time, fecured the refpeft of the natives, and the e5bedience;qf the people
neceflarily employed in the laborious parts o f this undertaking. | Thefe
gentlemen denominated themfelves commanders; arid 'not traders, though
they were intitled to both thefe chara&ers: and, as- for 1 the miffitm^ries,
i f fufferings and hardlhips in the profecution of the grhat worfc which,
they had undertaken, deferved applaufe and admiration, t-hey -had* an-
undoubted claim to be admired and. applauded: they fpared ribtMbour;
and avoided noidath^ef in the execution1 of theTr important office; and
it is to be feridufly lamented, that their piou& endeavours did not meet
'frith the fuccefs which theydefervfed: for'therels' hardlj»*a trace to-be
foundrbeyond the cultivated ;parts; of their meritorious funlibns.
. The cable-bf this failuE^muft'be attributed to a want of due cbnfi-
deration in the mode employed by the miffionariSs' to ‘propagate the
religion of which they frefe the zealous minifte-ris/ They: habituated
themfelves to the favagh Rfe, and naturalifed themfelves to the-favage
manners, and, by "thus becoming dependant, as it wjgre, on the Jiatives^they
Acquired their cc^fempt rather than their veneration: If |^ey h ad been
as Well nature, as they were with the articles o f
their faith, they would have known, that the ’uncultivated mind of an'
Indian muft be difpofed by much preparatory: method and infbtuftion to
receive the revealed truths of Chriftianity, to aft- under dts-fan6tions, and
be Impelled to good by the hope of its reward; or turned/from evil-by
the fear o f its puniftimentsi s They Ihould have’began their-work b y
teachingfdmeof thofe uMul arts which are-the inlets of knowledge,'and
lead the mind by degrees to obje&s of higher comprehenfion. Agriculture
fo formed to fix and combine %ciety, and fo preparatory to
. ob|e&s
o lje a^ o f fuperior?corifideration, fhould have been the firft thing intro-
duced^Émong^ a öflrag^pèqple^ it attacKes^the wandering tribe to thaT
fpot,-where itjidds, fo muchjpj their^cpm^foxts; ‘whiïe’.itlgives them a lenfe
pf pfoporty; and-ipf ;lafl?ing .p^fioffipn, inhe|d;pfFthe ' appertain hopes
of the chahSafrd; thé fugitive ,pj^dUcei p f ; uhcufiiyatéd wilds'. Such
were the -meansPy which the. forefts of Paraguay were'converged into a
fpene of-abundant’cultivation' and its fa vage inhabitants introduced to-
all fthe advantages of a civilized life.
The Canadian miffionarieS ffiould havé töèp po'nfented tp improve the
morals of tft&ir own countrymen, fo that^by meliorating their hharadter
and eondu%ithéjbwould have given a ftfiking example: of the effe£l of
religtbnsdn promoting tpe cpjmfórts o f li%;-£o the furroundkg favages;
and might by,degr<^*hav£ extended its^ benign influence to the remoteft
regions ‘| f thytfebufttry, v&u%was, tbe-pbjóé*and intended to Pe the
feene; of thoh\ fevangelife (labours. But -by ’ bearing' thé- light of the
Gófpebat orléfetothe t^ftance ofkwo; thpufapd five finndfed' -miles from
the civilized part óf th^ eplpnié's;jir wast fdóh obfcuréd by the efeuti of
ignorance th’k -darkehed-the:human-:mihd in thofe diflant regions.
The; whole ,of bkpin j0 n^ r^ ite,I Have often travelled, and the recolf
leidiompf; fuch a -'people as the.miffibnayie'sj;ha.ying been thefe, was con-
fined ,to f; few^ fuperanndated? Canadianspwho. Had not. left ,that. Country
fince the.ceffipn to the Epglifh,dhj;iybgpand^lvvho particularly mentioned^
the;deayhjpftjr®me, and- the diftreffmg fituation of them, all. But if thefe
religfopsh men didiryot ^attain the otpedts oT their perfevering piety, they
were,, during, ;theiij npdflion, of great,- fervice, to the cOjtnmanders who
engaged