454 STRENGTH Awn WEAKNESS OF HUMAN atoms. there, either of age or hunger, er to be devoured by somewild beast: 'When the women are superannuated, they practise the samein every respect; and leave them to perish. Thethird inhuman and national iniquity is, their exposing children, especzallq'girls, or bnriling tlienz alive, if the Barents think they are not able to Maintain them': and especially if there happen to betwins; and one of them bea "girl, she is certainly condemned, if "either the scarcity of the motljer's milk or the poverty of the parents, be alléd'ged against breeding of them both. W1tert they resolve to rid 'themselves of one,' they carry the babe to a considerable distance. front the village, and look for ahole in the earth made by a hedge-wolf; tyger, or other wild creature : In such a hole; if they find one, theylay the babe alive; then stopping up the mouth of the hole with earth and stones; forsake it for ever. If they find not such a sepulchre presently-'; they tie the babe; stretched on its back, to some lower bough of the`neizt tree, and leave it to starve ur be devoured by birds or beasts of prey. Sometimes they leave the poor cast-away among bushes. Though the immortality of their own souls is an article that enters net into the religion Of the Hottentots; and which, for that reason; I mentioned not in My account of their religion, and though they say nothing at any time concerning it in a religious Way, and perhaps never think of it with regard to "their own Souls,' yet does it appear very plainly, that theybelieve'the soul Outlives thebody, and that i om the following particular's They offer prayers and praises to Ike good Hottentots departed, and attribute or 'dedicate to them some hills, Or woods, or rivers: --e. They are apprehensive`Iést the 'deád should return and molest them. They therefore upon the death' of any man, ivornán, or child of then; remove with their bag and baggage to a new settlement,' believing that the 'dead-never haunt any planes but' those they died iii, whether they` be 'geed or bad. But to what end they conceive"souls'to 'exist Out of the body, or- whether they trouble their heads about it;'I knoiv ¡Mt. "'They suppose, accordingto all' the intelligence I got upon the matter, that malice of Totn1uoa isconfined to this-world, and caunet act beynndlt: Nor could I' ever' catch the least hint among them to,think, that any of them believe that either the good at death go to any certain plaee'of bl'iss,, or the bad to any place Of torment. Thus far the author of this narrative. ' , - And thus, 'gentlemen, I have` given yoù, in short, all the account that 'I could find of any sense of religion, either in the Hottentot nations;'vtilto possess a large tract of land on the'east, south,and west of the Cape of Good Hope; and iq the several nations of Various names who inhabit a'great part of.the inland .00nntry of North Arnérica. The only remark I make here shall
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