Page:A New Survey of the West Indies or The English American his Travel by Sea and Land.djvu/71

 Gfia^ IX, of theWeMndks. §f

before us finging, 71? Denm landamm, till we came to the midft of the Town, where were two great Elm- trees, the chief Market-place; there was fee up one long Arbour with green Bows, and a Table ready furnifhed with Boxes of Conferves, and other Sweet meats, and Diet-bread, to pre- pare our ftomachs for a Cup of Chocolatte j which while it was feafoning with the hot- water and fugar, the chief In» dUns and Officers of the Town made a Speech unto us, having firft kneeled down and kiffed our hands one by one : They welcomed us into their Country, calling us the Apo- flles of Jefus Chrift, thanked us, for that we had left our own Country, ©ur Friends, our Fathers and Mothers, for to fave their Souls : They told us, they honoured us as Gods upon Earth; and many fuch Complements they ufed till our Chocolatte was brought. We refreihed our (elves for the fpace of one hour, and gave hearty thanks to the IndUm for their kind refpeéteunto us; aííuring them, that nothing was more dear unto us in this World than their Souls ; which that we might fave, we regarded not Sea nor Land-dangers, not the unhumane Cruelties of barbarous and favage Indians (who as yet had no Jcnowiedge of the true God) no, nor our own lives.

And thus we took our leaves, giving unto the chief of them fome Beads, fome Medals, fome Croffesof Brafs, fome Agnus Dei^ (ome Reliques brought from Spain, and to every one of the Town an Indulgence of forty years (which the Pope had granted unto us, to beflow where, and upon whom, and as often as we would) wherewith we began to blind thac íimple people with ignorant, erroneous and popiili Principles* As we went out of the Arbour to take our Mules, behold the Market-place was full of Indian men and women ; who as they faw us ready to depart, kneeled upon the ground, as adoring us for a bleffing ; which as we. rid along» we befiow» ed upon them with lifted up hands on high, making over them the fign of theCrofs. Andthisfubmiilionof the poor Indians untothe Priefts in thofe parts ; this vain- glory in ad- mitting fuch ceremonious Entertainment and Publick Wor- (hip from them, did io puff up fome of our young Friers

E 4 beam*