The islands of Cuba and Hispaniola were discovered by Columbus. After having built several houses on these islands, he returned to Spain.

Hispaniola contained three millions of natives; the inhabitants of Cuba were above six hundred thousand. Bartholomew de las Casas, bishop of Chiapa, who was an eye witness to these desolations, relates, that they hunted down the natives with dogs. This race of men, almost naked, and without arms, were pursued like wild beasts in the forests, devoured alive by dogs, shot to death, or surprised and burnt in their habitations.

He farther declares, from ocular testimony, that they frequently caused a number of these native inhabitants to be summoned by a priest to come in, and submit to the Christian religion, and to the king of Spain; and that after this ceremony, which was only an additional act of injustice, they put them to death without the least re

morse.

66

Vengeance is mine, and I will repay saith the Lord." Thus we see the Island of Hispaniola, or St. Domingo was taken from the white Spaniards, or French, and given to the blacks; and so shall the island of Cuba be taken away, and given to the blacks and Indians of the island.

The following is a true copy of a Speech, composed by a North American Indian, without any assistance, or correction of any one, but those of his own color. [Theological Magazine.]

"To the great Sachem and Chiefs of the State of now sitting around the Great Council fire at

"Brothers, Before you cover your council fire, we beg your attention to the voice of your brethren. The diferent tribes of speak to you, in remembrance of the friendship you have manifested towards them in all our treaties.

"We, ourselves, have held councils at different times, to contemplate the welfare of our nations, because we cannot but groan to see our situation. It is almost melancholy to reflect upon the ways of our forefathers.

Brothers, You are, also, sometimes sorry to see the deplorable situation of our Indian brethren, for which

you have given us so many good counsels, though we feel ourselves willing to follow your counsel, but it has made no effect as yet. Our situation is still miserable. Our ancestors were conquered immediately after you came over to this land, by the strong Hero, who does still reign among the Indian tribes with tyranny; who has robbed us of every thing that was precious in our eyes. But we need not mention every thing particular, how this tyrant has used us; for your eyes have been open to behold our dismal situation. By the power of our enemy, our eyes have been blinded; our young men seem to become willing slaves to this despotic hero. So, by that, we displease the Great Good Spirit, and could not become civilized people. In looking back, we see nothing but desolation of our mighty men; in looking forward, we foresee the desolation of our tribes.

"Our chiefs have used their endeavors to reform their respective people, but having seen no success, they seem discouraged, and hang down their heads.

"Brothers, In remembrance of your kind promises, we unite our cries to you for help. Perhaps you are ready to think, what man that must be, that has abused so much of our brethren? Never was such hero or tyrant heard, that ever meddled with Indians. But in litterally, he is your own begotten son, and his name you call RUM. And the names of his officers are BRANDY, WINE and GIN, and we know you have power to control him; and as we desire to live in peace, and to become civilized nations, we earnestly entreat you to use your power and wisdom, to prevent all people who may cause RUM and all other spirituous liquors to come into the hand of our tribes, throughout your state. In your compliance with this our request, we will ever acknowledge your friendship, is from your brethren, chiefs and warriors of

Done at

nation.

on the 5th day of March, 1796.
J. S.

C. T.

W. T.

N. C.

U. A., &c."

Extract of a Speech, delivered by an Indian Chief called Little Turtle.

"Brothers and friends, when our forefathers first met on this island, your red brothers were very numerous, but since the introduction amongst us of what you call spirituous liquors, and what we think may be justly called poison, our numbers are greatly diminished; it has destroyed a great part of your red brothers.

Brothers and friends, we plainly perceive the very evil which has destroyed your red brethren, is not an evil of our own making; we have not placed it among ourselves, it is an evil placed among us by the white people, we look to them to remove it out of our country. We tell them, brethren, bring us useful things, bring goods that will clothe us, our women, our children; and not this evil liquor, that destroys our health, destroys our lives; but all we can say is of no service, nor gives relief to your red brethren. It causes our young men to say, We had better be at war with the white people; the liquor which they introduce into our country is more to be feared, than the gun or the tomahawk.

Brothers, when our young men have been out a hunting, and are returning home loaded with skins and furs, on their way it happens that they come along where some of this whiskey is deposited: the white man who sells it, tells them to take a little drink; some of them will say no, I do not want it. They go on till they come to another house, where they find more of the same kind of drink, it is there offered again, they refuse again the third time, but finally, the fourth or fifth one accepts of it, and takes a drink, and getting one, he wants another, and then a third, and a fourth, till his senses have left him; after his reason comes back to him, when he gets up, and finds where he is, he asks for his peltry, the answer is, you have drank them. Where is my gun? It is gone! Where is my shirt? You have sold it for whiskey! Now, brethren figure to yourselves what condition this man must be in. He has a family at home; a wife and children, who stand in need of the profits of his hunting. What must be their wants, when he himself is without a shirt?"

CHAPTER V.

THE ARTS AND SCIENCES.

EARLY DISCOVERIES, INVENTIONS, &c.

The discoveries, inventions and improvements made by the Egyptians and Ethiopians, in early times, must have been very great. The Arts and Sciences were studied in the first age of the Egyptian monarchy. Previous to the invention of the alphabet, the Egyptians had discovered and systematized a method of transmitting ideas by hieroglyphics. It was a representation of thought, by figures of animals and other things, to whom the Chinese are indebted.

Memnon, an Egyptian, invented the first letters. The celebrated Cadmus introduced them into Greece. It is said these characters or letters were Egyptian, and Cadmus himself was a native of Egypt, and not of Phœnicia; and the Egyptians, who ascribe to themselves the invention of every art, and boast a greater antiquity than any other nation, give to their Mercury the honor of inventing letters. Most of the learned agree, that Cadmus carried the Phoenician, Egyptian, or Syrian letters into Greece about 1519 years B. C., and that these letters were Hebraic. The Hebrews are a small nation of that country, under the general name of Syrians. The alphabet which he introduced into Greece, consisted of sixteen letters. And the mode of writing was alternately from left to right and from right to left, [as the Arabians and Moors now write.] He is said to have taught the people navigation and the principles of commerce, the manner of cultivating the vine, and the art of forging and

working metals. The introduction of Cadmus' letters into Greece, was a great advance which the Greeks made in knowledge and civilization.

Palamedes invented four letters at the siege of Troy, 1134 years B. C., and Simonides invented four more many years afterwards.

The Grecian and Roman alphabets were derived from these letters, which were the same as the Samaritan, and were used by the Jews, Ethiopians, before the Babylonish captivity.

The ancient books, rolls, volumes or scrolls were formed in Egypt, and a kind of paper was made from the stalk of an Egyptian vegetable called papyrus or paper reed, which is still found in various parts of India. The stalk was slit with a needle, into plates or layers; as broad and thin as possible. Some of them were ten or fifteen inches broad. These strips were laid side by side, upon a flat horizontal surface, and then immersed in the water of the Nile; which not only served as a kind of sizing, but also caused the edges of the strips to adhere together as if glued. The sheets thus formed were dried in the sun, and then covered with a fine wash, which made them smooth and flexible. They were finally beaten with hammers, and polished. Twenty or more of these sheets were sometimes connected in one roll. A sealed book, was a roll fastened together by a band or string, and a seal affixed to the knot.

Book of the generation signifies the genealogical history, or records of a family or nation.

The pen or style was made of some hard substance, perhaps not unlike the instruments used by glaziers to cut glass. [Jer. xvii. 1.] Upon tablets of wax an instrument was used, one end of which was pointed, to' mark the letters, and the other broad and flat, to make erasures. Pens or styles of copper are now used by the Ceylonese. On soft substances, like linen or papyrus, the marks were painted with a fine hair pencil, as is practised among the Chinese to this day. Hence the word style, signifying one's manner of writing — easy style, elegant style, &c.

Most of the eastern nations now use the reed-pen. Ink was prepared from a variety of substances; and