of our best and most social affections. Still, however, he appeared irrefolute; and new reafons were conftantly affigned for returning to his hut. But perceiving there would be no end to this conflict, I at laft propofed to remove the canoe from the view of his dwelling to the oppofite extremity of the village, and he was no longer averfe from accompanying us. This village might confift of fixty huts, which, like other favage habitations, are conftructed of large trees planted circularly in the ground, and meeting at the top in the fhape of a cone. The inter ftices occafioned by the round figure of the tree being filled up with leaves and branches, are plaiftered over with mud, and here the family find shelter from the inclemencies of the feafon. In the middle of the floor is placed the fire, whofe fmoke makes its efcape either by the door, or an aperture at the junction of the trees in the top of the hut. Round the area ftands a kind of bench formed by fhort portions of trees placed contiguously to each other: it is covered with a mat of reeds, and ferves for a bed. At the distance of three or four paces from the manfion of the chief is a fecond open hut or gallery, where he enjoys the fresh air, and is fheltered from the heat of the fun. This laft is thatched over with leaves, commonly fupported by fix pillars, and is the hall of the affembly of the tribe. Here the chiefs fhow their hofpitality to ftrangers, and relax from their cares and fatigues, either by fleeping, or fmoking their tomahauks. This piece of native armour is a fpecies of battle-ax, the handle of which is ufually perforated, and ferves as a tube to an iron pipe-head fixed on the back of the inftrument. As foon as a stranger is feen to approach the village, his arrival is announced by a scream from the favages who firft happen to perceive him. The chief and principal men of the tribe immediately affemble, each fitting before his own hut, and fend him a deputation of one of their number. We commonly made him a prefent, confifting of a bottle of liquor, and were fure to receive an ample recompence in fruit, fish, and fowls. We were next invited to alfift in smoking tobacco, mixed with a certain red leaf, which in its shape refembles that of the peach-tree. In fhort, I was much better received as a stranger by thofe favages than I had been by any European I had met with fince the commencement of my travels. The men of this nation are tall and well-proportioned, have large full features, without however any thing difguftingly coarfe in their expreffion. They pay much deference and respect to old age, marry early, and, without being addicted to jealoufy, are extremely affectionate to their wives. Divorce, though permitted, very rarely occurs. The chaflity obfervable in favage nations may be owing, among other causes, to the little intercourfe that prevails between the fexes. War, hunting, and fishing, are the conftant occupations of the men: while the cultivation of the fields, which confifts chiefly in rearing peach-trees, fowing a little Indian corn, gourds, and melons; cooking fifh and game; and in tranfporting their baggage, in cafe of a distant expedition, are thofe of the women. In the fine feafon they wear the skin of a roebuck tied round the waift, and in winter wrap pean blanket, or in the fkin of the buffalo. This animal has much refemblance to the ox, with the difference of a bunch or fwelling on his back, like that of the fame fpecies in the Eaft Indies. The natives have the art of tanning his hide without ftripping off the hair, which, though fine like fik, has the fpongy quality of wool, and affords an excellent defence against the cold. I was furprised at obferving the apparently careless manner in which a mother is accustomed to nurfe her infant. Inftead of a cradle the uses a kind of frame, in which the child is made faft; but as the upper part of this machine is lower than the fhoulders, his head is left to hang in a very aukward pofition; and, except occafionally offering the breaft, the feems to give themselves in an Euro herself no farther concern about him. In cafes of furgical complaints they have recourfe to plants, particularly to the leaf of the fquine, which they have found to have much efficacy in curing wounds: as to a knowledge in the medical art, they have but small pretenfions; abitinence in eating, and drinking water, being esteemed excellent remedies for difeafes of every kind. The natives of thefe parts are laborious, humane, and a brave race of men. Peace and good order feem equally eftablished in their familics and villages. Their regular performance of the reciprocal duties of life, of the young towards the aged, of the father towards his children, of the hufband towards his wife; their courtesy to ftrangers, and the little apprehenfion they entertain of their enemies, gave me a high opinion of their generofity and courage. In the courfe of different wars, the French as well as the Spaniards have experienced their valour in the field. This nation was juft returned from an expedition against the English, whom they seem to confider as very reftlefs and troublefome neighbours. In their extenfive peregrinations during the hunting-feafon they encounter perils and hardships which appear almost incredible to the effeminate European. Neither the impetuous current of their rivers, nor the favage afperity of a wild nd uncultivated foil, can refift their unabating ardour for the chafe. Account of Mexico, and the Manners of its Inhabitants; from the fame. ing travelled a hundred and fifty leagues fouth from Sartille, I had the pleafure to difcover, from the heights, at the distance of about a league, a very extenfive lake, in the centre of which is built the city of Mexico. It has the effect of an immenfe mass of building, connected with the land by caufeways or embankments raised to a great height above the water. At the foot of the mountain, and on the borders of the lake, is frtuated the village of Noftra Senora de Guada loupe, which one might mistake for a little European town. Here the only curiofities worth the traveller's notice are a beautiful church and aqueduct, which, with the whole kingdom of Mexico, are confecrated to the fame Noftra Senora. I now proceeded to the capital by a caufeway at least a hundred feet in breadth, and three miles in length, which reits upon a feries of arches N the 28th of February, hav kept kept in excellent repair, and meant to give free paffage to the briny waters of the lake. Five caufeways of equal magnificence, leading to the different quarters of this great city, facilitate its communication with the adjacent country. It is about fix legues in circumference, and defended only by barriers in the nature of turnpike-gates. The lake, containing a bottom of deep mud, which is every where impaffable on foot, anfwers all the purposes of artificial fortifications; whilft an extreme fcarcity of wood in the neighbouring country equally fecures the Mexicans from every fpecies of invafion by water. The ftreets in general are broad, run in ftraight lines, and have their names infcribed on the wall, with the number of each house on the door; a circumftance of great advantage to Arangers, who otherwife would be in conflant danger of lofing their way. The inns, like thofe in the adjacent country, are large, handfome buildings; but the traveller is not a little mortified upon entering them, to find they contain nothing but empty apartments, deftitute both of furniture and proviffons. The houses, confifting for the greater part of three or four ftories, are good; and the places of public refort, fuch as walks, fquares, and gardens, are delightful. The cathedral, the caftle of the Spanish viceroy, and the fimple remains of the palace and baths of the ancient emperors of Mexico, occupy three fides of the principal fquare. Next to thefe buildings, the mint is an object of curiofity to the traveller, on account of the vaft piles of ingots with which its courts are conftantly filled, and which are brought hither in order to have 4 their weight and fineness afcertained. The metal, after paffing the affay office, fuffers a deduction of the king's fifth, in confideration of liberty granted to work the mines, which in general are the property of private perfons. The Baratillo, a fpecies of exchange, from the regularity and rich ornaments of the building, merits alfo the attention of the traveller; and if he is not tired, he will find the piazzas, allotted to the purposes of a flower-market, millenary, and pastry shops, as well as for the accommodation of the clothier and jeweller, in the fame ftile of highly ornamented architecture. Some of the fine arts, particularly painting and fculpture, which are chiefly employed in adorning the churches, are cultivated by the Indians with very confiderable fuccefs. But of all the trades in this city, the mystery of the goldfmith is held in the higheft repute, and his workmanhip, though heavy, is far from being deficient either in tafte or finifhing. Silver, efpecially in the churches, is applied to an infinity of different purposes. But in order to have an idea of the immenfe riches of this metropolis, the traveller ought to be here the day on which they commemorate the conqueft of Mexico. In honour of this great fellival, every Mexican vies with his neighbour in an oftentatious display of whatever is most costly, rare, and fplendid, in his poffeffion; and indeed it would be difficult to eftimate the value of the prodigious quantities of gold and filver in different forms which on this occafion meet the public eye. Silver is efteemed little above a common metal, and hence is frequently fubftituted, by the fumptuous Mexican, for the pur poles pofes of plating the wheels of his carriage, and fhoeing the hoofs of his horses.. The Spaniards and Creoles of the firft clafs, having loft all defire of refiding on the oppofite fhore of the Atlantic, where they would have fewer enjoyments, and much less confequence, live at Mexico in a ftate of fplendour and magnificence. Elegant and fashionable dreffes are very dear; but modeft and decent apparel, and all kinds of provifions, are remarkably cheap. A diftance of two hundred leagues is little regarded by the indefatigable Indian, who, for a small profit, imports the neceffaries of life from all corners of the country. By his virtuous toil and industry he escapes that fordid indigence and mifery which devour the lower clafs of the Spaniards. The luxury of the great families, their gaming, the magnificence of their houses, the fplendor of their furniture, the number of their domeftics, their carriages drawn by four, perhaps fix mules; every thing, in fhort, confpires to imprefs the traveller with the higheft idea of Mexican wealth. But in proportion as men of the first condition are rich, thofe of the lower fort among the Spaniards are poor and wretched; infomuch that, under a great coat hanging in a thoufand tatters, you will frequently find neither fhirt nor breeches. In one word,drunkennefs,debauchery,cardplaying, and cock-fighting, conftitute the habitual occupations of all fexes and conditions of the people. I observed, that the Mexicans in conversation frequently applied the term Mecos to the northern favages, and ipoke of them with every fign of extreme averfion and terror. Chychymecos, when applied by one Mexican to another, feems to denote the highest degree of infult and reproach. Now are the Chychymecos a particular nation of favages, ftill more cruel and ferocious than the Mecos? or is Chychy only an aggravation of what is implied in the word Mecos? As to all this I confefs myfelf entirely at a lofs. One thing is certain, however, that the Indians who inhabit the northern regions of this kingdom have long renounced the patient and fubmiffive character of their ancestors; and hence the Spaniards are obliged to maintain, at a great expence, a ftrong body of Creoles, who are conftantly employed in carrying on hoftilities against thofe warlike tribes. Upon my arrival here, a detachment of thefe troops was dispatched to the province of Sonora, and the object of this expedition was to clear the roads leading from Mexico to the mines of Serro Prietto, as well as Metanchel, and other fea-ports, by means of which their trade is carried on with California. These wars all tend to the en argement of the Spanish dominions, already almoft without bounds; and one may fafely affirm, that the number of great towns, vaft population, fertility of foil, mines, and other rich productions, peculiar to this country, render Mexico, though not one of the most powerful, yet the most magnificent empire in the world *. During my abode here the Mexican inquifitors, whose discipline is *Not having had it in my power, however, to visit it as extenfively as I could have wished, I will readily admit that my knowledge of this kingdom must be in n any respects lame and imperfect. VOL. XXXIII. C exercised exercised with great feverity, ordered feveral perfons to be whipped through the streets, among whom were a couple of unhappy women, the victims of an abfurd and cruel fuperftition. The crime for which they fuffered, was that of creating ulcers and fores on the bodies of their enemies, by means of certain incantations, and particularly by fearifying the correfponding parts of a doll, which they were faid to preferve with much care for the diabolical myfteries of witchcraft. The witches appeared with thefe deadly engines of magic hanging round their necks; while their fellowcriminals wore each a kind of mitre, on the front of which was a label inscribed with the names of their feveral offences. All punishments inflicted by this ghoftly tribunal are regarded by the Mexicans as a fervice peculiarly acceptable to the Deity, and therefore held in the highest veneration. Among the good and charitable offices we owe our neighbour, and recommended in the Spanish catechifm, I took particular notice of one, which is that, not of perfuading him to embrace the truth, but of chatifing him with ftripes if he fhould be found in error. Account of the Dress and Manners of the Arabs; from the fame Work, vol. ii. N the eighth day of our jour to I had been clad in the Turki fashion, which is different from that of the Arabs, particularly the Be douins. The abe is made of woollen ftuff, and composes the dress of both fexes. Next the fkin is generally worn a white one of a fine quality, over which are two others of a larger fize; and while the uppermoft remains loofe and flowing, the fecond is faftened about the wait with a girdle. The latter is com monly triped black and white; but the former is for the greateft part entirely black. This robe is of a very fimple form; and in order that the reader may have a distinct idea of it, he has only to conceive a fack of an equal width and length, which, being flit lengthways for the conve nience of putting it on, and paffed over the head, with two holes, one in each corner, to receive the arms, will be an exact model of the Arabian abe. This is all the variety of drefs that enters into the wardrobe of the Arab; his perfon, however, is completely covered, and his abe being of fo close a texture as to be impenetrable to water, is an excellent defence against rain; and, as it is large enough to give free circulation to the air, and denfe enough to repel the first blush of the fun's rays, it is equally ufeful against the burning heat of the defert. No perfon wears either breeches or drawers, as is customary in towns. On the head of the male is an ample-fized handkerchief of filk and cotton, attached to a large piece of cotton cloth, Oney, we discovered an Ara- which, aber paling twice round the bian encampment; and here, in or der to prevent my being diftinguished from my companions, I put on an abe, or robe, with a handkerchief floating on my head, in the ftyle of the Arabs of the defert; for hither head, falls upon the fhoulders, covering them by its breadth. The ends of the handkerchief having been doubled down on the mouth and nofe, are returned under the fillet which binds it to the head, and in |