G w e a , and th e p eop le w h o in h ab it it ftile them fe lv e s G w e a g a l. T h o fe
w h o liv e o n th e n o r th fh o re o f P o r t J a ck fo n are ca lled C am -m e r - ra y -
g a l, th a t p a r t o f th e h a rb ou r b e in g d ift in g u ilh e d from o the rs b y th e
nam e o f C am -m e r - ra y . O f th is laft fam ily o r tr ibe w e h a v e h e a rd
B en -n il- lo n g and o th e r n ativ e s fp e ak (before w e k n ew th em ourfelves)
as o f a v e r y p ow e r fu l p e o p le , w h o co u ld o b lig e th em to attend w h e r e -
e v e r and w h e n e v e r th e y d ir e d e d . W e a fte rw ard s fo u n d th em to be
b y fa r th e m o d num e rou s tr ibe o f a n y w i th in ou r k n ow le d g e . I t fo
h ap p en ed , th a t th e y w e r e alfo the m o ft ro b u ft and m u fcu lar , and th a t
am o n g th em w e r e fe v e ra l o f th e p eo p le fty le d C a r - rah -d y and C a r - ra h -
d i-g a n g , o f w h ic h e x tra o rd in a r y p erfona ges w e Ihall h a v e to fp eak
p a r t icu la r ly , u n d e r th e ar ticle Superjlition.
T o th e tr ib e o f C am -m e r - ra y alfo be lon g ed th e e x c lu fiv e and ex tra o
rd in a r y p r iv ile g e o f e x a a in g a to o th from th e nativ es o f o th e r tribes
in h a b itin g th e fe a -co aft, o r o f all fu ch as w e r e w i th in th e ir au th o r ity .
T h e e x e r c i f t o f th is p r iv ile g e places th e fe p eop le in a p ar ticu lar p o in t
o f v iew ; and the re is no d ou b t o f th e ir decided fu p e r io r ity o v e r all the
tr ib e s w i th w h om w e w e r e acqua inted . M a n y contefts o r d ecifions o f
h o n o u r ( fo r fu ch th e re are am o n g th em ) h a v e be en d e la y ed un til the
a r r iv a l o f the fe p eop le ; and w h e n th e y cam e , it w a s im p o flib le n o t to
o b fe rv e th e fu p e r io r ity and in fluen ce w h ic h th e ir numbers and th e ir
m u fcu la r ap p earance g a v e th em o v e r th e o th e r tribes.
T h e fe are all th e traces th a t cou ld e v e r be d ifc o v e red am o n g th em o f
g o v e rnm e n t o r fu b o rd in a tio n ; and w e m a y im a g in e th e deference w h ic h
is p aid to th e tr ib e o f C am -m e r - ra y to be d e r iv ed w h o l ly from th e ir
fu p e r io r ity o f num b e r s ; b u t th is fu p e r io r ity th e y m a y h a v e m aintained
fo r a len g th o f tim e b e fo re w e k n ew th em ; and ind eed th e p r iv ile g e o f
d em an d in g a to o th from th e , y o u n g m en o f o th e r fam ilie s m u ft h a v e
b e en o f lo n g Hand ing, an d co e v a l w i th th e obed ience w h ic h w a s
p aid to th em : h en ce th e ir fu p e r io r ity p artakes fom e th in g o f th e nature
o f a con ftitu ted au th o r ity ; an a u th o r ity w h ic h has th e fa n d io n o f
cu ftom to p lead fo r its con tin u an ce .
R e lig io n .
R elig io n .
I t has been aflerted b y an em in en t d iv in e * , th a t n o c o u n t r y has y e t
be en d ifcov e red w h e re fom e trace o f r e lig io n w a s n o t to be fou n d .
F rom e v e r y o bferv ation and in q u ir y I cou ld m ake am o n g th e fe people,,
from th e firft to the laft o f m y . acq u a in tanc e w i th th em , I can fa fe ly
p ron o u n ce th em an e x cep tio n to th is o p in ion . I am ce rta in that th e y
do n o t w o r lh ip eithe r fu n , m o o n , o r f t a r ; th a t, h ow e v e r n e c e fla ry fire
m a y be to th em , it is no t an o b je d o f a d o ra tio n ; n e ith e r h a v e th e y
refped: fo r a n y p ar ticu lar b ea ft, b ird , o r filh. I n e v e r cou ld d ifc o v e r
a n y o b je d , eithe r fu b ftan tial o r im a g in a r y , th a t im pe lled them' to th e
com m iflio n o f g o o d ad d ons, o r deterred th em from th e p erpetration
o f w h a t w e deem cr imes. T h e r e ind eed e x ifted am o n g th em fom e
id ea o f a fu tu re fta te , b u t n o t con n e c ted in a n y w ife w i th r e l ig io n ;
fo r it h ad n o in flu en c e w h a te v e r o n th e ir liv e s and a d io t ts . O n th e ir
b e in g o ften que ftion ed as to w h a t b ecame o f th em a fte r th e ir d e cea fe ,
fom e an fw e red th a t th e y w e n t e ith e r on o r b e y o n d th e g re a t w a te r ;,
b u t b y fa r th e g re a te r n um b e r fign ified , th a t th e y w e n t to th e clouds.
C o n v e r l in g w i th B e n -n il- lo n g after h is re turn from E n g lan d , w h e re h e
had obta ined m u ch k n ow le d g e o f ou r cu ftoms and manners, I w ilh e d
to learn w h a t w e r e his ideas o f th e plaee from w h ic h h is co u n t r ym e n
cam e , and led h im to th e fubjed : b y o b fe rv in g,. that all th e w h it e
m en h e re came from E n g lan d . I then, a lk e d h im Where th e b la ck
m en (or E o ra ) came from ? H e hefita ted .— D id th e y com e from a n y
ifland ? H is an fw e r was,, th a t h e k n ew o f n o n e : th e y came from th e
clouds (allu d in g p e rh ap s to th e ab or igin e s o f th e c o u n t r y ) ; and w h e n
th e y d ied , th e y returned to. the clouds (B o o - row -e ) . H e w ilh e d to
m ak e me und erftand that th e y afcend ed in th e fhape o f little ch ild ren ,
fir ft h o v e r in g in th e tops and in th e bran ch e s o f t r e e s ; and m en tion ed
fom e th in g ab out th e ir e a t in g , in th a t fta te , th e ir fa v o u r ite fo o d , little
fifties.
. I f th is idea o f th e im m o r ta lity o f th e fo u l fh o u ld e x c ite a fin ile , is
it m ore e x tra o rd in a ry th an th e b e lie f w h ic h obtains am o n g fome o f u s ,
* Blair’s Sermons, vol. i. Sermon r_
4 A-‘2 th a t