harbour of
Rio Janeiro is capacious and excellent ; surround-
ed by a fertile country, and protected by the cas-
tle of Santa Gruz. On the west is the city of St,
Sebastian, commonly called Rio de Janeiro, built
on a tongue of land, the hills and rocks behind
being crowned with woods, convents, houses, and
churches. The streets are generally straight and
well paved. Water is supplied by an aqueduct
after die Roman plan 5 for, notwithstanding the
name, there is no river of any note.

The trade of Brazil is very great, and increases
every year. Of the diamonds there are supposed
to be returned to Europe to die amount of 130,0001.
annually. This, with the sugar, the tobacco, the
hides, and the valuable drugs for medicine and
manufacturesj, may give sqme idea of the import-
ance

^id''^*'S

M'W

200

AMERICA.

ance of this traffic, not only to Portugal, but to all
the trading powers of Europe.

Amazonia was discovered by Francisco Orellana,
about the year 1580, who in returning from Peru
sailed down the river Amazon to the Atlantic
ocean. On the banks of the river he observed
companies of women in arms. On that account he
called the country Amazouia, or the Land of Ama-
zons, and gave the name of Amazon to tlie river,
which formerly had been called Maragnon. The
Spaniards were never able to effect a settlement
therej but the Portuguese have some small colonies
on that part of the coast which lies betwixt Cape
North and tJie mouth of the Amazon. This river
is one of the largest in the world. It runs a course
from west to east of about three thousand miles,
and receives nearly two hundred other rivers,
some of which are not inferi(/r in magnitude to the
Danube or the Nile. The breadth of this river at
its mouth, where it discharges itself by several
channels into the ocean, almost under the equator,
is one hundred and tifty miles, and atone thousand
five hundred miles from its mouth it is forty fa-
thoms deep. In the rainy season it overflows i^
banks, and waters and fertilizes the adjacent coun-
try.

The Indian nations inhabiting this extensive
tract of the globe are very numerous ; and the
banks of almost every river are inhabited by a dif*-
ferent people, who are governed by their caziques,
distinguished from their subjects by coronets of
beautiful feathers. They are idolaters, and wor-
ship the images of their antient heroes. In their
expeditions they carry their gods with tliem.

The possessions of the Fr 3nch on the continent
of America are very inconsiderable. They were

formerlj

tl)

AMfcRTCA,

201

formerly the lords of Canada and Louisiana, hut
liave now lost all tooting in North America. ()i\
the southern continent, liowever, they have still a
settlement, which is called Cayenne, in Guiana.
The chief town Is Caen, or Cayano, in which
there are twelve hundied white inhabitants, ex-
clusive of the garrison. Tin coast is very low,
but within land tliere nrc tine hills, proper for
almost every spccus of cultivrition. But tlie
French have not yet ext( ndcd them so fnr as tJiey
tnight. The soil and climate seem unexception-
able> but during the rains many parts are inun-
dated. The dry season is from June to October,
and the heaviest rains are in our winter season.
Cayenne pepper is the principal product of this
country ; besides which, they export sugar, cocoa,
vanilla, and indigo.

The French have also taken possession of the
island of Cayenne, which is situated at the mouth
of the river of the same name. It is about forty-
five miles in circumference, and is reckoned very
unhealthy. To this place the tyrant Robespierre
banished many of the best men of France, for po-
litical offences. The Corsican Buonaparte has
made use occasionally of this island for tlie same
purpose.

After the Portuguese had dispossessed the Dutch
of Brazil, they formed settlements in Guiana,
A. D. 1663 ', but four years afterwards they were
expelled by the English, whose descendants form
part of tlie colony, which was given back to the
Dutch, in exchange for New York, in iG/t).
Dutch Guiana is to the N. W. of the French set-
tlement, and is often called Surinam, from a river
of tliat name on which the capital is situated. The
thief towns are Paramaribo, on tlie western bank

m
^

"*Y,

■I'M.!

202

AMERICA.

of the Surinam, and New Middleburg near tlie
N. W. extremity of the colony. Demerara is a
settlement on a river of that name. Issequibo is
another Dutch settlement on the Spanish Main,
which surrendered to the English in 178I, but
which was not considered of sutiicient importance
to be retained.

The climate of this country is reckoned un-
wholesome. The wet and dry seasons are al-
ternate, each for about three months. It is one of
the richest and most valuable colonies belonging to
the United Provinces j but it is in a less prosperous
situation than it was some years since, owing to the
wars in which they have been engaged with their
fugitive negroes, whom they treated with great
barbarity, and who are become sufficiently nu-
merous to form a kind of colony in the woods,
and to be really formidable enemies to their former
masters. Under the command of chiefs elected
from among themselves, they have cultivated lands
for their subsistence 5 and, making frequent in-
cursions into the neighbouring plantations, revenge
themselves upon their old oppressors. The chief
trade of Surinam consists in sugar, cotton, coffee,
tobacco, flax, skins, and very valuable dyeing drugs.

The inhabitants of Dutch Guiana are either
whites, blacks, or the reddish-brown aboriginal
natives of America. The promiscuous inter-
course of these different people has likewise gene-
rated several intermediate casts, whose colours de-
pend on their degree of consanguinity to either
Whites, Indians, or Negroes. — ^There are so
many birds of various species, and remarkable for
the beauty of their plumage, in Guiana, that several
persons in the colony liave employed themselves
with their dependents very advantageously in

killing

AMERICA.

205

liilling and preserving them for tlie cabinets of na-
turalists in different parts of Europe. The torpedo,
or electrical eel, is fovnid in the rivers of Guiana.
But the immense number and variety of snakes in
this country form one of its chief inconveniencies.
It is said that several years ago one was killed
which measured 33 feet in length, and in the
largest part three feet in circumierence. The
lauba is a peculiar amphibious animal of small
size, about the size of a pig four rnonths old, co-
vered with line short hair 3 its iiesh is preferred to
all other kinds of meat. The quassia, the castor-oil
nut, the cassia, the palm-oil, the cowhage, the
balsam of capivi, and ipecacuanha, are all natives
here. An herbaceous plant called troolies grows
here, whose leaves are the largest of any yet
known : they lie on the ground, and have sometimes
attained the almost incredible lengdi of thirty
feet, by tliree feet in widtli. So admirable a ma-
terial for covering has not been bestowed on this
country in vain y most of the houses are thatched
with it, and it will last for years without repair.
Gum caoutchouc is produced from a large tree in
Guiana, and is used for vessels of various kinds
and for torches. A small tree called caruna yields
a farinaceous nut, from which the Indians prepare a
slow poison, the instrument of jealousy or revenge.
Still more certain is the Ticuna poison, which is
prepared from the roots of the nibbees, that in-
habit the entangled forests of these immeasurable
swamps, and are a shelter to the panthers, the
serpents, and all those monstrous and abominable
reptiles that generate in this pestilential aUno-
spher^.

CHAP^

2()4

AMERICA.

CHAP. vm.

Henry VII. authorizes Cabot to make Discoveries,
Cabot takes possession of a great Part of
North America, Patent granted to Sir JValter
Raleigh, London and Plymouth Companies,
Puritans persecuted, and go to America, Their
Character and Sujj'erings. Maryland an Asy-
lum for the Roman Catholics, Liberal Policy
of England to her Settlements, Importance of
the American Colonies, IVars with France,
Washington's Expeditions, Hopes conceived of
his future Celebrity, General Peace, American
Commerce limited by Greatr- Britain. Stamp
Act, Opposition to it. Repealed, Declaratory
Act, Plan for taxing Glass, Tea, tsfc, Ame-
rican Opposition, in which Boston takes the
lead. Quarrels between the Military and Inha'
bitatits. Three of the latter killed. Letters
from Governor Hutchinson intercepted by Dr,
Franklin, Dr, Franklin dismissed from his Of"
Jice,

HAVING discussed in the former chapters of
this volume the subject of the Spanish and
Portuguese discoveries and settlements on tlie con-
tinent of America, we now proceed ta those tliat
were made under the auspices of our own country,
which will lead us to take a connected view of tlie
History of the United States to the present times;
in the course of which we shall, as far as our
limits will allow, exhibit a distinct historical^ poli-
tical.

AMERICA.

1206

tical, and geogi'aphical view of the northern con-
tinent of America*.

Henry VII. of England^ by tlie exertion of an
autliority similar to that of pope Alexander f ,
granted to John Cabot, a Venetian pilot, and his
three sons, who were subjects and natives of Eng«^
land, a commission *' to navigate all parts of the
ocean for tlie purpose of discovering islands, coun-
tries, regions, or provinces, either of Gentiles or
Inhdels, which have been hitherto unknown to all
Christian people, with power to set up his stand- .
ard, and to take possession of the same as vassal*
of the crown of England." By virtue of this com*
mission Sebastian Cabot, one of the sons, ^ -p.
explored and took possession of a great part ^^^.^
of the North American continent, in the ^
name and on behalf of the king of England. This
discovery was made in consequence of an attempt
to find a north-west passage to China 5 an enter-
prise in which he failed, but which led to more
important consequences.

For the space of more than half a century after
the discovery, the English neither navigated the
coast nor attempted to establish colonies. Tii^
first English patent which was granted for ^ y.
making settlements in the country, was ,^Vr'
issued by queen Elizabeth to sir Hum- '
phrey Gilbert. Shortly after she licensed Mr,
Walter, afterwards sir Walter, Raleigh *' to ^ -^
learch for Heathen lands not inhabited ,J.qj'
by Christian people j" and granted to him,
ju fee, all the soil within 200 leagues of the placea

i-i ■ %

* See the Table at the end of the vclume*
f See page 24 o f this volume.

Vol. XXIV. a?

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206 AMERICA.

where his people should make their dwellings. Un-
der his auspices an inconsiderable colony took pos-
session of that part of the American coast which
now forms North Carolina. In honour of the virgin
queen, his sovereign, he gave to tlie whole country
the name of Virginia. These first settlers, and others
who followed them, were eidier destroyed by the
natives, removed by succeeding navigators, or
died without leaving any behind to tell their me-
lancholy story. No permanent settlement was
efiected till the reign of James the First. He
granted letters patent to Thomas Gates and his
* -pj associates, by which he conferred on them
^ ^ ' '' all those territories in America which
were not then possessed by other Christian
princes," and which lay between the 34th and 45th
degree of north latitude. They were divided into
two companies. The one, consisting of adventurers
of the city of London, was called the London com-
pany J the other, consisting of merchants of Ply-
mouth and some other western towns, was called
the Plymouth company. The adventurers were
empowered to transport thither as many English
subjects as should willingly accompany them; and it
was declared, *' that the colonists and their chil-
dren should enjoy the same liberties as if they had
remained or were born within the realm." The
» y^ month of April is the epoch of the iirst per-
^ ^ * manent settlement on the coast of Virginia,
' * the name then given to all that extent of
country which now forms the original Thirteen
States- The emigrants took possession of a peninsula
on the northern side of James River, and erected a
town in honour of their sovereign, which they called
James-Town. In a few months diseases swept away
one half of their number ; which greatly distressed

and

ir-

AMERICA. 207

and alarmed the others. Nevertheless, within
twenty years from the first foundation of James-
Town, upwards of gcXX) English subjects had, at
different times, migrated thither, of whom at thi*
period only 1800 remained alive.

Thirteen years elapsed after James-Town be-
gan to be built, before any permanent settle-
ment was effected in the northern colony. Vari-
ous attempts for that purpose had failed,
nor was the arduous business accomplished
till it was undertaken by men who were influ-
enced by higher motives than the mere exten-
sion of agriculture or commerce. These were
denominated in England Puritans, from a desire
of farther reformation in the established church,
and particularly for their aversion from cer-
tain popish habits and ceremonies which they
contended led to idolatry. So violent was the
zeal of the majority for uniformity in matters of
religion, that popular preachers among the Pu-
ritans were suspended, imprisoned, and ruined,
for not using garments or ceremonies which their
adversaries acknowledged to be indifferent. And
towards the end of queen Elizabeth's reign an act
was passed for punishing those who refused to
come to church, or were present at any conventicle
or meeting. The punishment in certain cases was
perpetual banishment 5 and upon those who should
return without license, death was to be inflicted.
This cruel law increased the number of Puritans.
Some suffered death, others were banished ; and
not a few, to avoid these evils, voluntarily exiled
themselves from their native country. Of this
number was a congregation under the pastoral
care of Mr. John Robinson, who, to elude their
persecutors, removed to Holland. There they con-

T 2 tinued

508 AMERICA.

tinned ten years highly esteemed by the natives f
A Y% when, on account of the morals of the
iCiin ^^^^^» which in their opinion were too
lax, they began to think of a second re-
moval, lest their offspring should conform to tlie
bad examples daily before them. They had also
an ardent desire of propagating religion in foreign
lands, and of separating themselves from all die
existing establishments in Europe. An applica^
tion was made to James for full liberty of con-
science 5 but he promised only to connive at and
not molest them. They nevertheless ventured,
and sailed to the number of one hundred and one
from Plymouth, and arrived at Cape Cod in No-
vember 1620. They formed themselves into a
body politic under the crown of England, and em-
ployed themselves in making discoveries till the
end of the year. Witliin six months of their land-
ing they buried 44 persons out of the number
that went out. Animated with a high degree of
religious zeal, they supported every hardship with
fortitude and resolution. The prospect of an ex-
emption from ecclesiastical courts, and of an un-
disturbed liberty of worshipping their Creator in
the way that was agreeable to their own con-
sciences, were, in their estimation, a sufficient
counterbalance to all that they unden^^ent.

This handful of people laid the foundation of
New-England, and from them spmng all those
who have since inhabited Massachussetts, New
Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode-Island. The
Puritans, to which sect the first emigrants be-
longed, were a plain industrious people, and
strict observers of tiie moral and social duties.
According to their principles, the Bible WtU, the
sole rule both of faith and practice ; and the im*

positio»

AMERICA. 20()

position of articles of faitli, modes of worship, kc,
was subversive of natural rights, and an usur})ation
of power not delegated to any man or body of men
whatever. It is to be lamented that these prin-
ciples of religious liberty ceased to operate on the
emigrants soon after they came into the possession
of power. In the eleventh year after their a -r^
arrival in America, they resolved that " J^o i/?qi *
man should be admitted to the freedom of
their body politic, but such as were members of
their churches j" and afterwards '* that none but
such should share in the administration of civil
government, or have a voice in any election." In
a few years more they had so far forgotten their
own sufferings, as to press for uniformity in re-
ligion, and to turn persecutors in order to accom-
plish it. As the intolerance of England peopled
Mussachussetts, so the intolerance of that province
made many emigrate from it, and gave rise to
various distant settlements, which in the course of
years "w^ere formed into other provincial establish-
ments. Connecticut, Rhode-Island, and New
Hampshire sprung from Massachussetts, and their
early growth was greatly accelerated by her im-
politic zeal for uniformity. The country which
was subdivided into tliese four provinces had been
called New England ever since the year l6l4.
The propriety of classing them under one general
name became more evident, from their being set-
tled by the same kind of people, connected with
each other by blood, uniformity of manners, and a
similarity of religious and political sentiments.
The early population of this northern country was
rapid. In the short space of twenty years from
its first settlement, 21,200 persons arrived in
298 vessels 5 when, from a change in public affairs,

t3 the

■i

;«

ilO AMERICA,

the emigration from Old to New England in a great
measure ceased.
* j^ Maryland was tlie third English colony
■fV r^* settled in North America j but the first
* which from its beginning was erected into
a province of the empire. The lirst emigration to
this place consisted of about 200 gentlemen, chiefly
of the Roman catholic religion. Calvert, their
leader, purchased the right of the aborigines, and
with their consent took possession of the town,
which he called St. Mary's. He continued care-
fully to cultivate their friendship, and lived with
them on terms of perfect amity. The lands which
had thus been ceded were planted with facility, be-
cause they had already undergone the discipline of
Indian tillage. Food was therefore easily procured.
The Roman catholics, unhappy in their native
land, and desirous of a peaceftil asylum, went over
in great numbers to Maryland. Lord Baltimore,
to whom the province had been granted, laid the
foundation of its future prosperity on the broad
basis of security o property, and of freedom ia
religion. While Virginia persecuted the Puritans,
numbers of them passed over to this new province,
tlie assembly of which had enacted, ** that no
persons, professing to believe in Jesus Christ,
should be molested in respect of tlieir religion, or
in the free exercise thereof." The prudence of
one colony acquired what the folly of the other
had thrown away. Thus in Massachussetts the
Puritans persecuted various sects, and the Church
of England in Virginia harassed thos^ who dis*
Rented from the established religion ; while the
Roman catholics of Maryland tolerated and pre-
lected the professors of all denominations.
The distractions which convulsed England for

twenty-

AMEKICA.

211

twenty-five years left no leisure for colonizing ;
but as soon as Charles II. was restored to tlie
throne of his ancestors, it was resumed with greater
spirit than ever. By charters granted by a n
this sovereign Connecticut, Rhode-Island, ^qq.-,'
and Providence plantations were rendered
pure democracies. Every power, legislative, ju-
dicial and executive, was invested in the freemen
of the corporation, or their delegates 3 and the
colony was under no obligation to communicate its
legislative acts to the national sovereign.

In the succeeding year a patent was granted to
lord Clarendon and others, comprehending that
extent of country which now forms the . p.
states of North Carolina, South Carolina, jggo*
and Georgia, In the following year king
Charles gave to his brother James, duke of York,
a patent which included New York and New
Jersey.

At this period Charles gave to Wil- . p.
liam Penn a patent for Pennsylvania ; and \r:(..'
some time after he obtained a farther '

grant of the land on tlie western side of the
Delaware, and south of Pennsylvania, which was
formed into a separate government, and is now
the state of Delaware. Notwithstanding these
charters, Mr. Penn did not think himself invested
with the right of the soil till he had purchased it
from the native proprietors.

In this manner was the English North Ameri-
can continent parcelled out into distinct govern-
ments. Little did the founders foresee of the
consequences both good and evil that were to
result to the Old World from discovering and
colonizing the New. When we consider the im-
ittcase quantities of gold and silver which have

flowed

■ um

212

AMERICA.

ill

flowed from it into Europe^ the subsequent increase
of industry and population j the prodigious ex-
tension of commerce, manufactures, and naviga-
tion } and tlie influence of the whole on manners
and arts -, we see such an accumulation of good,
as leads us to rank Cohimbus among the greatest
benefactors of the human race. But when we
consider the injustice done to the natives j the ex-
tirpation of many of their numerous nations, whose
names are now not even known j the havoc made
among tlie first settlers j the slavery of the
Africans, to which America has furnished the
temptation j and the many wars which it has oc-
casioned 5 we contemplate such a mass of misery
as may lead one to doubt whether the evil has not
outweighed the good.

The advantage which the emigrants to Ameiica
expected from the protection of their native so-
vereign, and the prospect of aggrandisement which
the monarch anticipated from the extension of
his empire, made the former very solicitous for
charters, and the latter very ready to grant them.
Neither reasoned clearly on their nat^ne, or well
understood their extent. In less than eight years
1500 miles of sea-coast were granted away^ and so
Httle did they who gave or they who accepted of
charters understand their own transactions, that in
several cases the same ground was covered by con-
tradictory grants, some of which extended to the
South Sea, over a country whose breadth is yet
unknown, and which to this day is unexplored.

Ideal as these charters were, they answered a
temporary purpose. The colonists reposed con-
fidence in them, and were excited to industry on
their credit. And it is worthy of observation,
that of the thirteen colonies^ no one, Georgia
•"• excepted^

AMERICA.

213

excepted, was settled at the expense < grr^
vernment. Towards the settlement ol tli it
soutliern frontier, considerable sums have a. dit-
ferent times been granted by parlianiintj but
the twelve more nortliern provincjs had been
wholly settled by private adventurers. Nor does
it appear that any compensation for their lands
was ever made to the aborigines of America by
the crown or parliament of England. But policy
as well as justice led the colonists to purchase and
pay for what they occupied. This was done in
almost every settlement J and they prospered most,
who by justice and kindness took the greatest pains
to conciliate the good- will of the natives.

The legal and constitutional history of tlie colo-
nies, in their early periods, affords but little in-
struction*. It is sutiicient to observe, that in lcs»
than eighty years from the first permanent English
settlement in North America, the two original pa-
tents granted to tlie Plymouth and London com-
panies were divided and subdivided into tv/clve
distinct and unconnected provinces j and in fifty
years more a thirteenth, by the name of Georgia,
was added to the southern extreme of tlie other
establishments. To each of these there was ul*
timately granted a form of government, resem**
hling, in its most essential parts, that which was
established in tlie parent state j and agreeably to
the spirit of the British constitution, ample provi-
sion was made for the liberties of the inhabitants.
In some of the provinces the inhabitants chose
their governors and other public officers, and their
legislatures were under little or no control. In
others, the crown delegated most of its power to

* Se^ Tabl^ 11. zt the ^nd of the volume.

particular

1*1

il4 AMERICA.

particular persons, who were also invested with
the property of the soil. In those which were
most immediately dependent on the king, he ex-
ercised no higher prerogatives over the colonists
than he did over their fellow subjects in England ;
and his power over the provincial legislative assem-
blies was not greater than what he was constitu-
tionally vested with over the house of conmions
in the mother country.

It is remarkable, that though the English pos-
sessions in America were far inferior in natural
riches to those which fell to the lot of other Euro-
peans, yet the security of property and of liberty
derived from the English constitvUion gave thenx
a consequence to which the colonies of other
powers have never attained. The wise and liberal
policy of England towards her colonies, during the
first century and a half after their settlement, had
a considerable influence in exalting them to this
preeminence. She gave them full liberty to go-
vern themselves, and to pursue their respective in-
terests in such manner as they thought proper.
Their trade was open to every individual in the Bri-
tish dominions : they participated in that excellent
form of government with which the parent isle
l^^as blessed, and which has raised it to an admi-
rable height of agriculture, commerce, and manu-
factures 3 and trial by jury was established among
them.

From the operation of these general principles,
the American settlements increased in number,
wealth and resources, with a rapidity which Sur-
passed all previous calculation. Neither antient
nor modern history can produce an example of co-
lonies governed with equal wisdom, or flourishing
with equal rapidity. In the ghort space ' of one

hundred

4MKRICA. 215

hunJrecl and fifty years their numbers had in-
t ivased to three millions, and their eonimerce ta
siuth a (iegree as to be more than a third of that of
Cireat Britain. They also extended their settle-
ments fifteen hnndred miles on the sea-coast, and
tiiree hundred miles to the westward.

'I'he good effects of a wise policy and equal go-
vernment WL-re not only discernible in raising the
colonies of } iigland to a preeminence over those of
odier European nations, but in raising some amono-
themselves to greater importance than others.
Tlieir relative population and wealth were by no
means correspondent to their respective advantages
of soil and climate. The New England provinces,
though possessed of comparatively a barren coun-
try, improved much faster than others which were
blessed with a superior soil and milder climate.
Their first settlers were animated with a high de-
gree of that religious fervour which excites to great
midertakings. They also granted their vacant
lauds to individuals, who personally cultivated
them. In their towns they extended the benefits
of education and religious instruction. By these
means industry and morality were propagated, and
useful knowledge generally diffused ; so that, in
proportion to their respective numbers, it is pro-
bable that no otlier country in the world contained
more sober orderly citizens, and fewer who were
profligate and abandoned. Luxury was estranged
from their borders. Enervating wealth and pinching
poverty were both equally rare. Early marriages,
and a numerous of! spring, were common -, hence
population increased, and the inhabitants generally
possessed that happy state of mediocrity which fa-
vours the improvement bodi of mind aud body.

New

ixr

216

AMERICA.

New Yofk joined New England. Pennsylvanm,
which was chiefly settled with quakers, and which
gave perfect liberty of conscience and an exact
equality to all sects, was equally flourishing with
New England. The progressive improvement of
Pennsylvania may be estimated from the increase of
its trade. In the year 1/04 that province imported
goods from (he mother countiy, amounting in va-
lue only to 1 J ,4i)C}\. j but in 17/2 to the value of
more than half a million sterling :— an increase of
nearly fifty to one.

In Maryland and Virginia a policy less favour-
able to population took place. The church of
England Mas incorporated with the first settlement
of Virginia ; and in the lapse of time it also became
the established religion of Maryland. In both these
provinces that church possessed a legal preemi-
nence, and was maintained at the expense not
only of its own members, but of tliose of all other
denominations : which deterred great numbers, es-
pecially the presbyter ians who had emigrated from
Ireland, from settling within the limits of these
governments, ;ind fomented h spirit of discord be-
tween those w ho belonged to, and those who dis-
sented from, the established church.

In these and the other southern provinces do-
mestic slavery was common. Though it wias not
by law forbidden any where, yet there were com-
paratively very few slaves to the north of Mar^--
Jand. The religion of the quakers produced their
united opposition to all traflSc in tlie human race.
Many individuals of other sects discountenanced
it J but the principal ground of difference on this
head, bet\^ een the northern and southern provinces,
aruhc less from reliijious principles than from cli-
4 uvd{^

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■

oat^

AMERICA, 217

mnfc and local circumstances. Slavery is, how-
ever, at aA times attended witu miscliijvuus conse-
quences, h is inmioal to the proper edacaiion of
youth. Industry and temperance, viftuc'S esSv^n-
t.al to the health and vigoui" jf both mind and
body, are with dilHcalty pjaciised whe-e tne la-
bour of slaves procures an abunaanoe not oniy of
the necessaries but of the dehcacies of life, and
where perpetual opportuniiies occur for eaiv, ex-
cessive, and enervating indulgences. Hesi '„.-, in
settlements where the Sv;ii is cultivated by slaves,
it soon becomes unfashionable for freemen to la-
bour ; than which no prreater evil can befall a conn-
try. Idleness is the parent of vice, v/hde labour
of all kinds flavours and fecilitates the practice of
virtue.

By the influence of these causes, the southern
provinces, though possessed of the most Irunful
6oil and the mildest climate, were far inferior to
their neighbours in strength, population, mdustry,
and w^ealth j and this infer oriiy increased or dimi-
nished with the number of slaves in each pro-
vince compa; ed with the number of freemen.

The tirst emiij-rants from England f< coionizini2:
America, left the mother country a». a tiine when
the dread of arbitrajy power was the predominant
passion of the nation. Except the charter of
Georgia in the year 1/32, all the English cuionies
obtained their ciiarters, and their greatest number
of European settlers, between the years 1003 and
16'88. During the whole of this period was that
great struggle betvveen prero^^ative and privile e
carried on ni P>j gland, till it terminated in a rev ;-
lution highly tavourable to tlie iiberiies of the peo-
ple. A variety oi: concurring causes led the inna-
bitants of the colonies to cherish an ardent love of

VOL, XXIV. ¥ independ-

)'i/,?,

■^

,-M

i Aj:..;'W.T j?:

^fll';^:

213 AMERICA.

iiidependeiice, and a dv^siie to ninintaiii all tIio.se
riL'Jiis and privile<i;c.s which they conceived to be
inherent to their situation. Tliey Jiad not c;nly the
inia2:e but the substance of the Eiidish constitu-
tion. I'hey ehose most of their nuv^istrates, and
paid them alL They had, in e licet, the sole direc-
tion of their internal g(jvernment. Ihe clref mark
vi' their subordination consisted in uiakinc: no laws
repugnant to the laws of their mother country 3 in
their subm.itting to have such laws, as tliey did
make, repealed by the king; and in obeying those
restrictions tliat were laid on their trade by parlia-
ment.

Under such favourable circumstances, the colo-
nies in the New World had advanced nearly to
the magnitude of a nation, while the greater part
of Europe was almost wdiolly ignorant of their pro-
gress. And, indeed, they themselves, though
gradually rising higiier in the scale of political im-
portancej did not api)ear sensible of their own con-
sequence. One of the iirst events which drew^ on
. y. the colonies a share of public attention,
,J,,.* was the taking; Louisbur^ from France,
' * Awhile that country was- at war with Great
Biltain. "lb is war was scarcely ended when an-
other began, in wliich the colonies w^ere distinguish-
ed parties. It was commenced in tlic follo\ying
. -pj manner : — - A grant of si x hundi ed thousand
J acres of land in the neighbourhood of the
^ ' Ohio was made out in favour of certain
persons in A'V'estminster, London, and Virginia,
who had associated under the title of the. Ohio
company. At this time PYance was in possession
of the country on both sides of tlie mouth of the
Mississippi, as well as of Canada, and wdshe < to
form a coiiimunicatiou between the tw y extremi-

tieji

AMERICA. 219

ties of her territories in North America. She was
(herefore alarmed at llie scheme in agitation by
the Ohio company, as the land granted to them lay
l)etween the northern and southern settlements,
ilemonstranj^es against British encroachments, as
they were called, having been made in vain by the
sxovernor of Canada, the French at len^'iti seized
.some British subjects ; and, persisting in . -p.
their claims to the country on the Oiiio ,J,-,/
as part of Canada, strengthened themselves ' ' *
by erecting new forts in its vicinity, and at length
began to seize and plunder every British tiader
found on any part of the river. This, at tirst, pro-
duced retaliation; btit upcni the violences being
repeated, the governor of Virginia deierminc-d
to send a suitable person to the Frencii comman-
dant, to demand the reason of his hostile pro-
ceedings, and to insist on liis evacuating a fort
he had lately built. Major Washingt<)n was tiic
person pitched on for this service. He was only
twenty-one years of age when he set out on an
expedition which was more than tour hundred
miles distant, and one half of the route led through
a wilderness inhabited onl)^ by Indiaiis. He p';o-
ceeded on foot, attended by a single compani-
on, with his provLsi(jns on his back. He arrived,
and delivered ills message to the French com-
mandant J but it made no impression. It was, there-
fore, resolved to oppose with arms the encroach-
ments of the French on the British territories.
Virginia raised three hundred men, put tliem un-
der the command of Washington, now a colonel,
and sent them towards the Ohio. An en'gase-
ment took place. In which the French were de-
feated. With nuie hundred men, besides Indians,
they returned to the chari?-e : a^iainst these Wash-

■--ijj.

ii 'i

}\y-

rti

m-ym

mgtott

!!H

oil

I::

II
m

':m

III

220 AMERICA.

inoton mncle a brave defence, but at length ac-
cepted ot lionouiable teri'is of capitulation.

Tiie } olicy of repressing die encroachments of
tl^e French on the Biiiish colonies was geneinlly
ap' roved both in England and Aii. erica. It \\as,
therefore, derennined to lake ciicclual measuies
for driv:pg ilieuj from the Ohio, and also lor re-
ducing Niagara, Crown-hoint, and ihe other posts
■u'hich they held v ithin the limits clainieu by the
ting of Great Britain. To effect tlie first purpose,
general Braudock was sent liom Ireland to Virginia
with \v>o regirents, and was there joined bj, as
many more. He was a brave man^ but destitute
of the other quaiili(.ations of a great oificer. He
shghted the (x-untr) militia and the Virginia offi-
cer;j. Colonel Vv^ashington begged permission to
go before hmi and scour the woods with his pro-
vincial troops : but this was refused. The general
v.'ith lourtetn Imndred nicn pushed on incautiously
till he fell into an ambuscade of French and In-
dians, by whom he was defeated and mortally
wounded. The British troops were thrown into
cr>nfiision ; but the provincials, more used to Indian
lighting, were less disconcerted. They continued
in an unbroken body under colonel Washington *,
and, by covering the retreat of the regulars, pre-

'■I I II I . I - III IT !■■_ H

* The bravery and patriotism of colonel afterwards gene-
ral Washir.gton were so conspicuous at this period, that
the most important services were expected of him. In a
fermon preached before a company of volunteers in Vir-
ginia, Aug^nst 17, 175.'5, by the Rev. Samuel Davies, the
author reicrs to him in the following wor'^s : " I may
point out to the public that heroic youth, colonel Wash-
ington, whom I cannot but hope Providence has hitherto
preserved in so sig^nal a manner for some important ser-
TJce to his country."

vented

AMRRICA. 221

vented their being cut off entirely. For two or three
years after this, the war was earned on against
Fiance without vigour or success : but when Air.
Pitt was placed at the head of the ministry, public
ailiiirs assumed a new aspect. V^iciory tvecy where
crowned the British arms j and in a short time the
French were dispossessed not only of all the Bri-
tisli territories on which they had encroached, but
also of Ciuebec, the capital of their antient pro-
\ince, Canada*.

In the course of this \\^ar, some of the colonies
made exertions so far beyond their reasonable
(jiiota, as to merit a reimbursement from the na-
tional treasury : but tliis was not universally the
case. In consequence of internal disputes, the ne-
cessary supplies had not been raised in due time by
others of the provincial assemblies : this did not
accord with the vigorous and decisive genius of
Mr. Pitt, who is said to have told Mr. Franklin,
*' that when the war closed, if he should be in the
ministry, he would take measures to prevent the
colonies from having a power to refuse or delay
the supplies tliat might be wanted for national pur-
poses." As often, however, as money or men
were wanted from the colonies, requisitions were
made to their legislatures, which were generally
and cheerfully complied with. Their exertions,
with a few exceptions, were great, and manifested
a serious desire to carry into effect the plans of
Great Britain for reducing the power of France.

In the prosecution of this war, the colonies litted
out four hundred privateers, and furnished nearly
twenty-four thousand men to co-operate with the
British regular forces in North America. The

* See Mayor's History of England, vol. ii. p. 394 — 5.

u 3 success

''%

222 AMERICA;

success of the former j the activity of the latter;
the convenience ct' their liarbours; and theix"
contiguity to the West India islands, made the co-
lonies great acquisitions to Britain and formidable
adversaries to France. From their growing im-
portance the latter had much to fear. Their con-
tinued union with Great Britain threatened the
subversion of the commerce and American posses-
sions of France.

. j^ At the general peace, Canada was ceded
*,. to Great Briiain by France ^ and the two

'' * Floritias by Spain : her possessions, there-
fore, in the New World, were of an extent equal
in dimensions to several of the kingdoms of Eti-
rope. The possession of Canada in the North,
and of the Floridas in the South, made her sole
mistress of the North American continent.

From tlie first settlement of English America
till the close of this war, the i imduct of Great Bri-
tain towards her colonies affords an useful lesson
to those who are disposed to colonization. She
treated them as a judicious mother does her duti-
ful children. Tliey shared in every privilege be-
longing to her native sons, and but slightly felt the
inconveniences of subordination. The catalogue
of their grievances was small, and chiefly related
to a few acts which operated against colonial ma-
nufactures. These were mostly evaded, but if
carried into execution would have been slightly
inconvenient, and only to a few.
. -p. Till this period the colonial regulations

>7^'j ' seemed to have had no other object in view

' * but the common good of the whole em-
pire : exceptions to the contrary were few, and had
no appearance of system. When the approach of
the colonies to manhood made tlicni more capable

ofr

?
^

anti

flou

laxa

mid

and

abk

•y

}..rii

lUili

mei

.r*/-\ ' /-

AMERICA. 223

of resisting impositions, Great Britain changed the
antient system untler wlTu h lu r colonies had Jong
floiH'ihhfd. When poiicy would ha\e dictated re-
laxation of authority, she ro-»e in her denjands and
muitiplied her resttaints. For some time before
and alter the termination of the war, a consider-
able niiercuurse had been carried on between the
Lriiisa and Sp.tnish colonie.s, con^ sting of the ma-
nui'actnres of Great Biiiain, imp(;rte(l by the for-
mer and sold by the laiter, by v\hith the British
colonies acc^uired gold and siher, and were ena-
bled to make remiuances to the njother country.
This trade, though it did not clash with the spirit
of the British navigation law s, \\ as forbidden by
their lei'.er. On account of the advantages which
all parties reaped frgm this intei course, it had long
been connived at by persons in power 3 but, at the
period alluded to, some new regulations were
adopted, by which .t was almost destroyed. So sud-
den a stoppage was a serious blow U) the northern
colonies. It was their misfortune, that though
they stood in need of vast quantities of British ma-
nufactures, their country produced very little that
afforded a direct r -mittance to pay for them. They
were, therefore, under a necessity of seeking else-
where a market for their produce, and, by a cir-
cuitous route, acquiring the means of svipporting
their credit with the mother country. This they
found by trading with the Spanish and French co-
lonies in their neighbourhood. From them they
obtained gold, silver, and valuable commodities,
the ultimate prolits of wdiich centred in Great
Britain. I'his intercourse gave life to business of
every denomination j and why it should be stopped,
could not be accounted for by the Americans,
without supposing that tiie rulers of Great Britain

were

1 J^

rv''^-

rn^^y

■?! :j.f

'£-^:i'

524 AMERICA.

"\\'ere jealous of their adventurous commercial spi-
rit. Their actual sufterings were great^ but their
apprehensious were greater. Instead of viewing
tJie parent state, as they had long done, in the light
of an atVectionate mother, they conceived her as
beginning to be iniiuenced by the narrow views of
an illiberal step-dame.

In September, the trade between the British,
French, and Spanish colonies was in some degree
legalized, but under circumstances that brought no
relief to the colonists. Indeed, the act passed on
the occasion granted certain duties to the king
upon goods imported, M'hich were the produce
of a colony not under the dominion of his ma-
jesty. Till that act passed, none avowedly for the
purpose of revenue was to be found in the parlia-
nientxuy statute boc^k. The wording of it made
the colonists fear that parliament would go on
in charging them with such taxes as they pleased.
The imposition of duties for the purpose of laising
a revenue in Americ:a was considered as a danger-
ous innovation.

The national debt of Great Britain amounted at
this period to nearly a hundred and fifty millions ;
and while the minister was digesting plans for dimi-
nishing this heavy burthen, as it was then thought,
he conceived the idea of raising a substantial re-
venue in the British colonies from taxes laid by the
parliament of the parent state. This in England
was a very popular project. And in March was

A -pj passed the memorable stamp act, by which
*^ * it w^as enacted, that certain instruments of

^ ' writing, as bills, bonds, &:c., should not be
valid unless they w^ere drawn on stamped paper, on
which a duty was laid. No sooner was this act
published in America, tlian it raised a general

alarm.

.■^

alarm
sions
tack (
petiti
tlie {
purpo
Briti,^
pealec
a nun
of bu
to the
ing,

right

AMERICA.

225

alarm. The people wore filled with apprehen-
sions at an act which they supposed to be an at-
tack on their constitutional rights. The colonies
petitioned the king and parliament for a redress of
the grievance, and formed associations for tlie
purpose of preventing the importation and use of
British manufactures until the act should be re-
pealed. In this opposition Virginia took the lead:
a number of resolutions were j)assed by the house
of burgesses, which declared '' those to be enemies
to their country, who should, by writing or speak-
ing, mainiaui that any person or persons, other
than the general assembly of this colony, have any
right or pouer to impose taxes on the people."

Upon reading these resolutions, the boldness
and novelty of them affected one of the members
to such a degree, that he cried out '* Treason,
treason !" 1 hey were, ne\ erthele^s, well received
by the people, and forw arded to the other pro-
vinces. Till these appeared, it was the general
o|:inion that the act would be quietly adopted.
The courteiiance of so respectable a colony as Vir-
ginia confirnitd the wavering and embokiened the
timid. Opposition assun^ed a bolder face. The
fire of liberty blazed fortli from the press 3 some
well- limed publications set the rights of the colo-
nists in a I lain but strong point of view j the
tongues and pens of -spirited citizens laboured in
kindling the latent sparks of patriotism, and the
flame spread from brt;ast to breast till it became
general.

A new mode of displaying resentment against
the friends of the stamp act, of which there were
many in Amerlea, began in Massachussetts, and
was followed by the other colonies. A ftw gen-
tlemen hung in effigy the stamp-master at

Boston X

'■VI' J% •*

U '^

■ :.: %■

*226 AMKRICA.

Boston J great immbers from town nnrl country
came to see it. A spirit of entlmsiasm was
dilTused aniono; the s])ectal()rs, and in the evcnino-
It was cut down and carried in procession by tju;
populace, shontinu; ** Liberty ar.d property^ for
ever ! No stamps !" They next pulled ilown a new
building lately erected by Mr. Oliver the stamp-
master j thence they proceeiled to his dwelling-
house, before which tliey beheaded the eibgv,
and at the same time broke the windows of his
house. These viohnices were repeated upon tho
dwellings of several otTicers under government,
both atMassachussetts and in the adjacent coloni;*s.

From the decided opposition to the act, which
had been exhibited in the colonies, it became
necessary for Great Britain to enforce or repeal it.
Both methods of proceeding had supporters. Dr.
Franklin, who on the passing of the act had written
to his friend in America, and emphatically said,
'^ The sun of liberty is set : you must light up tiie
candles of industry and economy," was afterwards
examined at the bar of the house of commons, and
contributed to remove prejudices, and to produce
a disposition friendly to the repeal.

Some speakers of great celebrity and weight
in both houses of parliament denied the right of
taxing the colonies : among these \\eYC lord
Camden in the house of peers, and Mr. Pitt in
the house of commons. '' My position," says
lord Camden, " is this, I repeat it, I will main-
tain it to my last hour : Taxation and representa-
tion are inseparal)le. This position is founded o]i
the laws of nature. It is more, it is an eternal law
of nature. For, whatever is a man's own no other
man has a right to take from him without his
consent, andwdioever does it commits a robbery."

Mr.

It: of

lord

itt in

says
nain-
enta-
:1 oil
law
ther
i his

AMF.IIICA. 2'i7

Mr. rUt justified the colonists in opposing the
5t;inip act. " Yon have no ii};;ht," said he, '* to
t;ix America. 1 rejoice that. America lias resisted.
Ihrec millions iA' our t"elK)w suhjects so lost to
every sense of virtue, as lamely to give up th^*ir
libel ties, would be lit. instruments to make slaves
of the rest." At length the repeal of the
stamp act was finally carried. Tliis e\ent * p.
jnive great \oy in I/)ndon. Ships in the ,w-"
river 'i'hames di.'played their colours, and ^
bouses were generally illuminated in many parts
of the nieiropolis. 'I'he news of the repeal \m\s
ri.'ceived in the colonies with universal joy, and
l!ie trade between them and (rreat iiritain was re-
newed on the most liberal footing.

The stamp act was not repealed on American
principles J nor witliout declaring '* that parlia-
ment had, and of right, ought to have, j)ower to
bind the colonies in all cases whatsoever." I'he
ivalk of the Americans, intoxicated with the ad-
vanta-Te trained, overlooked the statute which is
generally known by the title of the declaratory act,
and which in one short sentence not only de-
prived them of liberty and property, but of every
rifi-ht incident to humanity.

It was evident to the thoughtful and considerate,
that from the ungracious manner iu which the stamp
act had been repealed, ministers had not abandoned
the project of raising a revenue in the colonies.
The stamp act was brought forward and carried
under the auspices of Mr. Grenville 3 and now Mr.
Charles Townshend, chancellor of the ex- . ^^
chequer, pawned his credit to accomplish ,^*/ •-'
that in wlfich Mr. Grenville had failed. / ' *
He accordingly brought into parliament a bill for
granting duties in die British colonies on glass,

paper.

%
if,

228 AMERICA.

paper, painter' s-colours, and tea, whicli was aftor-
wards passed into a law. This act kindled the
resentment of the Americans, and excited a ge-
neral opposition to the measure j so that parlia-
* 1^ ment in the coarse of three years aban-

ly^Ci ^^"^^ ^'*^ whole tax, except threepence
' '^ ' per pound on all tea imported.
Previously to this both houses of j)arliamentlind
concurred in a joint address to his majesty, in
which they pledged themselves to support hini in
such farther measures as might be found necessary
to maintain the civil magistrates in a due execution
of the laws in Massachussetts, and beseeched him
to direct the governor to take the most etVectual
methods for procuring the .fullest information
touching all treasons, &c. committed within the
government since the 30th day of Decembir 1/07,
in order to bring the otfenders to trial within the
realm of Great Britain, pursuant to the provisionsof
the statute of the 35th of Henry VIII. The latter
part of this address, which proposed the bringing
delinquents from Massachussetts to be tried in
Great Britain for crimes committed in America,
underwent many severe animadversions^, and led
the house of burgesses of Virginia to adopt some
very strong resolutions expressive of their oppo-
sition to such proceedings. These were imitated
in other colonies. And at Boston they contemptu-
ously re-shipped the goods sent out for sale. This,
it is probable, was the ultimate cause of tlie re-
peal of all the duties, except of that on tea. Yet
tills, however trifling, kept alive the jealousy of
the colonists, and their opposition to parliamen-
tary taxation continued and increased.

It was not the inconvenience of paying the duty
that was tlie cause of the opposition 5 it was the

principle.,

■m\.^:

AMKRICA* 229

principle, wliicli ifomc lulmitted would linve snb«
jct.tt'd the colonics to unlimited parliamentary
taxation, v.itlumt ♦^iie privilege ol being repre-
sented. Hie ri^ht, abstractedly considered, wa.**
denied, and the smallest attempt to establish the
<l:im by precedent was unilormly resisted. The
rol(jnies, theretbie, entered into measures to
eju(niiage their own manulaetures, and to retrench
ihe uses ei' foreign superfluities, so long as the free
iniportation of tea was prohibited.

From the royal antl ministerial assurances o-iven
in fa\our of Ameviia, in the year 1/^9, and the
siib^enuent repeal in the next year of five-sixths
of the duties which had been imposed in 176/,
together with the consequent renewal of the mer-
cantile intercourse between Great Britain and the
colonies, many helped that the contention between
the two countries \\iis tinally closed. In all
the provinces, except Massachushetts, appearances
sei nied to lavour that opinion. Many incidents
operated there to the prejudice of that harmony
wl.ich had begun else\\here to return. The sta«
tioning a military force among them was a fruit-
ful source of uneasiness. The royal army had
been brouo;ht thither, with the avowed desion of
enforcing submission to the mother country.
Speec hes from the throne, and addresses from
parliament, had taught the soldiers to look upon
the inhabitants as a factious, turbulent people^
who aimed at throwing olf all subordination to
Great Britain. Ihey, on the other hand, were
at customed to look on the army as instruments of
t\ranny, sent on purr^>se to dragoon them out of
f eir liberties. Recii)rocal insults soured the
t mpers, and mutual injuries embittered the pas-
sionsj of the opposite parties. But the iirsi cvpcn

VOL. wiy, X rupture

• y^^

230

AMKRICA.

;■.

Ill

J
|;Ilf

i i '.i

J;
•■ii

<'*;!

riipUire took place on the 2d of Mnrcli, bchvcen n
pri\ate soldier of the. 29th iTgiirient and an in-
liahitant. On the /ilh a more dreadful scene was
presented. The soldiers, when under arms, were
pressed vipon, insulted, and pelted by a mob,
who dared tlieni to lire. In this situation one of
the soldiers, who had received a blow, fired at the
supposed aggressor. This was followed by a
sinijle dischar-]"e from si\ otliers. Thre.e of the
inhabitants were killed, and live dangerously
wounded. Tiie town ^\ as immediately in commo-
tion, and nothing but the promise of removMj^
the troons out of the town [ /evented the inha-
bitants from falling on the soldiers. The killed
were buried in one vault, and in a most re-
spectful manner, to express the indignation of the
people at the slaughter of their brethren by soldioijj
quartered among them, in violation of their civil
liberties. Preston, the captain who commanded,
and the party who lired on the people, weie com-
mitted to prison, and afterwards tiied. Two were
found guilty of manslaughter, and the rest were
acquitted.

I'he events of this tragical night sunk deep iri the
minds of the people, and were made subservient to
important purposes. The ainiiversary of it was oh-
served with great solemnity. Eloquent orators were
successively employed to deliver an annual oration,
to preserve the remembrance of it fresh in their
minds.

llie obstacles to returning harmony were in-
creased by making the governor and judges inMas-
sachussetts independent of the province. Formerly
they had been paid by yearly grants from the as-
sembly, but about this time provision was made
for paying their salaries by the crown. Tliis they

made

AMERICA.

251

made as the foundalion of an impeachment against
Mr. Justice Uhver, before the governor; but lie
excepted to their proceedings as uuconstituiional.
'the assembly, nevertheless, gained two important
points : they rendered tlie governor more odious to
llie inhabitants, and increased the public respect
for themselves, as the counterpart ot tiie pjriiisii
house of (X)mmons, and as the guardians of the
rights of the people.

ti personal animosity subsisted between gover-
nor Hutchinson and some disdnguished patriots in
Mai^sachussetts. Th-^. tlame was increased to a
high pitch by letters that had been writtt n by Hut-
chinson, Oliver, and others, to persons in power
andoilice in England j in which they recommended
measures to seciu'e the (Voedience of the people.
These letters fell into the hands of Dr. Franklin,
a^L^ent of the pro\ ince, wlio transmitted tiiem to
Boston. I'he indignation which was excited by this
discovery knew n(* bounds. Ihe house of assembly
s.nit a petition and ren;ionstrance to the king, . -p.
charging their governor, kc. with being ,>.'*.,'
traitors to their country, and with giving "'
false and partial inlbrmation : at the same time
they prayed for justice against them, and their
speedy removal from their places.

Ilie consequence of this petition and remon-
strance was the accpiittal of the governor, &c. and
the remo\ al of Dr. Franklin from the office which
he held under government, as deputy post-master.
This was considered as an insult oti'ered to their
public agent, who was boimd as such to give his con-
stituents every information respecting their char-
tered riglits. But Dr. Franklin's only otfence was
not the transmission of these letters : lie had taken
a decided part in favour of America} had wiitten

X 2 sonifc

lilsl^kl

■i:

I* -ci

£32 AMERICA.

some small tracts which were obnoxious to govern-
ment, particularly one entitled *' Rules for redu-
cing a great Empire to a small one," and was^ in
fact, become the idol of his country.

For ten years there had be n but little intermis-
sion to the disputes between Great Bt'itain and her
colonies^ and the ground of the controversy was
canvassed in every company. The more the Ame-
ricans read, reasoned, and conversed on the subject,
the more they were coiviiced of their ri^ht to
the exclusive disposal of their own property, i. his
was followed by a decer'nination to resist ail en-
croachments on that palladium of British liberty.
They were as fully satisfied of their right to refuse
and resist parliamentary taxation, as the raiing
powers of Great Britain were of tlieir right to de-
snmid and enibrce submission to it.

M^^

: lyfi

chap;

AMERICA.

CHAP. IX.

2o3

opposition to the Revenue System. East- India
Company send Tea. Bostonians throiv it over-
hoard. Conduct of Parliament toward:; Boston
and Canada. Americans assemble, ylppoint a
Congress, An Army appointed. Seize the Can-
non and Ammunition in Rhode -Island, and at
Portsmouth. Battle of Lexinnton. General
Gage's Proclamation. Battle of Bunker s Hill.
Its Consccjuences. Meeting of Congress. Their
ylrrangements. General IVashington appointed
Commander in Chief ylttack on Quel-ec. De-
feat and Death of Montgomery. Termination
of the Royal Government.

^^f '^ ^^*e now entering upon a new jera of the
^ ' . ,.' ■ erican conivo^ ersy. The duty on tea had
been retained when the other duties had been gi-
ven up, avowedly for the purpose of exhibiting the
right of parliament to tax the colonies. The Ame-
ricans denied that right, and discontinued the im-
portation of the commodity 5 and while no attempt
was made to introduce tea into the colonies against
this declared sense of the inhabitants, these oppo-
sing claims were in no danger of collision.

As the resohition of the colonies not to import
or consume tea had in a great measure deprived
the English government of a revenue from this
quarter, a scheme was formed for introducing tea
into America under cover of the East-India com-
pany. For tliis purpose an act was passed enabling
the company to export all sorts of teas^ duty free,

X a to

>(iii

234 America;

to any place whatever. Several ships laden with
it were immediately sent to the American colo-
nies, and factors appointed to receive and dispose
of their cargoes.

The Americans, determined to oppose the reve-
nue system in every possii)le shape, considered the
attempt of the East-India company to evade the re-
solutions of the colonies, and dispose of their teas
in America, as an indirect mode of taxation, sanc-
tioned by authority of parliament. Tliey assembled
in various places, and in the large commercial
towns took measures to prevent the landing of the
tea. Committees were appointed, and armed with
extensive powers, to inspect merchants' books, to
propose tests, and make use of other means to
frustrate the designs of the East- India company.
The same spirit pervaded the people from New
Hampshire to Georgia ; and at Philadelphia the
inhabitants passed some strong resolutions, declar-
ing ail those to be enemies to their country, who
should countenance in any way the unloading or
the sale of the obnoxious article. But at Boston
the tea shared a more violent fate. Sensible that
no legal measures could prevent its being landed,
and that, if once landed, it would as certainly be
disposed of, a number of men disguised as Indians,
. j^ on the 18th of December, entered the
,*!-,' ships, and threw overboard three hundred

^ ^ ' and forty chests of it, which was the pro-
portion belonging to the East- India company. And
with so nmch union and system did llie colonists
act, that there was not a single chest of any of the
cargoes sent out by the East-[ndia company, on
this occasion, sold for their benefit.

ISio sooner did tlie news of tliis destructb.n of

the

AMERICA." 23.5

the tea reach Great Britain, the n the parliament

shipping of goods, wares, and merchandizes, at
tlie tow n of Boston, or within the harbour."

This act threw the inhabitants of Massachussetts
into the greatest consternation. But fortunately for
them it was not the onlv statute made at that time :
biit .t was also enacted, that the town meetings,
sanctioned by charter, should be either disconti-
nued, or subject to such restrictions as rendered
them of no value 3 and that persons indicted for
any capital offence committed in obstructing tlie
powers of magistracy, might, at the pleasure of
the governor, be sent to another colony, or (^ven
to Great Britain, to take their trial for such offence.

Petitions against these bills, couched in strong
and pointed language, were presented to parlia-
ment, as they were passing the two houses 3 and
tlie lords of the minority entered a solemn protest
against the passing them. On one of these occa-
sions colonel Barrc, who had ever been the ad\o-
cate of liberty, concluded an admirable speech hy
saying, " You are offering the last of human out-
rages to the people of America, by subjecting them
in effect to military execution : instead of sending
them the olive branch, you hnve sent the naked
sword. What madness is it that prompts you to
attempt obtaining that by force, which may, with
so much more facility and certainty, be proc\u'ed
by requisition ? Retract your odious exertions of
tudiority, and remember that the first step towards
making tlrem contribute to your wants is to recon-
cile them to your government."

I'he parliament did not stop nere : but before

t]l(>V

i;ii^^'

23(5 AMERICA.

they completed the memorable session, they passed
an act respecting the government of Quebec. The
principal objects of the bill were, to ascertain the
limits of the province, which were now made to
extend southward to the Ohio, and westward to
the banks of the Mississippi, and northward to
the boundary of the Hudson's Bay company : to
establish a legislative council, tlie members of
which were appointed by, and re moveable at the
pleasure of, the crown : to confirm French laws,
and a trial without jury in civil cases : to secure to
the Roman catholic clergy the legal enjoyment of
their tithes from those who were not of their own
religion. The revenue of the province was con-
signed to the support of an unlimited civil hst, and
the administration of justice ; the judges holding
their ortices and salaries during pleasure.

Among tlie more southern colonists, it was ima-
gined that this bill was intended to conciliate the
inhabitants of Canada, and make them fit instru-
ments in the hands of government to reduce them
to a state of slavery. But these measures did not
nitiraidate the Americans : they rather served to
confirm their former apprehensions of the evil de-
signs of government, and to unite the colonies in
their opposition. A correspondence of opinion
with respect to the unconstitutional acts of parlia-
ment produced an unitbrmity of proceedings in
the colonies. Most of them entered into spirited
resolutions, on this occasion, to unite with the
Massachussetts in a decided opposition to the un-
constitutional measures of the parliament. The
1st of June, the day on which the Boston port-bill
was to take place, was appointed to be kept as a
day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer, through-
out the colonies^ to seek the Divine direction and

aid.

AMERICA. 237

aid, in that critical and gloomy juncture of affairs.
T'lJs act of cievc/Lion was considered I)) the people
as an iuunbie appeal to Heaven ft)r the justict of
their cause, mid deslgr.cd to mLinifest iheirdepend-
eiK:e on liie Almighty tor success in mainiaining it
a^^LUu-l tlieir hosiile brctiuen. llie pra}ers and
di'^^courses of the clergy, who were fiientis to iheir
suilering country, and wlu; had l-}' iheir exemj/iary
coi.duct secured the confidence of ihe j^eople, had
great iniiuence in encouraging iheir hearers to en-
gage in deience of their riglils : an.d to them has
been justly ascribed no inconsidejable share of the
success and victory that crowned the American
arms.

Ihe minds of the people being thus pre])ared,
the Iriends of liberty of iVIas.sachu-^setis petitioned
the governor to convene the as^embl)' 3 w hich be-
hvjn, refused, a p-eneral meetin;^: of the inhabitants
was called to2,ether. About eii^Iit thousand met,
and passed several spirited resolutions, in which
it was ('etermined to assemble a continental con-
gress. In this the people generally concurred j and
de^^utlcrs being appointed, the congress met on the
2()th of October, 3774.

In this first session the proceedings w^ere cool,
deliberate, and loyal j but they wee marked w ith
unanimity and vigour. They lirst drew up a state-
ment of their riglits; then a petition to the king.
Tlicy afterwards signed 'an association to suspend
the importation of British goods, and the exporta-
tion of American produce, until their grievances
should be redressed. Ihey sent an address to the
inhabitants of Great Britain, and another to the
people of America : in the former they cnitmerated
the oppressions of parliament, and called upon
their British brethren not to aid the ministry in en-

slavhiii

'■ i?.

« I

■f:'l

238 AMERICA.

slaving their American subjects ; in the latter they
endeavoured to confirm the people in a sjVu'ited and
unanimous determination to defend their constitu-
tional rights.

In the mean time, every thing in IVTassachnssetts
wore the appearan{X" of opr/osition by force. A new
council for the governor had been appointed by the
crown: new judges were appointed, and attempted
to proceed in the execution of their oihce. But the
juries refused to be sworn in under them ; and in
some counties the people assembled to prevent tlie
courts from entering upon business.

The day for the annual muster of the militia ap-
proached. General Gage, the governor, apprehen-
sive of some violence, had the precaution to seize
the magazines of ammunition and stores at Cam-
bridge and Charleston, and lodged them in Boston.
This measure, with the fortifying of that neck of
land which joins Boston to the main land at Rox-
bury, caused an universal alarm and ferment. Se-
veral thousand people assembled, and it was with
difBculty they could be restrained from flilling upon
the British troops.

A general assembly had been summoned to meet
previously to this 5 and notwithstanding the writs had
been countermanded by th > governor's proclama-
tion, on account of the violence of the times, and
the resignation of several of the new counsellors,
yet representatives were cliosen by the people, who
met at Salem, resolved themselves into a provincial
congress, and adjourned to Concord, about twenty
miles from Charleston. On their meeting there,
they chose Mr. Hancock president, and proceeded
to business.

This congress addressed the governor with a re-
bearsal of Uieir distresses, and took the necessary

steps

AMERICA. 239

steps for dofeiyliiig their riglits. They regulated
the niihtia, made provision lor supplying the trea-
sury, and furnishing the people wilti arms ; and sueh
"W'as tiieir enthusiasm and union, that the rceonimen-
dations of the provineial eungress had the lorce of
laws.

General Gage, goNernorofMassaehussetts, was in-
censed at tliese nieasiues : he deelared in iiis answer
to their address, that Ikitain eould nev, r harbour
the black design of enslaving her subjeets 3 and he
published a proelamalion, in whieh he insinuated
that sueh proeeedings amounted to rebellion. H(^
also ordered barraeks to be ereeted for tiie soldiers,
but found great dittieuity in proearing hibourers
either in Jioston or New York.

The governor's proelamationw^as unavailing; tlie
provineial eongress appointed a eommittee to draw
up apian for the immediate defence of the provinee.
It was resolved to enlist a number of the inhabitants
under the name of minute men, \\ ho were under
obligation to turn out at a minute's warninsj^.
Priddle, Ward, and Fomeroy, were eleeted efdeers
to eommand those minute men, and the militia, in
case they should be called to action. A committee
of safety, and one for supplies, were appointed.

The hame congress met again in November, and
raised tw elve thuu^and men, one fourth of whom
v\ere minute men, and recei\ed immediate pay.
Ihey also sent to New Hampshire, llhode-Island,
and Connecticut, to inform them of the steps taken,
and to request tlieir co-operation in making up an
army of twenty thousand men. Committees of
these several colonies met, and settled their plans,
llie period of conmiencing opposition to Gage's
troops \\ as determined to be whenever they niarclied
«ut with their baggage, ammunition, and artillery.

A pro-

X3i* ji.r rti

■ "■B^^

^:;i m

240 AMERICA.

A proclamation had been issued by the Ixinr^, pro-
hibiting; the cxportaiiun of military stores from Bri-
tain, which reached America in the hitter end of
the year 17/4. Jmmedialely the people of Rhode-
Island seized upon and removed from the public
battery forty pieces of cannon : soon after four lum-
dred men attackc'd the castle at Portsmouth ; the-/
sustained afire from three four-pounders and small
arms j but before they could be ready tor a second
fire, the assailants st(jniied the fort: some secured
and confined the garrison, vhiJc others broke open
the pov/der-house, and took away the contents.

A y^ In the Ibllowing February, colonel liC.dic

1775.

was sent with a detachment of troops from

Boston, to take possession of some cannon
at Salem. Bat the people had inte?ii;^ence of the
design, took up the draw-bridge in that town, and
prevented the troops fioii^i passing, until the cannon
were secured. In April, colonel Smith and niajur
Pitcairn were sent with a body of about nine hun-
dred troops, to destroy the nfditary stores which
had been collected at Concord. It is generally be-
Heved that another, and perhaps the princl[)al ob-
ject of the expedition was to seize on the persons
of Messrs. Hancock and Adams, who had rendered
themselves peculiarly obnoxious to general Gage.
At Lexington, the militia were collected on a
gree«, to oppose the incursion of the British forces.
These were fired upon by the British troops, and
eight men killed on the spot. The militia were
dispersed, and the troops proceeded to Concord,
where they destroyed a few stores. But on their
return they were incessantly harassed by the
Americans, who, inflamed with resentment, fired
upon them from houses and fences, and pursued
tjieni even to Boston. I'he loss of tlxe British in

4 vAi

AMERICA. 241

this expedition, in killed, wounded, and prisoners,
amounted to two hundred and seventy-three men.
Here, then, was spilt the tirst blood, in a war whieh
ultimately severed America from the British em-
pire. Lexington opened the lirst scene of thi.j great
diama, which in its progress exhibited the most
illustrious characters and events, and closed with a
revolution important to the rights and liberties of
mankind.

This battle roused all America. The militia col-
lected from every quarter, and Boston in a lew
days was besieged by twenty thousand men. A
stop was put to all intercourse between the town
and country, and the inhabitants were reduced to
the greatest distress for want of provisions. Ge-
neral Gage offered to permit the people to depart,
provided they would deliver up their arms. The
people complied; but the general refused to stand
by ids engagement.

In the mean time a small number of men, to
the amount of only two hundred and forty, under
the command of colonels Allen and Easton, with-
out any public orders, surprised and took the Bri-f
tish garrisons at Ticonderoga and Crown Point,
without the loss ot a man.

A martial spirit now^ pervaded all ranks of men in
the colonies. They believed that their liberties were
in danger, and were generally disposed to risque
their lives in defence of them. The animated vo-
taries of the equal rights of human nature consoled
themselves with the idea, that though their whole
sea-coast should be destroyed, they could retire to
the western wilderness, and enjoy the luxury of
being free j and it was observed in conorress by one
of the South-Carolina delegates, *' Our houses, be-
ing constructed of brick, stone^ and wood, though
TOL. XXIV. X destroyed

1:1

i;k»:

m^^^

\mi^

242

AMEnrcA.

•♦v..) '■

■ u It'

destroyed may be rebuilt: but liberty once gone is
lost tor ever."

Resi.^tanee being resolved on by tbe Aniericnns,
llie [)iilpit, the press, llie bench, and the bar, seve-
rally labouri'd to nnile and encourage them. I'he
clergy ot' New England were a numerous and re-
spectalile body, who had a great ascendancy (n-er
the minds of their hearers. They connected reli-
gion and patriotism, and in their sermf)ns and
prayers represented the cause of America as the
cause of heaven. Writers and printers ibllowed in
the rear of the preachers, and next to them had
the greatest share in animating their countrymen.
Gentlemen of the bench, in tlieir addresses to tlie
juries, denied the charge of rebellion^ and justified
the resistance of the colonists.

About the latter end of May, a great part of (lie
reinforcements ordered from Great Britain ar-
rived at Boston, under the command of generals
Howe, Burgoyne, and Clinton. General Gage was
now prepared for acting with decision : but before
he proceeded to extremities he conceived it due to
antient forms to issue a proclamation, in which he
otiered, in the king's name, pardon to all who
should forthwith lay down their arms and return to
their respective occupations, excepting only from
the benefit of that pardon Samuel Adams and
John Hancock, whose otf'ences were said to be of
too flagitious a nature to admit of any otlier con>^i-
deration than that of condign punishment.

In June the Americans attemi)ted to fortify Bun-
ker's Hill, wdiich is only about a mile and a lialf
from Boston. They had during a single night
thrown up a small breastwork, wdiich sheltered
them from the fire of the British cannon. But the
next morning the British army was ^ent to drive

them

AMERICA. 24!5

thorn from the hill -, and landlno- under cover of
their cannon, they set lire to C'harleston, wliieh
was consumed, anil marched to attack the troops
i:i tlieir enirenehments. Jn IJoslon, the hei'jjhts
of" every kind \v( re covered with citizens and such
oi the king's troops as were not on duty. Tlie hills
around the adjacent country, \\ hich atl'orded a safe
and distinct view, were occupied by the inhabitants
of the country. I'liouiiands both within and with-
out Boston were anxious spectat(>rs of the blooily
scene. The honour of liritish troops beat ])igh in
the breasts of manv, while others with a keener
sensibility felt for the liberties of their country.
I'he British moved on slowly ; whii h gave the )>''o-
vincials a better opportunity for tal.ingaim. 'ihe
latter, in general, reserved themselves tiU thrir ad-
versaries were within tifty or sixty yirds, b'lt then
stream a furious discharfie of small arms. Ti »
began of the American lire was so incessant, ild
did such great execution, that the king's t.»> ps re-
treated in precipitation. 1'heir otiicers rabied llieui
and pushed them forvrard with their swords; but
they returned to the attack with reluctance. A
second time they were put to flight. General
Howe and the otficers redoubled their exertions,
and were at last successful. A retreat was ordered :
but so zealous were the provincials, that when
their anununition was expended they made re-
sistance with their discharged n.kets, as if they
had been clubS;, till the king's troops had half filled
die redoubt.

In this engagement fiftee i hundred Americans
were opjioscd to three thousand British ; of whom
the former sustained a Small loss compared with
that of the latter : the whole loss of the Americans
amounted to lour hiuidred and lifty 3 of the British

\l ' to

•y. .>if ^

i\:%

'm;T:',

!> A-i'^

ii *

1 ^M

H-r

244 AMERICA.

to eleven luindred. The circnmstnnre most la-
meiite.i on this bloody fiay by die Aincrii^ans was
the loss of Dr. WarrcM, who was al this time a
major-general. He died like a hrav^ njan, light-
ing valiantly at tlu^ head of his i-h ry I'ijs eKCcl-
lent hero had rendered himsc^lt coti;^ li. otus i3y his
universal merit, abilities, and elo',u<uv .^j he had
be^n a delegate to the lirst general coiit^.i/si,, and
was at the time of his death president ^o the \ko-
vincial congress of Mashachiissetts. Quitting the
humane and peaceable vVidk of his professirin as
a pliysician, and breaking throui^h the eiKieariiig
ties of family connexion, he proved liimsoif ecpaaily
calddat. d for tlie field as lor public business or
private pursuits.

The burning of Charleston, though a place of
great trade, did not dlscomage the pnwincials. Jt
excited resentment and ex-'cration, but g'^nerated
110 disposition to submit. *' Such," says Mr. Ram-
sey, " was the ]iigh-t(;ned siaie of the public niind_,
and so great the inditftnnce for ])ropt ny when
put in competition with liberiy, that military con-
llagrations, though they distressed and impove-
rished, had no tendency to suod'ie the colonists.
They migiit answer in the OM World, but were
not calculated for the New, where lh.^> war was un-
dertaken, not tor a change of masters, but for se-
curin^r ess"niial ritrhts."

The action at Bunker's Hill produced many and
very Impoi. tant consequences, K taught the British
Bo much resoect for Americans entrenched behind
works, that their sui)sequent operations were re-
larded with a caution that \\ astcd away a whole
campaign to very little purpose. It adde 1 to the
confidence which the Aiiiericv.ns began to have in
tlieir own abilities^ and inspired some of the lead-
ins:*

AMERICA. 245

ing members of congress with, perhaps, too high
ideas of what could he done by the iiiiJitia..

On the 10th of IVJay the second general congress
had met, notwithstanding the ellorts of go\ern-
ment to prevent it : it consisted of delegates not
only from the twelve colonies that were before re-
presented, but also from that of (jeorgia. On
tlieir meeting tiiey chose Peyton Randolph for
their president, and Charles Thompson for secre-
tary. They proceeded with caution and modera-
tion 5 and when applied to from the Massacluissetts
respecting *' the taking up and exercising the
powers of civil government," they shewed an evi-
dent disposition not to set up any forms indepen-
dent of Great Britain, and recommended only
such regulations as were immediately necessary,
and were as conformable as possible to the spirit
and substance of their charter. And these were
only to last till a governor of his majesty's appoint-
ment v\()uld consent to govern the colon}' accord-
ing to its charter. On tht^ same principles of ne-
cessity another assumption of new powers be(\ime
unavoidable. The great intercourse that daily took
place throughout the colonies pointed out the pro-
priety of establishing a general post-oiiice. Ihis
was acc(jrdingly done 5 and Dr. Franklin, w ho had
by royal authority been dismissed from a similar
employment about three years before, was ap-
pointed the head of the new department.

While congress was making arrangements for
their proposed continental army^, it w^as thought
expedient once more to address the inhabitants of
Great Britain, and to publish a declaration setting
forth their reasons for taking arms j — to address the
assembly of Jamaica i the inhabitants ot Ireland j
and also to prefer a second humble petition to the

y 3 k".ng«

., If,,

24(3 AMERICA.

king. These were all drawn in appropriate bii^
spirited language. In their declaration they enu-
merated the injuries that they h id rec ived, and
then said, ** We are reduced to die aitLTi alive of
choosing unconditional submissi jn to the tyra-nvv of
ministers, or resistance by force. We havt counted
the cost of this contest, and find nothing so dread-
ful as voluntary slavery."

About this time the continental congress unani-
mously appointed George Wafihingtun, esq. a na-
tive of Virginia, to the chief command of the
American army. He .seemed, as we have already
liinted, destined bv^ Heaven to be the saviour of his
o^ountry. He accepted the appointment with difh-
cU^nce J refused any pay for eight years of labo-
rious and anxious service j and by his matchless
skill, fortitude and perseverance, conducted Ame-
rica tln-ough indescribable difficulties to indepen-
dence and peace-*. After the appointment of this

great

grcr
th(?j
toll
Am

1^. ^''J.

a-i

* General Washing'ton replied to the president of con-
gress aniiouncinyf his appointment, in the following words :
" I\Ir. President,

" Though I am truly sensible of the high honour done
me in this appointment, yet I feci great distress from a
consciousness that my abilities and military experience
may not be equal to the extensive ^nd important trust ;
however, as the congress desire it, I will enter upon the
momentous duty, and exert everv power I possess n their
service, and in support of the glorious cause. 1 beg tl;ey
will accept my mr)st cordial thanks for this distinguished
testinumy of their approbation.

" But, lest some unlucky event should happen unfa-
vourable to my reputation, I beg it may be remembered
by every gentleman in the room, that 1 this day declare,
with the utmost sincerity, I do not think nlyself etjual tq
I lie command I am honoured with.

•♦As

done
om a
ience
rust ;
n the
their
tliev
■iishcd

AMEHICA. 247

great man, congress came totlieresolation, '''That
tliay woulA maiiirain and assist lii:n and adhere
to him with their lives and f-^rtunes in the cause of
American liberty." His instructions were [general,
entreating him ** to make it his special care, in dis-
charge of the great trust reposed in him, that the
liberties of America received no deU'iment." Im-
mediately afterwards generals V,^ard, Lee, Schuy-
ler, Putnam and Gates were appointed in subordi-
nation to him, and eight bri.^adiers, viz. Pomeroy,
Montgomery, Wooster, Heath, Spencer, Thomas,
Sullivan, and Green. Twelve companies of rifle-
men were raised in Pennsylrania, Maryland, and
Virginia 3 and bills of credit were given for two
millions of dollars, for tlie redemption of which
the colonies were pledged.

In his way to the eamp at Cambridge, general
Washington was received with the greatest ho-
nours ; and from this time the atiairs of the Ame
rican army beg.ui to assume the appearance oiQ
regular and general opposition to the forces > i
Great Britain. In the autumn, a body of troops
under general Montgomery besieged and took the
garrison of St. John's, which commands tlie en-
trance into Canada. I'he prisoners amounted to
seven hundred. He pursued his success, and took
Montreal, and designed to push his victories to
Uuebec.

" As to pay, sir, I beg leave to assure the cono;ress, that
as no pecuniary consideration could have templed me tg
ai.cept this arduous employment, at tlie expense of my
domestic ea^.e and happiness, 1 do not wish to make any
proiit from it. I will keep an ex .ct account of my ex-
penses, 'those, I doubt not, they will discharge, and that
ib ail i desire."

A body

'•;:■! J

24S AMETxirA.

A body of troops commnnded by general Ar-
nold was ordered to march to Canada : after suf-
fering, in their passage through the wilderness,
every hardship, as well as the most distressing
hunger, they arrived, and were joined by iVlont-
gomery before Quebec. This city, which was
commanded by governor Carleton, was besieged:
but there being little hope of taking the town by
siege, they resolved to storm it. In this attack
they proved unsuccessful j and, what was consi-
dered as a severe misfortune, general Montgomery
was killed. Few men have ever fallen in battle,
so generally regretted by l)oth sides as this excel-
lent man. In America he was celebrated as a
martvr to the cause of freedom : — in Great Britain,
as a misguided good man, sacrificed to what he
supposed to be the rights of mankind. His name
was mentioned by parliament uith singular re-
spect: some of the most powerful speakers in that
assembly displayed their eloquence in sounding his
praise and lamenting his fate. Even the minister
acknowledged his worth, while he reprobated the
cause for which he fell.

After this defeat general Arnold, who now com-
manded the troops, continued some months before
Quebec j and although his troops suffered incre-
dibly by cold and sickness, they intercepted the
provisions that were intended for the town and
garrison. About the f^ame time the large and
tiourishing town of Noriolk in Virginia was wan-
tonly burnt by order of lord Danmore, the then
royal governor of that province. Falmouth, a
considt rable town in Massachussctts, shared the
fate (.f Norfolk 3 being laid in ashes by the Bri-
tish admiral.

The royal government still existed in name and

furui j

AMERICA. 24l|

form ; but the real power which the people obeved
and firmly supported, was exercised by i pruv lu-
cial congress, a council of safety, and sub fdinrue
committees. To conciliate the friendship of the
Indians, the popular leaders sent a small supply of
powder into the country. They who were opposed
to congress, embodied, and robbed the vvaggou;^
which were employed in its transportation. The
inhabitants took arms, some to sup|>ort the govern-
ment, but others to defend tho American mea-
sures. The former acted feebly, and were easily
overpowered. They were dispirited by the supe-
rior numbers that opposed them j they e^ ery
where gave way, and were obliged to fly, or feign
submission. Solicitations had been made about thiij
time for the king's forces to awe the southern pro-
vinces, but w^ithout effect, till the proper season
was over. One scheme for this purpose was frus-
trated by a singular device. Private intelligence
had been received of an express being sent fiom
sir James Wright, governor of Georgia, to general
Gage, to urge immediate assistaiice in >. ■ south.
The express was waylaid, and the let' ers seized.
0;ie to Gage was kept back, and another forwaraed
in its room. The senl and hand -writing were so
exactly imitated, that the deception was u sus-
pected. The forged letter was acted upon Tills
lee! to a conclusion that every th;ng was quiet, and
tliat there was no need of troops to the southward.
While these states were left ^o themselves, they
had time to prepare for extremities, and in the
mean wlille the fitends of the sovereign were seve-
rally crushed. A series of disasters followed the
myal cause in the year 1/75. General Gage's
army was cooped up in Boston, and reuderea use-
Icds. The people of Auierica generally took the

side

Ml
'■■'.

vim

250 AMERICA.

side of congre's ; and so did the great mnss of the
wealth, learning and influence, in all the southern
colonies, and in most of the northern. Some ai^ed
persons were exceptions to the contrary. A lew
•who basked in the sun-shine of court fa\ our were
restrained by honour, principle and interest, from
forsaking the fountain of their enjoyments. Some
feared tlie power of Britain, others doubted the
perseverance of America j but a great majority re-
solved to hazard every thing in defence of their
rights. In the beginnii^.g of the year, the colonists
•were farmers, merchants, and mechanics, but in
its close they had assumed the profession of sol-
diers. So sudden a transform.ation of so numercjus
and so dispersed a people is without a parallel.

This year is also remarkable for the termination
of the royal government, which was effected \\ Ith-
out any violence to its executive ofticers. The new
system was introduced through necessity, and the
imperceptible agency of a common danger ope-
rating uniformly on the mind of the public. The
governors, for the most part, voluntarily abdi-
cated their charge, and retired on board ships of
war : and their witlidrawins: from the exercise of
their official duties I'urnished an apology, and in-
duced a necessity for organizing a system of go-
vernment independent of ro) al authority.

'^^iiLn

h*,|

ciiAr.

AMERICA.

251

CHAP. X.

Proreed'wgs of ParHainent. Boston evacuated ly
the, Br'ithih. Arncrican Independence declared.
Lord Hojre arrives. Americans defeated. Refuse
Howes OJ)ers. U^ashin^tons Attacks. Treiiton.
Burgnyne captured. France joins the Americans.
Terms offered to America. Rejected. Conduct
of tlie Indians. Distresses of the Americans,
Arno/d's Treachery. Major Andre s Death. Ge^
iierai Green's Conduct. Captures Lord CormuaL
liss y'lrmy. Peace. IVashingtons Resignation
a/id Departure.

nPFTE obstinnte resistance which the British nn-
-^ expectedly met with in America, led the king
and parliament vo think of more vigorous measures,
in hopes thereby of bringing the contest to a speedy
issue. For this purpose seventeen thousand Ger-
mans were subsidized, in order to be sent a -q
to assist in subduino; the colonies. An act , ^ ' .
of parliament was also passed, prohibiting ''
all intercourse with America -, and while the Boston
port-bill was repealed, all American property taken
. on vhe high seas was declared to be forfeited to the
c;iptors. These acvs induced congress to change
ihe mode of carrying on the war, and measures
were taken to annoy the army in Boston, which
was then under general Howe, Gage liaving set
out for England the preceding SeptembLT. Bat-
ttM'ies were opened, and a regular siege commenced;
which induced general Howe to abmidon the town,

but

.till

mfj^^vi

UtU

'i^4 ■

2.52 AMERICA.

but not without first plundering the inhabitants of
every tiling tliat was valuable.

The British^ amounting to more than seven
thousand niLii, evacuated Boston, leaving their
barracks standing, a number of pieces (jf cannon
s})iked, and stores to the value of 30,0001. This
was,att(^nded Avith many circumstances of distress
nnd enibarrassiiicnt. On the departure of the.
army, a great num'Der of tlie inhabitants attached
to their so\tre:gn, and dreading public resentment,
ciiose to abandon their country; and from the im-
mense multitude about to depart, there were nei-
tiier pmrhasers for their elfects, nor a suiiicient
number of vessels for the transportation of them.

\\ hen the fleet and army departed from Boston ,
several ships were left behind for the protection of
\ essels coming from England : but the American
])rivjtteers \\ere so alert, that they nevertheless
made many prizes. Some of the vessels which
they captured were laden with arms and war-
Ike stores. Some transports with troops on board
V ere also takeii, having run into the harl)our be-
foie they knew of is behig evacuated. The boats
employed in the embarkation of the British troops
had scarcely ( onij-ieted their business, whcii gene-
ral W asjiiniitoji with his armv marched into Bos-
ton. lie was received witli marks of aj)probation
more flattering than the pomp of a triumph. I'he
inhabitants Jialled him as their deliverer. Recipro-
cal congTLitulations between those who iiad been
C(-nlined within the British lines, and those who
"were excluded from entering them, were ex-
i ranged w ith an ardour that cannot be described.
General \Vashino;ton was hon.oured bv conjiresji
Wiih u \uiOof ihanks) they ordered aUo a metlal

tob<
die
Ii

« 'If

AMERICA. 253

to be struck with suitable devices, to perpetuate
the reinenibrauce of this great eveut.

In Canada the Americans were completely un-
successful. The possession of this province so emi-
nently favoured the plans of defence adopted by
congress, that it was abandoned with great reluc-
tance. The Americans were not only mortified
at the disappointment of their fivourite scheiue, of
annexing it as Vifourteenth link in the chain of their
confederacy, but apprehended the most serious
consequences from tjle ascendance of British power
in that quarter. Anxious to preserve a footing
tliere, they had persevered for a long time in stem-
ming: the tide of unfavourable events.

The victorious general Carleton proved himself
worthy of success by his kind and benevolent treat-
ment of the prisoners that fell into his hands. He
not only fed and clothed them, but p:>rmitted
them to return home. This humane liuj of con-
duct was more injurious to the views of the leaders
in the American councils, than the se\erity prac-
tised by other British commanders.

While the Americans were retreating, they were
daily assailed by the remonstrances of the inhabi-
tants ofCanada, whohad either joined or bef'cnJed
them. But the only relief they had to olfer \\as
an assurance of continued protection, if they re-
treated with them : diis was a hard alternative to
men who had families} and th.?y generally con-
cluded that it was the lea-t of two e\ils to cast
themselves on the clemency of that governs ent
against which they had otfended. Ibedistre-cs
of the retreating army were great. The British
were close on their rear, and threatening them
with destruction. The state of the colonies im-
posed on them a necessity of preserving tijcir can-

VOL, xxiv, z Don,

'%*^^P

254 AMERICA.

ii(>!), whicli tli(>y were obliged to drug up tlie ra-
pids, when they were to the middle in the water.
'J 'hey were also ineuinl)ered with great numbers
labouring under the small-pox. and other diseases.
'Iw'o regiments, at one time, had not a single man
in health j another had only six ; and a fourth only
forty, and two more were nearly in the same condi-
tion. Notwithstanding these dilhculties, general
Sullivan conducted the retreat witii so nnich judg-
ment and caution, that the baggage and public
stores were saved, and the numerous sick brouoht
oft'. The American army rea<:hed Crown- Point on
the J St of July, and at that place they made a stand.

A short time before the Americans abandoned
Canada, general Arnold convened the merchants
of Montreal, and obliged them to furnish a great
quantity of goods, which he pretended were want-
ed for the army, but which his nephew publicly
disposed of at Albany.

Jn the course of this summer a small squadron
of ships, commanded by Sir Peter Parker, and a
body of troops, under the generals Clinton and
Cornwallis, attempted to take Charleston, the ca-
pital of South Carolina. The ships made a violent
attack ujK)n the fort on Sullivan's island, but w eic
repulsed with great loss, and tJie expedition was
abandoned.

It being now fiscertahied that the utmost lenity
America had to expect from Britain was pardon,
upon unconditional submission j the minds of the
generality of people throughout the continent
were by this time fully prepared for a formal de-
claration of independency. North Carolina and
Pennsylvania, which had long opposed this mea-
sure, now signilied their concurrence. Maryland
alone discovered syn^ptoms of reluctance.

A motion

1*^ SI

AMERICA.

255

A motion was made in congress, on the yih
of June, tor declaring the colonies tree and inde-
pendent. Tlie business was adjourned to a future
day } and when the time for taking tiie subject
into consideration arrived, much knowlege, inge-
nuity and eloquence were displayed on botli sides
of the question. The debates were continued tor
some time with great animation. At length, alter
a full discussion, tlie measure of proclaiming the
colonies free and independent was approved by
nearly an unanimous vote.* The declaration

was

* The act of the United Colonies for separnting them-
selves from the government of Great Britain, and decl.irinir
their independence, was expressed in the following words -.

" When, in the course of human events, it becomes ne-
cessary for one people to dissolve the political bands wiiicli
have connected them with another, and to assume amou'i;
the powers of the earth the separate and equal starion to
which the laws of nature and of nature's God entii'v' theri,
a decent respect to the opinions of mankind re-juircs ihat
they should declare the causes which impel them to the
separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable rights, that among these are Ufe, Uberty,
and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights,
governments are instituted among men, deriving their
just powers from the consent of tlie governed ; that when-
ever any form of government becomes destructive of thesa
ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it,
and to institute a ntw government, laying its foundation on
such principles, and organizing its power in such form,
as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and
happiness. Prudence indeed, will dictate that government*
Jong established should not be changed for light and trans-
ient causes ; and accordingly all experience hath shewn
that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are
sutlerable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms
to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of
abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same ob-

2 2 ject,

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256 AMERICA.

vas solemnly pronuilgnted on the 4th of July,
}77Q' 1 he arnivcrsary of the day, on which this
important event took place, has ever since been

consecrated

jcct, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute dis-
polism, ii is tlu'ir riglit, it is tlieii duty, to ihtow ofVsiuh
govermnenr, ;;nd to provide new guards for their future
security, buih has l)ern the patient suHerance of ther.c
C('Ion;es, and 8ut!i is now tlie necessity which constrains
them to ;;hcr their former systems of government. The
history of the present king of Clreat Britain is a history of
repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct ohiect
the estaliiisment of an absohM' tyrainiy over these statu.
To prove this, let facts be subiiiitted to a candid world.

He has refused his assent to laws the most wholesome
and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his goverjiors to pass laws of Immediate
and pressing importance, unless suspended in their ope-
ration till his assent should be obtained ; and when so
suspended he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other laws for the accommoda-
tion of large districts of people, unless those people would
relinquish the right of representation In the legislature, a
right inestimable to them, and formidable to tyrants
only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places un-
usual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of
their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them
into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for
opposing, with manly iirmness, his invasions on the rights
of the people.

He has lefused, for a longtime after such dissolutions,
to cause others to be elected ; whereby the legislative
powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the
people at large tor their exercise; the state remaining in
the mean time exposed to all the danger of invasion from
without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these
states, for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturali-
zation of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encc iun,o:e
their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new
appropriations of lands.

AMERICA, 257

tonjjecrated by the Americans to religious gra-
titude and social pleasures : it is justly considered
by them as tlie birih-day of their tieedom.

From

He has obstructed the administration of justice, by re-
fusing; his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.

He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for
the tenure of their otlices, and the amount and payment
of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hi-
ther a swarm of officers to harass our people and eat out
their substance.

He has kept among us, in time of peace, standing ar-
mies, without the consent of our legislatures.

He has alFected to render the miUtary independent of,
and superior to, the civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdic-
tion foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by
our laws ; giving his assent to their acts of pretended le-
gislation : —

For quartering large bodies of armed troqps among us.

For protecting them, by a mock trial, from punishment
for any murders which they should commit on the inha-
bitants of these states:

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing taxes on us without our consent:

For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of trial
by jury :

For transporting us beyond the seas to be tried for pre-
tended offijnces :

For abolishing the free system of English laws in a
neighbouring province, establishing therein an arbitrary
government, and enlarging its boundaries, so as to render
it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing
the same absolute rule into these colonies :

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most va-
luable laws, and altering fundamentally the form of our
governments :

For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring^
themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all
cases whatsoever.

z 3 He

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258 AMFRICA.

From the f romnlgation of tliis declaration pvery
thing assumed a new form. Ihe Ainericans
no longer appeared in the character of sub-
jects

He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out
of his protection, and wag^ing war against us.

He has phmdercd our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt
our towns, and destroyed the Hves of our people.

He is, at this time, transporting large armies of foreign
mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and
tyranny already begun with circumstances of cruelly and
perfidy scarcely paralleled to the most barbarous ages,
and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow citizens, taken captive on
the high seas, to bear arms against their country, to be-
come the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to
fall themselves by their hands.

Ht has excited domestic insurrections among us, and has
endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers
the mercile: s Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare
is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes, and
conditions.

In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned
for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated peti-
tions have been answered only by repeated injury. A
prince whose characttr is thus marked by every act
wliich may define a tyrant, is unlit to be the ruler of a free
people.

Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British
brethren. We have warned them from time to time of
attempts made by their legislature to extend an unwarrant-
able jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the
circumstances of our eniigraticm and settlement here. We
have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity,
and we have conjured them, by the ties of our conim(;n
kindred, to disavow these usurpations, which would inevi-
tably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They
too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consan-
guinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity
which denounces our separation, and hold them as we
h(>ld the rest of mankind, enemies in war j in peace,
friends.

We,

AMERICA. 259

jccts in arms against their sovereign, but as an
independent people, repelling tlie attacks of au
invauing foe. Propositions and supplications for
reconciiiaiiun were clone away, llie dispute was
brought to a single point, whether the late British
colonics slumid be conquered provinces, or free
and independent state^^.

The declaration was read publicly in all the
states, and was welcomed with many demonstra-
tions of joy. The people were encouraged by it
to bear up under the calamities of war : the army
received it with particular satisfaction, as it se-
cured them from s uttering as rebels, and held out
to their view an object, the attahiment of which
would be an adequate recompense for the toils
and dangers of the war. The Mattering prospects
of an extensive commerce, freed from British
restrictions, and the honours and emoluments of
office in independent states, now began to glitter
before the eyes of the colonists, and reconcile
tliem to the dilHculties of their situation. That

^^^^^•m^m ■ II —^—^1 ■ .11 ■ ■ — ■ — II. ^- ■■■■ Ml ■ ■ ■ I ■ ■■■ -■-■.» ■ 1,1 ■!■ ■ . ■■II. , Mj — ■■ I . iiBM— ■—

We, therefore, the representatives of the United States
of America, in general congress assembled, appealing to
the supreme judge of the world for the rectitude of our
intentions, do in the name, and by authority of the good
people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare,
that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be,
FREE and INDEPENDENT STATES; that they are absolved
from all allegiance to the British crown ; and that all poli-
tical connection between them and the state of Great Bri-
tain is and ought to be totally dissolved ; and that as free
and independent states, they have full power to levy war,
conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and
to do all other acts and things which independent states
may of right do. And for the support of this declaration,
^vith a firm rehance on the protection of divine Provi-
dence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our
fortunes, and our sacred honour.

JoiiN Hancock, President.

geparation

dm *^it{Sh I

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2fJ0 AMRRICA,

separation which they at first d. *aded as an evil^
they soon gloried in as a national blessing.

By advice of the new American minister, lord
George Germainc, the chief command of the vast
nav'il and military force, now collected for the
subjugation of America, was entrusted to the two
Howes. Immediately after the declaration of in-
de])endence, general Howe, with a powerful force,
arrived near New York, and landed the troops upon
Staten Island. General Washington was in New
York, with about thirteen thousand men, who
were encamped either in the city or the neighbour-
ing fortifications. On the 12th of July lord Howe
arrived and joined his brother, and though he was
vevy much concerned to find that the declaration
of independence had been promulgated, yet he re-
solved to make one effort for effecting an accom-
modation. His powers, however, were much too
limited. He was ready to offer pardon to persons
who contended that they had been guilty of no
fault. Both sides, therefore, prepared seriously
for action j and the general, being joined by tlie far
greater part of his expected reinforcements, found
himself at the head of thirty thousand veteran
troops, supported by a formidj'ble fleet, composing
together a force far superior to any that had ever
before been seen in the New World employed in
the same service.

The operations of the British began by the action
on Long Island, in the month of August. The
Americans w^re defeated, and general Sullivan
and lord Sterling, with a large body of men were
made prisoners. The night after the engagement,
a retreat was ordered and executed with such
silence, that the Americans left ihv^ island without
alarming their enennies and without loss.

Almost immediately after tliis transaction ge-
neral

AMEFICA. 25l

neral Sullivan was sent, upon parole, with a verbal
message from lord Howe, requesting an interv lew.
The committee appointed for this purpose, con-
sisting of Dr. Franklin, Mr. John Adams, and Mr.
Rutledge, met lord Hovve upon Staten Island, by
whom they were treated wiih great attention -, but
tlie conference terminated without eilecting any
good purpose.

In September the city of New York was aban-
doned by the American army and taken by the Bri-
tish : and in November Fort Washington, on York
Island, was taken, and more than two thousand
men made prisoners. Fort Lee, opposite to Fort
Washington, on the Jersey shore, was soon after
taken, but the garrison escapi-d. Al)ont the same
time, general Clinton was sent with a body of troops
to take possession of Rhode Island, and succeeded.
In addition to all these losses and defeats, the Ame-
rican army sulfered by desertion, and si ill more by
sickness. All that now remained of it, which at
the opening of the campaign amounted to at least
twenty-five thousand men, did not exceed three
thousand. The term of their engagements being
expired, they returned in large bodies to their
families and friends, and the few who continued with
Washington and Lee, were too inconsiderable to
appear formidable in the view of a powerful and
victorious enemy.

In tl;is alarming situation of affairs general
Lee, through imprudence, was captured by a party
of the British light-horse j this gave a sc\ere shock
to the remaining hopes of the little army, and
rendered their situation truly distressing. In die
opinion of many the atfairs of the Americans weni
drawing to a crisis. But general Washington, al-
ways ready to improve every ad\antage to raise the
drooping spirits of his handful of men, had made

a stand

u,. ,

m^-

' '; T.- Ill "/

\u^ •-■■*

MI ' ^
mm ■ -i

2<53 AMERICA.

a stand on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware,
Here he collected his scattered forces, and very
early on the 2(ith of Dec-ember, a day purposely
selected, on the supposition that the preceeding
festivity might favour the project of a surprize, he
crossed the Delaware, not without extreme dif-
ficulty, from the quantity of ice in the river, nine
miles above Trenton, and immediately began his
march in the midst of a storm of snow and hail at
the head of his troops, and reached Trenton by
day-break, and so completely surprized the army
that upwards of nine hundred Hessians, after a
slight resistance, were made prisoners. In th©
evening general Washington repassed the Dela-
ware, carrying with him his prisoners, their artil-
lery, and colours, and entered the city of Phila-
delphia in triumph.

The charm was now dissolved, and it being found
by experience that the Europeans were not invin-
cible, great numbers of die Americans, who had
deserted their colours, again repaired to tha
standard of tlieir commander, who soon found
himself at the head of a considerable army, and
ready to act on the ottensive. This successful ex-
pedition first gave a favourable turn to American,
affairs, which seemed to brighten through the
whole course of the war. Soon after, general
Washington attacked the British at Princeton, and
A j^ obtained a complete victory. The great
^^y^' address in planning and executing these

^*^' enterprizes reflected the highest honour on
the commander ; and success revived the de-
sponding hopes of America.

This year was distinguished by several memo-
rable events in favour of American liberty. On the
opening of the campaign, governor Tryon was sent
witli a body of troops to destroy the stores at Dan-
bury,

bur
but
Am
bra\
was
by
pris(
C
nor
pusl

AMERICA. 263

bury, in Connecticut. The plan was executed j
but tlie British sutlered in their retreat, and the
Americans on their part lost general Wooster, a
brave and experienced officer. General Prescot
was taken from his quarters, on llhode Island,
by the address of colonel Barton, and conveyed
prisoner to the continent.

General Burgoyne, wlio commanded the British
northern army, took possession of Ticonderoga ;
pushed his successes, crossed the Lake George, and
encamped upon the banks of the Hudson, nea^ Sa-
ratoga. His progress was, however, checked near
Bennington, where the undisciplined militia of
Vermont displayed the most exemplary bravery.
The milii'm now assembled from all parts of
New England to stop the progress of general Bur-
goyne. These, with the regular troops, formed a
res])ectable army, commanded by general Gates.
After two severe actions, in which generals Lincoln
and Arnold behaved with much gallantry 3 general
Burgoyne found himself enclosed and was obliged
to surrender his whole army, amounting to several
thousand men. This memorable event happened on
the l/th of October, 1777; it diffused an universal
joy over America, and laid tiie foundation for a
treaty with France.

But prior to these transactions, the main body of
the British forces had landed at the head of Elk
river, and began tlieir march to Philadelphia. Ge-
neral Washington had determined to oppose them;
and for this purpose tirst made a stand at Red-Clay
creek, and then upon the heights, near Brandy-
Wine creek. Here tlie armies engaged 3 ttie
Americans were overpowered and sutiered great
loss. Shortly after they again *^ngaged at German
Town, and in tlie beginning of tlie action the
Americans had tlie advantage, but the fortune>

jT'-M

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'iym

,«« 'J!*''

I a. ' 'J} I

...4.-

. J I- v.- .5

2G4 AMERICA.

of the day was turned in favour of the British.
Botli sides suftered considerable losses, and on the
side of the Americans was that of general Nash.

In an attack upon the forts at Mud Island and
Red-Bank, the Hessians were unsuccessful, and
tlieir commander killed. The British also lost a
ship of the line. But the forts were afterwards
taken, and the navigation of the Delaware opened.
General Washington was reinforced with part of
the troops which had composed the northern army,
\nider general Gates, and both armies retired to
winter quarters.

In October, the same month in which general
Burgoyne was taken at Saratoga, general Vaughan,
with a small fleet, sailed up Hudson's river, and
wantonly burnt Kingston, a beautiful Dutch settle-
ment on the west side of the river.

Till the capture of general Burgoyne, the powers
of Euroj)e were only spectators of the war between
Great Britain and her late colonies j but soon after
that event they v ere drawn in to be parties

In eveiy period of the controversy, the claims of
the Am.eri("aps were patronized by many respecta-
bl(j» foreigners. The addresses and other public acts
of congress were admired by many who had no
personal interest in the contest. Liberty is so evi-
dently the undoubted right of mankind, that when-
ever a people take up arms either to defend or
recover it, they are sure of meeting with encou-
ragemeiu, or at least good wishes from the friends
of lumianity in e\ery part of the world.

From the operation of these principles, *he Ame-
ricans had the esteem and prayers of multitudes in
every part of Europe. I'hey were reputed to be
ill-u>ed, and determined to resist oppre-^sion. Be-
in^ boili pitied and applauded^ bympadietic senti-
ments

AMERICA. 265

ments were excited in their favour. These circum-
itauces would have operated in every casif but in
the present, the cause ot the Americans was pa-
tronized from additional motives. An universal
jealousy prevailed against Great Britain. Her navy
had long claimed a degree of homage from those of
other European nations j and demanded, as a matter
of right, that the ships of all other powers should
strike their sails to her as mistress of the ocean.
From her eagerness to prevent supplies going to the
colonists, the vessels of other powers had for some
time past been subjected to searches and interrup-
tions, when steering towards America, in a manner
that could not be easily borne by independent nations.
Soon after the intelligence of the capture of ge-
neral Burgoyne's army, the court of France con-
cluded a treaty of alliance and commerce witli the
United States. This .was brought about by the
interference of doctor Franklin, Silas Deane, and
Arthur Lee. The terms of reciprocity on which
France contracted \\ ith the United States were no
less recommended by wise policy than dictated by
true magnanimity. As tliere was nothing exclusive
in tlie treaty, an ojjening was left for Great Britain
to close the war wheneser she pleased, with ail
the advantages of future commerce that France had
stipulated for herself. This measure rendered iJie
ejitablishment of American independence tlit; com-
mon cause of all the conmiercial ])owers of Eu-
rope J for the question became, ^vilelher the trade
ot the United States should, by the subversion of
their independence, be again monopolized b} Greut
liriiain, or by the establishment of it, be laid open
on equal terms to all tlie world ?

\Vhile the mhiisters of Great Britain were

pleasing themselves with tlie fialtering idea of a

VOL. x.Mv. 2 A per-

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266 AMERICA.

permanent peace in Europe, they were notle«
surprized tlian provoked by hearing of the alliance
which had taken place between his most Christian
Majesty and tlie United States : this event, tiiough
fre(]uently tbretold, was disbelieved.

I'he marquis de la Fayette, who had long been
a patron of the American contest, and had fought
in her cause, was among the first in the continen-
tal army who received the welcome tidings of the
treaty. In a transport of joy, mingled witli an
effusion of tears, he embraced general Washing-
ton, exclaiming, " The king, my master, has ac-
knowledged your independence, and made an alli-
ance with you for its establishment." The heart-
felt joy, which spread from breast to breast, ex-
ceeded description. Solemn thanks were offered
up to heaven ; a feu de joie was lired 5 and, on a
proper signal being given, the air resounded witli
'* Long live the king of France !'* which pouredforth
from the hps of every soldier in the army. The
Americans, having alone weathered the storms of
war, now fancied the port of peace to be full in view.

As soon as this treaty was known in England,
the sovereign and parliament resolved to punish
the French nation for treating with their subjects,
which they styled " an unprovoked aggression on
the honour of the crown, and essential interests of
the kingdom." At the same time conciliatory bills
were brouglit into the house and passed 5 by which
governor Johnstone, lord Carlisle, and Mr. Eden,
were appointed to set out for America, and open
a negociation on the subject*. Congress would

not

4* '4;!

* The terms which they offered were principally as
follows :

To coDseat to a cessation of hostilities, both by sea and
land. To

AMERICA. 2(^7

not now accept of the proffered terms, nor would
tliey, said Mr. Laurens, in his answer, enter into
the consideration of a treaty of peace with tlie king
of Great Britain, without an ex})hcit acknowledi;-
jiient of the independence of the States^ or the
witlidrawint'; his fleets and armies.

in our farliier account of this war, which wag
protracted till the spring of 1783, we must neces-
sarily be very brief 3 tiiking care, however, that

To restore free intercourse, to revive mutual afT'ection,
and renew the common benefits of naturalization, through
the several parts ol this empire.

To extend every freedom to trad'; that our respective
interests can retiuirc.

To ao^ree that no military forces jJiall be kept up in the
dffllrtiit states of North America, without the consent of
the j^eneral congress or [)articular assemblies.

To concur in measures calculated to di8charp;'e the debt*
of America, and to raise the credit and value of tlic paper
circulation.

To perpetuate our imion by a reciprocal deputation of
an agt?nt or a^jxMits from the diflbrent slates, who shall
have the privilege of a seat and voice in the parHament of
Great Britain; or, if sent from Britain, in that case to have
1 scat and voice in tlie assemblies of the different states to
U'hich they mav be deputed respectively, in order to at-
tend the several iiUvM-ests of those by whom they are de-
putetL

In short, to establish the power of the respective legns-
htures in cjich particular state, to settle its revenue, its
civil and milit.vry establishment, and to exercise a perfect
lieedom of legislation and internal government, so that
the British states throu'^hout North America, acting with
us in peace and war undei one coinmon sovereign, may
have the irrevocable enjoyment of every privilege that is
•hort of a total jcparaiion of interests, or consistent with
that union ot force, on which the safety of our common
religion and liberty depends.

2 ^2

i:i''A

263 AMERICA.

* ^ no mnterml point is omitted. Early in tlie
i-\.o" spring, count cl'Kstaign was sent with fif-
" ^ ' totMi sail of Uic line, by the court of France,
to assist America. He arrived at the entrance of
tlie Delawire on the pth of July. Fro!n an ap-
prehension of this kind, or from a prospect of
greater security, it was reso\ed that the British
.should evacuate Philadelphia, and concentrate their
force in the city and harbour of New York. On
their march they were annoyed by the Americans,
and at Mon nouth a very regular action took place
between pnrt of the armies j the British were re-
pulsed with great loss; and had general Lee obey-
ed his orders, a signal victory would probably have
been obtained. For his ill conduct on that day,
general I^ee was suspended, and never after per-
mitted to join the army. It is generally supposed
that he was jealous of Washington's fame, for his
courage and fidelity to his country were never called
in question.

In August, general Sullivan, with a large body
of troops, attempted to take possession of Rhode
Island, but did not succeed. Soon after, the stores
and shipping at Bedford, in Massachussetts, were
burnt l:)y a party of the British troops. I'he same
year, Savannah, then the capital of Georgia, was
taken by the British, under the command of colo-
nel Campbell.
. r- Throughout the year 1779» the British
,, J>y.* seem to have aimed at little more in tho
^^^^' states to the northward of Carolina, than
distress and depredation. Having publicly an-
nounced their refjolution of making *' the colonies
of as little avail as possible to their new connec-
tions ;*' on this principle they planned several ex-
peditions. The command of tlie army had devolv-
ed

ed n
turn
poin

AMERICA. 2(y^

f(1 on sir Uonry Clinton ; genor?jl Howe having re-
turned to Kncjland : nnd gcnrral liinroln was :ip-
p)intcd to the coinmaihl of the American southern
army.

(rovcmor Tr}'on and sir George Col Iyer made
an incursion into ( 'canned icut, and hurnt the towns
of Fairfield and Norwalk ; fn^n-i the latter place
certificates were transmitted to general Washing-
ton, in which persons of veracity bore witness on
oath to vinious acts of brutality, rapine, and cru-
elty, committed on aged persons, women, and
prisoners.

The elder citizens of the United States, who had
grown up with habits of attachment to the British
nation, felt the keenest sensations of regret, when
they contrasted the year IJ.li) with 1779- The for-
mer was their glory, Avhen in the days of their
youth they Mere disposed to boast of the honours
of their common countiy, but the latter filled them
with distress. The one ennobled the British name
with the conquest of McMitreal, Quebec, and the
wliole province of Canada j the other was remark-
able only for burning magazines, store-houses,
d )ck-yards, and towns, and for the distress of a
defenceless peasantry.

llie American arms were crowned with success
in an attack upon Stoney-Point, which was sur-
prised and tnkcn by general Wayne, in the night
of the 15th of July. Five hundred men were
made prisoners, with little loss on either side.—
A party of British forces attempted this summer
to build a fort on Penobscot river, for the purpose
of cutting timber in the neighbouring forests. A
plan was laid by theMassachussetts to dislodge them,
and a considerable fleet collected for the purpose 5
but it failed of success, and tlie whole marine

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270 AMERICA.

force fell into the hands of tlie British, except some
vessels which were burnt by the Americans tliem-
selves.

In the month of October, general Lincoln and
count d'Estaign made an assault upon Savannah ;
but they were repulsed with considerable loss. In
this action, the celebrated Polish count Pulaski,
who had acquired the reputation of a brave soldier,
was mortally wounded.

Thus ended the campaign of 1/79* without any
thing decisive on either side. It is remarkable for
the feeble exertions of the Ameri/:ans. Accidental
causes, which had previously excited their activity,
had in a great measure ceased to have influence. — ■
An enthusiasm for liberty made tliem compara-
tively disregard property, and brave all danger, in
tlie first years of the war. Their success in 1777 >
made them active and vigorous. The flattering
prospects inspired by tlie alliance with France in
177^ f banished all fears of the success of tlie revo-
lution J but the failure of every scheme of co-ope-
ration, produced a despondency of mind unfavour-
able to great exertions. Expecting too much from
their allies, they were less prepared to prosecute
the war from their own resources, than they would
have been if d'Estaign had not touched on their
coast. Their army was reduced in numbers, and
badly clothed. In the first years of the war, the
mercantile character was lost in tlie military spirit
of the times ; but in the progress of it, the inhabi-
tants, cooling in their enthusiasm, gradually re-
turned to their former habits of lucrative business.
This made a distinction between the army and the
citizens, which was unfriendly to military exer-
tions. While several events tended to tlie embar-
rassment of Great Britain, and indirectly to the

establish-

AMERICA. 271

establishment of independence, a variety of inter-
nal causes relaxed the exertions of the Americans,
and, for a time, made it doubtful whether they
would ultimately be independent citizens or con-
quered subjects. Among tliese, tlie daily depre-
ciation of their paper money held a distinguished
p-eeminence ; but on this subject tlie limits of
our volume will not allow us to enlarge.

When the English colonies were planted in
Xorth America, the country w^as inhabited by
numerous tribes of Indians, whose numbers had,
from a variety of causes, been continually lessen-
ing. Of those that remained the Americans w^ere
not unmindful : they had appointed commissioners
to cultivate their friendship, and to persuade them
to take no part in the contest. All tlie exertions
of congress were insutiicient for the security of the
western frontiers. In almost every period of tlie war
a great majority of the Indians had taken part with
Greal Britain against the Americans. The inter-
course with these tribes had, for several years prior
to the American war, been exclusively committed
to John Stuart, an ofBcer of the crown and de-
voted to tlie royal interest. By his means almost
incredible devastation was committed at ditferent
periods of the contest. A particular detail of the de-
strut tion of property, of the distress of great num-
bers who escaped only by fleeing into the woods,
where they subsisted without covering, on the
spontaneous productions of the earth, and of the
barbarous murders which were committed on per-
sons of all ages, and each sex, would be sulhcient
to freeze every breast with horror. • "* ^

In several expeditions which had been carried
on ngainst the Indians, ample vengeance had been
taken on soiiie of tiieai ; but these partial suc-
cess t'S

il,

272 AMERICA.

cesses produced no lasting benefit. The few who es-
caped had it in their power to make thousands mi-
serable. For the permanent security of the frontier
inhabitants, it was resolved to carry a decisive ex-
pedition into the Indian country. A considerable
body of continental troops was selected for the pur-
pose, and put under the command of general Sul-
livan. The Indians who form the confederacy of
the six nations called the Mohawks, were the ob-
jects of this expedition. They inhabit that im-
mense and fertile tract of country which lies be-
tween New England, the Middle States, and the
province of Canada. Sullivan marched into their
country, and burnt and destroyed all the provisions
and settlements tliat fell in their way.
4 Y^ On the opening of the next campaign,

* ' the British troops left Rhode Island, An

' ' expedition, under general Clinton and lord
Cornwallis, was undertaken against Charleston, in
South Carolina which, after a close siege of six
weeks, was surrendered to the British commander j
and general Lincoln and the whole garrison were
made prisoners. This was the first instance in which
the Americans had attempted to defend a town.—
The unsuccessful event, with its consequences,
demonstrated the policy of sacrificing the towns of
the Union, in preference to endangering tlie whole,
by risking too much for their defence.

General Gates was now appointed to the com-
mand of the southern department, and another
army collected. In August, lord Cornwallis at-
tacked the American troops at Camden, in South
Carolina, and routed them with considerable loss.
He afterwards marched through the southern states,
and supposed that he had entirely subdued them.

The sanie summer the British troops made fre-
quent

AMERICA. 27s

Cjuent incTirsions from New York into the Jerseys,
ravaging and plundering the country. A large body,
commanded by general Kniphausen, lauded in
June, at Elizabeth Point, and proceeded into the
country. These were much harrassed in their pro-
gress by colonel Dayton, and the troops under his
command. At Connecticut Farms they burnt a
considerable part of the village. In tins neighbour-
hood lived Mr. Caldwell, an eminent presbyterian
clergyman, whose exertions in defence of his coun-
try had rendered him particularly obnoxious to the
British. Mrs. Caldwell, seeing the enemy advanc-
mg, retired witli her housekeeper, a child of three
years old, an infant of eight months, and a little
maid, to a room secured on all sides by stone walls,
except at a window opposite the enemy. Unsus-
picious of danger, while she was sitting on her bed,
holding one child by the hand, with the infant at
her breast, a British soldier shot her dead, who
had evidently come to the unguarded part of the
house, with a design to perpetrate the horrid deed.
Her husband shortly after shared the same fate.

The campaign of this year passed away in suc-
cessive disappointments and distresses. The coun-
try seemed exhausted, and the continental currency
expiring : the army, in want of every article of
food and clothing, brooding over its calamities.
While these disasters were openl)- menacing the
American cause, treachery was silently undermin-
ing it. General Arnold engaged, for a stipulated
sum, to betray into the hands of the British an im-
portant post. He had been among the first to take
arms against Great Britain, and to widen the
breach between the parent state and the colonies.
His distinguished talents and exemplary courage
had procured him every honour Uiat a grateful
,.. ^ country

1';*

2/4 AMERICA.

country could bestow ; and he was in the enjoy-
ment of such a share of fame, for the purchase of
which the wealth of worlds would have been insuf-
ficient. His love of pleasure produced a love of
money, and that extinguished all sensibility to the
obligations of honour and duty.

The agent employed in this negociation on the
part of sir Henry Clinton, was major Andre, a
young officer of great hopes and uncommon merit.
His great honour and abhorrence of duplicity,
made him inexpert in the practise of those arts of
deception which such a business required. He
was taken, and the fatal papers found concealed in
his boots. Andre offered his captors a purse of
gold and a valuable watch, if they would let him
pass ', and permanent provision and future promo-
tion, if they would accompany him to New York,
They nobly disdained the proferred bribe, and de-
livered him over to their colonel. Andre called
himself by the name of Anderson, and under that
character obtained leave to send a letter to Arnold,
who iftimed lately effected his escape.

General Washington referred the whole case of
major Andre to the examination and decision of a
board consisting of fourteen general oflBcers. Their
report, founded entirely on his own confession,
declared that he ought to be considered as a spy,
and that, agreeably to the laws and usages of na-
tions, he ought to suffer death.

Great interest was made to save his valuable life,
which was refused but upon the condition of their
giving up Arnold ; this could not be acceded to,
without offending against every principle of policy.
Andre, though superior to the terrors of death,
wished to die like a soldier. The usages of war
would not now allow of this request, but his feel-
ings

AMERICA. 275

inc^s were saved from the pain of a negative. The
guard which attended him in his confinement mnrch-
cd with him to the place of execution. The way
over w hich he passed was crowded witli anxious
epectators, w hose sensibihty was strongly impressed
by beholding an amiable youth devoted to imme-
diate execution. Major Andre w^alked with firm-
ness, composure and dignity, between the officers
of his guard, his arm being locked in theirs. Upon
iceing the preparations, he asked witli some degree
cf concern, ** Must I die in this manner.'* He
V as told it was unavoidable. He replied, ''lam
reconciled to my fate, but not to the mode -, it will
hov/erer be but a momentary pang." His conduct
excited the admiration and melted the hearts of
all the spectators. He was asked if he had any
tiling to say; " Nothing," says he, *'but to request
tliat you will witness to the world that I die like a
brave man."

This execution was the subject of gevere cen-
fures ; and notwithstanding the usages of war,
which were appealed to for the justice of the sen-
tence, it w^ould have been honourable to the con-
gress, and their general in chief, had the life of tliis
excellent young man been spared. While every
heart pitied the fate of major Andre, the conduct
of the infamous Arnold was stamped with uni-
versal infamy ; and, like persons of his description,
he lived despised by mankind, and died a few
years since''^ unlamented. General Washington
arrived in camp just after Arnold had made his es-
cape, and restored order in the garrison.

After the defeat of general Gates in Carolina,
general Greene was appointed to the command of

the

• See Monthly Magazine, vol. xi. p. 546.

S'f^

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K^".$;'*>

276 AMERICA.

the southern army. PVom this period things in
that quarter wore a more favourable aspect. Co-
lonel Tarleton, the active commander of the British
legion, was defeated by general Moreton, the in-
trepid commander of the riflemen.
A -p. After a variety of movements the two

' * armies met at Guildford, in Carolina, where
' * was one of the best- fought actions during
the war. General Greene and Lord Cornwall is
exerted themselves at the head of their respective
armies ; and although the Americans were obliged
to retire from the held of battle, yet the British
army suffered immense loss, and could not pursue
the victory. In this action generals O'Hara and
Howard, and colonel Tarleton were wounded :
besides these, colonel Stuart and three captains
were killed^ and colonel Webster died of his
wounds.

At this period Arnold, who had been made a
brigadier-ifeneral in the British service, with a
small number troops sailed for Virginia, and plun-
dered the country.

After the battle of Guildford, general Greene
moved towards Soutli Carolina, to drive the British
from their posts in that state. Here lord Rawdon
obtained an inconsiderable advantage over die
Americans near Camden. Greene, with his usual
promptitude, instantly took measures to prevent
his lordship from improving the success he had
obtained. He retreated with such order that most
of his wounded, and all his artillery, together with
a number of prisoners, were carried off. The
British retired to Camden, where it was known
that they could not long subsist without fresh pro-
visions, and the American general took proper
measures to prevent tlieir getting any.

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AMERICA. 277

Goneral Greene more than recovered the advan-
tage gained over liini at Camden, by a brilliant and
suceessful action at the Eutaw Springs. The loss
of the British was upwards of eleven hundred men,
besides UX)0 stand of arms : that of the Americans
five hundred, in which number were sixty officers.
Soon after this eiigagement, the British retired
with their whole force to Charleston Neck. The
defence of tlie country was given up j and the con-
(juerors, who had carried their arms to the extre-
mi lies of the State, seldom aimed at any thing
more than to secure themselves in tlie vicinity of
the capital. The crops which had been planted in
the spring of the year under British auspices, and
with the expectation of affording them supplies,
frll into the hands of the Americans^ and admi-
nistered to them a seasonable relief. The battle
of Eutaw may be considered as closing the war in
South Carolina. At its commencement the British
were in force over all the state, at its close tliey
durst not venture 20 miles from Charleston. His-
tory affords but few instances of commanders who
have acliieved so much w ith equal means as was
done by general Greene in the the short space of a
twelvemonth.

Lord Cornwall is finding general Greene suc-
cessful in Carolina, marched to Virginia, collected
his forces, and fortified himself in Yorktown. In
the mean time Arnold made an incursion into
("onnecticut, burnt a part of New London, took
fort Grisvvold by storm, and put the garrison to the
sword. The brave colonel Ledyard, who com-
manded in the fort, was barbarously slain with
Ills own sword, after he had surrendered.

The marquis de la Fayette had been dispatched
with about two thousand light hifantry from tiie

ril

'Wtm

VOL. XXiV.

% M

maia

27d AMERICA.

main army, to watch the motions of lord Corn-
wallis in Virginia. About the end of August,
count de Grasse arrived with a large fleet in the
Chcsapeek, and blocked up the troops in York
town, and soon after admiral Greaves, witli a Bri-
tish fleet, appeared oft^ the Capes ; an action suc-
ceeded, but it was not decisive.

General Washington had, previously to this,
moved the main body of his army, together with
the French troops, to the southward -, and as soon
as he heard of the arrival of the French fleet in the
Chesapeek, he made rapid marches to the head of
the Elk, where embarking the troops, he soon ar-
rived at York town, and a close siege commenc-
ed which was carried on with great vigour.

In a short time the batteries of the besiegers
were covered with nearly a hundred pieces of can-
non, and the works of the besieged were so da-
maged that they could scarcely show a single gun.
Lord Cornwallis had now no hope left but from
offering terms of capitulation, or attempting an
escape. He determined on the latter, but the
scheme was frustrated by a sudden and violent
storm of wind and rain. With this failure the last
hope of the British army expired 3 longer resistance
could answer no good purpose, and must occasion
the loss of many valuable lives. Lord Cornwallis,
therefore, wrote to general Washington, request-
ing a cessation of arms for 24 hours, and that
commissioners might be appointed to digest terms
of capitulation. It is remarkable, that while co-
lonel Laurens, the oflScer employed by Wash-
ington on this occasion, was drawing up these
articles, his father was closely confined in the
Tower of London, of which lord Cornwallis was
governor. By this singular combination of cir-
cumstances,

AMERICA. 27()

^nmstances, his lordship became a prisoner to the
son of his own prisoner. A capituhition was
signed} but the honour of marching out with
colours flying, which had been refused to general
J^incoln, on his giving up Charleston, was now-
refused to lord Cornwallis j and general Lincoln
was appointed to receive the submission of the royal
army at York Town, precisely in the same way
as his own had been conducted about eighteen
months before.

The regular troops of France and America em-
ployed in this siege, consisted of about seven thou-
sand of the former, and of five thousand five hun-
dred of the latter j and these were assisted by four
thousand militia. The troops of every kind that
surrendered prisoners of war exceeded seven thou-
sand men.

Five days after the surrender, a British fleet and
army of seven thousand men, destined for the re-
lief of Cornwallis, arrived off the Chesapeek^ but
on receiving advice of his lordship's surrender, they
returned to New York. Such was the fate of the
general, from whose gallantry and previous suc-
cesses, the speedy conquest of the soutliern states
had been so confidently expected. No event dur-
ing the war bid fairer for oversetting the indepen-
dence of at least a part of the confederacy, than his
complete victory at Camden j but by the conse-
quences of that action, his lordship became the
occasion of rendering that a revolution, which
from his previous success was in danger of termi-
nating as a rebellion. The loss of this army may
be considered as deciding the contest in favour of
America, and laying the foundation of a general
peace.

The reduction of an army tiiat had carried ra-

2 B 2 vages

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380 AM F.RICA.

vages and dc«itmction whorcver tlioy wont ; that
had involved thousands of all mv^ in distress ; oc-
casionod unusnal transports of joy in the breasts of
the whole body of the pecjple. Tlnouohout the
United States, they displayed a social trliunpli and
exultation, whicii no private prosperit)- is ever ablo
to inspire. A day of thanksgivini^ was appointevl
by congress, who went in procession to church, to
offer up their grateful acknowledgments for the sig-
nal success of the campaign.
» -pj This year, 1/81, terminated In all part,-?
* ' of the United States in favour of the Anie-
' ricans. It began with weakness in Carolina,
mutiny in New Jersey, and devastation in Virgi-
nia ; nevertheless in its close, the British were
contined to their strong holds in or near New
York, Charleston and Savannah, and their whole
army was captured in Virginia. They, in the
course of the year, had acquired much plunder,
by which individuals were enriched, but their na-
tion was in no respect benefited.
, On the last day of the year, Henry Laurens was
released from his long confinement in the Tower of
London. To this fact we have hitherto but barely
alluded. He was committed a close prisoner on the
6th of October, hi the preceding year, on suspi-
cion of high treason. This gentleman had been
deputed by congress to solicit a loan for their ser-
vice in the United Netherlands j and also to negci-
ciate a treaty between them and the United States.
On his way thither he was taken by the Vestal fri-
gate ; and though he threw his papers overboard,
yet enough were recovered to ascertain the object
of his mission. In the course of his imprison-
ment, he was ofiered his liberty, if he would ac-
knowledge his error, which he indignantly refused.

After-

AMERICA.

281

Afterwards, when his son arrived in France as the
special minister of congress, he was requested to
beg that he would withdraw himself from that
post : to which he replied, *' My son is of age,
and has a will of his own ; if 1 should write to
him in the terms you demand, it would have no
effect. He is a man of honour, he loves me
dearly, and would lay down his life to save mine ;
but I am sure he would not sacrifice his honour to
save my life, and I applaud him."

A few months after the surrender of lord Corn-
wallis, the British evacuated all their posts in Soutli
Carolina and Georgia, and retired to tlie main ar-
my in New York. Early in the ensuing . -p.
spring, sir Guy Carlton arrived in New .i^.ry'
York, and took command of tlie British '
army in America. Immediately on his arrival he
acquainted general Washington and congress, that
negociation for peace had been commenced at Paris.
On the 30th of November, the provisional articles
were signed, by which Great Britain acknowledged
the independence and sovereignty of the United
States of America, and these articles were ratified
by a definitive treaty. Thus ended a long and ar-
duous conflict, which eventually gave to the Ame-
rican states a rank among the nations of the earth.

Toward the close of this year, congress ^ -p.
issued a proclamation, in which the armies ' '
of the United States were applauded and ' *
discharged from their duties. On the day preced-
ing their dismission, general Washington issued
his farewell orders in the most endearing language.
The evacuation of New York took place in about
tliree weeks after the American army was discharg-
ed 3 and in the evening there was a display of fire-

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works, which exceeded every thing of the kind
before witnessed in the United States.

The hour now approached when general Wash-
ington was to take leave of his officers, who had
been endeared to him by a long series of common
sufferings and dangers. This was done in a solemn
manner J '' With an heart full of love and grati-
tude," said he, '' I now take leave of you : I most
devoutly wish that your latter days may be as pro-
sperous and happy, as your former ones have been
glorious and honourable." The officers came up
successively, and he took an affectionate leave of
each of them. When this scene was over, the
general left the room, and passed through a corps
of light infantry to the place of embarkation. The
officers followed in procession. On entering his
barge, he turned to the companions of his glory,
and by waving his hat bid them a silent adieu. —
Some of them answered this last signal of respect
and affection with tears j and all of them hung
upon the barge which conveyed him from their
sight, till they could no longer distinguish in it tlie
person of their beloved commander in chief.

He proceeded to Annapolis, tlien the seat of
congress, to resign his commissiqn. On his way
thither, he delivered to the comptroller :n Phila-
delphia, an account of the expenditure of all the
public money he had ever received. This was in
his own hand writing, and eveiy entry was made
in a particular manner.

In every town and village through which the
general passed, he was met and saluted by public
and private demonstrations of joy. His resigna-
tion was accepted in a public manner, at which a
great number of distinguished persons were pre-
sent J

AMERICA. 2S3

sent ; and never was there witnessed a more inte-
resting scene*. Immediately on his resignation,.
Mr. Washington hastened to his seat at Mount
Vernon, on the banks of the Potowmac, in Virginia,

wher«

.v;n./

* At a proper moment, general Washinffton addressed
Thomas Mifflin, the President, in the following words :
" Mr. President,

" The great events on which my resignation depended
having at length taken place, I have now the honour of
ofTering my sincere congratulations to congress, and of
presenting myself before them to surrender into their
hands the trust committed to me, and to claim the indul-
gence of retiring from the service of my country.

Happy in the confirmation of our independence and
sovereignty, and pleased with the opportunity afforded
the United States of becoming a respectable nation, I re-
sign with satisfaction the appointment I accepted with
diffidence ; a diffidence in my abilities to accomplish so
arduous a task, which however was superseded by a con-
iidence in the rectitude of our cause, the support of the
Supreme Power of the Union, and the patronage of
Heaven.

The successful termination of the war has verified the
most sanguine xpectations, and my gratitude for the in-
terposition of Providence, and the assistance I have re-
ceived from my countrymen, increases with every review
of the momentous contest.

While I repeat my obligations tc the army in general,
I should do injustice to my own feelings not to acknow-
ledge, in this place, the peculiar services and distinguished
merits of the persons who had been attached to my per-
son during the war : it was impossible the choice of con-
iidential officers to compose my family should have been
more fortunate ; permit me, sir, to recommend in parti-
cular those who have continued in the service to the pre-
sent moment, as worthy of the favourable notice and
patronage of congress.

I consider it as an indispensable duty to close this last
solemn act of my otHci:?! life, by commending the interests
•f our dearest coimtry to the protection of Almighty

God>

t. Sinj

III

■}

'2Q4 AMEKTCA.

where he earnestly hoped to spend the remainder
of his days in an honourable retirement.

Cod, and those who have the superintendance of them,
to his holy keeping.

" Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire
from the great theatre of action; and bidding an aiFec-
tionate farewell to this august body, under whose orders
I have long acted, I here offer my commission, and take
my leave of all the employments of public life."

To this the President returned an appropriate answer.

■It,'' '>.)V: «.♦

:?■' I

*. ■■ ■ -

• . >>

CHAP.

AMERICA.

285

CHAP. XI.

Disputes in different States. General Convention,
A System of Federal Government recommended.
Constitution ratified, IFashlngton appointed
Presl'lent. His Character. Re-elected. Insure
rertion in Pennsylvania. Washington resigns,
Adams chose fi President. United States arm
ai(ainst France. JVashhwton elected Commander
in Chief. Dies. Peace between France and
America. Jefferson elected President. States
aided to the Union. Louisiana ceded. Popular
tion. Expenditure, Debt of the United States,

NO sooner was peace restored by the definitiva
treaty, and the British troops withdrawn from
their country, than the United States began to ex-
perience tlie defects of their general government.
Whilst an enemy was in the country, fear, which
had first impelled the colonists to associate in mu-
tual defence, continued to operate as a band of po-
litical union. It gave to the resolutions and re-
commendations of congress the force of laws, and
generally commanded a ready acquiescence on the
part of state legislatures. But now each state as-
sumed the right of disputing the propriety of the
resolutions of congress, and the interest of an in-
dividual state was placed in opposition to the com-
mon welfare of the union. In addition to this
source of division, a jealousy of the powers of con-
gress began to be excited in tlie minds of the peo-
ple. And the war had not long ceased before in-
n : surrection

266 AMERICA.

surreetion and rebellion reared their head in some
of the states. The want of money was generally
felt ', thisj with otlier calamities in which the coun-
try seemed to be involved, led the house of dele-
A T) g^tes in Virginia to recommend the for-
_ * * mation of a system of commercial regula-
' '^' tions for the United States. Conmiission-
ers from several of the provinces were appointed,
who met at Annapolis in the ensuing summer, to
consult what measures should be taken to unite the
states in some general and efficient commercial
system. As however the states were not all re-
presented, and the powers of the commissioners
were, in their opinion, too limited to propose a
system of regulations adequate to the purpose of
government, they agreed to recommend a general
convention to be held at Philadelphia tlie next year.
This measure appeared to the commissioners ab-
solutely necessary. The old confederation was
essentially defective, and it was destitute of almost
every principle necessary to give effect to legis-
lation.

^ A D ^^ ^^^ month of May delegates from all the
,Jq>_* states except Rhode Island assembled at
' '* Philadelphia, and chose general Washing-
ton for tlieir president. After four months delibera-
tion, in which the clashing interests of the several
states appeared in all their force, the convention
agreed to recommend the plan of a federal govern-
ment.

As soon as the federal constitution was sub-
mitted to the legislatures of the several states, they
proceeded to take measures for collecting the sense
of the people upon the propriety of adopting it.
It Would be a tedious and fruitless task to enter

into

AMERICA. 28f

into the debates which the ratification of the new
constitution ■**■ occasioned in the different states,
suffice it to .^ay, that after a full considera- . ^^
tion and thorough discussion of its princi- '
pies, it was ratified by the conventions of ' ^'
eleven of the original thirteen states j and shortly
after Nortli Carolina and Rhode Island acceded to
the union. The ratification of it was celebrated in
most of the capitals of the states with elegant pro-
cessions, which far exceeded any thing of the kind
ever before exhibited in America.

The new constitution having been ratified by
the states and senators, and representatives having
been chosen agreeably to the articles of it, they
met at New York and commenced their proceed-
ings. The old congress and confederation expired,
and a new one with more ample powers, and a
new constitution, partly national and partly fe-
deral succeeded in their place, to the great joy of
all who wished for the happiness of the United
States.

Though great diversity of opinions had prevailed
about the new constitution, there was but one opi-
nion about the person who should be appointed its
supreme executive officer. All of every party
turned their eyes on the late commander of their
armies, as the most proper person to be their first
president. Perhaps there was not a well informed
person in the United States, Mr. Washington
himself only excepted, who was not anxious tliat
he should be called to the executive administration
of the proposed new plan of government. Unam-
bitious of farther honours, he had retired to his

* A copy of this federal constitution may be seen in
Mor8e'$ American Geography,

faroi

388

AMERICA.

1^.-

farm in Virginia, and hoped to be excused from nil
future public service. That honest zeal for the
public good M'hich had uniformly influenced him,
got the better of his love of retirement^ and in-
duced him to undertake the office.

The intelligence of his election being commu-
nicated to him while on his farm, he set out soon
after for New York. On his way thither, the road
was crowded w^ith numbers anxious to see the
man of the people : and he was every where re-
ceived with tlie highest honours that a grateful
people could confer. Addresses of congratulation
were presented to him by the inhabitants of ill-
most every place of consequence through which
he passed ^ to all of which he returned modest and
vmassuming answers.

A day was fixed, soon after his arrival, for his
takino* the oath of office, which was in the follow-
ing words : ** 1 do solemnly swear that I will
faithfidly execute the office of president of the
United States, and w^ill, to the best of my ability,
preserve, ])rotect, and defend the constitution of
the United States." This oath was administered
by the chancellor of the state of New York. An
awful silence prevailed among the spectators dur-
ring this part of the ceremony. It was a minute
of tlie most sublime political joy. The chancellor
then proclaimed him president of the United States,
whicfi was answered by the diseharge of thicteeii
guns, and by the shouts and iicclamations of ten
thousand joyful voices. John Adams was at the
same time elected vice president.

There is nothin8:morestrikinfr in the whole cha-
racter of general Washington, and which distin-
guished him more from other extraordinary men,
than tlie circum^taaces which attended his promo-

tioH
1

from nil
1 lor the
ced him,
, and in-

commii-
out soon
, the road
> see the
ihere re-
i gratefid
ratidalion
its of al-
^h which
odest and

d, for his
le foUow-
at I will
It of the
y ability,
tut ion of
linistered
^rk. An
itors dur-
1 minute
hancellor
led States,
thicteeii
IS of ten
as at the

lole cha-
Ih distin-

iry men.
Is promo-

tiott

AMERICA. 289

tion and retreat from office. He eagerly courted
privacy, and only siihnitted to exercise authority
as a public duty. The promotions of many men
are the triumph of ambition over virtue. The pro-
motions, even of gooil men, have generally been
sought by them from motives which were very
much mixed. The promotions of Washington al-
most alone, seem to have been victories gained by
iiis conscience over his taste. To despise what
all other men eagerly pant for, to show himself
equal to the highest places without ever seeking
any, are the noble peculiarities of the character of
this great man.

Events occurred during his chief magistracy
which convulsed the whole political world, and
which severely tried his moderation and prudence.
The French revolution took place. From the be-
ginning of this revolution Washington had no con-
fidence in its beneficial operation. But, as the first
magistrate of the American commonwealth, he
was bound only to consider the safety of the peo-
ple over whom he w^as placed. He saw that it
was wise and necessary for America to preserve a
good understanding and a beneficial intercourse
with France, however she might l)e governed, so
long as she abstained from committing injury
asfainst the United States.

During the turbulent period of the French revo-
lution, when the people of all countries were di-
vided into parties, Mr. Washingtoli was a second
time chosen president of the United States, but
not unanimously, as in the f)rmer in- . -p.
stance. The disposition which he had .l^J
shown to take no part in favour of the per- ' ^ '
petual changes in France, had created him enemies
among those who espoused the cause of tlie

VOL. XXIV. 2 g French,

l!'l>j

2gO AMERICA.

French, as the cause of niankhid at lari^f . Ha
had, h(n\'ever, a decided majority ; and Air. John
Adams was agitin elected vice-president.

Through the wliolc course of his second presi*
dency, the dan;yer of America was great and i'n-
minent, almost beyond example. The spirit of
change, indeed, at that period, shook all nations.
But in other countries it had to encounter antient
and solidly est-ablished power. It had to tear up
by the roots long habits of attachment in some na-
tions for their i^overnment, of awe in others, of ac-
quiescence and submission in all. But m America
tiie orovcrnmeiit was new and weak.

It was duri!ig this period that the president of
the United States had to encounter and suppress an
insurrection excited in the western counties of
Pennsylvania. His character and office had been
reviled j his authority had been insulted y his safety
and his life had been threatened. Yet neither re-
sentment, nor fear, nor even policy, could extin-
guish the humanity tha-t dwelt in tlie breast of
Washington. Never was there a revolt of such
magnitude quelled with the loss of so little blood.
. j^ J n the month of October, 1 7<)0, Mr.
^ ./ Washington piiblicly declared his rc'olii-
^^ ' lion of retiring from public life, and strictly
enjoined those who were most sincerely attached
to him by ties of friendhhip, not to nominate him
on the ensuirg election, llie resignation of this
great man at this period was deplored by ail the
moderate party in America, and by tJie govern-
ment party in Great Britain. By the latter he
was considered as a steady friend ; and was indeed
regarded as the leader of what was called the Eng-
lisli party in America. Such are the vicissitudes
of political couuectiou. In 1/70, he was considered

AMKRICA. 291

in Englnnt! as a proscribed rebel : ii\ 179^ he was
regarded as the best friend that England had in the
United States. In 1/7^ his destruction was thought
the only means of preserving America to Great
Britain ; in 179O* his authority was est earned the prin-
cipal security against her tailing under the yoke of
France. At the former period he hmked to the aid
of France as his only hope of guarding the hl)er-
ties of America against England : at tlie latter he
must have considered the power of Great Britain
as a main barrier of the safety of America against
France.

Nothing was more certain than his re-election,
if he had deemed it right to oft'er himself as a can-
didate. The conduct however which he pur-
sued, was the wisest he could have adopted. All
the enemies, and many of the best friends, of the
American government believed that it had a se-
vere trial to encounter when the aid of Washing-
ton's character should be witlidrawn from its exe-
cutive government. Many seriously apprehended
that it had scarce vigour enough to survive the
experiment. It was fit, then, that so critical an
experiment should be performed under his eye ;
while his guardian wisdom was at hand to advise
and assist in the change.

Tlie election of the first successor to Mr. Wash-
ington was die most important event in the history
of the infant republic. Nothing could be con-
ducted in a more dignified manner : the choice
fell upon John Adams as presider.\t, and upon Tho-
mas Jefierson as vice-president. The functions of
the new president were not to commence * pv
till the 4th of March, previous to which he , y^y*
repaired to the house of representatives to ' ^' *
take the necessary oaths. At this ceremony were

2 c 2 a mul-

fii

292 AMERICA. ■

a multitude of spectators of high rank ; one of
whom, after minutely describing all that passed,
adds these words : '* Nothing can be more simple
than the cei en^ony of this installation ; but this
very simplicity has something in it so delightful, so
noble, and so nearly resembling tiie grandeur of
antiquity, that it commands our reverence, and seizes
upon our worthiest afleetions. I speak at least of
the eftect it produced on my feelings. This change
of the persons exercising the most awful functions
of the state, with so little pomp, but with so great
Bolemnit}' 3 and which places a man, who the even-
ing befoie was aniong the crowd of simple citi-
zens, at the head of the government j while he
who held the first office of the state the preceding
evening, is returned again to the class of simple
citizens — is full of the qualities that constitute true
greatness^-."

Alter various and repeated insults from the
* -pj French government by means of their en-

1798.

voy M. Genet j the United States found it

necessary to arm in their own defence.
They had for years endured with a patience of
which there is scarcely any example in the history of
states, all the contumely and wrongs which suc-
cessive administrations in France had heaped upon
them. Their ships were every where captured 5
their ministers \\'ere but prisoners at Paris ; while
agents, some of whom were indeed clotlied in tlie

* See vol. iv. p. SG5, of Travels through the United
States of North America, the country of the Iroquois, and
Upper Car.ada, in the years 1795, 179G, and 1797, by tlie
duke delaRochcfaucault iJancourt. Awork abounding with
real information on almost all useful topics, and which
cannot be too strongly recommended.

sacred

AMERICA. 29s

sncred diameter of ambassadors, had endeavoured
to excite the seeds of civil war. The United States
resohed to arm by land and by sea. The com-
mand of the army was bestowed on general Wash-
ington, which he accepted, because he said he wa»
convinced " tliat every thing they held dear and
sacred was threatened ; though he had flattered
himself that he had quitted for ever the boundless
licld of public action, incessant ti'ouble, and high
responsibility in which he had so long acted so con-
spicuous a part." In this office he continued dur-
ing the short period of his life which still re-
mained. On the 12th day of December » ^^
1799, he was seized with an inflammation , J '
in his throat, attended with fever, which ' ^^'
notwithstanding the efforts of his physicians, termi-
nated his valuable life in two days, in the 68th year
of his age and in the 23d year of American inde-
pendence 5 of which he may be regarded as tlie
founder. He died fully impressed with tliose sen-
timents of piety which had given vigour and con-
sistency to his virtue, and had adorned every part
of his blameless and illustrious life.

The precautions which the American States
took against tlie injustice of the French govern-
ment preserved their independence, without com-
ing to an open rupture^ and all differences were at
length composed by a treaty of amity and . j^
commerce, which was signed at Paris, on ,Q^^fx*
the 30th of September, by plenipotentiaries
from the two republics. Early in the following year
intelligence was received in London, that * j^
a ratification of the treaty between France ,0^/
and America had taken place. About tlie
same period came on the election for a new
president in the United States, Mr. Jefferson,

2 c 3 vice-

■ij'v'B

ifitwl

f' ^*1''

2r4 AMFircA.

vice-president, niul Mr. I^iur, wore candidates for
tliis iinportiint ofiire. Ihe electifm was carried on
with great \\;nnitli by both sides. The ballotting
was renewed thirty-one times during three suc-
cessive days. 1 he thirty-second time decided tJie
contest in ilivonr of Mr. Jefferson. Since tliis pe-
riod the contending parties tJiat, during the former
periods of the French revohition, had i]jreatly di-
vided the people in tlie l/r^ited States, have consi-
derably subsided : and there is every reason to
hope and believe that the peace and prosperity of
the United States are lixed on a permanent basis.

At the time of the completion of the new con-
stitution, and the first sitting of the new congress
in 1 789, the Union consisted (;f no more than thir-
teen states; but since tliat period seven others have
been added, in the manner prescribed by the con-
stitution. Kentucky, which was formerly a district
dependent on the state of Virginia; and Vermont,
wliich was a })art of New Hampshire, \\ ei'e raised
into states in the year 1 79 1 : and in I796 Ten-
nessee, formerly part of North Carolina, was ad-
mitted as an independent state. Since tliat period
the Maine7 the territory north west of Ohio,
the Indian territory, and Mississippi territory
have been recognized as states belonging to the
Federal Government : and very lately Louisiana has
A -pj been ceded by Spain to the United States

* * of America. Louisiana was discovered by
^' Juvin Ponce de Leon in 1512, it afterwards
came into the possession of the French, who about
the middle of last century claimed and possessed,
as Louisiana, all that part of the new continent
which was bounded on the south by the gulf of
Mexico, on the north by Canada, and on the east
and west ladeiinitely, comprehending a greater

extent

'» ' k^'p

AMERICA. 295

cxtrnt th.'in the United States. In 1/52 she nearly
completed a eh:iin of torts from New Orleans
to Quebee, by whieh .the then English colonies
were hemmed in, and would eventually ha\c
been confined to the couiWryon this side tlie Al-
legany mountains. These gigantic projects were
deteated by the energies of Mr. V[[i in the war of
1756'. And, by the siKr»^eding treaty of peace in
1763, all the possessions lying east of Mississippi^
and int hiding the Floridas, wt.-re ceded to Cireat
Britain : France reserved New Orleans and the
island on which it is built. All that part uf the
country lying east of the Alississippi was, before
the late cession, comprehended as one of the United
States, under the name of tlie Mississippi territory.

According to the return of the whole number of
persons within the several districts of the United
States in the year 1801, the population amounted
to more* than live millions and a quarter*, of
^^ hich nearly nine hundred thousands are slaves,
a circumstance which cannot be sufficiently de-
plored by the friends of real humanity. And no
inconsistency can be greater than that the slave
trade should be tolerated by people who struggled
so many years against oppression and tyranny in
defence of their own rights.

I'he expenditure of the government of the
United States for the year 1 8CX) was estimated at
fifteen millions of dollars, and the revenue for that
year was but ten millions 3 leaving five millions to
be provided for by new taxes. But in this estimate
was included a sum of six hundred thousand dol-
lars for building six ships of the line, and the sum
appropriated to raising twelve regiments of infantry

* See table III. at the end of the volume.

and

295 AMERICA.

and six troops ; these expenses were incurred by
the preparations made to resist the aggressions of the
French, and cannot be regarded as part of the
usual expenditure of the government of the United
States J and eveiy mean is taken to reduce the
national debt, which, on the 1st of January 1/92,
amounted to about seventeen millions and a-half
sterling, as will be seen ia the fourth table at tlie
end of the volume.

CHAP.

AMERICA.

297

CHAP. XII.

British Possessions in North America. Ca,:ada. lis
Legislature. Governor. Revenue. Manners of
its Inhabitants . Climate. Produce. JS/etv Bruns^
wick. Nova Scotia. Cape Breton. Neirfound^
land. Its Fishery. Hudson's Bay. IFhen
discovered. Settled. Its Produce. Its Climate.

IN giving a connected account of the history of
the United States^ we have been obliged to sus-
pend that part of our plan which relates to the Bri-
tish possessions in North America. These are still
extensive, and of considerable importance, though
so tliinly inhabited, and in such a disadvantageous
climate, that they sink into a kind of insignificance
when compared witJi the great and flourishing co-
lonies belonging to Spain, or with the territories
of tlie United States. The inhabitants of the for-
mer have been estimated at seven millions, and
those of the latter at more than five j while the po-
pulation of the British possessions does not exceed
two hundred thousand souls, of whom the greater
part are French, or of French origin.

The chief of these possessions is Canada, now di-
vided into two parts. Upper and Lower Canada, the
former being the western division on the north of
the great lakes or sea of Canada, while the lower
division is on the river St. Lawrence, towards the
east, and contains Quebec the capital, and chief city
of our remaining settlements. On the east of Canada,

HgS AMERICA.

to the south of the ri\ er St. Lawrence, is Nova Sco-
tia, which within these last twenty years has hceu
divided into two provir.ces, tliat of Nova Scotia in
the south, and New Brunswick in the north.

What is called New Britain comprehends the
most northern parts towards Hudson's Bay, and the
coast of Labrador, llie large island of Newfound-
land, that called Cape Breton, and the neighbour-
ing isle of St. John, complete the chief denomina-
tions of British territory.

The original pojnilat ion of Canada consisted of
several savage tribes j and the first European settle-
ment was at Quebec in l(i08. For a century and
a half it belonged to the French, but in 1 759 Que^
bee was conquered by general Wolfe, and at the
peace in 17^3 Canada was ceded to Great Britain,

The religion is the Roman Catholic, but the Bri-
tish settlers follow their own modes of worship. A
legislative council and an assembly are appointed
for each of the provinces of Upper and Lower Ca-
nada, having power to make laws with the consent
of the governor ; but the k. jg may declare his dis-
sent at any time within two years. The legislative
council consists of seven members for Upper Ca-
nada, and fifteen for the lower province, sum-
moned by the governor under the king's autliority,
and nominated during their lives. The house of
assembly is to consist of fifty members from Lower
Canada, and sixteen from Upper Canada, chosen by
the freeholders. The councils are to assemble at
least once a year ; and the house of assembly con-
tinues four years, except in case of prior dissolu-
tion.

British America is superintended by an officer
styled governor general of the four British provinces
in North America, who is also commander in chief

'I LmK 'X

AMERICA, 299

of all the British troops in the four provinces, and
the governments attached to them, and Newfound-
land. Each of the ])rovinces has a lieutenant-gover-
nor, who, in absence of the governor-general, ha»
all the powers requisite to a chief magistrate.

The only revenue arising to Great Britain from
this colony proceeds from an advantageous com-
merce which employs several thousand tons of
shipping. The expenses of the civil list are sup-
posed to be 25,000/. of which half is paid by Great
Britain, and the other is raised by tlie provinces,
from duties on the importation of spirits, wine, and
a few other articles. The military estabHshment,
with repairs of forts, kc. is stated at 100,000/. ;
and the like sum is expended in presents to the
savages, and salaries to oiHcers employed among
them for trade in Upper Canada. But the advan-
tages of tlie commerce are thought to counterba-
lance these charges

The manners and customs of the settlers in Ca-
nada are considerably tinctured with French gaiety
and urbanity. The women can generally read and
write, and are thus superior to the menj but both
are sunk in ignorance and superstition, and blindly
devoted to tlieir priests, lliey universally use the
French language, English being restricted to the
few British settlers. Throuoh the whole of Ca-
nada there is no public library except in the capital,
and this is small, and consists mostlv of French
books. And excepting the Quebec almanac not
a single book is printed in Canada.

The chief town is Quebec, built on a lofty point
of land on the north-west side of the river St. Law-
rence j which in this neighbourhood is sufficiently
deep and spacious to lioat more than a bundi-ed sail
of the line. The upper town is of considerable na-
tural

.t'W^

♦ ^if I

1. ^i ;

Ur;>(#

1^:.,.^.

300

AMERICA.

tural strength, and well fortified ; but the lower
town towards the river is open to every attack. A
large garrison is maintained, but to man the works
five thousand soldiers would be necessary. The
houses are commonly built of stone ; but they arc
small and inconvenient. There are three nunneries.
The markets are well supplied, and provisions re-
markably cheap. The vicinity of Quebec presents
a most sublime and beautiful sceneiy ^ and the falls
of tlie river Montmorenci are particularly cele-
brated. To the honour of Canada, a solemn act of
the assembly declares all negroes to be free as soon
as they arrive in that province.

The climate of this part of America is very se-
vere, but the atmosphere is generally clear. The
extremes of heat and cold are astonishing : in July
and August the thermometer is often as high as
90" degrees, while the mercury freezes in the depth
of winter. The snow begins in November, and in
January the frost is so intense, that it is impossible
to be long out of doors without risk of serious in-
jury to the extremities. But winter, as at Peters-
burg is the season of amusement, and the sledges
afford a pleasant and speedy conveyance. In large
houses stoves are placed in the hall, whence flues
■pass to the other apartments j and tliere are always
double doors and windows. On going abroad the
whole body is covered with furs except the eyes
and nose. In May the thaw generally comes sud-
denly, the ice on the river bursting with the noise
of cannon, and its passage to the sea is terrific,
especially when it crashes against a rock. The heat
of summer speedily succeeds the frost, and vegeta-
tion is instantaneous. September is the most plea-
sant month.
The face of the country is mountainous and
2 woody 5

?rious 111-

AMERIC/L, 301

woody, but there are savannas and plains of givat
beauty, chiefly towards Upper Canada. In the
year l6(i3_, an earthquake is said to have over-
whelmed a chain t)f free-stone mountains more
than 300 miles long. In the lower province the
jsoil consists of loose blackish earth ten or twelve
inches thick, incumbent on a cold clay. This thin
mould is however very fertile, and manure was sel-
dom or never used by the French settlers ; but
since Canada has come into our possession marie
has been used with considerable success ; and of
this, considerable (quantities are foundon the shores
of the river St. Lawi-ence.

The produce of Canada is a little tobacco culti-
vated for private use 5 vegetables of almost all
kinds, and considerable crops of grain; wdieat be-
ing reckoned among their exports. The sugar-
maple tree abounds here, and the sugar is generally
used in the country. Both the Canadas are infested
with rattle-snakes. Coal abounds in Cape Breton,
but has never been discovered in Canada. The
chief natural curiosities are the 'lakes, rivers, and
cataracts : among the latter tiie celebrated falls
of Niagara are chiefly on tiie side of Upper Canada,
the river being at that part six hundred yards wide,
and the fall one hundred and forty- two feet. A
small island lies between the falls : and that on the
•ide of the States is three hundred and fifty yards
wide, while the height is one hundred and sixty-
three feet: from the great fall a constant cloud
ascends, which may be seen at an incredible di-
stance 5 and the whole scene is tmly tremendous.

Theantient province of Nova Scotia was granted
by James I. to his secretary sir William Alexander.
It was afterwards seized by tiie French, who were

VOL. XXIV. 20 probably

;:-'

-0'

S02

AMEHICA.

probably the first possessors, and by whom it was
called Arcadia j but it was surrendered to England
by the treaty of Utrecht in 1713. In 1784 it was
divided into New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
There are two considerable bays in the former, and
and a river of some length called St. Johns ; while
that of St. Croix divides New Brunswick from the
province of Maine, belonging to the United States,
The river St. John is navigable for vessels of fifty
tons, about sixty miles ; and for boats more than
two hundred : it aftbrds a common and near route
to Quebec. The grand lake is thirty miles long,
and nine broad. The great chain of Apalachian
mountains passes north-west of this province, and
probably expires at the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The
capital is Frederic-town. The chief products are
timber and fish.

Nova Scotia is three hundred miles long, and
eighty broad 3 the capital is Halifax, well situated for
the fishery, with communications by land and wa-
ter with the other parts of the province, and with
New Brunswick. The town is entrenched with forts
of timber, and is said to contain fifteen thousand in-
hwibitants. During a great part of the year the air
is foggy and unhealthy ; and for four or five months
intensely cold. Britain sends to these provinces
linen and woollen cloths, and other articles to the
amount of 30,000/., and receives timber and fish to
the amount of 50,000/. The chief fishery is that
of cod on the Cape Sable coast. About twenty-
three leagues from that cape is the Isle de Sable, or
of sand, consisting wholly of that substance, mixed
with white transparent stones 5 the hills being
milk-white cones, and some of them a hundred
and forty-six feet above the sea. This strai^^/C isle

haa

AMERICA.

803

lias ponds of fresh water ; with junipers and cran-
berries, and some grass and vetches, which serve
to support a few horses, cows, and hogs.

The island of Cape Breton is said to have
been discovered by the Normans and Bretons,
about the year 1500 j from the latter it took its
name, but they did not take possession of it till
3713. Louisburg was built in 172O3 and in I J 45
the island was taken by some troops from New
England, and has ever since remained subject to
the crown of Great Britain. The climate is cold
and foggy on account of the numerous lakes and
forests. The soil is chiefly covered with moss, and
is unfit for the purposes of agriculture. The inha-
bitants do not ex'-^eed a thousand. The fur trade is
inconsiderable,!! ut the fishery is very important; tlie^
value of this trade while in the French possession,
was estimated at a million sterling. There is a very
extensive bed of coal in the island, not more than
six feet below the surface ; but it has been chiefly
nsed as ballast. In one of the pits a fire was
kindled by accident, and it remains unextinguished.

Ihe Island of St. John, at no great distance from
Cape Breton, is attached to the province of Nova
Scotia. It surrendered with Cape Breton, in 1745.
A lieutenant resides at Charlotte town y and the in-
habitants of the island are computed at five thou-
sand.

Newfoundland was discovered by Sebastian Ca-
bot in 1496. It is about three hundred and twenty
miles long, and two hundred broad in the widest
part, forming the eastern boundary of the Gulf of St.
Lawrence. This island after various disputes was
ceded to England by the treaty of Utre( ht. From
the soil we reap no great advantages, for the cold is
long continued, and very intense ; and the summer

2 D 2 heat

^, «i^3

804 AMEfvlCA.

heat, though violent, dt)es not warm it sufficient!/
to produce any thing vaUi:il)le. It lias many large
and safe harbours. And se\ eral consideiable rivers.
TJie great quantity of timber that grows here, ma/
heteatter atford copious supplies of masts, yards,
and all sorts of lumber for the West-India trade.

At present it is chiefly valuable for tiie fishery of
cod that is carried on upon those shoals which are
called the Banks of Nev. foundland. The great
fishery begins the 10th of May, and continues till
the end uf September. The cod is either dried for
the Mediterranean, or barrelled up in a pickle of
salt for the English market. These banks and
the island are enveloped in a constant fog, or snow,
and sleet. The fishery is computed to yield about
300,000/. a year ti'om tlie cod sold in Roman Ca-
tholic countries. By tlie treaty in 1713 the French
were allowed to dry their nets on the northern
shores 5 and in 1703 it was stipulated that tliey
might fish in the Gulf of St. Lawrence 5 and the
small isles of St. Pierre and Miquelon were ceded
to them*. By the treaty in 1/83, the French were
to enjoy their fisheries on tlie northern and western
coasts 5 the inhabitants of the United States having
the same privileges as they enjoyed before their
independence. And the j)eace of 1801^ couhrms tha
privileges granted to the French,

The chief towns are St. John's, Placentia, and
Bonavista, but not more tlian a thousand families
remain during the winter. In tlie spring a small
squadron is sent to to i)rotect the fisheries and set-
tlements, the admiral being also governor of the

* These have been captured during the present war; an
account of which arrived while the article was transcrib-

island.

AMERICA. d05

island^ its sole consequence depending on the
fishery.

We cannot finish our account of North Ame-
rica without saying a few words concerning Hud-
son's and Baffin's Bays. The knowledge of these
seas was owing to a project for the discovery of a
north-west passage to China. So early as 157O
this noble design was conceived j since then it has
frequently been revived, but never completed. —
The most competent judges do not^ however, de-
spair of eventual success.

I'he inland sea, denominated Hudson's Bay,
was explored in three voyages made by Hudson,
during the years 1607, I6O8, and IdlO. This bold
navigator penetrated to 80i^, nearly into the heart
of the frozen zone. His ardour for discovery not
being abated by tlie difficulties tliat he struggled
with in this world of frost and snow j he remained
here until the spring of lOll, and then prepared
to pursue his discoveries ; but his crew mutinied,
seized him and seven of his most faithful compa-
nions, and committed them in a boat to the open
seas, after which they were no more heard of.

A chartei" for planting and improving the coun-
try, and carrying on trade, was granted to a com-
pany in 1670. I'he Hudson's Bay company has
since retained a claim to the most extensive terri-
tories, the length of which is thirteen hundred
and fifteen miles, and the breadth three hundrexl
and fifty j but it is not understood that the gains of
of the company are very considerable. I'he annual
exports are about 16,000/.^ and the returns, which
yield a considerable revenue to government, a-
mount, perphaps, to 30,0()0/. Ihe principal trade
consists in beaver and other species of furs, and of
bc^aver and deer skins.

2 D,J The

II,,'*

If t 61

I Ilk

305 AMERICA.

The regions around Hudson's Bay, and Labrador,

which are sometimes called Nevv^ Britain, abound

"with animals whose fur is excellent 5 and it has

been thought that the company do not carry the

trade to its full extent.

No colony has been attempted at Hudson's Bay.
The country is every where barren ; to the north of
the bay, even the hardy pine tree is seen no longer.
Winter reigns, with an inconceivable rigour, for
nine months of the year -, the other three are vio-
lently hot. In summer a variety of colours deck
the several animals j but when that is over, they
all assume the livery of winter, and every tiling
animate and inanimate is white as snow. And
what is still more remarkable, dogs and cats that
have been carried from England to Hudson's Ei.y,
have, on the approach of winter, entirely changed
their appearance, and acquired a much longer, soft-
er, and thicker coat of hair than they had originally.

Even in latitude 57^ the winter is very severe;
the ice on the rivers is eight feet thick. The rocks
burst with a horrible noise, and the splinters are
thrown to an amazing distance. Mock-suns and
haloes are not unfrequent ; and the sun rises and
sets witli a large cone of yellowish light. The
aurora borealis diffuses a variegated splendour
which surpasses that of the full moon ; the stars
sparkle with peculiar brilliancy, and Venus ap-
pears as a lesser moon. The fish in the Hudson
sea are far from numerous 5 and the whale fishery
has been attempted without success. There are few
shell-fish 5 and tlie quadrupeds and birds corre-
spond with those of Labrador and Canada. The
northern indigenes are Esquimaux, but there
are other tribes in the south, by all of whom the
factories are visited. For these there seems no

provision

AMERICA. : ')7

provision but wliat their o^vn art and ingenuity c n
fiirnisli; and they exhibit a great deal of these a
tlieir manner of kindling a lire, dressing their food,
clothing themselves, and in preserving their eyes
from the ill etiects of that glaring white which
every where surrounds them the greatest part of
the year 3 in other respects they are perfectly
savage.

■ .1 •

CHAP.

3QS

AMERICA*

CHAP. xiir.

If^rst India Islands, how divided. Climate, Sect'
sons. Caribhees. Their character. Manners,
Treatment of their Children. Of their IVives.
Religion. Dancing. Jamaica. IF hen diuo-
vcred. Taken by the English. Treatment of the
Natives. Mode of peopling Jamaica. Attacked
ly the Spaniards. Buccaneers, account of Con^
stitutioji given to Jamaica. Attempts made to
tax the Inhabitants, The Island described, Pro^
portion of Slaves to free People, Exports, Earths
quake at Port-Royal,

THE continent of America is, as we have already
seen, divided by geographers into two great
parts, north and south; the narrow isthmus of
Darien serving as a link to connect them, and form-
ing a rampart against the encroachments of the
Atlantic on one side, and of the Pacific Ocean on
the other. But to that prodigious chain of islands
which extend in a cun''e from the Florida shore
on the northern peninsula, to the Gulf of Venezula
in the southern, is given the name of the West
Indies ; from the name of India, originally assigned
to tliem by Columbus*. Thus the whole of the new
hemisphere is generally compiized under three
great divisions ; North America^ South America,
and tlie West Indies.

That portion of the Atlantic which is separated
from the main ocean, to the north and east by the

* bee p. 23, of this volume.

islands,

AMERICA. 30;1

islands, is generally called the Mexican Gulf; but
it is dividt'd into three distmct basins, — th(; Gulf of
Mexico propt^rly so called, the IJay of liouduras^
and the Caribbeean sea. The latter take:> Its name
from that clas^i f>f islands that bounds this part of
the ocean to the eabt; of which the greater part
were formerly posses.ied by Indians, that were the
scourge of the 'uotrensive natives of Hispaniola.,
who fre(|uently expressed to Columbus liieir dreaci
of those tierce and warlike invaders, styling them
Caribbees. Of this class, a group nearly adjoin-
ing to the eastern side of St. John de l*orto Kico,
is called the Virgin lsles» The cluster of small
islands, which stretch in a north-westerly direction,
from the northern coast of Hispaniola to the strait,
opposite the Florida shore, go by the name of th(5
Eahamas. On one of these, called by the Indian??
Guanahani j by the Spaniards, St. Salvador ; and
by our own seamen, the Cat Island -, Columbus
iiuided after his hrst magi\ilicent but perilous voy-
age, llie whole group is called by the Spaniard*
the Lucayos,

Most of the West India islands, being situated
imder the tro})ic of cancer, the climate is nearly the
same with respect to the whole. Their year com-
prehends two distinct seasons, the wet and the dry ;
hut as the rains form two great periods, the year may
be considered under four cii\ isions. The spring com-
mences \A'iih May, when the trees become more
vivid,, and the burnt savannas begin to change tlieir
hue, even belbre tlie rains, which generally set m
about the middle of the month. These come from
tlie south, and are much less violent than those
which pour down in the autunni. They common-
ly fall about noon, and break up with a thunder
$torm, exJiibiting a beautitiil verdurc> and a luxuri-
ant

•N

tri*

iMi,

310

ATSIfiUlCA.

ant vegetation.

The average height of the ther-
mometer, which varies considerably at this season,
is 75^.

When these rains, which continue a fortnight,
have subsided, tlie summer reigns in full splendour.
Not a cloud is to be seen ; and generally between
the hours of seven and ten in the morning, before
the setting in of the trade wind, the heat is scarcely
supportable ; but as soon as the influence of this
refreshing wind is felt, nature seems to revive, and
the climate becomes exceedingly pleasant 5 the
medium height of the thermometer is now SO-'.
The nights are transcendantly beautiful : the moon
displays a magnificence in her radiance, unknown
to Europeans ; the smallest print is legible by her
light, and during her absence, the brilliancy of the
milk way supplies to the traveller the necessary
light, had makes ample amends for the shortness of
twilight.

This state lasts till the middle of August, when
the atmosphere again becomes suifocating, which
is the prelude to the autumnal rains. Large fleecy
clouds are now seen in the morning, and when
these vast accumulations of vapour have risen to a
considerable height in the atmosphere, they move in
a horizontal direction towards the mountains, pro-
claiming their progress by dreadful thunder, which
reverberated from peak to peak, and answered by
the distant roaring of the sea, heightens the majesty
of the scene, and irresistibly lifts up the mind of
tlie spectator to the great Author of the universe.

The rains seldom fall with general force till the
beginning of October ; then the clouds pour down
cataracts of which no one can form a just idea
who has not witnessed them. In the interval be-
tween the beginning of August and tlie end of Oc-
tober,

J If

the ther-
lis season,

fortnight,
splendour,
y between
ng, before
is scarcely
ice of this
•evive, and
asant; the
; now 80\
: the moon

unknown
ble by her
incy of the
; necessary
hortness of

rust, when
ng, which
arge fleecy
and when
risen to a
ey move in
itains, pro-
der, which
iswered by
le majesty
le mind of
universe,
irce till the
pour down
1 just idea
nterval be-
end of Oc-
tx)ber.

AMERICA. 311

tober, tlie hunicanes so terrible in their devasta-
tions are apprehended.

About the end of November or the beginning of
December, the temperature again changes, tJie
wind varies from the east towards the nortli, driv-
ing before it heavy storms of rain and hail, till the
atmosphere is cleared, when a second succession ot
gerene aud pleasant weather sets in, and the winter,
if it can be called such, between December and
April, is the finest on the globe.

Besides the trade-wiud which blows from the
cast nine months in the year, tliere is a land-wind
at night, which is peculiarly refreshing. This ad-
vantage the lai'ger islands derive from the inequa-
lity of their surface, for as soon as the sea-breeze
dies a\^'ay, tlie hot air of the plain ascends to the
tops of the mountains, and is there condensed, which
rendering it speciiically heavier tlian it was before,
it descends back to the plains on both sides of the
ridge. Hence a night wind is felt m mountainous
countries under tr.e torrid zone, blowing on ail
sides from the land to tlie shore.

To tiie discoverers the prospect of these is-
lands must have been inconceivably interesting*.
They are even now beheld, when the mind is pre-
pared for tlie scene, witli wonder and astonisliment
by every \oyager who sees tliem for the first time.
The beauty ot tlie smaller islands, and the sublime
grandeur of the larger, whose mountains form a
stupendous and awful picture, are subjects for ex-
quisite contemplation. Columbus in many re-
spects found himself in a new creation, for which
his own mind, big with hope, must have been
wholly unprepared, llie variation of the compass.

* See p. 15, of thig vulume.

the

{cn

312

AMERICA.

I ? '" .■■■ 7; :i I

'lim:^

'iXi

the regularity of the winds, the direful water-
spout, could not fail of exciting astonishment and
almost terror in every breast.

It has been o])served that the infinite wise and
benevolent Creator of the universe, to compel the
exertions of those faculties which he has given us,
has ordained that by human cultivation alone the
eardi becomes the proper habitation of man. But
as the West India islands in their antient state were
not witliout culture, so neither were they generally
noxious to the human constitution. The plains or
savannas were regularly sown twice a year with
Turkey wheat j the hills and vallies were cleared
of underwood, and the trees afforded a cool and
shady retreat. Of these the papaw, the palmetto,
and others, are the most gracef\il of all the vege-
table creation. Some continue to bud, to blossom,
and bear fruit throughout the year. By the foliage
of the greater part of the trees springing only from
the summit of the trunk, and thence expanding into
wide spreading branches closely arranged, every
grove is an assemblage of majestic columns suo-
porting a verdant canopy, and excluding the sun
without impeding the circulation of the air. Thus
the shade alfords not only a refiige for occasional
use, but a wholesome habitation.

Such, snys Mr. Edwards^, were tliese orchards of
the sun and woods of perennial verdure, of a growth
unknown to tlie frigid clime and less vigorous soil
of Europe : for what is the oak compared to the
cedar or mahogany, of each of which the trunk
frequently measures eighty or ninety feet from the
base to the limbs ? What European forest has

* 3ce History Civil and Commercial of the British Colo-
«ies in the West Indies. By Bryan Edwards, es^.

ever

AMERICA.

31S

fver ^'ven birth to a stem equal to that of die ceiba
or A^^ild cotton tree, which alone, when rendered
conciive, iias been known to produce a boat capable
of containing a hundred persons ? or the still greater
fig, the sovereign of the vegetable creation — itself
a forest*.

Having given a short account of the climate and
seasons of these islands, it will be right to inquire
into some particulars relating to the inhabitants of
them. We have already taken notice of those be-
longing to the larger islands, and which were first
discovered by Columbus. From the natives of
Hispaniola, Columbus received information of a
barbarous and warlike people who resided in the
other islands, who made war upon them, and de-
voured the prisoners which they carried away,
I'hey were called Caribbees, and were said to come
from the east. These customs, so abhorrent from
human nature, are established upon authentic evi-
dence. Among themselves, however, they were
ever represented as peaceable, friendly, and aftec-
tionate. They considered all strangers as enemies,
and of the people of Europe, says Mr. Edwards,
" thev formed a ridit estimation." The Caribbees
are jealous of their own independence, and impa-
tient under the least infringement of it -, and when
they find resistance or escape hopeless, tliey will
seek refuge from the calamity in death.

To a principle of conscious equality, may be
imputed the contempt which they manifest to tlie

* In the East Indies this is called the banyan tree. Mr.
Marsden, in his interesting history of Sumatra, gives the
dimensions of one situated twenty miles west of Patna :
diameter 3G3 to 375 feet; circumference of the shadow
HI 6' feet; circumference of the several stems (m number
Wtvveeu fifty and sixty), 921 feet,

VOL. XXIV. 2 fi iuventioni

314

AMERICA.

.SI'

inventions and improvements of civilized life. Of
our fire arms they soon learned by fatal experience
the superiority to their own weapons, and those
they valued -, but our arts and manufactures they
regarded as we esteem the amusements and bau-
bles of children : hence the propensity to theft, so
common among other savage nations, was altoge-
ther unknown to tlie Caribbees.

The ardour shown by them for military enter-
prize, had a powerful influence on their whole
conduct. Engaged in continual warfare abroad,
they seldom appeared cheerful at home. They
witnessed great insensibility towards their women,
which is remarkable, considering the warmth of the
climate. Though not so tail as Europeans, their
frame was robust and muscular ; dieir limbs flexi-
ble and active, and there was a penetrating quick-
ness in tlieir eyes, like an emanation from a fierce
and martial spirit. But not satisfied witli tlie work-
manship of nature, they called in the assistance of
art to make themselves more formidable. Besides
great quantities of red paint which they used, they
distigured their cheeks with deep incisions and hi-
deous scars, these they stained with black, and
then painted black and white circles round dieir
eyes. Some of them perforated the cartilage of
the nostiils, and inserted the bone of a fish, a
parrot's feather, or a fragment of tortoise-shell ; a
custom that is also practised by the natives of New
Hoi kind : and they strung together i:he teeth of
such of their enemies as they had slain in baitle,
and wore them on their legs and arms as trophies
of successful cruelty.

I'he Caribbees enured their children to swim
with agility and to u.e the bow with dexterity.
They inspired tlicm with fortitude and patience,

with

AMERICA.

315

with courage in war, and a contempt of suflerins^
and death 5 and, above all things, they instilled
into their minds an hereditary hatred, and impla-
cable thirst of revenge towards the Arrowauks ■^.

The condition of the women was truly wretch-
ed 5 though frequently bestowed as a prize of suc-
cessful courage, tlie wife ^hus honourably obtained,
was soon considered of as little value as the captive.
They sustained every species of drudgery : they
ground the maize, prepared tlie cassavi, gathered
in the cotton, and wove the hammock ; nor were
they allowed the privilege of eating in the pre-
sence of their husbands f .

The arts and manufactures of these people
though few, displayed a degree of ingenuity which
could scarcely have been expected in a race so
little removed from a state ot mere animal nature,
as to reject all dress as superfluous. Columbus
observed an abundance of substantial cotton cloth
in all the islands which he visited, and the natives
possessed the art of staining it with various colours
though the Caribbees delighted in red. Of this

* The Arrowauks, a name given to the antient inhabi-
tants of Hispaniola, Cuba, Jamaica, and Porto Rico, as
well as Trinadad, who were a mild and comparatively
cultivated people, and who seem to have had one com-
mon origin, as they spoke the same language, possessed the
same institutions, and practised similar superstitions.

f Brutality towards wives was not peculiar to the
Caribbees: it prevailed in all ages and countries among
the uncivilized part of mankind ; and the first visible proof
that a people is emerging from savage manners, i« a dis-
play of tenderness towards the female sex. A full d-splay
of the manners of all nations the youthful reader will find
in Goldsmith's Geography, a work which abounds with
information, and at the same time is free from every inde-
licacy.

2 E 2 cloth

■!. ir

■ lit

:iir:

3l6 AMERICA.

cloth they made hammocks, such as are used at
sea by Europeans, who not only copied tlie pattern,
but preserved also the original name. They pos-
sessed likewise the art of making vessels of clay
for domestic uses j baskets composed of the fibres
of the palmetto leaves ;. bows and arrows, such as
the most skilful European artist would have found
it difficult to have excelled.

With regard to their religion little can be said :
they certainly did not believe that death was the
final extinction of being, but pleased themselves
with the idea that their departed relations were
the secret spectators of their actions ; that they still
participated in their sufferings, and were anxious
for their welfare : and considering the departed
soul as susceptible of tlie same impressions and ob-
noxious to the same passions, as when allied to the
body ; it was thought a religious duty to sacrifice,
at the funerals of their deceased icroes, some cap-
tives which had been taken in battle. It has been
said by some writers that these people entertained
also an awful sense of one great universal cause,
invisible, but posses ing an irresistible power 5 and
that subordinate to him were a multitude of in-
ferior divinities. Others, however, have denied
this, and maintain that they had not even a name
for the deity. It is certain that in every cottage
a rustic altar was raised, composed of banana lea\es
and rushes, on which they occasionally placed tiie
earliest of their fruits and the choicest of their
viands, as humble peace ofilrings, through the me-
diation of their inferior deities to incensed omni-
potence j for here, as in other parts of America,
their devotions consisted less in gratitude, than in
deprecations of wrath. " We can all forget be-
nefits^ tiiough we implore mercy."

A darker

AMERICA. 317

A darker snperstiiion likewise prevailed among
all the unenlightened inhabitants of rhese climates j
for they not only believed in the exi>tence of dae-
mons and evil spiiiis, bat offered them worship by
the hands of pretended magicians. A minute de-
tail of these rites and ceremonies is rot necessary,
nor would the picture be pleasing if we could find
room to fill it up.

The inhabitants of Hispaniola, Cuba, Jamaica,
and Porto Rico, are evidentlv of one common ori-
gin ; they speak the same language and possess the
same institutions. They are a mild, and com-
pared with the Caribbees, a cultivated people.
When they were first discovered, botii men and
women wore nothing more than a slight co\ ering
of cotton cloth round the waist -, in the females it
extended to the knees. In stature they are taller
than the Caribbees ; in colour of a deeper brown :
their hair was uniformly black ; their countenance
was open and honest. With this happy people,
love was not only a transient and youthful passion ;
it was the source of all their pleasures, and the
chief business of life. Their limbs were pliant
and active, and in their motions they displayed
both gracefulness and ease. Their agility was
eminently conspicuous in their dances, in which
they delighted and excelled, devoting the cool
hours of night to this employment. It w^as their
custom, when these islands w^ere first discovered,
to dance from evening till the dawn j and tliough
fifty thousand men and women have been kno^\ n
to assemble on these occasions, they seemed to be
actuated by one common impulse, keeping time
by the responsive motions of their hands, feet, and
bodies, with a suprising exactness. Ihese public
dances w^ere appropriated to particular soierauities,

2 E 3 and

I III'

((\

S18

AMERICA.

and being accompanied with historical songs, "vvcre
called arictos. Besides the amusement of dancing
they made use of athletic exercises with consider-
able force and dexterity.

The submissive and respectful deportment of
these placid people towards their superiors, and
those they considered as such, was probably derived
from the nature of their government, which was
monarchical and absolute. I'he sympathy which
they manifested toward,? the distress of others,
shows that they were not wretched themselves 5
for in a state of absohite slavery and misery, men

W^YQ commonly devoid both of virtue and pity.
The power of their caziques was hereditary, to
whom were subordinate a great number of in-
ferior chieftains and nobles, whose situation and
importance seemed to resemble the antient barons
of Europe.

The whole island of Hispaniola was divided into
five great kingdoms. Cuba and Jamaica were
likewise divided into separate principalities 5' but
the whole extent of Porto Rico was subject to a
single cazique. The principal cateique was always

, distinguished by regal ornaments and numerous
attendants. In travelling, he was borne on the
shoulders of his subjects. He was regarded with
awful reverence, and "^lis commands were instantly
obeyed, without murmur or reluctance.

Nor did their' veneration terminate with the life
of the prince ; it was extended to his memory after
deatli, a proof that his authority had been sel-
dom or never abused. If a cazique were slain in
battle, and the body could not be recovered, they
composed songs in his praise, which they taught to
tlieir children as encitemenls to honourable ac-
tions. These heroic eftusions constituted a branch
, . ■ of

AMKRICA. 3}g

of the solemnities called arietos, consisting of
hymns and ])ublic dances, accompanied with loud
sounding music Uiat might be heard at a vast di-
stance.

Like other unenlightened nations, these Indians
were the slaves of superstition. Their notions of
future happiness were narrow and sensual. They
supposed tliat the spirits of good men were con-
veyed to. a pleasant valley, a place of indi^lent tran-
quillity, abounding with every thing that they es-
teemed delicious j and where the greatest enjoy-
ment would arise from the company of their de-
parted virtuous ancestors. They believed in a Su-
preme Being, to whom they assigned parents di-
stinguished by proper names, and whose residence
they supposed was in the sun or moon. Their
system of idol worship was truly deplorable 3 they
paid honours to stocks and stones converted into
rude images, which they called Zcnni. These were
universally hideous and •frightful in appearance,
obje'cts of terror, not of admiration and love.
Priests also were appointed to conduct their devo-
tions, who claimed also the privilege of educa-
ting the children of the people of the first rank.
Hence the power of the priesthood was very great;
relio-ion was made in several instances, the instru-
ment of civil despotism, and the will of the cazique,
if confirmed by the priest, was impiously pro-
nounced the decree of heaven^ *

Having described those things which ai*e com-
mon to most of the West India islands, it is time
that we come to particulars relating to such of tiie
principal ones as we shall have an opportunity of
considering.

Although the isIanHs und'^r the English govern-
ment are not the largest, yet they merit our chief

atteiuion.

320 AMERICA.

attention. Of these, Jamaica claims the first no-
tice. It lies between the 7''>th and 7()th degrees of
•west longitude, and is l.etwcen 1/ and 19 degrees
from thet quator. Its length from cast to west is about
one hundred and forty miles j in breath it is about
sixty miles, and it is of an oval form. This country
is intersected by a ridge of mountains called the
Blue Mountains : on eac h side of which are chains
of smaller ones. In the plains the soil is prodi-
giously fertile. None of our islands excepting St.
Christopher's, produce so fine sugars. The pastures
after rains are of a most beautiful verdure. Ihey
are ( ailed savannas, in ^^hich are found several
salt founla'ns j and not far from Spanish-Town is a
hot bath of extraordinary medicinal virtues.

Jamaica was discovered by Columbus 5 and by
the early Spanish historians it was called Xaymaca,
which signified in the language of the natives, a
country abounding with springs. After the death
cf this great man, the transactions of the Spaninrds
during a century and a half, in the settlement of
Jamaica, have scarcely obtained the notice of his-
tory. It came into our possession daring the usur-
pation of Cromwell, and by means of an armament
which was intended for tlie reduction of Hispa-
niola. The fleet destined for this purpose was ill
equipped: the men were badly chosen, and wor^e
armed ; under such circum.stances it was no won-
der that the scheme should fail. The commanders,
who had ever been at variance, fearing to return to
England without effecting their purpose, resolved
to n^ake an attempt on Jamaica befi^re the inhabi-
tants of that is;ar.d could receive information of
their defeat in Hisp.aniola. I'he island surrendered,
but rot till the people had secreted tlieir most va-
luable eftiecls.

The

AMERICA. 321

The whole number of white people in Janriica,
did not e\ceed ritteeen hundred : and althoujrh the
Spaniards had po,«isessed the island so many years,
not one hundredth part of the land tit for plantation
was cultivated when the English made themselvehj
masters of it. The number of negroes in tlie island
at the time of its capture nearly equalled the
white people. The sloth and penury of the Spanish
planters^ when the English landed, were extreme.
Of the many valuable commodities which Jamaica
has since produced, in so great abundance, some
were altogether miknown, and of the rest the inha-
bitants cultivated no more than were sutHcient for
their own expenditure. They possessed nothing of
the elegancies of life, nor were they acquainted
even with many of those gratilicalions, which, by
civilized states, are considered as necessary to the
comfort and conveniency of it. They were neither
polished by social intercourse, nor improved by
education. But whatever was their character, the
terms imposed by the English commanders cannot
be justified, in requiring the poor settlers in Ja-
maica to deliver up tlieir slaves and effects, and quit
the country altogether. They pleaded tliat they
were born in the island, and had neither relations,
friends, nor country elsewhere ; and they resolved to
perish in the woods, rather than beg their bread in
a foreign soil. The resistance that they afterwards
made against the efibrts of our troops to expel tlieni
from the island, may furnish this important lesson
to conquerors ; *' That even victory has its limits 5
and injustice frequently defeats its owji purposes."

After the capture of tlie island, till the restora-
tion of Charles the Second, the English in Jam-uea
remained under military jurisdiction. Neverthe-
less it was the intention of tlic Protector to have

established

321 AMERICA.

established a civil go\enin)ent on very liberal prin-
ciples. An instrument was framed for the purpose,
but the situation of ihe troops rec^uired niartial
array and strict discipline: fc^r the dispossessed Spa-
niards and fugitive negroes continued to harrass the
soldiers with perpetual alarms. M«.n were daily
killed by enemies in ambush. The Spanish blacks
had separated themselves from their late masters,
and murdered without mercy such of the English
as fell into their hands. They even attacked the
troops in their quarters, and set fire to some of the
houses in tlie town of St. Jago de la Vega, tJie ca-
pital.

Cromwell was however bent, not only on con-
quering but on peopling the island, and while
recruits were raising in England, he directed the
governors of Barbad(jes and other British colonies to
the windward to encourage some of their i)lanters
to remove to Jamaica, on the assurance of having
lands assigned them there. He also gave instruc-
tions to his son Henry Cromwell, who was major
general of ihe forces in Ireland, to engage two or
three thousand persons of both sexes from thence to
become settlers in Jamaica, and he advised with
lord Broghill, who commanded at Edinburgh, on
the best means of inducins; as great a number to
emigrate for the same purpose from Scotland.

In the mean time, the old soldiers within the
island disliking their situation, and conceiving that
the Protector had thoughts of confining them, to
Jamaica for life, became dissatisfied and mutinous.
Other causes concurred to awaken in them a spirit
of discontent. Having at first found in the country
cattle in abundance, they had destroyed them with
such improvidence as to occasion a scarcity of fresh
provisions, in a place which had been represented

AMERICA. 323

a» aboiindingin the highest tlcgrce. The com-
manders, apprehending tliis event, had urged tha
soldiers to cultivate the soil, and raise by their own
industry Indian cijrn, pulse, and cassavi, sutHcient
for their maintenance ; tiiis however they abso-
lutely refused, and contemptuously rejected every
plan which could contril)utc in the smallest degree
to their preservation. Possessed with a passionate
desire of returning home, they even rooted up the
provisions which had been left planted by the Spa-
niards. A scarcity approaching to lamine was at
length the consecpience of such misconduct, and it
was very speedily accompanied by its usual atten-
dants disease and contagion.

The Protector, as soon as he received information
of the calamitous fate of the country, exerted him-
self with his usual vigour, to aiford it relief. Pro-
visions and necessaries of all kinds wee shipped
without delay, and Cromwell, distrustful of t lie go-
vernor's attachment, superseded him, by granting
the commission of commander m chief of Jamaica
to colonel Brayne. This gentleman, though pos-
sessed of a considerable portion of sagacity and ne-
neiration, wanted firmness and fortitude. Th^ troops
still continued untiealthy, and the commandant,
alarmed for his own safety, begged for permission
to return to England. Before an answer to his pe-
tition could arrive, he was taken seriously ill -, and,
finding himself in imminent danger, he transferred
his authority to D'Oyley, the laie governor, a few
days only before he expired.

D'Oyley happily pod.sessed all those qualifications
in which Brayne was tieficient, but on account of
the treatment that lie had formerly experienced^ he
entered upon his charge with great reluctance. He
begged permission to resign j out the Protector be-
gan now to know hiii value, aud would nut accept

tn'f

M§

$24

AMEHICA.

of his resignation. And to tlie exertions of this
brave officer, seconded and supported by the affec-
tion which the soldiers manifested on every occa-
sion, >ve owe at this day the possession of Jamaica,
the recapture of which by the Spaniards, towards
the end of the year l()5'/, became an object of great
national concern.

* y. On the eighth of May thirty companies
-A^ ' of Spanish infantry landed on tlie north

side of the island, furnished with provisions
for eight mondis, and with every mei. ^^ of military
offence and defence. Twelve days had elapsed be-
fore D'Oyley knew of their landing, and six weeks
more inter\ ened by the time that he \\ as able to ap-
proach them by sea. He then attacked them in
their intrenchments, and compelled the Spanish
commander to get back as he could t(3 Cuba, after
the loss of all his sti^res, ordnance, ammunition,
and colours ; and of one half of the forcei which he
had brouglit with him. Few victories have been
more decisive j nor does history furnish many iu-
slances of greater military skill and intrepidity than
those which were displayed by our countrymen on
this occasion.

By the \^'ise, steady, and provident administra-
tion of D'Oylev, the atfairs of tlie island began at
length to wear a more promising appearance. Ihe
army was become healthy, and cncomagement was
given to a spirit of planting, by some successful ef-
forts in raising Indian corn, cassavi, tobacco, ^'c.
But what gave the greatest vigoiu^ to this new set-
tlement, and raised it at once to a surprising pitch
of opidence, was the resort thither of the Bucca-
neers ■^■. These men^ who fought with the greatest

intrepidity,

* The Buccanoers had their rise in the following maii-
jjer. Many of tiit old planters were too much in love with

old

AMERICA. 325

intrepidity, and spent tlieir plunder with the most
profuse extravagance, were very welcome guests
in Jamaica. They fiequently brought two, three,
and four hundred thousand pieces of eight at a
time, which were immediately squandered in all
the ways of gaming and luxurious living. Vast for-
tunes were made, and the returns of treasure to
England were prodigiously great. The inhabitants
of the island had by this means raised such funds,
that when the source of their wealth was stopped
up by the suppression of the pirates, they were ena-
bled to turn tlieir industry into better channels.

People

old customs and habits to abandon them entirely ; and
hence sprung a race of pirates who obtained the name of
Bnccaneers. These did not consist altop^ether of the inha-
bitants of Jamaica ; but were adventurers from all nations,
and resorted chiefly to Jamaica, on account of its conveni-
ent situation for plundering the Spaniards. Barbadoes and
other islands furnished their quota for this desperate society;
and when they assembled, they bound themselves to certain
regulations that would not have disgraced a more virtuous
institution. At first they satisfied themselves with taking
their ships and destroying their trade ; but encouraged by
this success they landed upon the continent of New Spain
and Terra Firma, burning and plunderinp; the open coun-
try. Confidence increasing with success, they assaulted,
and .captured some of the strongest fortresses and most opu-
lent towns ; they even took the city of Panama by storm,
and burned it, after defeating an army which cuine to beat
them off. Another party '»f these pirates passed «^he strafts
of Magellan, and entering into the South Sea, turned the
whole coast of Perw, Chili, and the c;.st of Mexico, into
one scene of desolation ; every where attended w ch suc-
cess, because they were acting every where with a bravery
and conduct, that in any other cause had merited the high-
est honours.

The pirates whom we call Buccaneers, the French deno"^
minated Flivuskertj Irom the Dutch fly-boats ia which

vot, XXIV. 2 F they

s 'I

S26 AMERICA.

People of all professions, and from all parts of
tl:e British dominions, now resorted to Jamaica j
and the confusion which oAerspread England atier
tlie death of Cromwell imj^elled many to seek for
safety and repose in the plantations. Some of those
who had distinguished themselves by their activity
in brin^ino; the untortuiiate monarch to the scati-'okl,
consiiUU'ed Jamaica as a sure place of refuge. But
although persons of this stamp were silently per-
mitted to lix themselves in the island, yet the t;,e-
iieral body of the })cople participated in the ioy
which was shewn on tlie kiniz's ret^nii.

Ihe restored monaich made no enquiries after
tliose who had been active in his f uLer's luuniliatiuii
idnddeath3 he even a] 'pointed tlieir favuurite gc-

they made their first expedhions. Buccaneers a^e in fact no
more th:',n persons wiio iunit wild cattle in America for
their hides and tailow. Seine of these joined the Flibus-
teers in their first opedition ; i\vd from them the v/IioIl'
body was named Bncca.nccrs. To ihese two sorts of people
were soon : ddcd some of the French in the Lessor Ai-
tliies; who, (iiidino; junv m.nch might he made by supply-
ing people tjiat expended hir^rely, and that were not very
exact in their bargains, and perceiv'ng' that no part of
America alTorded a better soil, passed over to this island,
in which they exercised their business of planters and mer-
chants. These three sorts of people, nuitually in want of
each, other, lived in good harniony. Vhen a Spanish war
broke out, tl^e Buccaneers were furnished by the English
with rcg-ular letters of marque and reprisal. Aiter the re-
stoiation of Charles II. the hing gave orders that they
should receive every encouragement and protection ; and
it \-^ ^aid, on pietiy g;ood autliorlty, that hl.i majesty did
not disdain to become a pr.rtner in the buccaneeringbusincr.
About the year l()bO every measure v/as taken to suppre»s
tho^e pirates, and in two years after, the most celebrutr,il
of I'.hc P-nglish Bucanccrs, sir Henry Moreaii, who had
been krii^,-hi:ed for his eminci'.t. serv'cos in the business, wa»
fetiztd ui.d seat priiouer to Kngiaiid.

neiaJ

AMERICA. 32J^

poral D'Oyley to be chief governor of tlie * -p.
island. This memorable appointment, with A,-^
a council elected by tlie people, may be
considered as the first establishment of a regular
civil government in Jamaica, after the English had
bt^come masters of it. It was also resolved, for
the encouragement of those who should be in-
clined to settle there, *' that all die children of the
natural born subje.cts of England, born in Jamaica,
bhall be free denizens of England j and that all
free p Tsons shall have liberty to transport them-
selves, their tamilies, &c. to the island of Jamaica.'*
The governor was also instructed to call an assem-
bly, to be inditierently chosen by the people at
large, that they might pass laws for their own in-
ternal regulation and go\ernment, with this limi-
tation only, tliat the laws which they should pass,
were not f-ai ersive of their dependence on tlie
parent state

Hitherto tiie sovereign authority was properly
exerted in defence of the just rights of the cnjwn,
and in securing to its distant subjects the enjoy-
iTJcnt of their possessions 5 but inihaj)piiy diaries 11.
had neither steadiness nor integrity. A new sys-
tem of legislation was adopted for this * -p.
island, by which there was to be a perpe- ^(l^J
tuah revenue given to the crown, and in ^''*
future the heads of ail bills (m^mey bills excepted)
were to be sU;io:ested in the tirst instance bv the
governor and couricil, and transmitted to his ma-
jesty to be a])provcd and rejected at home : on ob-
taining die royal confirmation, tliey were to be
returned under the great seal in the shaj-^e of laws,
and })assed ,by the general assembly 5 whi'-h was to
be convened fur no other purpose than that, and

2 I 2 the

y^M:

S28

AMEBICA.

the business of voting the usual supplies, unless in
consequence of special orders from England.

What misconduct on the part of the inhabitants,
or what secret expectation on tJie part of the crown,
origiUi^Uy gave birth to this project, it is now diffi-
cult to deteimine. The most probable opinion is
this. — In the year l6G3, the assembly of Barbadoe.i
were prevailed on to grant an internal revenue to
tlie crown, of 4 ^ per cent, on the gross exported
produce of tliat island for ever. It is not unlikely
that the steady refusal of the Jamaica planters to
burthen themselves and their posterity with a simi-
lar imposition, hrst suggested the idea of depriving
them of tliose constitution -d franchises, which
alone could give security and value to their pos-
sessions. The assembly rejected the new constitu-
tion with indignation. Notlireats could intimidate,
no bribes could corrupt, nor arts nor arguments
persuade them to consent to laws tliat would en-
slave their })osterity. Colonel Long, one of the
principal opposers of this arbitrary measure, was
dismissed Irom his posts and sent home prisoner to
England. He was heard, in his own defence, and
in defence of the liberties of the island, before the
king and council, and he pointed out, with such
force of argument, the evil tendency of the mea-
sures which had been pursued, that the ministry
reluctantly cave up their project.

It might have been hoped tliat all possible cause
of future contest with the crown, on the question
of political rights, was now happily obviated 5 but
the event proved that this expectation was falla-
cious. Although the assembly had recovered the
privilege of framing such laws for tlieir internal
government as tlieir exigencies might require, yet

the

AMERICA. 329

the royal confirmatlDii of a great part of them had
be'jn cunsiantly refused, and stiil continued to be
withheld, hi this unsettled state, the aitairs of
Jamaica were suifered to remain for the space of
fifty years.

The true cause of such inflexibility on the part
of the crown was the revenue. For tlie puipo.se,
as it was pri'tcnded, of answerin£( public contin-
gencies, the nfmislers of Charles II. had procured,
as lias been t/oserved, from the assembly of Bar-
bacloes, and indeed from most of the British West
India colonies, tlie grant of a perpetual revenue.
The refusal of Jamaica to concur in a slnfdar esta-
blishment ', the punishment provided fur contu-
macy ; and the means of her deliverance, have
been stated ; but it v/as found that tlie It-nily of the
crowm, in relinquishing the system of compulsion,
was expected to produce that eifect which oppres-
sion had failed to accomplish. The English go-
vernment claimed a return from the people of
Jamaica, for having dropt an oppressive and per-
nicious project, as if it had actually conferred upon
them a positive and permanent bene (it.

The assembly, however, remained unconvinced.
Among other objections, they pleaded that the
money granted by Barbadoes was notoriously ap-
propriated to purposes widely different from those
for which it was expressly given j and they de-
manded some pledge or security against a similar
misapplication ; in case they should subject tlieir
comitry to a permanent and irrevocable tax. The
ministers refused to give satisfaction in this parti-
cular, and finding the assembly equally resolute to
pass their supply bills only iVom year to year, i.d-
vised the sovereign to waive the confirmation of
laws, and to suffer tlie adminisli'ation of jubtice in

2 F 3 the

'!l

330 AMLRICA,

the island to remain on the precarious footing tliat
has been descril>ed.

Such indeed was the actual situation of Jamaica
till Georcre Jl. ascended the throne of

A.D.

these realms, when a compromise was

^"^ * speedily ellected. Then the assembly con-
isented to settle on the crown a standing revenue
of 8000/. })er annum on certain conditions, of
which the following are the principal: (l) 'J'hat
the quit-rents arising within the island should con-
stitute a part of such revenue. (2) That the body
of their laws should receive the royal assent. And
(3) That all such laws and statutes of England
as had been esteemed laws in the island should
continue the laws of Jamaica for ever. — ^I'he re-
venue act, with this important declaration in it,
Was accordingly passed^ and its confirmation by^
the king put an end to a contest no less disgrace-
ful to the government at home^ than injurious to
the people within the island.

Thus iiave we traced the political constitution
of Jamaica from infancy to maturity : its principles
are BriiLsh ; its outward form has been modified
and regulated by many unforeseen events. In its
present appearance and actual exercise, however, it
so nearly resembles the system of government in
the other West India islands, that one general de-
scription, which shall be given hereafter, will com-
prehend the whole. A minute detail of local cir-
cumstances would be equally uninteresting to the
general reader, and incompatible with the limits of
our volume.

When Columbus first discovered Jamaica, lie
approached it on the northern side, and was filled
with delight and admiration at the novelty, variety,
iiid beauty of the prospect. The country at a

^ small

AMERICA. 331

small distance from the shore rises into hills, which
towards the top are rounded witli singular felicity.
The most striking circumstances, however, at-
tending these beautiful swells, are the happy dis-
position of tlie groves of Pimento or Jamaica pep-
per with which most of tlicm are spontaneously
clothed, and the consummate verdure of the turf
underneath. As this tree, which is no less re-
markable for fragrancy than beauty, suffers no
rival plant to flourish within its shade 3 these groves
are not only clear of underwood, but even the
grass beneatli is seldom luxuriant. I'he soil pro-
duces a clean and close turf, as smooth and even as
the linest English lawn, and in colour infinitely
brighter. Over this beautiful surface the pimento
spreads itself in various compartments. To enliven
tlie scene, and add perfection to beauty, the bounty
of nature has copiously watered the whole district.
Every valley has its rivulet, and every hill its cas-
cade. In a single point of view, where rocks over-
hang the ocean, no less than eight transparent wa-
terfalls are beheld in the same moment. Those
only who have been Jong at sea, can judge of the
emotion which is felt by the thirsty voyager at so
enchanting a prospect.

Jamaica is divided into tlu'ee counties, Cornwall
in the west, Middlesex in the centre, and Surry in
the East, St. Jago or Spanish-Town is considered
as the capital, but Kingston is the principal sea-
port. The number of negroes is computed at two
hundred and fifty thousand, the whites are pro-
bably twenty thousand, the free negroes and mu-
lattoes ten thousand. The chief exports are to
Great Britain, Ireland, and North America, in
sugar, rum, coffee, indigo, ginger, and pimento 5
tliese were valued in 1787 at two jnillions ster-
ling.

i: *■

S32

AMERICA.

hn<r. The imports were computed at a million and
a half, of which the slaves from Africa farmed a
considerable part. There is a poll tax witii duties
on^sugar and rum, yielding rouhiderably more than
100,CXJ0/. per ann., and the ordinary ex])enses of
government in the year 17B8 w(Te computed at
75,000/. The legislature consists of the ca})tain-
general or the governor, a council of twelve nonfi-
riated by the crown, and a house of assembly con-
taining forty-three members, elected by the free-
holders 3 the three chief towns, St. Jago, Kingston,
and Port Royal, returning three niembers each, the
other parishes two. The principal towns are witiiin
a short distance of each other. Port lloyal was the
capital, till an earth(|uake destroyed it in the \'ear
1()()2'^". The city was rebuilt, but it was aintiu
destroyed by lire. Notwithstanding this, the ex-
traordinary conveniences of the harbour tempted
ihcm to build it once more. But in the year 1/22,
a hurricane, one of the most terrible on the records
of history^ reduced it a third lime to a heapof rub-
bisli.

Jamaica

* The following awful hut Interesing particulars of tlus
earthquake were transmitted hj one of the suflertro,
and published in the Philosophical Transactions.

" I lost all my people and goods, my wife, and tv/o
men, Mrs. JB. and her daugliter. One white maid escapfjd,
who gave me an account, that her mistress was in her
closet, two pair of stairs high, and she was sent Into the
jvarret, where was Mrs. B. and her daughter, when she felt
the earthquake, and bid her take up the child and run
down ; but turning about met the water at the top of the
jgarret stairs, for the house sunk downright, and is now
near thirty feet under water. My son and I went that
morning to Liguania: the earthquake took us in the mid-
way betwixt that and Port Royal, where we were near

beiiij

AMERICA.

333

Jamaica is by far the most flourisliing and impor-
tant of all the islands belonging to Great Britain,
it produces more sugar and rum than are imported
from all the rest together. Many great estates have
been acquired in Jamaica, and tlie inhabitants in

general

being overwhehned by a swift rolling sea, six feet above
the surface, without any wind. Being forced back to
liiguania, we found all the houses even witli the ground,
not a place to put our heads in but negroes' huts. The
earth continues to shake (June 20th) live or six times iii
twenty-four hours ; and often trembling, great part of the
mountains fell down, and falls down daily." Another
writer, in the same collection, gives a still more lively de-
scription of the earthquake : " Between eleven and twelve
(says he) we felt the tavern where I then was shake, and
saw the bricks begin to rise in the floor. At the same
time we heard a voice in the streets cry, an earthquake!
and immediately we ran out of the house, where we saw
all people, with lifted-up hands, begging God's assistance.
We continued running up the street, while on either side
of us we saw the houses, some swallowed up, others thrown
on heaps ; the sand in the street rising like the waves of
the sea, lilting up all persons that stood upon it, and im-
mediately dropping down into pits. At the same time a
flood of water broke in, and rolled these poor souls over
and over, some catching iiold ot beams and rafters of
houses ; others were found in the sand, that appeared when
the water was drained away, with their legs and arms out.
Sixteen or eighteen of us,^ who beheld this dismal sight,
stood on a small piece of ground, which, thanks be to God,
did not sink. As soon as the violent shake was over,
every man was desirous to know if any part of his family
was left alive. I endeavoured to go towards my house
upon the ruins of the houses that were floating upon the
water, but could not. At length I got a canoe, and rowed
up the great sea-side towards my house, where I saw several
men and women floating upon the wreck out at sea ; and,
as muuy of them p.s I could I took into the boat, and still
rowed on till I came where I thought my house stood, but
could hear of neither my wife nor family. Next morning

I went

i,m^

Jill

S34 IMKRICA.

general vie in luxury and expense with their fel-
low subjects of Great Britain. Of so much impor-
tance is this island to the commerce of the motiier-
country, that a squadron of ships of v\ar is always
litationcd irt. Port iloyal for its defence. All tiie

for Li

1 went from one sliip to another, till at last it pleased God
I met with my witc and two of my negroes. She told me,
when she felt the house shake she ran out, and called all
the house to do the same. She was no sooner out, but the
sand lifted up, and her negro woman grasping about her,
they both dropt into the earth together, when at the very
instant, the water came in, rolled tlieni over and over, till
at length they caught hold of a beam, where they hung till
a boat came from a Spanish vessel and took them up."

The wharfs of Port Royal sunk down at once witli many
of the most eminent merchants; and water, to the depth
of several faihom, llllcd the space where the street had
stood. The earth, in its openings, swallowed up people,
and threw them up in other parts of the town ; nay, some
of them survived this violence. About a thousand acres to
the north of the town subsided, mountains were split, and
plantations removed half a mile from the places where they
formerly stood: and no fewer than two thousand blacks
and whites arc said to have perished in the town. The
«hips in the harbour had their s.hare in this disaster. Se-
veral of them were overset ; the motion of the sea carried
the Swan frigate over the tops of houses, by which means
she was the instrument of saving many lives. The rest (jf
the island suflcred In proportion ; and scarce a house in it
was left undemolished or undamaged. In r-hort, it en-
tirely changed not only its improved, but natural, appear-
ance ; scarce a mountain or piece of ground standing where
it formerly did. Upon the whole, this earthquake was a
mere wreck of nature, and its horrors were such as caniiot
be described.

When the first shock was over at Port Roynl, the clergy-
men assembled the people to implore the divine lorgive-
ness; and some miscreant sailors took that opportunity of
robbing the houses of the wretched inhabitants, when a
tecond shock happened, by v/hich many of those villaii-rs

wer«

AMKRICA.

33.5

forts are kept in excellent order, a regiment of re-
gular troops is kept in actual service, and there is a
strong niililia of horse and foot arrayed in case of
an invaiion from abroad, or insurrection of th<i

negro slaves on the island-^'.

were swallowed up. The whole svsteni of tlic air and soil
\v;'.s ch:ai|^!;td ; putrid smells issued from the apcriures in
tiietarili, and occasioned pestilential disorders, which are
said to have destroyed ahove three thousand of llie white
inhaljitants.

* At this period there are on the Jamaica station six
ships of the line, and thirteen frigates and smaller vessel.
And on the Leeward Island stati(?n there are two ships of
tlie line, two frigates of 14 ^um each, aud nine »iuuilw

CHAP.

335

AMEKICA.

CHAP. XIV,

Barbadoes. Bif whom discovered. To whmn
granted. Disputes respecting regal Government.
Conduct of Charles II. Present Situation of
the Island. Its Constitution. Exports. Gre-
nada. By tvhom discovered. By whom and
ly what Means settled. Taken hy the English.
Attempt to levy a Tax. Present Situation of the
Island. St. Vincents. Dominica. Cruel
Conduct of the French. St. Christophers.
Famous for its Sugar. Nevis. Antigua. In-
famous Conduct of Mr. Park. Montserrat.
The Virgin Islands. The Bahamas. T^he
Bermudas.

npHE island next in importance to Jamaica,
-"- \vhich we possess in the West Indies, but the
oldest in point of settlement, is Barbadoes. It is
one among the windward division of the Caribbee
islands, and was probably discovered by the Portu-
guese in their voyages from Brazil, and from them
it received the name wliich it still retains. The
Caribbees, for reasons unknown to us, had de-
serted it, and the Portuguese considering it of little
ralue, left it nearly in the same state as they found

it.

When our countrymen first landed here, the/
found the place as destitute as if it had never been
peopled by savages. Some years after this a ship
of sir William Courteen's, a merchant of London,
"U'as driven by distress of weather to this island,
and finding refreshments on it, the master and
teamen^ on tlieir arrival in England, made so fa-

% vourabl*

/MKRICA. 337

Tonrablc a report of the beauty and fertility of the
Cfjuntry, that the cini of Marlborough imniedi-
ately obtained from king James I. a grant of il fur
himself and heirs in perpetuity.

Courteen, a man of extensive views and magni-
ficent projeets, formed ideas of establishing a co-
lony in the distant but promising territory. Having
engaged about thirty persons, who uridertook to
eettle in the island, and furnished them with every
necessary, he sent them away : tliey arrived safe,
and laid the foundations of a town which, * -p.
in honour of the sovereign, they dcnomi- wLj*
nated James Town. Sometime after, tlie
earl of Carlisle obtained a grant of all the Catibbct
islands, including Barbadoes; but when the charter
came to be passed with the usual forms, tlie earl
of Marlborough opposed it on the ground of pri-
ority of right. The dispute was at length compro-
mised by the earl of Carlisle undertaking to pay
his antagonist 300/. annually for ever; in consc-
fjuence of which lord Carlisle became sole pro-
prietor.

During this contest about the disposal of coun-
tries, most of which were occupied by their pro-
per owners^ the Caribbees, — the man who alono
had tlie merit of annexing the plantation of Barba-
does to tlie crown of England seems to have been
forgotten.

The administration of sir W. Tufton, the first
governor appointed by the earl of Carll'^le, proving
disgreeable to his lordship, captain H *wley a y%
was sent over to supersede him. Tufton, J '
resenting this measure, procured the signa-
tures of some of the planters to a petition com-
plaining of Hawley's conduct. Hawley construed
this petition into an act of mutiny on the part of

¥0L. xxiy. 2 Q Tufton^

■M

338 AMERICA.

Tiifton, for wliich he had him tried, condemned^
and execiUed j a proceeding universally exclaimed
aiijainst as a most horrid and atrocious murder. — .
Ilawley was recalled on this account, but escaped
punishment, and was sent back again as chief g<>-

* p. Ncrnor, in wiiich capacity he remained till
i/\?o' ^^^ ^^^^'^ driven from the country by the

united voic:e of all the inhabitants. He

vas succeeded by major Hunkes, and afterwards

. |-^ by Mr. liell, his deputy, who in a few

I fill yt-'iirs was made chief governor. But tht;

* conduct of Hawlev had alienated the mind.<

of the new settlers I'rom power thus delegated and

shamefully abused, and the proprietor's authority

lost ^rouiul everv da v. In the mean time the civil

war in England cau.sed many })eaceable and \\'ell-

disposed people to take refuge in this island. The

emigration from the mother country became so

great during the conmiotions 'u England, that in

4 y. about twenty-live years from its hrst esta-

.'^ ■ blishment, it was computed there were

twenty thousand white men in Barbadoes,

of whom one half were able to bear arms. And

* y^ in twenty-six years after, the whites were
(^"i ' ' computed at fifty thousand, and the negro

I ^ ' slaves at double that number. They em-
ployed four hundred ships, one with another of
one hundred and lifty tons burthen, in their trade.
Their annual exports amounted to upwards ot
35(),00()/. and their circulating cash at home was
2CK),t)00/. Since that time the island has been much
uu the decline.

Soon after the establishment of the Common-
wealth in England, circumstances arose resj)ccting
this colony, which have produced such etFects on
iki<i general comnicrce of Great Britain^ as cannot

AMERICA. 33f)

be entirely overlooked in an historical account of
her West Indian plantations. Tlic Barbadians
\vere warmly attached to the regal goveriunent,
and on the death of Charles I. the jiopular resent-
ment against his perseculors ran so high in the is-
land, that the few planters who were suspected to
be in the interest of the parliament thought it ne*
tessary to seek protection in England.

To punish these defenders of a ruined cause,
parliament resolved to send a powerful armament
to reduce the English colonies in the West Indies,
but particularly Barbadoes, at that lime the most
important and hostile of all. Ayscue, who com-
manded the parliament's forces employed in this
expedition, arrived in October }b5\, and suc-
ceeded at length in bringing the island to capitu-
late. He, however, met wirh so stout a resistance
as deteroiined his employers inunediately to en-
force a scheme they had projected a long time be-
fore, of altering the whole system of Barbadian
commerce, by prohibiting all foreign shij>s from
trading with the English plantations, and not per-
niitting any goods to be imported into England,
or any of its dependencies, in any other than
English bottoms; or in ships of that European na-
tion of which the merchandize imported was the
genuine growth and manufacture. And thus arose
the navi<2ati{>n act of ihis kir.orlom: for immedi-
ately after tbe rc-storation, its pnu-i.-^ions Acre
ad(;pted by Charles II. v\ith tliis addition, that the
master and three-foiuths of the mariners should
;dso be Eneli^h sid)ieets.

The inhabitants ol Pardadoes, justly consider-
hig the law as a chastisenxnt intlicted on them by
the Commonwealth for their loyalty to Charles 11.
were tilled with ijulignation on fiudhig its pnni-

2 G 2 i>ion«

349 AMEAIC/l*

sioiis adopted and confirmed on the restonllon of
that monarch. By the regulations of this act and
the establishment of the internal duty on tlieir pro*
duce (to which we ha\e already referred), the/
tliought themselves treiUed with ingratitude, and
they predicted the decline of their population,
agriculture, and wealth, from the eifects of those
measures. How tar these predictions have been
accomplished, a comparative state of the island at
different periods will demonstrate, with wliich tht^
present account will be concluded.

Barbadoes is situated in 13^ north latitude,
and in 5()^ west longitude. It is only about twen-
ty-one miles in length and fourteen in breadtli,
and contains more than one hundred thousand acres
of land, most of which are under cultivation. The
soil is naturally fertile, but the inhabitants have
decreased with a rapidity seldom known in any
other country. It appears too that the annual
produce of the island has decreased in a much
greater proportion than in any other of the West
Indian colonies.

That the dreadful succession of hurricanes, with
which this and the other West India islands have
been visited, has contributed to this great defalca-
tion cannot be doubted. The capital of die island
was scarcely risen from the ashes to which it hal
been reduced by two dreadful fires, when it was
torn from its foundations, and the whole country
made a scene of desolation by tiie storm of tho
10th of October 17^0, hi which no k^ss than four
thousand three hundred and twenty- six of the in-
habitants miserably perished J and the damage done
to the country was computed at l,320,5t)4/. 15^,
sterling;. The prospect has, in some respects,
seemed to brighten j but although^ since the^iiure

1 1

AMERICA. 341

f)f tbeir si^gnr plantations, the inhabitants Iiave
Ibund some rosonrce in the cultivation of cotton,
it does not seem probable that any encouragement
is capable of ever restoring Barbacloes to its ant lent
fplendour and opulence, unless it be relieved tmm
the heaAY imposition of 41 per cent. oi:> their ex-
ported ])roduce.

Earbadoes is divided into li^'e districts and eleven
parishes: it contains four towns, of which Bridge
Town is the capital. Before the fires, this town
consisted of iitteen hundred houses, which were
mostly built of brick, and it is still the seat of
governn'ient, and may be called the chief residence
of the governor, whose country villa is situated
within a mile of it : his salary it; 2CXX)/. per annum.
I'he form of government of this island so very
nearly resf.mbjes that of Jamaica, that it is unne*
cessary to enter into detail, except to observe that
the council is composed of twelve members, and
the assembly of twenty- two. The most important
variation respects tlie <^ourt of chancery, whicli in
Barbadoes is constituted of the governor aijd coun-
cil, whereas in Jamaica the governor is sole chan-
cellor. On the other hand, in Barbadi-es the go-
vernor sits in council, even when they are acting
in their legislative capacity, which in Jamaic;i
would be considered as unconstitutional. It may
be farther observed, that the courts of matid ses-
sions, common pleas, aiid exchequer, inBarbadoes,
are distinct from each other, and not, as in Jamaica,
united and blended in one supreme court of judi-
cature.

In the year 1702 Barbadoes produced seventeen
thousand hogsheads of ^^xhrnr : one hundred and
(;ighty-eight hogsheads of molasses j five thousand
and bixty-lbur of rura ; three thousand and forty-

2 o 3 kus,

342 AMERICA.

six bags of ginger ; and nine hundred and scventj-
four thousand one hundred and seventy-eigiit
pounds of cotton. At tliat time it had sixty-four
thousand three hundred and thirty slaves, seven
hundred and forty-four of which were imported
tliat year. The amount of taxes was 9443/. 19^. 3dm

GRENADA.

When the island of Grenada was discovered hy
Columbus, it was inhabited by a numerous and
warlike people, whose manners and habits had
never been injured by the invading Spaniards. It
was not till the year I65O tliat the French governor
of Martinique attempted to form an establishment
in Grenada. Notwithstanding the French had but
newly settled in Martinique, and a great part of
that island was still uncultivated, yet Du Parquet,
the governor, collected two hundred men, invaded
the rights, and destroyed tlie peace of the inhabi-
tants of Grenada. Although the French had no
pretence for this attack, yet the commanders ad-
ministered the sacrament in the most solemn man-
ner to all the soldiers on their embarkation 3 and
when they landed, Du Parquet caused a cross
to he erected, compelled the people to kneel be-
fore it, and join in devout prayer to Almighty God,
for success in their enterprise. Thus has the Christ-
ian religion, which breathes nought but peace and
good-will among men, been prostituted and made
the instrument to sanction every cruelty, by the
guilty passions of men.

Under pretence of a fair purchase, the com-
manders gave the natives a few knives and hatchets,
a large quantity of glass beads, besides two bottles
of brandy for the chief, and in consideration of

tlicsc,

thfse,
a tc;w s
their o
tiieir '
ci. )nque
nor.
which
tnke ev
'i'he Fi
shades
be adn
one in:'
who \\
a preci
tlie sea
girl, o
alive, 1
of our
lau'ful
the coi
Oiu* p<
ct^eded
and roc
ing des
to then
in higl
the wh(
in l(i5
the vai
tended
fruitles
to culti
contain
and wl:
tions c
after ti:

AMERICA, 341

these, the value of which could not be more than
a iv.w shillings, the iMcnicli clahned the island a»
tiu'ir own, and considered the natives as sla>es to
their will. Du Parquet havini; completed the
ronquest, jcft a man named Le Compte as gover-
nor. Undc^r his reign the Caribbees rebelled,
which gave a pretence to him an. I Du Parquet to
take every means of extirpating the \\hole race. —
The Frencli historian lias altenn>ted to soften the
shades of guilr attaching to his countrymen, yet
be admits " 'Ihat forty of the Caribbees were in
one instance massacred on the spot : ibrty others,
who with difficulty escaped the sword, ran towards
a precipice, from whence they cast themselves into
llie sea, and miserably perished. A beautiful young
girl, only thirteen years of age, who was tiiken
alive, became tlie object of dispute between two
of our ofiicers, each of them claiming her as hi.<
lawful prize ; a third coming up, put an end to
the contest by shooting the girl through tlie head.
Oiu* people," adds this hinnone writer, ^* pro-
ceeded in tlie next place to set fire to the cottages,
and root up the provisions (;f the savages, and, hav-
ing destroyed oi* taken aw\ay every tiling belonging
to them, returned, with the loss of a single man,
in high spir'ib ! ! " By such series of enormities,
the whole race of Caribbees that possessed Grenada
in 1650 was speedily exU-rminated. And under
the various revolutions and calamities which at-
tended diis plantation, and which it would be
fruitless to enumerate, but little attention was paid
to cultivation ; even in the year 17OO the island
contained less than eight hundred people, blacks
and whites, who were employed on three planta-
tions of sugar, and fifty-two of indigo. Soon
after tliis France began to turn her attention to-
wards

* ■ y

! • I

o44 /.MERICA.

wards the West Indian possessions, and in tlift
course of the next titty or sixty years the ishmd of
Grenada was in acom})lete state ofcukivation; and
in 17^'^, when the fortune of war made th'j Eu^-
Jish masters of tl\is and the rest of the Vrench Cn-
ribbee Islands, Grenada and its dependencies are
said to have yielded annually eleven thousand
hogslieads of sugar and twenty-seven thousand
pounds of indigo.

I'iie crown of England supposed itself entitled
by the terms of capitulation to the duty of 4- per
4:'ent. upon all produce exported from the newly

, - <'eded islands, as paid at Ikirbadoes ; and accordingly
in the year 1/^4, it commanded the duty to be
levied. This demand excited much discussion, the
crown pfTsisting" in its claim, and the people reso-
lutely refusing to pay it. At length the question was
referred to a solemn atljudication befojethe judges

^ of the court of King's Bench in England j and in
the year 177*1^ lifter the case had been elaborately
argued four se\eral times, lord Mansfield pro-
nounced judgment against ihe claims of die crown.
In consecjucnce of tiiis tiie duty was abolished not
only in Grenada, but al; in the ceded islands of
Dominica, St. Vincent, niul I'obago.

Soon after this, considerable disputes arose be-
tween the catholics and protestants, the latter ob-
jecting to the former possessing seats in the legisla-
ture. I'he protestants aj)pealed to the king, who
refused to re\()ke his former instructions; in conse-
quence of which the most zealous of the protestant
members of the assembly declined to attend, and it
was seldom that a house could be formed. Public
affairs soon tell into confusion, and in this state of
p(!rplexiry the island became 1 prey to the French,
' who captui'cd it in 1779- At the general peace of

17^3

1783 <
Great
the W
period
our o\
faction

In g
this isL-
*mallei
longer
A line
tion be
former
all that
nient j
ones to
ofSt\

Grer:
of whi
The soi
cal pic
cxclusi
worth (
and its (
It has 1
ments,
Grenvil
windwcJ
port.

Sinct
tlie Eni
greatly
sixteen
hundre(
sand, oi
tiear art

in tlift
and of
[i; and
'■ Kng-
[:h Ca-
ies arc
)usand
3usand

ntitled
4- per
newly
rdingly
to be
:)n, the
e reso-
on was
judges
and in
orately
I pro-
crown,
led not
inds of

>se be-
er ob-
egisla-

who
conse-
testant
and it
Public
tate of
rench,
iace of

17B3

AMERICA. 345

17S3 Grenada and Jie Grenadines were restored to
Great Britain with all the other captured islands in
the West Indies, excepting Tobago. Since that
period this valuable colony has been attached to
our own country much, i': is believed, to the satis-
faction of the inhabitants.

In giving a brief account of the present state of
this island, it may be observed that many of those
smaller islands which are called the Grenadines, no
longer ap])ertain to the government of Grenada.
A line of division passes in an east and "west direc-
tion between Cariacou and Union Island. The
former of these and some otliers south of it are
all that are now comprised in the Grenada govern-
ment 5 Union Island, with all the little adjacent
ones to the north, iire amiexed to the government
of St. Vincent.

Grenada contains eighty thousand acres of land^
of which about t\\o tiiirds are well cultivated.
The soil is veiy fertile, and adapted to eveiy tropi-
cal production. In the year 1/7^ the exports,
cxclusiveof freight, duties, insm'ance, &c., were
worth 600,0CX)/. It is divided into six parishes ;
and its chief dependency Cariacou forms a seventJi.
It has two ports of entry with separate establish-
ments, one at St. George, the capital, and one at
Grenville-Bay, a town and harbour on the east or
windward side of tlie island. The former is a free
port.

Since these islands came into the possession of
tlie English the number of white inhabitants has
greatly decreased. In 1771> tliey were more tlian
sixteen hundred : in 1777> they were only thirteen
hundred; and inl7fl3 they did not exceed one thou-
sand, of which about two-thirds were men able to
tjear arms, and incorporated into live regiments ot

milUiaj

T^~\6 AMEIUCA.

militia, including a company of free blacks, nt^.
Iiiichcd to each. I'licre arc also in general about
live hundred regular imops, wliicli are supported
on tho British esiablisnient.

The negro slaves liave also decreased, l^y the re-
turns made previou.-ly to l/Ji), they were thirty-
iive thousand, and in 1 Jbj ihcy an.onnted to less
than tweniy-four tlio'Liand. Alrlcan lanj^oes sold
-it Gn^iiU la are in put ex.poiteu to the neighbour-
in^r French and Spain h ciuonies. 1 he free people
of colour amounicd to more than eleven hundred
in the year l/H/, and iheagh ihif increase of tliis
mixed race is discouraged a- much as possible, yQt
it cannot, be prevented. The evidence ul all free
coloured peop]t% \v he! her born tree or manumitted,
is received in the courts of this inland, and they are
tried on criminal charges in the same manner as
Vvhites J they are al^o allowed to possf^s and enjoy
lands and tenements to any aiiiOiiiit, provided they
ixni native born subjects.

Tlu3 goveriwr is vice admiral, and ])resides ?olely
flt tJie courts of chaucry. His salary is 3,200/.
j)er annum, which is raised by a poll-tax on all
slaves. The council consists of twelve members,
iind the assembly of twiiuy-hix. The law courts
are held twice a y(iar, viz. in Marcli and Septem-
ber.

ST. VINCENT AND DOMINICA.

Attempts were made at an early period to bring
these islands wi.ii their dependencies under the
English dominion, \vhic! the French as constantly
opposed. The rightful possessors, tiie Caribbees,
derived that security from tlie jealousy of the con-
/icnding parties^ which they might luu e sought in

vain

AMEinCA. 347

vam frnm thoir justice and humanity. By a treaty
in 1/48, St. Vincent, Dominica, St. Lucia, and
Tobago were declared neutral, and the antient
proprietors were left in undisturbed possession.
This treaty of neutrality, intended to accommodate
botli parties, satisfied neitl>er. After the next war
tliey agreed to divide the spc/d bet\\een tlicm ; and
in February 17^'^^ > Dominica, St. Vincent, and
Tobago were assigned to Creat Britain, and St.
Lucia to France, in full and perpetual sovereignty;
the Caribl>ees not being once meniioncd in the
whole transaction, as if no such people existed.
Lideed tl:iey were redu( ed t(; a miserable remnant
of the antient or red Caribbees 5 not more ihan
a hundred fax :i lies survived in 1763, who retained
only a mountainous district in the island of St.
Vincent.

The tirst measure of the English government
in respect to St. Vincent, after tlie peace of 17^3,
was to dispose of the lands 5 twenty-four thousand
acres, being one-fourth (;f tlie whfle, were gratui-
tously assigned over to individuals, of which Mr.
Swinburne had twenty thousand, and general
Monckton the other four. Ihe remainder was or-
dered to be sold 5 and about twenty thousand acres
fetched at public auction more than KiO.CKK)/.
Nearly one half of the country wnsjudgt^d unlit for
profitable cultivation, consequently tlicse grants
and sales comprehended ali the lands of nny kind
of value from one end of the isiand to the othei.

The sales and allotments excited a war witli
the Caribbees, in the course of which it became?
the avowed intention ot government to extermi-
nate those miserable people aiiogtther^ or. In con-
veying them to a barren isL'ind .- n tlie coasi oi /vf-
rica^ consign them over to a lingering destruction.

34S AMERirA.

By repented protests from the military officers, Ad-
ministration desisted from their purpose, and th»
Caribbees, after surrendering part of their lands,
were permitted to enjoy the remainder, which
they possess to the present period.

In 1779 f St. Vincent was captured by the
French, but was again restored in 1783. It con-
tains about eighty-four thousand acres, which are
every where well watered. The country is rugged
and mountainous 5 the intermediate vallies, how-
ever, are remarkably fertile, and well adapted for
tlie cultivation of sugar. The extent of country at
present possesed by British subjects is about twen-
ty-four thousand acres j and as much is supposed
to be held by the Caribbees. The rest is thought
to be incapable of cultivation. The British terri-
tory is divided into five parishes; the capital i»
called Kingston: houses are but tliinly scattered
over tlie island. In the frame of its government it
differs but little from Grenada.

St. Vincent is celebrated for an extensive botani-'
Cal garden, which abounds with almost every spe-
cies of the vegetable world tliat the hand of nature
has bestowed on these islands for use or beauty, for
food or luxury -, and also with many valuable ex-
gtics from the East Indies and South America.

The island of Dominica was so named hj
Christopher Columbus, from the circumstance of
its being discovered by him on a Sunday. The civil
history of Dominica, like that of St Vincent, is but
a mere blank, till by conquest it fell into the hands
of the English in the year I75g, At this period
about half the island was sold by auction in lots of
fifty to a hundred acres each, yielding the sum of
^12,000/. and upwards.

The French inhabltauts are ^till more numerous

than

Domi:

the first

the Eng

ble toge

under t

ordered

in greai

the hou

no Eng

and lai

and ow

to go o]

«hot in

him Wc

his du\

French

The

[, Ad-
id th®
lands,
which

y tlie
t con*
h are
ugged
how-
ed for
itry at
twen-
)posed
iought
terri-
ital 1%
ittered
lent it

•otani-'
y spe-
laturo
ty, for
e ex-

ed by
ice of
e civil
iS but
hands
period
ots of
imof

erou*
than

AMEKICA. ^49

than the English, and possess the most valuable
coffee plantations in the island. They differ but
little in manners, customs, and religion, from
the inhabitants of the other French islands in the
West Indies. Before the commencement of the
late unnatural American war, Dominica was in a
most flourishing state, and was rising fast into im*
portance. But during that unfortunate contest, all
the faculties and means of Great Britain were di-
rected to the subjugation of America, to Uie utter
neglect of tlie West India islands. So much was
this the case with Dominica, tliat at the height of
the war it was protected only by six officers and
ninety-four privates. Neglect in this instance wa*
the more remarkable, as Dominica by its local
situation, between Martinique and Guadeloupe, it
tlie best calculated of all the British possessions,
for securing to her the dominion of tJie Caribbe*
sea.

Dominica surrendered to the French in 177^ > ^^^
the first measure of the conquerors was to disarm
t!ie English. The governor forbade tliem to assem-
ble together more than two at one time or place,
under the penalty of military execution, and he
ordered the centinels to shoot them if they passed
in greater numbers. He prohibited all lights in
the houses after nine in the evening, and suffered
no Englishman to walk the streets without a candle
«nd lantern. Mr. How, an English merchant
and owner of a ship then in the bay, attempting
to go on board his o^\^l vessel after tliat hour, wag
shot in the attempt, and tlie centinel who killed
him was raised in his regiment for having thus done
his duty. Such are the tender mercies of th«
French over their vanquished foes ! !
The same governor, the marquis Duchilleau,
TOL. 2.XIV, 2 u «mploye4

350 AMRRTCA.

cmploycil Spies who insimuited themselves uito pii-
vate families, and related all tiiat passed in the
privacy of domestie intercourse. lie repeatediv
threatened to set the tow n of Roseau on tire ; and
when an almost universal conflagration, on Kaster
Sunday 17^1 > consumetl five hundred iiouses, like
another Nero, he diverted himself with llie scene,
forlxule his soldiers to as.-.ist in extinpiiishinjj: the
flames, and permitted them to pillage the suf-
ferers.

At the general peace Dominica was restored in
the government of England. The joy which on
this event illumined the countenance of every
person, whose sutierings under an arbitrary govern-
ment, had taught to appreciate the blessings of" tiie
British constitution, may be conceived, but ciiu-
inA be described.

Dominica is about the same size as St. Vincent,
and is divided into ten parishes. Roseau is thi^
capital of the island. It contains many high moun-
tains, in .some of which are burning volcanoes that
frequently discharge vast (juantities of sulphur.
7'he vallies are fertile, and the island is well wa-
tered, there being more than thirty fine rivers in it.
Cotfee is the principal produce of the island. Tlu'
native inhabitants are of a clear copper colour :
they have long, sleek, black hair : their persons
are short, stout, and well made, but they disfigure
their faces by flattening their foreheads in infancy.
They live chiefly by fishing in the rivers and the
sea, or by fowling in the woods, in both these
pursuits they use their bows and arrows with won-
derful dexterity. They display also considerabK^
ingenuity in making curious wrought panniers or
baskets of silk-gras.s, or the leaves and bark of
trees.

ST. CHRIS-

AMERICA.

351

bT. CHRISTOPHEK S, NEVIS, ANTIGUA, MONT-
SKKKAT, AND TIIR VIRGIN ISLANDS.

Those several islands since the year l672l:jve
constituted one ilistinct government, c:dled the
Lci'tranl Curit/cari (javininucut. 'J'he governor
A'islts each occasionally, but his principal resilience
is in Antigua; in his absence the go\evnment of
each island is administered by a lirutcnant-go-
vernor, whose authority is limited to lit at particular
island; and where no ii('Utenant-go\ernor is np-
j)ointed, the president of the council takes the
command.

The island of St. Christ oplier was called by its
antient possessors, the ('aribbees, the fertile island.
It was discovered by Columbus in 14(K>, who
Mas"so pleas(?d with its appearance that he gave it
his own Christian name. Jt was neither planted
nor pos'sessed by the Spaniards ; but it was the
eldest of all the British territories in the AV'est
Indies, and in truth the comnion mother both of
the English and French settlements in the Caribbee
Islands. Mr. Warner and fourteen other persons
landed at St. Christopher's in January 1623, and by
the month of September they had raised a good
crop of tobacco, which they proposed to make
their staple commodity ; but before the end ot tlio
}ear their plantations were demolished by a dread-
ful hurricane ^^ liich put a sudden stop to tlieir pro-
gress. Mr. W'arner returned to England to im-
plore succour, and obtained the patronage of the
earl of Carlisle, who fitted out a ship for lim,
and thus preserved a settlement which otherwise
could not have survived its infancy. Warner liim-
i»elf did not return till the next year, when he was

2 H 2 accom"

352 AMERICA.

accompanied by a large body of recruits. About
the same time D'Esnamhuc, captain of a French
private-n*, arrived wilh thirry veteran troops, who
tvere cordially received by the English. Hitherto
Warner's tirst colony had lived on friendly terms
with the native Canbbees j but under pretence of
a supposed ])lot, the French and English attacked
the poor Indians by night, and, accoriling to a con-
temporary historian *, murdered one hundred and
twenty of the stoutest in cold blood, and drovo
the rest from the island, except such of I he wo-
men as were young and handsome, of whom they
made concubines and slaves. The Europeans had,
however, but little reason to congratulate them-
•elves on this exploit, having left one hundred of
their number dead on the lield.

From this period the Caribbees appear to have
quitted altogether this and some small islands in the
neighbourhood, and to have retired soutliwards.
Li the year 1627 the French and English agreed to
a partition of the whole ir:^and ; but for nearly
half a century it exhibited a disgustful scene of
internal contention, violence, and bloodshed. At
tlie peace of Utrecht, the island was ceded wholly
to the English, and the Fiench possessions were
publicly sold for the benefit ol i ne English govern-
ment. In 1733, 8000/. of the money was appro-
priated as a marriage portion with the princes;*
Anne, who was betrothed to the prince of Orange.

Such was tile origin and progress of the British
establishment in this island. In 1782 it was taken
by the French, and in the following year it was
restored to Great Britain,

• jPerc du Tertrc,

St
SLind a
])riate(
crrown
that o
]i;irtir\
H)0<) I
for a
of six

coiitiiii
tains t
St. Chi
toward
general
^;cttlcd
arrival
ot" war
<;overi)i
tlnMu ai

Witl
island c
a nano''
a brief

Ntv
more tl
an easy
its base
country
'I'he ger
per acri
which 1
wliole ii
the ave
i;h2 as

About
["rencii
;, who
itherto
' terms
jPice of
tacked
a con-
ed and

drovo
le wo-
ni they
Qs had,

them-
Ired of

have
s in the

1 wards,
reed to

nearly
-ene of
d. At
wholly

were
:overn-
appro-
rincess
'range.
Bnrish

taken
iL was

AMERICA.

353

St. Christopher's contains about forty-four thou-
sand acres, ul wiiich seventeen thousand are appro-
])riated to the <^rowth of sugar; and tlie sugar
grown in this island is vnujuestionably better tiian
that of any of the other islands. Canes phmted in
particular spots have been known to produce
^^000 lb. per acre. Tlie general average jiroduce
for a series of years is sixteen thousand hogsheadj*
of sixtecui Inuidred ^^eil;llt each.

The i>i:intl is divided into nine parishes, and
contains fdur towns. Basseterre the ca])ital con-
tains eight hundpjd houses. The proportion which
St. Christoph'.'r's contributes with the oiher islands,
towards an ht)nonrable provisic)n iur the governor-
g( nrral is 1000 /. currency per annum, wliich is
.settled on him l)y the as.-embjy inmu diately on his
arrival. He has be.'^ides ];ei(juisiies, v hich in time
of war are c(^,nsiderable. Lach island within this
p;overnment l;as a separate council, and each of
tlu-m an asstnibly, or house of representatives.

With St. Christopher's surreiulered al>o the
i.'-land of Nevis ; from which it is cli\ided oidy by
a narrow chaitnel ; and of this we shall now give
a brief account.

Nlvis is a most beautifid spot, but is nothing
more than a single mcHintain, rising like a cone in
an easv ascent from the sea, the circumference of
its l)ase does not exceed eight English miles. "J he
country is well watered and the land very fertile.
The general jn'oduce is about .>ixteen hundred \\ eiglit
per acre from all the canes that are annually cut,
which being tour tliousand acres, the return of the
wbiole is an e(]ual number of hogsheads, which was
the average lixed on l)y the French govcnuiienl in
IJ"!^- '^^^ 'A I'lde for regulating the taxes.

Aevis is di\ided into live parishes : it contains a

siJ

M,!li

2 H a

tow \\

554 AMERICA.

town called Charlcstown, die scat of government.-
The commandant is appointed by the crown, but
receives r. salary from the island. 1'lie present
number of whites does not exceed six hundred,
^\•hile the negroes are about ten thousand, a dispro-
portion which necessarily converts all the white
men, capable of bearhig arms, into a militia.

The English first established themselves in
Nevis under Warner, in the year IG'IS. And
what Mr. Warner began wisely was happily com-
pleted by his immediate successor Mr. Lake, under
whose administration the island rose to opulence
and importance. About the year 1(540 it is said
that there were four thousand whites in the island ;
so powerfully are mankind invited by the advan-
tages of a mild and equitable system of govern-
ment.

Antigua is situated about twenty leagues to the
eastward of St. Christopher's : it has not a single
spring or rivulet in it, but natm*e presents few ob-
stacles which the avarice or industry of civilized
man will not etideavour to surmount. The soil of
Antigua was found to be fertile, and it was dis-
covered that cisterns might be contrived to hold
rain water. So early as l63'2 a few English families
took up lands there, and began the cultivation of
tobacco. The prosperity of the island was mani-
fest in its extensive population till tlie beginning of
(he last century, when Daniel Park, esq. was ap-
pointed to the government of this and the neigh-
bouring islands. This man was a native of Virginia,
and wa? distingui'^hed for his excesses at a very
early period of life. And in his government of
Antigua he showed his contempt of every divin"5
and moral obligation. He debauched the wife ot
JVlr. Chester, tlie most cunsiderable merchant in

the

•the hh
part ol
victed
mities
he was
he refi:
that att
the pe(
upon tl
of othe
^ Anti
land, c
the gro
and CO
John's,
has so
princip
are wo
govern)
arsenal;
war.

The
comma
and an
credit,
fiister is
respecti
party tl:
more h
have en
dable e
the bes
tlie min
knowle
Tortal ]

AMERICA.

^55

nient.-
I, but
resent
idrcd,
lispro*
white

es in
Aiid
com-
Tinder
ulence
is said
island ;
Lidvan-
overn-

5 to the
single
i\v oh-
vilized
soil of
ras dis-
o hold
aniilies
ion of

mani-
ling of
\'as ap-

leigh-
irginia,

a very
lent of

the island, and, to prevent any complaining on the
part of the husband, attempted to get him con-
victed on a false accusation. After repeated enor-
mities which outraged every feeling ol' humanity,
he was recalled by the government at home j but
he refused to obey, arid set at defiance every one
that attempted to control his op(;rations j at length
the people, exasperated at the injuries committed
upon them, rose and murdered hii>i, with a number
of other persons who adhered to his cause.
^ Antigua contains about sixty thousand acres of
land, of which more than half are appropriated to
the growth of sugar. It is divided into six. parishes,
and contains ?^ .nany towns. The capital is St,
John's. No island in this part of tlie West Indies
has so many excellent harbours. Of these the
principal are English harbour and St. John s, both
are well fortified, and at the former the British
government has established a royal navy yard and
arsenal, and conveniences for careening ships of
war.

The legislature of Antigua is composed of the
commander in chief, a council o.^ twelve members,
and an assembly of twenty-five, and it is to \t%
credit, that it first presented an example to tlie
cister islands of a raelioriation of the criminal law
respecting negro slaves, by giving the accused
party the benefit of a trial by jury. And it is still
more honourable to this island that its inliibitaats
have encouraged, in a particular manner, the lau-
dable endeavours of the Moravians v\dio, from
the best motives, have undeitaken to enliivhrea
tlie minds of the negroes, aiid lead tuom iiuo t!ie
knowledge of religious tnuh. T'le number of con*
rertol negroes, according to the accounts of 1 19

Lloi'avuuf

; .<Hn

356 AMERICA.

Moravians in the year 1/87, was more than
sixteen thousnnd.

MoNTSKRRAT was discovcred bv Colunibus at
the srime time with St. Christopher's, from which
ir was at first planted, in the year 1632, by a small
colony of adventurers who had embarked under
Warner. Their scprtrntion appears to have been
occasioned by local attachments and n-ligious dis-
sciitioiis, being chiefly natives of Ireland, and
Jloman catholics. Ilie same causes, hoMcver,
op«n-ated to the augmentation of their numbers j ibr
so niany persons ot the same country and religion
canie over^ soim afi.er the hist sc ttlement, as to
create a conside .ii)]e white population, which it
has ever since maintained.

IViont-(jrat was invaded by the P'rcnch in 1/12,
and sutiered so muc[i from their depredations, that-
an aiiicle was agreed uj)on in the treaty of Utrecht
ibr appointing con:missioners to enciuire into l]ie
dar.jages, v. hich, h(Avever, were not made g(;()d to
the sutrerrrs. It. was again invadi d and, with most
of the othe'- islands, captured by ihe French during
the American war, and restored with the rest.

I'his island is supposed to contain thirty thou-
sand a(.r« 8 ' f land, ot \\hich almost two-ihirds are
very mouDtainous or barren. Ihc ]>roduce of
Montserrat is sugar, cc/tton, and pro\ i:-;(»ns. Ihe
average cn^ps laken for four years were 'wo thou-
sand seven hundKnl and thirty seven hogsheads of
sugar ; c)e\en hundred anci seven puncheons of
rum, ana two hupAbed ami sevent}-h\e bai':\s of
cotton. And the piv p^.ition of ingrc s to whites
was at that period about ten ihousnn^. to thirtton
hundred. The go\ernmei.t is adi'.:ini.-.tered by
a legislature of its cwn^ under acaptain-geneiai.

The

Virgin

AMERICA. 3j7

The Virgin Islands have been generally
supposed to have derived their name from (jueer*
Elizabeth j but according to Mr. P^vlwards^ Co-
liimbiH discovered them in l-U).), and gave thcni
this appellation in allnsion to a well-known legend
in the llomish ritual of the eleven thousand virgins.

The iSpaniards did not think them wortJiy of
their attention, and no farther notice was taken
of them till ne-arly a century after, when the/
were visitCil by the earl of Cumberland in his way
to attack Porto- Rico, and the ifistorian of that
voyage calls them " a knot of little islands, wholly
uninhabited, sandy, barren, and craggy." I'he
whole group couiprehends about forty islands,
which are divided at present between the English,
the Spaniards, and the Danes.

The first possessors of such of these islands
as now belong to the British government, were a
party of Dutch Buccaneers, who fixed tliemselvvv*
hi Tortola and built a fort for their protection. lu
1666 they wer-' driven out by a stronger party of
the same advt .iturers, who, calliu'^ themselved
English, pretended to take possession lor the crown
of England; and Charles II., if he did not com-
mission the en terprize, made no scruple to claim
tlie benefit of it j for 1 ortola and its depondcncie.^
were soon after annexed to the Leeward island
government, and the English title has remained
unimpeached from that time to this.

The Dutch had made but little progress in cul-
tivating the country when they were expelled from
Tortola, and the chief merit of its subseijuent im-
j)n)\ enient was reserved for some English settlerg
from the little island of Anguilla, who had formerly
cuibarked with their families and settled in the
Virgin Islands. Their wants were few, and their

government

'Ml.

li:

,;'5

'ij'

358

AMERICA.

government simple and unexpensive. The depaty
governor, with a council, nominated from amonc;
themsehes, exercised both the legislative and
judicial aiahority, determining in a summary way,
without a jury, all questions between subject and
subject, and \\hen money was wanted lor public
use, it wa.> raised by voluntary contributions.

Under this sort of system tJiey continued till
1756, when the iidiabitants petitioned to be put
on the same fvjoting with tl'.e sister islands, b} the
establishment of a perfect civil government and
constiuitional courts of justice among thorn ; but
in tins expectation they were not gratified till the
year \']']Oi v^hen tlxy ]>ledged themselves to grait
to his m.ajesty an impost of four and a half per
cent, on ali tuods and commodities the growth of
these islands, similar to that which was paid in the
other Leeward Islands.

Such was the price at which the Virgin Islands
purchased the es'.abli.hmcnt of a constitutional
legislature. I'he chief and almost the only staple
productions of these islands are sugar and cotton.
1'he \alue of the exports from them in the year
17^7 amounted to (-ne hundred and bixty-seveu
thousand pounds nearly,

THE BAHAMA ISLANDS, AND THE BI.KMUDAS.

The Bahama or Lucayos, thourh verv mune-
rous are but little kiiown. 1 hey are said to have
been t(;tal]y deserted when in 1672 a few P'og-
lishmen toi;k possession of the island Provident e.
But !i'^''oPMng a nest of pirates, a force was sent
from Lngiand to subdue tJicm, and a small regular
colony was established in 172O. The English in
the Bahama inlands are computed at three or four
thousand 3 half of which ai'e settled in ProvidiMice,
■■• wiicre

iiine-

havf

|Fog-

lue.

sent
Igular
Ibh in

foin-

here

AMERICA. ' 35Cf

where there is a fort and a small harbour. The
only article cultivated tor exportation is cotton, of
wliich the average export is about thirty hundred
vv^eight. The soil seems to be naturally barren, w^iich
a'Hounts for their comparative insignificance in this
grand commercial Archipelago.

The ]5kumud.\s or Sommku Islands, AAcre dis-
covered by the Spaniards, but being neglected by
them, they were again disclosed by the shipwreck
of sir Gjorge Sonuuer in lliOi}. By Shakespear
thev are des(>ribed as ever vexed with storms ; but
Waller, who resided there some time, mentions
them in dilferent colours, as enjoying a perpetual
spring. Th(y contain about twelve or thirteen
thousand acres of ver)' poor land, nine-tenths of
whi<'h are (Mther uncidtivated, or reserved in
woods lor the :,u]>ply of timber for building small
ships, kc. for sale, which is the principal employ-
luent of the inhabitants j and the vessels which
ihey furnish being built of cedar, are light, buoy-
ant, and unexpensive.

Of the land in cultivation, no part was appro-
priated to any other piu'pose th.ui that of raising
Indian corn and vegetables till the year 1/83,
w hen the growth of cotton was attempted, but
with no great success. Of these little islands the
chief is that called St. (xeorge, with a capital of
the same name, containing live hundred house«{
built of free-stone. The number of inhabitanti
in all the islands is about nine thousand. 'I'he
blacks are twice as numerous as the whites, and a
great part of the trade consists in carrying salt to
America.

Thus have we given an historical account of all

the principal islands in the West Indies. Culxi

and Porto-Rico belong to Spain, and of tlieir rise

:» logetlier

i
i

ih"'

'I 'Ml

'iii'"

^■•

til*

:.V::^^':^o

'e",^t

$60 AMERICA.

fouGthcY with that of St. Domingo, we have treat-
ed in the early part of this volume. To the French
b<'lf>ng St. Domingo, (unless it be completely
V rested from their dominion by the blacks, who
have been long struggling for emancipation), Gua-
deloupe, Martinique, and some islets. The Danes
possess St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John, which
are part of the Virgin islands. The Swedes hold
St. Bartholomew, and the Dutch St. Eustatius.
'Jo our own country are attached Jamaica, and
liarbadoes ; Grenada, St. Vincent, and Dominica 5
.St. Christopher's, Nevis, Antigua, Montserrat, and
the greater part of the Virgin isles 5 St. Luce and
I'obago have, during the present war, surrendered
also to British valour. Trinidad was ceded to U8
by Spain at the peace of 1801.

CIIAF.

Jnhahi
ter
Mon
Coct
the

rate su
lectivel
whole
classes
whites
blacks ;
tliese ti
rica, an
years aj
the nui
tliousai:
thousai:
The
white i
display
and cor
to conf
richest,
his emj
which,
played
their sn
tue of
ill the

VOL.

AMERICA*

30t

CHAP. XV.

Jnhah'itants of the ff^csf Indies hoiv divided. CharnC"
ter and Manners of eaih Class. Sugar, the
Mode of Cultivating. Cotton. Indigo. CoJ)\'c.
Cocoa. Ginger. Arnatto. Aloes. Allspice. Of
the Trade on the North- litest Coast.

HAVING described the islands in the West
Indies separately, it reinains only U) enume-
rate sucli circumstances as will apply to .hem col-
lectively, beginning with the popiilaiion. llie
whole inhabitants may be divided into four great
classes: 1. European whites ; 'l Creole or native
whites ; 3. Creoles of mixed blood, and free native
blacks ; 4. Negroes in a state of slavery. Besides
tliese tliere are many emigrants from North Ame-
rica, and a considerable body of Jews. About ten
years ago, it appeared that in tiie English islandv.
the number of white people \\as about sixty-tive
thousand, and of blacks fonr hundred and lifty-ti\e
thousand.

The leading feature in the character of this
white inhabitants is an iudei^endcnt spirit, and ;i
display of conscious equality, thnmghtnit all ranks
and conditions. The.))oorest white person .seem.<i
to consider himself nearly on a level with the
richest, and, emboldened by this idea, approaches
his employer with e:^tended hand, and a freedou],
which, in the countries of Europe is seldom dis-
played by men in the lower orders of life towards
their superiors. In no part of the globe is the vir-
tue of hospitality more generally prevalent than
ill the Briti^ih sugiu: islands, liic gates of the

VOL. XXIV, 2 1 piaaler

$62 AWT.nich,

planter are alwnys open to the reccplion of his
guests. To be a stranger is of itself a suHicient
Introduction, and this species of hospitahty is car-
ried so far, tliat tliere is not a good inn throughout
tlie West Indies.

There are peculiarities in the habits of life of the
white inhabitants which cannot fail to catch the
eye of an European newly arrived j one of which is
the contrast betwec i the general plenty and mag-
nilicencc of their tables, and the meanness of tlieir
houses and apartments. It being common to see
a splendid sideboard of plate, and the choicest
wines, with other things corresponding, in a hovel
not superior to an English barn. The appearance
of the negro domestics will also strike a stranger.
The butler is the only attendant who is allowed
the luxury of shoes and stockings : all the others
are bare- footed, some, perhaps, half naked. Eng-
lish manners are also diiferent in tliese from what
we find them at home. Thus they say, ha?id such
a thing, instead of Iring or give it : an employment
or office is called a birth ; a kitchen is denominated
a cook ream ; and in speaking of tlie east or west,
they say to the windward and leeward.

But it is to the Creoles, or natives, tliat we must
look for the original and peculiar cast of character
impressed by the climate. They are obviously of
a taller race than Europeans, but not so robust.
They are distinguished for a suppleness and free-
dom in their joints, which enable them to move
witl\ agility and gracefulness in dancing, an exer-
cise in which they delight and excel. In one of
the principal features of beauty, few ladies surpass
the Creoles ; they have, in general, the finest ^yes
of any women in the world, someiimes beaming
with animation ; sometimes melting with tender-
ness 5

nc«« ;
live g(
for wl

plaiul(
lered i
no wo
niolhc
Thi
black ;
this w
of th
ilence
white
chial
conim
legacy
groes 1
hatred
descen
genera
markei
their i
are hu
spirits
conditi
ing bii
their v
gree, 1
rally b
tlie in
cannot
they ai
?han i
tender
teveste
is bho\

AMEKICA. 56.1

ncM ; a sure index, says Mr. Edwards, to that na-
tive goodness of lieart and gL'ntleness of disposition
for whi( li they are eminently and dcservetliy ap-
phiudcd, and to whicli, combined with a secpies-
lered and domestic hfe, it is doubtless owing, that
no won\en on earth make better m ives^ or better
mothers.

The next class are the people of lolnur, or native
blacks of a free condition. It is not easy nor in
this work necessary to discriminate all the varieties
of these people. In the British islands their evi-
dence is not received in criminal cases against a
white persr)n; they are ineligible to serve in paro-
chial vestries and general assemblies, or to liold
conmiissions in the militia j nor can they inherit a
legacy exceeding 2000/. currency. To the ne-
groes the people of colour are objects of envy and
hatred, who abhor the idea of being slaves to the
descendants of slaves. I'hus circumstanced, the
general character of the mulattocs is strongly
marked by the peculiarity of their situation. In
their deportn'iCnt towards the white people they
are humble, submissive, and unassuming. Their
spirits seem to sink under the consciousness of their
condition. Iliey are accused, however, of prov'-
ing bad masters, when invested with power, and
their conduct towards their slaves is, in a high de-
gree, harsh and imperious. The accusation, gene-
rally brought against the tree people of colour, is
the incontincnicy of their women. This charge
cannot be denied, but the circumstances in which
they are placed \\ ill rather excite the tear of pity.
Than invoke the weight of punishment. Their
tenderness, as nurses, toward tJie sick ; their disin-
terested gratitude and attachment where kindness
is shown them, and ilieir peaceful deportment un-

2 1 2 Uer

%«.r

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-S)

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I.I

|50 "^"

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illM

2.0

lHii;~^

1.25 U iiiii^

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Photographic

Sdences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

^/^

3CJ4 AMERtCJi.

cler a rlgornns fsysteni of laws, and the influence of
manners still more oppressive, aflbrd great room
to lament that a more enlightened and liberal po-
licy is not adopted towards them.

Ot" the last class, or negroes condemned to per*
petual Civile and servitude, though born in various
and widely separated countries, it is not easy to
discriminate the peculiar manners and native pro-
pcnsitie.^. The similar and uniform system of life
to which they are all reduced, the few opportuni-
ties and little encouragement that are given them
for mental improvement, are circumstances that
necessarily induce a predominant and prevailing
cast of character and disposition. Nevertheless,
there are among several of the African nations,
some striking f .-atures which cannot easily be over-
looked by a person residing in any one of the su-
gar plantations.

It is a well-authenticated fact that the negroes,
in general, in our islands, at least such of them a$
have been long in a state of servitude, are of a
distrustful and cowardly disposition. So degrading
is the nature of slavery, that fortitude of mind is
lost, in proportion as freedom is restrained. To
the same cause, probably, must be imputed their
propensity to conceal, oi: violate the truth; which
is so general that it has been esteemed the most
prominent feature in their character. If slaverjr
call forth any virtues, they are those of sympathy
and compassion towards persons in the same con-
dition of life J accordingly negroes are in general
strongly attached to their countrymen, but above
all, to such of their companions who were trans-
ported in the same ship with them from Africa,
l^ut their benevolence, with few exceptions, ex-
tends no farther. The greatest of all wretchedness

15 fell

slaves

usual!

prent]

to aft]

whicll

trcm4

with(

lion

ward si

ful n|

kind

ence of
t room
iral po-

to per-
various
easy to
ve pro-
of life
ortimi-
1 them
3s that
vailing
heless,
ations,
3 over-
:he su-

Jgroes,
em a$
i of a
rading
iiid is
. To
I their
w^hicli

most
averjr
pathjr

con-
?neral
ibove
rans-
frica.
, ex-
dness

AMRRICA, ^05

15 felt by those who are doomed to be slaves of
slaves. In certain handicraft employments, it is
usual to place the youn^r negroes in a sort of ap-
prenticeship to the older ones who are competent
to atibrd them instruction ^ but the harshness with
which these people enforce their authority is ex-
treme ,• they exercise all tlie wantonness of cruelty
without restraint or remorse. The same observa-
tion may be made concerning their condnct to-
wards the inferior animal creation. Even the use-
ful and social qualities of the dog secure him no
kind usage from an African master.

Such are the dire effects of slavery upon the hu-
man mind, and yet, dreadful is the thought, not
less than se\ enty-four thousand Africans are an-
ntially torn from their own country and carried by
Chmtiafi m.a^ters to the West India islands, and of
these more than half are imported by the British
planters ! ! A melancholy reflection to think, that
people \\ ho enjoy more of the blessings of freedom
than any nation in the old world, should be the
most eager in encouraging the liorrors ot slavery in
tile new.

SUGAR.

In treating of the West India islands it will be
expected that soiue account should be given of the
principal staple commodities, and of tlie modes
adopted in their cultivation. The first object that
naturallv excites our attention is tlie sugar-cane,
which has been pronounced one of the most va-
luable plants in creation. It is a native of the east,
and w^as probably cultivated in India and Arabia
from time immemorial j but at what time the In-
dians discovered the art of granulating the juica
which is obtained iVom the cane does not appear.

2 I 3 NotwithsUuiding

!■ I

I'; 1

^66 AMERICA.

Kotwlthstandiiig the disputes respcctincj the t*im6
and maim r ot the suf^ar-c me beinj^ transported to
the West Indies, the most probable ophiion is that
it was carried thither bv Cohinibus, in his second
voyage, from the Canary islands.

The sugar-cane is a jointed reed terminating
in leaves, or blades, whose edges are finely and
sharply serrated. The body of the cane is strong
but brittle, and when ripe it is of a fine straw-
colour, and contains a soft substance which atfords
a copious supply of juice, of a sweetness the least
cloying and most agreeable in nature. The inter-
mediate distance between each joint of the eane
is frcMTi one to three inches in length, and tlie cane
itseif is about an inch in diameter. The general
height IS from three feet and a lialf to seven feet,
and in very rich lands the root has been known to
pat forth upwards of a hundred suckers.

The usual mode of hollngy or planting liy ma-
nual labour is as follows : the quantity of land
intended to be planted is divided into plats of fifteen
or twenty acres each -, these are subdivided, by
means of a line and pegs, into small .squares of
about three teet and a half. Tiie negroes are then
placed in a row in the first line, one to a square,
and directed to dig out with their hoes the several
S(]uares to the depth of five or six inches. The holes
being now completed and the cuttings selected for
planting, which are commonly the tops of the
canes that have been ground for sugar, each con-
taining five or six germs, two of these are placed
longitudinally in the bottom of the hole, and
covered with mould about two inches deep. In
twelve or fourteen days the young sprouts begin to
appear, and as soon as tliey rise a few inches above
iiic^iuuiid they niUat be itirnibhcd witii additional

mould

mou

in di!

five

spac(

qnenl

man:!

laterJ

joint

Augi

whlc
shall

AMr.KICA. :i67

monkl from the banks \\l\icl\ lunc^ been thrown u\j
in i1igi!;ing out ihc holes. At the oiul of tour or
five months the bnnks are w holly levelled, and tiic
spaces between tJie rows earefvdly ploughed. Fre-
quent, eleanings are indispensable, and a careful
manager \\ill remove, at tlie same time, all the
lateral shoots tliat s])ringnp after the canes begin to
jomt. The pioperest season for planting is between
August and N(n ember. OF the subject (jf manures,
which is an important part of sugar culture, wc
shall not say any thing, but pass on from the lield
to the boiling-h(nise.

The time of the crop, in the sugar islands, is the
Season of gladness and festivity to man and beast.
So salutary and nouiishing is the juice of the
cane, that every individual of the animal creation
derives health and vigour from the use of it. The
great obstacle at this season to the progress of such
planters as are not happily furnished with the
means of grinding their canes by water, is the
fi"e(|uent fiilure or insufHciency of their mills ^
for though a sugar mill isa v jry simple contrivance,
it, nevertheless, recjuires great force to make it
ovei-comc the resistance wliich it necessarilv meets
w'wh. It consists j)rincipally of three upright iron-
plated cylintlers, and tlie middle one, to wdiich
the moving power is applied, turns tlie other two by
means .nf cogs. Between these cylinders the canes
an^ t\\ ice compressed ; for having passed througli
the Jirst and se(V)nd cylinders, they are turned
romid the middle one l)y a circular piece of frame-
work, and forced tlirough the second and third
operation which squeezes them completely dry,
and s(Mnetimes reduces them topov/der. The cane-
juice is received in a leaden bed^ and thence con-
veyed '

'•^i'

363 AMERICA.

veyed into the receiver. The macerated rind of
the cane serves for fuel to boil the liquor.

The juice from the mill commonly contains
eight parts of pure water, one of sugar, and one
of mucilage. From the receiver the juice runs
to the boiling-house along a wooden gutter lined
with lead. It is received into a copper pan or
cauldron, called a clarifier. A fire is lighted and
some white-lime is stirred into it, which neutra-
lizes the superabundant acid, and at the same
time becomes the basis of the sugar. As the fire
increases in force, a scum is thrown up, and the
heat is suffered gradually to augment till it rises to
within a few degrees of the heat of boiling water.
The liquor is then left to cool and drawn off leaving
the scum behind. The liquor is conveyed to the
evaporating boiler, where it undergoes several
operations till it is exceedingly thick, when it is
drawn into a cooler where the sugar grains, tliat is
as it cools, it runs into a coarse irregular mass of
imperfect semiformed crystals separating itself
from the molasses. From the cooler it is carried
into the curing-house where the molasses draia
from it, and the process is finished.

Sugar, thus obtained, is called muscovado, and
is the raw material from whence the British sugar-
bakers make their loaf or refined lump. There is^
another sort known by the name of Lisbon sugar ;
in the West Indies it is called clayed sugar, and is
thus obtained. The sugar taken from the cooler is
put into conical pans with the points downwards,
having a hole about half an inch in diameter at the
bottom for the molasses to drain through, and when
they cease to drop, a stratum of moistened clay is
spread on the sugar^ which is the means of carry-
ins

AMERICA. 5(1^

fng n\^'ay more molasses, and leaving the sugar
iinor than that cured in the hogshead. From the
molasses or treacle, scummings of the hot cane-
juice, ^:c. is made rumj but it is not necessary to
detail the process of the distillery : we shall pro-
ceed to consider some of the minor staple coaiuio-
dities^ Ix^ginning with

COTTON,

Cotton is a beautiful vegetable wool, and is
found growing .spontanoousiy in all the tropical
regions uf Asia, Africa, and America. The cotton-
wool, which is manufactured into cloth, consists
of two distinct kinds, known by the names of the

GREEN-SEED COTTON, and SHIUJB-COTTON, Thc

former is divided into two species, which produce
pods at an early stage, but, if suffered to grow,
tliey will rise into trees of considerable magnitude,
and yield annual crr;ps according to the season,
without any kind of cultivation. The shrub-
cotton, properly so called, is divisible mto several
varieties, but the most protitable sorts are the green
«eed, the small seed, and the Brasilian. The mode
of culture is the same with all the different species.
The plant is raised from the seed. The young
sprouts make their appearance in about a fortnight.
At the age of four months they are tolrpcd, by having
an inch or more taken from the end of each shoot,,
which is done to make the stems throw out a
greater number of lateral branches. This opera-
tion is sometimes performed a second and even a
third time. At the end of live months the plant
begins to blossom, and in two month ^i more the
pod is formed, which, when ripe, bursts ojx^n in
three partitions, displaying the white and glossy
down to the sight, Tlie wool is now gathered,

and

3/0 AMERICA.

and extricated from the seeds by a macliiiic
resembling a turner's lathe. It is afterwards sorled
and hand-picked, and then packed in bags, con-
taining two hundred weight each, and sent to
market. The finest grained cotton which is brought
to the English market is that from the Dutcli
plantation of Berbice, Demerara, and Surinam, and
irom the island of Cayenne.

Of all the productions to which labour is ap-
plied, the cotton plant is, perhaps, the most
precarious. In its first stage it is liable to be
attacked by the grub: it is often devoured by
caterpillars in the second ; it is sometimes witheretl
by the blast j and rains frccjuently destroy it both
in the blossom and the pod. The Bahama islands
atforded a melancholy instance of the uncertainty
of this production in 17^8, when, between the
months of September and March, no less than two
hundred and eighty tons w^ere devoured bythe worm.

Of such importance, however, is the cotton
manufactory to our country, tliat it is computed
not less than six hundred thousand people of all
ages find employment in it. And it has been
asserted, that a pound of raw cotton wool from
Demarara has been spun into a thread that w^ould
have extended one hundred and sixty-nine miles.

of gi
landsl
indig
nothil
are tl|
Th
small!
twelvl
of th(
with
be kej
suffici
Indiei
year

INDIGO.

The plant which yields the very valuable com-
modity called indigo grows spontaneously in all the
West India islands. There are three sorts ; the wild,
Guatimala, and French. The first is said to be the
hardiest, and the dye extracted from it of the best
quality, but the others are preferred as yielding a
greater return, and of these the French surpasses
the Guatimala in quantity, but yields to it in fineness

AMKRir\.

371

achltift
sorted
, con-
ent tfi
rough t
Dutcli
;ii, and

IS ap-
; most
to bt'
red b)?
therecl
it both
islands
rtaiuty
in the
m two
Lvorm.
cotton
iputed
of all
been
from
^'ould
iles.

com-
11 the
wild,
e the
J best

asses

l^ness

of grain and beauty and of colom-. The richest
lands produce the most luxuriant plants, but the
indigo will thrive on soils that appear to be tit for
nothing else. The cultivation and manufacture
are thus conducted :

The land, being cleared from weeds, is hoed into
small trenches of two or three inches in depth, and
twelve or fourteen inches asunder ; in the bottom
of these, the seeds are strewed and covered lightly
w ith mould ; but as the plants shoot the field must
be kept constantly clean, until they rise and spread
sufficiently to cover the ground. In the West
Indies they have sometimes four cuttings in the
year from the same roots. It is a plant that
requires much sun, and will scarcely prosper any
where beyond the tropics. Bvit tliat sun, which
improves and invigorates the plant, propagates at
the same time an insect destructive to it. This is
a species of grub, which becomes a fly and preys
on the leaves, and never fails, in the West-Indies,
to disappoint the planter's expectations the second
year upon the same land: the only remedy is /o
change the ,wil every year. If this destructive in-
sect be prevented, the prodvice per acre, for the first
cutting, will be about eighty pounds j and though
the product of subsequent cuttings somewhat dimi-
nishes, yet in Jamaica and St. Domingo, if the
land be new, about three hundred pounds per acre
of the second quality may be annually expected
from all the cuttings together, and four negroes
are sufficient to carry on the cultivation of fivo
acres, besides doing other occasional work suffi-
cient to reimburse tlie expenses of their main-
tenance.

The process for obtaining tlie dye is conducted

-372 AMEKICA.

in two cisterns, which are pl.irod like steps, the
one asctniding to the other, lliere is lui aperturii
in the upper one near the bottom for discliargiiig
the fluid into the second. The plant is cut with
reaping liooks, and put in the ii]:)per cistern to ler-
nient. When sufficiently fermented, tiie tincture
is discharc^ed into the lower vessel, and there adta-
ted till the dye begins to granulate or float in littles
flakes in the water. The flakes are left to settle
at the bottom, when the incumbent water is drawn
oft', and the indigo distributed into small linen bags
to drain, after which it is carefully put hito little
square boxes or moulds^ and suft^c'red to dry in thtf
shade, and this finishes the manufacture.

At first sight this manufacture seems to be ones
of the most profitable of all speculations, but tlie
nicety of the process, and other circumstances not
completely investigated, too frequently disappoint
the planters' hopes. *' In tlie course of eighteen
years," says Mr. Edwards, ^* I have knovvii t\\'enty
persons commence Indigo planters, not one of
whom has left a trace by whicli 1 can now point
out where his plantation was situated, except, per-
,haps, the remains of a ruined cistern covered hy
weed or defiled by reptiles. IVlany of tlit^m too wero
men of knowledge, foresight, and property. But
disappointment trod close on the heels at ever/
itep. At one time the fermentation was too long
continued 3 at another, the liquor was drawn otf
too soon. Now the p\ilp was not duly granulated,
and now it was worked too much. To these in-
conveniences were added others of a much greater
mamitude : the mortality of the nesiroes from tlie
vapour of the fermented li(iuor, the failure of the
seasons, and the ravages of the worm. These, (^r

som«

5r>ni(

j)urs
pens

Wes
out t

\\ OR

eight
whie
acre,
to yie
dried,
year i
little,
acre 3

land r

pound;

care ot

l^ie

gather

As soo

red on

ently r

this bu

with a

hunsf a

occasio

he nia}'

bushel.'

about a

coflee.

by mci

make u

▼ OL.

I, the
Tturtii

[ with
() ier-
icture
agita-
i iitdo
settle
cliawii
:n bags
c) littlo
ill thtt

be ou(5
I at thi5
ces not

AMERICA. 37';

flonie of these evils drove them at length to other
pursuits, where industr}' might tind a surer recom-
pense."

COTFEE.

Cotfee will thrive on almost every soil in the
West Indies ; the visual mode of planting is to lay
out the land into s(|uares of eight feet, or in other
w ords, to sow the seeds, or set tlie young plants,
eight feet distant from each otlier on all sides,
which gives six hundred and eighty trees to each
acre. In rich soils a single tree has been known
to yield from six to eight pounds of cotfee wdien
dried. No produce is to be expected until the third
year from planting, when the trees will yield but
little, the fourth about seven hundred pounds per
acre 3 and on the average, if the plantation be care-
fully attended to, -tlie annual produce in moderate
land may be reckoned at seven hundred and titty
pounds ; and a single negro is able to take proper
care of an acre and a half.

The most important business of the planter is the
gathering the crop, and the caring it for market.
As soon as the berries acquire the colour of a black
red on the trees, they are supposed to be suffici-
ently ripe for picking. The negroes employed in
this business are provided each witli a canvas bag,
with a hoop in tlie mouth to keep it open. It is
hung about the neck of the picker, who empties it
occasionally into a basket, and if he be industrious
be may pick three bushels a day. One hundred
bushels in the pulp, fresh from tlie tree, will give
about a thousand pounds weight of merchantable
cofi'ee. llie pidp and parchment skin are removed
by means of machinery, and ditferent planteii
make use of ditferent modes of operation. Great
. roL,\xiY, 2 k care

I ii

874 AMERICA.

care must be taken in sliippinj^ coffee for Europe,
tliat it be put into parts of tlic ship where it may
not receive the ellluvia of the other freight, as no-
thing is more remarkably disposed to imbibe exha-
lations. A few bags of pei)per have been known
to spoil a whole cargo of cotfee.

COCOA) GINGERJ ARNATTO; ALOES) ALLSPICE.

The COCOA or chocolate nut, is a native of South
America, and is said to have been carried to His-
pani(^la from the provinces of New Spain, where,
besides affording to the natives an article of nou-
rishment, it served the purposes of money, and
was used as a medium of barter. The cultivation
of this highly nutritious production is conducted in
the following manner. Having chosen and cleared
a spot of level land, sheltered round with thick
wood to secure it from the north wind, the planter
digs a number of holes twenty feet distant from one
another, into each of which three seeds are placed
with great care : if all three vegetate, which
rarely happens, one or two are cut down. The
lifth }'ear tlie tree begins to bear, and the eightli
it attains its full perfection. It then produces two
crops of fruit in the year, yielding at each from
ten to tw^enty pounds weight, and it will some-
times continue bearing twenty years ; but it is ob»
noxious to blights, and shrinks from the first ap-
])earance of drought. It has happened that the
greatest part of a large plantation has perished in a
single night without any visible cause. Circum-
stances of this nature, in early times gave rise to
many superstitious notions concerning this tiee,
and among others, the appearance of a comet was
alwayi considejed as fatal to the cocoa. Formerly

tli»

rope,
may
s no-
^xha-
novvn

?ICE.

South
. His-
vhere,
?■ nou-
/■, and
ivation
cted in
:leared
1 thick
blanter
)ni one
placed
which
The
eighth
:es two
h fronn
some-
t is ob*
irst ap-
at the
ed in a
ircum-
rise to
s tree,
et was
rmerly

AMERICA. 3/5

the cuUivation of this plant was both extensive and
successful in the British sugar islands j but at pre-
sent there is not a single plantation in Jamaica.—
A few scattered trees are all that remain of those
beautiful groves which were once the pride and
boast of the country. The only plantations of any
account in our colonies are in Grenada and Domi-
nica, and the worth of the annual produce is not
estimated at more than ten or eleven thousand
pounds.

Ginger is supposed to have been originally car-
ried to Hispaniola from the East Indies. It requires
no greater ski 11 in the cultivation than potatoes in this
country : it is planted much in the same manner,
and is fit for digging only once a year, unless for
preserving in syrup. It is distinguished into the black
and white, but this difference arises wholly from
the mode of curing j die former being rendered fit
for preservation by means of boiling water, tlie
latter by being exposed for a length of time to the
rays of the sun ; but as it is necessary to select die
fairest, soundest, and in every respect the best
roots, for the latter purpose, white ginger is one-
third or more dearer than the black.

Arnatto is a shrub which rises to the height
of seven or eight feet, and produces oblong hairy
pods, somewhat resembling those of a chesnut;
within these are envelloped, in a kind of pulp of a
bright red colour, thirty or forty seeds : the pulp
is something like paint -, and as paint it was used
by the Indians, in the same manner as woad was
used by the antient Britons. The method of ex-
tracting the pulp is by boiling the seeds in clear
water, till they are extricated, after which the
seeds are taken out, and the pulp left to subside.
It is then drawn off, and the sediment distributed

2 K 2 ia

^jii

575 AMr.RTCA.

in shallow vessels, and dried in the shade. Ar-
natto thus prepnred is sometimes mixed with cho-
colate, to which it gives a tine tincture, and some
medicinal virtue 3 but its principal consumption i4
*mong painters and dyers. It is frequently used
by farmers to give a richness of colour to their
butter.

Aloes are propagated by suckers, and will
thrive in soils the most dry and barren. To col-
lect the juice, the leaves are cut oft' near the stalk,
and then placed on each other after the manner of
hollow tiles. The juice ofthetirst leaf flows into
a vessel below, and the same leaf serves as a channel
for the juice of those above it. When all the juice
IS collected, it is brought to a proper consistence,
at Jamaica by evaporation, but at Barbadoes, where
it is chiefly cultivated, by eb\illition. When it be-
comes of the consistence of honey it is poured into
gourds for sale, and in them it hardens by age.

The PiEMENTo or allspice is one of the most
elegant productions of nature ; it combines the fla-
vour and properties of many of those spices which
are raised in the east, and forms, as its name de-
notes, a sort of substitute for them all. This tree
is purely the child of nature, and seems to mock
the labours of man in his endeavours to extend or
improve its growth : not one attempt in fifty to
propagate young plants, where it is not found
growing spontaneously, having succeeded. In the
whole vegetable creation there is not a tree of
greater beauty than the young piemento. The
trunk which is of a gray colour, smooth and shi-
ning, and altogether free from bark, rises from fif-
teen to twenty feet high. It branches out on all
sides, and is richly clothed with leaves of a deep
j;reen, somewhat like those of the bay- tree 5 and

tliese.

Ar-

some
ion '14

used

their

I will
.'0 col-
stalk,
ner of
vs into
hannel
le juice
stence>
where
n it be-
ed into

le most
the lla-
vvhich
|me de-
lis tree
mock
end or
fifty to
found
In the
ree of
The
d shi-
3m fif-
on all
a deep
; and
Uiese,

AMERICA. 377

these, in July and August, are beautifully con-
trasted and relieved by an exuberance of white
flowers. p>om the leaves, which are as fragrant as
the fruit, is obtained by distillation a fluid which
is known by the name of the oil of cloves. The
berries are gathered by hand, and then dried in the
sun.

OF THE TRADE ON THE NORTH WEST COAST

OF AMERICA.

We cannot conclude our volume without briefly
noticinsf some facts relatino^ to the north west coast
of America. When captain Cook and the other
British navigators were sent out upon voyages of
discovery, it certainly was not foreseen that any
particular commercial advantages would arise from
their several expeditions. But the extension of
the fur trade to the north-west coast of America is
already one beneficial consequence from Cook's
discoveries.

Of all materials for human clothing, none are
more salutary to the inhabitants of tlie northern
and middle latitudes, than the furs of the arctic
quadrupeds. In the Chinese empire ap.d in Europe
the demand for these furs is immense. They are
indeed to be procured from the northern parts of
Europe, Asia, and America. But the progress of
civilization renders those animals that are covered
with fur, very rare in the north of Europe. As
civilization is extended, these animals will be still
more exterminated. Our knowledge therefore, of a
coast, of which we were before ignorant, where
furs may be procured in abundance, was an impor-
tant acquisition to the interests of commerce.
From London^ from India, and from the United

2 K 3 States,

^7^ AMERICA.

Stutes, (^xpedit'ions for the fur trade on the north-
west American coast have now for many years
been fitted out. The tirst attempts were exposed
to some of those inconveniences, and losses, that
ever attend any considerable new undertakings.
The Russians and the Spaniards share it with die
English. The disputes respecting Nootka Sound
arose between Spain and England, in consequence
of tlie henetits wiiich were promised by this trade,
but these were so adjusted as to leave the trade still
open to Britain.

Tliese dilierences being terminated captain Van-
cou\er was sent out upon further and more parti-
cular disco\'eries j from him we learn the existence
of isles on the western coast of America, not less
mimerous no. less extensive than those on its eastern
side. His observations, the etfect of patience and
perseverance, coincide with those of the British
and American fur traders, which were, in some
instances, prior to his 3 and in others came only to
confirm them.

In connection with the trade on this coast the
Sandwich, the Friendly, the Society Isles, and the
other similar groups in the Pacific Ocean have ac-
quired new importance, as being well adapted for
victualling and wintering places for the ships en-
gaged in that traffic. And it is earnestly to be hoped
that in proportion to the advantages obtained from
them by Europeans they, in return, will adopt
every measure in their power to benefit the natives^
b}^ introducing among them every species of food
that will flourish in their soil and climate, and by
treating them with that humanity and kindness,
which as christians they are bound to exhibit to-
wards every individual of the human species.

TABLE

Names o
and Co

New-Ham

Massacluifl

Rhode-Isla

Coanectici

New- York

New-Jerse)

Pennsyivan

Delaware,

Maryland,

Virgmia,

North-Care

South-Caro

Georgia.

Vermont,

Western ter

Keatucky,

Louisiana,

Province of
Nova-Scoria

E. and W. I
New Mexic(
California,
Old Mexico,

ortli-
years
:)osed
that
:ings.
li die
loand
.lence
trade,
,e still

Van*
parti-
stence
ot less
astern
ce and
British
some
inly to

St the
Ind the
Ive ac-
ted for
|ps en-
hoped
li from
adopt
[ativeSj
If food
md by
[dness,
»it to-

.BLE

( 379 )
TABLE I.

DIVISIONS OF NORTH AMERICA.

Names of States
and Colonies.

lat.cap.
towns.

New-Hampshire,

Massachusetts,

Rhode-Island,

Connecticut,

New- York,

New- Jersey,

Pennsylvania,

Delaware,

Maryland,

Virgmia,

North-Carolina,

South-Carolina,

Georgia.

Vermont,

Western territory,

Kentucky,

Louisiana,

Province of Quebec,
Nova-Scotia,

E. and W. Floridas,
New Mexico,
California,
Okl Mexico,

43,5

42,t25

41,30

41,19

40,40

40,15

39,56

39,10

39,2

37,40

36,04

32,35

33,39

42,42

39,34

38,25

29,57

46,55
44,56

29,51
36,45
26,5
20|0

Ion. from
Philadel.

E.
E.
E.
E.

38,54 E.

3,39 E.

3,24

1,56

1,5

0,23
00,00
00,25 W.

1,37 W.

2,42 W.

1,52 W.

5,00 W.

7,00 W.

1,44 E.

6,30 W.
10,00 W.
14,40W.

4,56 E.
14,29 E.

6,30 W.

3,32 W.
39 W.
26 W.

chief towns.

Portsmouth,

Boston,

New-port,

New-Haven,

New-York,

Trenton,

Philadelphia,

Dover,

Annapolis,

Richmond,

Edenton,

Charleston,

Augusta.

Bennington,

Adelphi,

Lexington,

New Orleans^

Quebec,
Halifax,

Augustine,
St. Fee,
St. Juan,
Mexico ,

belonging
to

CS
4-i

4-1

•a

0)
Q>

4-*

G. Britaii^
do.

Spain,
do.
do.
do*

( 360 )
TABLE II.

The followin;^ recapitulation will comprehend, in onp
view, the lirst discoveries and settlements of the several
parts of North America.

Names of Places. Jriicii settlal. By irhom.

Quebec, 160.S By the French.

Virginia, June, IWf) By Lord De la Ware.

Newfoundland, June, IfilO By Governor John Guy.

NeTlj'i^se;,} ^''f^"' 1°'* By the Dutch,

,„ TBy part of Mr. Robinson's
\ congregation.
By a small English colony near
1623 -{ the mouth of Piscataqua
river.

Plymouth,
New-Hampshire,

Delaware, ")

Pennsylvania, J

Massachusett's Bay,

1627 By the Swedes and Fins.

Maryland,

Connecticut,

Rhode-Island,

New-Jersey,

South-Carolina,
Pennsylvania,

Georgia, ■.
Kentucky,

Vermont,

1633

icoaS^y Capt. John Endicot and
\ company.
By Lordf Baltimore with a co-
lony of Roman catholics.
r By Mr. Fen wick, at Say-
1635^ brook, near the mouth of

^ Connecticut river,
j^o- rBy Mr. Roger Williams and
\^ his persecuted brethren.
r Granted to the Duke of York
I by Charles II., and made a
1664^ distinct government, and
j settled some time before
L this by the English.
1669 By Governor Sayle.
1682 /^y William Penn, with a co-
\ lony of Quakers.
r Erected into a separate go-
North-Carolina, about 1 728 < vernment, settled before by

C the English.
1732 By General Oglethorpe.
1773 By Col. Daniel Boon.

f By emigrants from Connecti-
1777 \ cut and other parts of New

England,
ji^g- /By the Ohio and other com-
\ panics.

The above dates are from the periods when the first pcr-

naaent settlements were made.

Territory N. W. )
of Ohio river, J

■A

<
ID

(2k

V >!
>- '^";

{ 391 )

[1, in one
,he several

re.
Guy.

clobinson's f

olonynear
Piscataqua

Fins,
idicot and

: with a CO-
athoHcs.

^ at Say-
mouth of

liams and
ethren.

e of York
|id made a

ent, and

e before

nth a co-

irate go-
Ibefore by

|rpe.

'onnecti-
Is of New

ler com*
I first per-

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I - f C 'o c: 'o C5 C-. 0^ ti ci 3^ r-<

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**^ *-^

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»\ ^ rs

-** t

1— 1 '0 '-

:; -< <:

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1 1

i 1 1

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 < 1 1 1

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1 1

1 1 1

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 J 1 '^ 1 >^ 1

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t: -^ -

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( 362 )

TABLE III. continued.

Males under 10 years of age - - -

■ of 10 and under 16 years - - -

■ ' of 16 and under 26 years - - -
— — of 26 and under 45 years - - -

of 45 and upwards - - - -

Females under 10 years of age, - - -

of 10 and under 16 years

• of 16 and under 26 years

of 26 and under 45 years

■■ of 45 and upwards - - -

All other Persons except Indians, not taxed,
Slaves -------

763,272
343,034
392,829
432,290
262,577
725,321
323,287
401,50r>
405,229
254,546
108,419
893,331

' Total 5,305,638*

* In 1791 the total Number was 3,929,326.

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343,034
392,829
432,290
262,577
725,321
323,287
401,503
405,229
254,546
108,419
893,331

526.

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"I have not yet begun to fight!"

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