It is like the refreshing dew distilling on the tender herb; and the cause which leads to this effect, may be compared to bread cast upon the waters, that shall be found after many days.

Mr. Marsden at present continues in Bermuda, to dispense among those, who are hungering and thirsting after righteousness, the bread and water of life; and to warn those who are living without hope and without God in the world, of their impending ruin. It is not probable, however, that he will continue much longer in this place. The precarious state of his wife's health calls for a removal to a less relaxing climate, to which she had been long accustomed. But her necessities, not being extremely urgent, do not demand an immediate departure; and her pious husband has too much the love of precious souls at heart, to suffer him to remove without some imperious occasion, till another suitable person can be procured to supply his place.

Hitherto I have endeavoured to trace the origin, disasters, suspension, and re-establishment of the mission. And it must be obvious to all, who cast their eyes over these pages, that though Mr. Stephenson was made. the blessed instrument of introducing the sound of the gospel, as taught by us, into Bermuda, yet Mr. Marsden must be considered as the spiritual father of the little church that now appears. Of Mr. Stephenson's labours scarcely a vestige of fruit remained on his arrival, so that he had the foundation to lay anew. And though surrounded with hostility, and exposed to danger in a va riety of forms, yet we behold a number of serious persons raised up by his istrumentality, but little inferior to that which the violence of persecution dispersed. Thus far the governor has really afforded that protection which he promised, when an application was first made to him. And without doubt his example and resolution have awed into silence many of those who disapprove of both. For this peace we desire to be grateful to God, who can turn and guide the hearts of men.

At present the mission may be considered as only in its infancy; and the few, who have been induced to proclaim for God, we trust, are only the first-fruits of an approaching harvest. Wicked as many of the inhabitants are, they are not too bad for divine grace to purify and reclaim. The change, which shall be wrought in

their hearts and lives, when they turn unto the Lord, will be rendered the more conspicuous from the contrast which now appears. And we hope the time is not remote, when many, who now make light of the gospel, shall declare what the Lord has done for their souls, while their ungodly neighbours shall stand astonished, and say "What hath God wrought. !"

CHAP. XLIV.

CUBA.

Discovered by Columbus; explored by Sebastian; invaded by Velasquez; and defended by Hatuey, a Cacique.Anecdotes of Hatuey and the Indians.—Hatuey defeated, and retires to the forests.-Taken, and burnt alive.The Island subdued by Velasquez.-Unsuccessfully attacked by Admiral Vernon in 1741.-Settlement and wealth of the Havannah.-Expedition against it, under Lord Albemarle and Admiral Pococke.-Forces employed. -Progress of the expedition.-Commencement, progress, distresses attendant on, danger, and final termination of the siege.-Treasures found in the city, and importance of the acquisition.-Restored to Spain by treaty.—Subsequent state of defence.-Conjectures on its future destiny. -Extent, situation, natural advantages, harbours, towns, appearance, productions, and state of cultivation.-Number and complexion of the inhabitants.—Animals.— Bloodhounds; origin, mode of rearing, feeding, training, and exercising them.-Purposes to which they are professedly and actually applied.-Barbarities practised.-State of religion.

SPAIN has had the honour of discovering the new world, and the disgrace of murdering its inhabitants. The former of these deeds she effected through the genius of a daring and enlightened foreigner; but the latter through her own native spirit, trammelled by intellectual fetters, and accustomed to human blood.

If this statement be just, it is easy to discover on which side the scale preponderates. On this point the impartial world has long since decided. We cannot therefore but join the common suffrage,-that Spain has borrowed her glory, and merited the detestation of mankind. That she has done the former, we need only advert to the history

of Columbus; and that she has done the latter, we need only survey the history of Cuba and St. Domingo, or to take into one view,

"All Cortez murdered,-all Columbus found."

The Island of Cuba was discovered by Columbus in the year 1492; and, from its vast extent, was deemed, by all, some part of a continent, which they had not leisure to explore. Columbus, intent upon finding something new, consigned this point over to future navigators, and finally died, without being able to ascertain the fact. The adventurers of Spain, and occasionally those of other nations, having traversed those seas, till no more land remained to be discovered, began, about the year 1508, to inform themselves of the extent of those dominions, of which they had obtained previous possession. St. Domingo, in consequence of its gold, claimed the first attention; and Cuba the second, because of its ex

tent.

Of the aboriginal inhabitants of Jamaica, Hispaniola, Porto Rica, and Cuba, and of the conduct of the Spaniards towards them, we have already given an account in the second chapter of our first volume: and it is needless to repeat, in this place, those barbarous displays of wanton cruelty, which stamp human nature with an indelible disgrace. The prospect of gold which Hispaniola afforded, caused the inhabitants of that devoted Island, to feel, in the first instance, the merciless cruelty of their invaders. And when these had been considerably reduced in number, the same thirst for human blood endeavoured to quench itself in that of the unhappy victims, who, by escaping the first blast of Spanish fury, had found a temporary asylum among their devoted brethren

in other Islands.

It was in the year 1511, that Diego de Velasquez sailed from Hispaniola, from which Cuba is divided by nothing but a narrow channel, to make a conquest of the latter. This was about three years after one Sebastian, by the orders of Nicholas Ovando, had sailed round it, and thereby ascertained, that what had hitherto been thought to be a part of some unexplored continent, was but an Island of considerable extent. Velasquez, when he set out on this expedition, had under his command four ships, on board of which were 300 men. These arrived safely at the desired spot, and landed on an

Eastern point on the South part of the Island, near a port, which, after his own name, he called Iago, a name which it still continues to bear, and which, for its extent, safe anchorage, depth of water, and universal security, has been justly esteemed one of the finest harbours in the world.

Over the district on which Velasquez l'anded, a Cacique, or chieftain, presided, whose name was Hatuey. He was one of those few that had found means to abandon Hispaniola, to escape the fury of the white men. His former residence had taught him enough of their dispositions, to excite within his bosom, on their first approaches, the mixed emotions of dread and detestation. The vast country of Cuba, on the arrival of Hatuey, was but thinly peopled; he therefore found no difficulty in obtaining a territory. Many of his former subjects, who had found an opportunity of escaping the slavery of their countrymen, followed him in this retreat. These were joined by others who had resided on Cuba, and agreeably to their simple notions of government and society, they formed a little state, relied for their sustenance on the bounties of nature, and lived in peace.

Hatuey, always fearful of a visit from the white men, was continually on the alert, and anxiously anticipating what he dreaded to witness. At length his apprehensions were realised. He beheld, at a distance, the Spanish ships approaching toward the shore, and instantly summoned the bravest of the Indians, both of his subjects, and of those who made the defence of the Island one common cause, and relating to them what he knew of their invaders, exhorted them to make a vigorous resistance. But at the same time, while he pressed them to use every exertion to repel their foes, he frankly told them, that all their efforts would be ineffectual, unless they could contrive to render "the god of the white men" propitious to their cause, either by sacrifices or invocations. The god of the white men was, however, a term which they did not understand; and this induced them to request an explanation. "Behold him there," replied Hatuey, pointing with his finger, at the same time, to a vessel filled with gold; "behold that mighty divinity; let us invoke his aid." At Hatuey's speech the Indians gazed upon each other with mute astonishment, equally at a loss to conceive how the metal could be a god, or if a god, how they and their forefathers could have lived so many