was, That the fame Diver who had brought thefe Difpatches fhould return from whence he came, with an answer that the Soltan did by no means approve of their Articles. But while all were in a deep mufe upon this Affair, they faw the Enfigns of the Chriftian Powers advanced on high, and planted upon the Tower of the great Church, upon the Caftle, upon the Bulwark of the Templars, and upon the Caftle of Elephants. The loud Shouts of the Franks at the fame time, added to the general Confternation the Moflems were in at the fhocking fight; every one of whom grieved in proportion to the liveliness of his Faith. Even the Inhabitants who were penned up in a corner of the City, wondered how they were able to fupport the ignominy of the day. The Soltán was fmitten in the most fenfible part, and gave himself up to Tears, regardlefs of what was next to be thought of. Wherefore, as in our former Number, we left the King of Jerufalem under an eclipfe of his Glory, we will do the fame now by the Soltán. Much more we have to fay from this Hiftorian, which the Curious would be glad to know; and we fhall endeavour to gratify them in our next Number, by giving them all that remains, which we perceive we cannot conveniently do here.

Hiftoire de l'Ile Espagnole, ou de S. Domingue. Ecrite particulierement fur des Memoires Manufcrits du P. Jean-Baptifte le Pers, Jefuite, Miffionnaire à Saint Domingue, & e fur le Pieces Originales, qui fe confervent au depôt de

la Marine. Par le P. Pierre-FrancoisXavier de Charlevoix, de la Compagnie de Jefus, &c.

That is,

The Hiftory of the Ifland of Hifpaniola, or of San Domingo, compiled chiefly from the Manufcript Memoirs of Father Le Pers, Jefuit and Miffionary in S. Domingo; and from the authentic Records of the Navy-Office. By Father PeterFrancis-Xavier de Charlevoix, Jesuit. Paris 1730. Two Volumes, Quarto.

THE

HIS moft curious Hiftory of Hifpaniola or the Inland of San Domingo, has been compofed, (as the Author fuggefts in his Preface) from the Memoirs of a Missionary of great note, who lived five and twenty Years in that Ifland, and from the original Pieces that are lodged in the Archives of the French Navy. Thefe Helps the Author has taken care to improve by digefting his Materials into fuch order, and ufing, throughout the whole Work, fo clear and eafy a Stile, that his Performance. cannot fail being very well liked by all thofe who have any relish for Hiftory; the more because, befides a moft minute and diverting Account of Hifpaniola, it contains all the moft remarkable Events that happened at the Discovery of the New World; and fhews by what means, and degrees, the Spaniards came to found an Empire in America, as widely extended, and no less opulent than that of the ancient Cæfars. The whole Work is divided into two Volumes; and

as

as they contain a great variety of very entertaining Incidents; we fhall give a diftinct account of the first in this Journal, and of the second in

our next.

;

In the first Chapter of the firft Book, our Author gives an account of the various Names the Island of St. Domingo has born, and their Origin of its Situation and Extent, with feveral Obfervations touching its Coafts; of its Climate, Soil, Product, Lakes, Rivers, Animals, Difeafes, &c. We are told by fome Writers, that the number of the Inhabitants of this Ifland, when firft difcovered, amounted to three Millions; but others reduce that number to one Million. Our Author is of opinion, that their number is too much increased by the former, and leffened by the latter. As to their Character, he tells us, that they were the most fimple, good-natured, and humane Race of People that could poffibly be; without Spleen, Malice, Envy, and almost without Paffions, more like Children than Men. They were indolent to the highest degree; neither had they, nor cared they to have any Knowledge. Our Author, in defcribing the Products of the Inland, obferves that it was well stocked with Tobacco (in their Language, Cobiba) when the Europeans firft difcovered it, and that the Inhabitants called the Inftrument they fmoaked with, Tabaco; from whence he derives the name we now generally give to that Plant. From the Island of Hifpaniola was firft brought into Europe that foul and cruel Distemper, which is now become too common. It raged there to fuch a degree, fays our Author, that the Caftilians no fooner appeared on the Coaft, but they were infected with it; and being on their return to Spain, fent to Naples,

Naples, where the French and Spaniards were at War, they communicated it to the Neapolitan Women, by whom it was foon carried into the French Camp, where it made a great havock. The Italians furprized to fee fuch a loathfome Distemper take rise all on a fudden in the heart of their Country, charged thofe with it, on whom it most exerted its Poifon, or rather whom they moft abhorred; and called it The French Difeafe. On the other hand the, French afcribed it partly to the Neapolitan Women, who had communicated to them this, among their other Favours, and partly to the Air of the Country, calling it the Neapolitan Dif temper.

THE Form of Government established in Hifpaniola, was Monarchical and Absolute; their Lives, Fortunes, and even their Religion was entirely dependant on the Will of their Sovereign, who was very far from abusing such an ample and uncontrolled Power to the Oppreffion of his Subjects. They had but very few Laws, and thofe no ways fevere; Theft was the only Crime they punished with Severity, looking upon it as the most henious Offence a Man could be guilty of. Hence whofoever was convicted of Robbery was infallibly impaled without the least regard to his Birth, Character, Employments, &c. nay no one was fo much as allowed to intercede for him, or speak one word in his behalf.

THE whole Inland was divided into feveral Principalities, which were hereditary; but if the Prince died without Iffue, his Sifter's Children were called in preferably to thofe of his Brother's. The reafon of this Custom was, that they were thereby more fure to have the Throne

filled

filled by one of the deceafed Prince's Blood.

The fame reason, methinks, ought to have induced them to prefer the Children of the Sifters to the Prince's own Iffue..

As to their Religion; they worshipped Idols under the shape of Toads, Tortoifes, Adders, &c. Of the many religious Ceremonies, that were probably in ufe among them, one only has been tranfmitted to us, which was a folemn Proceffion in honour of their Gods, after which they presented themselves before them in order to obtain the Favours they defired. Their chief care on this occafion was to apear before their fuppofed Divinities with a clean Heart, without which they were perfuaded all their Prayers, Offerings, and Proceffions would be of no avail. In order therefore to obtain this Purity, which was fo acceptable to the Gods, they used, by thrusting a Stick down their Throats, to bring up whatever they had in their Stomach; and this was all the cleannefs of Heart their Gods required of them.

OUR Author after defcribing the state of this Island before, and at the time of its Discovery by the Europeans, proceeds to give an account both of the manner how it was difcovered, and the Perfons who difcovered it; but firft tells us, that fome time before the Spaniards appeared on that Coast, the Inhabitants had been in expectation of a Foreign Nation, that was to come and drive out the Natives, as they had been forewarned by their Gods. The Prediction, (which is unanimously averred by all the Writers of that time) was this, viz. that in a short time Foreigners were to land in the Ifland with Hair on their Chins, and clothed from head to foot; that they

would

(