In one of the temples of the empire of Pegu they bring up a number of virgins. One of these unfortunate creatures is annually facrifice'd at the feaft of the idol. The priest, in his facerdotal habits, ftrips her, ftrangles her, puls out her heart, and cafts it in the face of the idol. In other temples they only facrifice men. A flave, bought for the purpose, handsome, and wel made, clothe'd in a white robe, and wash'd for three fuccesfive mornings, is, afterward, fhewn to the people. On the fourth day the priests open his belly, tear out his heart, befmear the idol with his blood, and eat his flesh as facred. "Innocent blood," fay they, "ought to flow, in order to expiate the fins of the nation. Befide, it is highly necessary that fome one fhould go now and then near the great god, to put him in mind of his people." It is worth remarking, however, that the priefis never charge themselves with the commisfion.*

This horrid fuperftition ftil prevails in fome parts of Guinea. It is ufual, on the gold coaft, at the funeral-folemnity of any person of distinction to kil and facrifice feveral of his flaves, in order to serve him in the other world: and, according to Bosman, poor wretched men, who,

Helvetius, De refprit, I, 139, n.

Oran raife'd his fwiming eyes, and fay'd,

There is no wonder in death, and hel is not as it is reported.' The faint was fo fhock'd by fuch fentiments, that he call'd out in a great hurry, "Earth, earth, on the mouth of Oran! that he may not blab more!' (Gaelic proverbs, Edin. 1785, p. 66.)

Even the mild and benevolent Hindoos were, at a now hapyly distant period, wont to offer human facrificeës to the deftructive quality of the godefs Bhavanee, or Nature: They ftil offer kids and buffalos.*

*See Wilkinses Notes to the Heetepades, pp. 314, 322, 326. The wife of a Hindoo, unless she prefer a life of infamy, ftil burns herself upon the pile of her decease'd husband, and, according to Bernier, is, in fome parts, bury'd alive. There can be no doubt that the is, upon this occafion, a propitiatory facrifice. Roger relates that, during his refidence at Paliaccata, on the coaft of Coromandèl, a gentleman, of the chetree or military caft, dye'd, leaveing no lefs than fixty wives, all of whom were burn'd alive with his body. (Porte ouverte, 1670, p. 122.) See allfo Struyses Voiages, 1684, pp. 230, 256. This abominable superftition feems to prove that there is not in the whole world a fingle body of priests, which has not contributed to the fheding of human blood. (Langlès, Fables et contes Indiens, xix.) Upon thefe facrificees the Engleith governours, (without whose consent they cannot, posfiblely, take place) officeërs, and other natives, and, most probablely, allse Engleish priests, are calm and earnest spectators!

annually facri

In one of the temples of the empire of Pegu they bring up a number of virgins. One of these unfortunate creatures is fice'd at the feaft of the idol. The priest, in his facerdotal habits, ftrips her, ftrangles her, puls out her heart, and cafts it in the face of the idol. In other temples they only facrifice men, A flave, bought for the purpose, handsome, and wel made, clothe'd in a white robe, and wash'd for three fuccesfive mornings, is, afterward, fhewn to the people. On the fourth day the priests open his belly, tear out his heart, befmear the idol with his blood, and eat his flefh as facred. "Innocent blood," say they, "ought to flow, in order to expiate the fins of the nation. Befide, it is highly necessary that fome one fhould go now and then near the great god, to put him in mind of his people." It is worth remarking, however, that the priests never charge themselves with the commisfion.*

This horrid fuperftition ftil prevails in fome parts of Guinea. It is ufual, on the gold coaft, at the funeral-folemnity of any person of distinction to kil and facrifice feveral of his flaves, in order to ferve him in the other world: and, according to Bosman, poor wretched men, who,

Helvetius, De refprit, I, 139, n.

This writeër, eleven persons

through age or inability, are become incapable of labour, are fold on purpose to be made victims in these accurfe'd offerings. who is of good authority, faw kil'd on fuch an occafion in the moft barbarous manner. Captain Snelgrave, a very intelligent and refpectable authour, faw a young child about ten months old, which had been facrifice'd, by the advice of the priests, for the recovery of the king of Jabrua, hung up on the bough of a tree, with a live cock tye'd near it.‡

The fubjects of the king of Dahomé are so barbarous and favage as to offer human facrificeës whenever they gain a victory.§ In one place captain Snelgrave faw, pile'd on two large ftageës, the heads of 4000 of the Whidaws, who had been facrifice'd by the Dahomés to their

* Defcription of the coast of Guinea, 1705, p. 231.
† Ibi.

"The

Account of fome parts of Guinea, Introduction. Busfou and Praba, the confidential man and favourite woman, of every person of distinction, are usually put to death and interred with him. . . Upon the death of a chief a great many flaves are facrifice'd, which the Europeans find it impossible to prevent." (Report of the lords of council on the flave-trade, 1789, fig. D. and L.) Confult allfo this part of the Report pasfim.

§ lbi, p. 12.

god, as an acknowlegement for fome great conquest.*

enemys.

The Giagues are anthropophagi, and eat their When the grain is ripe, the queen, furrounded by her courtiers, isfues out of her palace, and, cuting the throats of all who are found in her route, gives them to be eaten by her followers.. These facrificeës, fhe fays, are necessary to appease the manes of her ancestors, who fee with regret, the vulgar enjoy a life of which they are deprive'd; and this feeble confolation can alone engage them to bless the harvest.+

The Oran Idaan, or Maroots, a people near and upon the skirts of the mountain of Keeneebaloo, in the north of Borneo, believe the deity to be please'd with human victims. Each individual muft, for once at least, have imbrue'd his hands in a fellow-creatures blood. The rich are

* Ibi, p. 31. See allfo pp. 37, 41, 100; and at p. 43, a defcription of the ceremony, of which the authour was an eyewitnefs, and which is too fhocking to be tranfcribe'd. Capt. Snelgraves veracity is confirm'd by Robert Norris, authour of a curious work intitle'd" Memoirs of the reign of Bosfa Abadee, king of Dabomy," &c. London, 1789, of which fee pp. 87, 93, 100, 110, 126.

+ Helvetius, De l'efprit, I, 141.