nified ground, having several good churches, and ministers of their own colour, chiefly through his former liberality to them, and his influence with others in their behalf. The funeral of this great physician and philanthropist, was one of the largest I ever saw, extending probably a mile in length, and attended by nearly a hundred coaches. One of his pupils related to me a singular anecdote respecting him:-he was at one time, attending his lectures, and remarked, that in one of them, he branched out upon a subject, which he (Dr. Sergent) had seen, more largely treated upon in a work of Mr. Fletcher's, and meeting with Dr. Rush, afterwards, my friend asked him if he knew the writings of Mr. Fletcher* -Ah! yes, replied the doctor, I know the writings of that great and good man well; before I read his works, I could not pray for all men, but he set me at liberty; and if I meet him in heaven, I will thank him, and sayyou Mr. Fletcher, gave me just views of God's love to the human family."

SOUTH AMERICAN CUSTOMS.

CUSTOMS OF THE ABIPONES.

(Dobrizhoffer's account of the Abipones.)

ABIPONIAN women, not content with the marks

common to both sexes, have their faces, breast, and arms, covered with black figures of various shapes, so that they present the appearance of a Turkish carpet. The higher their rank, and the greater their beauty, the more figures they have; but this savage ornament is purchased with much blood and many groans. As soon as a young woman is of age to be married, she is ordered to be marked according to custom. She reclines her head upon the lap of an old woman, and is pricked in order to be beautified. Thorns are used for a pencil, and ashes mixed with blood for paint. The ingenious but cruel old women, sticking the points of the thorns

• Mr. Fletcher was vicar of Madely in Shropshire, one of the most humble, pious and useful men that ever lived, he died in 1785.-ED.

deep into the flesh, describes various figures till the whole face streams with blood. If the wretched girl does but groan or draw her face away, she is loaded with reproaches, taunts, and abuse. "No more of such cowardice," exclaims the old woman in a rage, "you are a disgrace to our nation, since a little tickling with thorns is so intolerable to you! Do you not know that you are descended from those who glory and delight in wounds? For shame of yourself, you faint-hearted creature! You seem to be softer than cotton. You will die single, be assured. Which of our heroes would think so cowardly a girl worthy to be his wife? But if you will only be quiet and tractable, I'll make you more beautiful than beauty itself." Terrified with these vociferations, and fearful of becoming the jest and derision of her companions, the girl does not utter a word, but conceals the sense of pain in silence, and with a cheerful countenance, and lips unclosed through dread of reproach, endures the torture of the thorns, which is not finished in one day. The first day she is sent home with her face half pricked with the thorns, and is recalled the next, the next after that, and perhaps oftner, to have the rest of her face, her breast, and arms, pricked in like manner." The Indians of Brazil and Paraguay formerly delighted in human flesh :

"Many of them, after having been long accustomed to Christian discipline in our towns, sometimes confessed that the flesh of kine or of any wild animal tastes extremely fat and insipid to them, in comparison with that of men. We have known the Mocobios and Tobas, for want of other food, eat human flesh even at this day. Some hundreds of the last-mentioned savages fell suddenly upon Alaykin, cacique of the Abipones, about day-break, as he was drinking in a distant plain with a troop of his followers. An obstinate combat was carried on for some time, at the end of which the wounded Abipones escaped by flight. Alaykin himself and six of his fellow-soldiers fell in the engagement, and were afterwards roasted and devoured by the hungry victors. An Abiponian boy, of twelve years old, who used to eat at our table, was killed at the same time by these savages, and added to the repast, being eaten with the rest, but

an old Abiponian woman, who had been slain there with many wounds, they left on the field untouched, her flesh being too tough to be used.

DRESS AND MANNERS OF THE PRESENT INHABITANTS OF BUENOS AYRES.

(Adams's Modern Voyages.)

THE dress of the men is mostly an imitation of the French style before the revolution; the old Spanish garb being laid aside, except on occasions of ceremony, when the doublet, hose, and cloak, of party-coloured silk, with their usual appendages of fringe, lace, or ribbons, a feathered hat and a long sword, distinguishes the hidalgos and cavalleros from the community. The cloak, however, is very generally worn abroad, and small cutlasses or long knives, supply the place of the ancient toledo. The dress of the students at the university of Cordova is thus described: a doublet, hose and cloak of black cotton, a Genoese velvet hat, and shoes and stockings of silk, the former fastened with bunches of ribbon.

The ladies of Buenos Ayres are reckoned the most agreeable and handsome of all South America. An English traveller has not, however, considered them as equalling his countrywomen in beauty; yet the playful voluptuousness of their manners, conversation, and dress, contrasted with the gravity and taciturnity of the nien, are described as calculated to please and designed to ensnare. Their usual dress is of light silk, and fine cotton, with a profusion of lace, which rather displays than conceals the contour of the bosom. No head-dress or cap confines or encumbers their long and flowing black hair. A petticoat that descends scarcely below the knee, is lengthened by folds of deep lace, which seldom hide from even view the gold fringe of their tasseled garters. At their assemblies, the brilliancy of their appearance excites admiration. A peticoat of various coloured taffeta, ornamented with gold lace, or fringe, richly tasseled, though carried down to the feet, is worn with sufficient art to conceal, and with sufficient address, at intervals, to display the shape of the leg, which

is encircled by a silk stocking, with a fanciful and luxuriant display of gold embroidery. Slippers of embroidered silk, or gold brocade, with diamond buckles or clasps, but unpleasantly high-heeled, and sometimes with heels of solid silver, adorn the feet. A kind of jacket of rich velvet is fitted tight to the shape, and laced or buttoned in front, with long points hanging down quite round the peticoat, and trimmed at the ends with pearl tassels. A cloak of gauze, or very fine cotton, hanging down to the ground, and occasionally fastened to the side by a clasp of jewels, is thrown over the shoulders, which would be otherwise wholly uncovered; as would also be the beauties of the bosom, but for the innumerable trinkets, jewels, necklaces, and crosses, with which its luxuriance is hidden; the principal of these is a large oval or round gold plate in the middle, connected with a broad ribbon that passes over the shoulders, and under the arms, and returning, forms a sash round the waist. A head-dress, consisting either of a handkerchief of gold gauze, with braids of diamonds, or of chains of gold, twisted in and out of their shining black hair, completes the attire of ceremony of a lady of rank.

The national dance of the fandango is as great a favourite here as in Spain, and the calenda, still more indecent, which has been introduced by the negroes from the coast of Guinea, has no less become the pastime of the Spanish inhabitants. At their assemblies, the etiquette of rank seems to be nearly abolished; all, provided they are not contaminated by negro or Indian blood, are admitted, and a good dancer of the fandango carries his recommendation to the first company in his heels. At their grand repasts, which are taken in the evening, and are profuse in the extreme, it is considered as genteel for every one to eat as much as possible, and the guests may likewise take away with them as much as they please, without derogating in the least from the rules of good breeding. In public conpanies the sexes intermingle, but in private, the men are not allowed to sit among the women, unless they are invited, and such a favour is considered as a great familiarity. From this restraint, however, ecclesiastics of all descriptions are

free. A priest, young or old, may enter a house at what time he pleases, go into whatever apartment he sees fit, and stay as long as he thinks proper They pass and repass perfectly at their ease. They form a considerable portion of all public assembles, mix promiscuously in all societies, and appear to be the confidants of all.

When on horseback, the Spaniards wear the Indian poncho or cloak, which in shape is something similar to the smock-frock, of our farmers and carters. It is much more convenient than the common cloak: it secures the wearer from the rain, is not ruffled by the wind, and not only serves him for a coverlid at night, but also for a carpet when he rests in the fields. It is often adorned with costly embroidery, and those used by men of rank, sometimes cost from two to three hundred piastres.

CUSTOMS OF THE INHABITANTS OF
JAMAICA.

(Stewart's View of Jamaica.)

"EVERY unmarried white man," observes Mr. S.

"and of every class, has his black or his brown mistress, with whom he lives openly; and of so little consequence is this thought, that his white female friends and relations think it no breach of decorum to visit his house. partake of his hospitality, fondle his children, and converse with his housekeeper-as if that conduct, which they regarded as disgraceful in their own class, was not so in the female of colour. This profligacy is, however, less common than it was formerly; for, among the old creoles, a brown or sable favourite, and sometimes even a harem of these ladies, was considered as an indispensable appendage to the establishment of a married man. In no country, however, are examples of female infidelity more rare than in Jamaica. The wedded fair, with whatever lack of patience she bears the insult of an unfaithful partner, has too lively a sense of the enormity of his crime to resent it by retaliation.

If a gentleman pays his addresses to a lady, it is not thought necessary, as a homage to her delicacy, to get