he missionaries are situated, complete pictures of English
comfort, content, and prosperity; they are close to a bright sandy beach:
a beautiful green slope lies in their rear, and a clear and never-failing
stream of water runs by the side of their enclosures. As the boats
approached this lovely spot, I was in an ecstasy of delight: such a happy
mixture of savage and civilised life I had never seen before; and when I
observed the white smoke curling out of the chimneys of my countrymen, I
anticipated the joyful surprise, the hearty welcome, the smiling faces,
and old Christmas compliments that were going to take place, and the
great pleasure it would give our secluded countrymen to meet us, in these
distant regions, at this happy season, and talk of our relatives and
friends in England.

My romantic notions were soon crushed; our landing gave no pleasure to
these secluded Englishmen: they gave us no welcome; but, as our boats
approached the shore, they walked away to their own dwellings, closed
their gates and doors after them, and gazed at us through their windows;
and during three days that we passed in a hut quite near them, they
never exchanged one word with any of the party. Thus foiled in our hopes
of spending a social day with our compatriots, after our dinner was over
we sent materials for making a bowl of punch up the hill to the chiefs,
and spent the remainder of the day surrounded by generous savages, who
were delighted with our company, and who did everything in their power to
make us comfortable. In the course of the afternoon two of the mission
came up to preach; but the savages were so angry with them for not
showing more kindness to their own countrymen, that none would listen to
them.

I have visited many of the Roman Catholic missionary establishments;
their priests adopt quite a different line of conduct: they are cheerful
and kind to the savage pagan, and polite and attentive to their European
brethren; they have gained the esteem of those they have been sent to
convert; they have introduced their own language amongst them, which
enables them to have intercourse with strangers; and, however we may
differ in some tenets of religious belief, we must acknowledge the
success of their mission. They have brought nearly the whole of the
Indian population in South America into the bosom of their church; and
their converts form the greater part of the people. Notwithstanding the
numerous church and sectarian