Countries, and Religious Denominations established or tolerated. SPANISH TERRITORY. Leaving the North-Eastern Coast and the interior to be considered with the other tracts of country in possession of the natives, we now come to the Spanish possessions, and begin with California, which is a peninsula of about 800 miles in length, between the North Pacific and the Gulf of California. The natives are of a chesnut-brown, and almost in a state of nature; but the land is well peopled. The Spaniards claim this Peninsula, but, it is thought, derive very little advantage from it. A late traveller, M. De Roquefeuil, states the population, in 1818, at 20,330, of whom 1300, were of Spanish origin, the rest native Indians. The Spaniards however increase as the natives decrease. The country is very fruitful. The religion Popery, the country divided into Missions. New Mexico is a very extensive country, east of the Gulf of California. It is stated to be 2000 miles long, and about 1200 wide; a fine country, well inhabited by different nations, whose manners are but little known; which is the case also with the adjoining provinces of New Navarre and New Biscay. OLD MEXICO, or New Spain, is of equal length, but in width, varies from 60 to 600 miles. It is a much more important province; and the Viceroyalty, according to Humboldt, in fact, extends its jurisdiction over all the above-named countries, divided into three districts the North, North-East, and South-and these again subdivided into twelve Intendances. The city is most magnificent, and Humboldt reckons its permanent inhabitants at 137,000. Within these few years, however, this vast country has been revolutionized. Iturbride, Present State of Religion, Missions, &c. In West Greenland the United Brethren have also three stations: New Hernhutt, founded 1733; Lichtenfels, 1758; Lichtenau, 1774. · The number of the three congregations, in 1821, is stated at 1278. A fourth station is in contemplation, at Cape Farewell, where the heathen population is about 500. One of the Brethren, lately visiting that place, was received with transport, and had 300 hearers: 500 Greenland New Testaments have been also sent hither by the British and Foreign Bible Society. The Colonies are stated, by Crantz and others, to have extended from Cape Farewell, five or six degrees of latitude toward the north, both on the east and west side of the country. About sixteen churches are mentioned as having been built on these coasts. Crantz informs us that there were nineteen bays, or inlets, inhabited on the east side. On these were planted 190 farms, or hamlets, constituting twelve parishes, with the bishop's see and two convents. And on the west there were nine cultivated inlets, on which ninety (or, as some say, 110) hamlets were built, that constituted four parishes.-[Scoresby's Journ. in 1822, Pref. xxi.] According to the accounts received by the Missionary College at Copenhagen, the whole population of Greenland, as far as it is known, in the seventeen Danish Colonies on the West Coast, amounts to 5836 souls. The coasts alone are inhabited; the interior of the country being covered with eternal ice. The population has increased since 1789, by 714 souls. The number here given is according to the enumeration made in 1816. The last accounts published, reckon the whole of their members in North America and Greenland, at about 2000; at Greenland only, 1278. SPANISH TERRITORIES. The whole of the Spanish territories having been converted to nominal Christianity by Catholic Missionaries, they of course were compelled to adopt that profession: one-fifth of the Spaniards are said to be ecclesiastics and religious, the convents for both sexes being very numerous. A writer in "The Kentucky Reporter," describes their manners as barbarous, and their morals as degraded. "Intellectual cultivation," says this writer, "is at a low ebb, and has ever been greatly inferior to what we have been led to believe. Upon my inquiring of an intelligent friend, some time resident in the city, and who is writing the history of the country, what the present state of intellectual and moral improvement was; he replied, About 84 in 100 persons are natives and casts, of different gradations; 80 in 100 may read, a smaller number may write. Born, bred, and educated in the grossest idolatry, a liberal, sound sense of religion is unknown; and when I have proposed to the clergy the gratuitous distribution Countries, and Religious Denominations established or tolerated. Iturbride, one of their chiefs, then assumed the title of " Emperor of Mexico;" this, however, being disagreeable to the Mexican Congress and the Republican party, which proved the strongest, he has been compelled to abdicate, with a pension for life, on condition of his retiring to live in Italy. Since this event, as appears by the last letters received, Yucatan, one of the southern provinces on the Moskito shore, has declared itself independent, and formed a separate state; but the government is by no means settled. The whole country having been converted by Catholic Missionaries, has of course adopted that religion. The clergy are very numerous, and, it may be added, very ignorant and superstitious. They have also a great number of convents, and their population has been thus estimated Europeans, 74,700; Creoles, 1,010,100; Indians, 2,320,200; Casts of Mestiros, Mullattos, &c. 2,595,000;-Total, six millions; or including Guitamala, Cuba, &c. eight millions and a half. : Honduras is a large province adjoining Gualtimala, on the NorthEast, the residence of the Moskito Indians, where the British have a settlement. V.-South America, & the West Indies. THE extent of South America is nearly equal to that of North America, but it is considerably inferior, both in population and civilization. This may mainly be attributed to the nature of the old European governments, founded in violence and blood, and nursed by priestcraft and slavery. It is well known, that the antient Indian population was nearly extirpated; and that afterwards, in order to cultivate the soil, which the Spanish and Portuguese conquerors were too indolent to attempt, a large importation of negroes was brought from Africa: thus the ground, besides the original curse, labours under the double plague of Catholic superstition, and the negro Slave-trade. Notwithstanding this, however, the present inhabitants seem awakened to their situation, and are bursting into a new life, determined to avail themselves of all the advantages resulting in Europe and in North America, from the progress of education, literature, and science. SOUTH Present State of Religion, Missions, &c. distribution of the Holy Evangelists, to the extent of a thousand copies, I have been told that the book was interdicted, and it was observed, that the people were more happy in ignorance. Assassinations are common in the streets, yet I have never heard of a punishment nor complaint. Notwithstanding the number of the aged, the blind, the dumb, the decrepit, and maimed of all ages, sex, and colours, who infest the streets for alms, I hear of no charitable institution for their relief; and the expression of pity, compassion, or humanity, had never struck my ears from man or woman. As to intelligence, what can be expected from people secluded from the world, and prohibited the use of books?" The British Superintendent and Chaplains at Honduras having declared themselves favourable to a Mission here for the Moskito Indians, the Church Missionary Society, with their assistance, have here formed a Missionary station, with a school, printing-press, &c. The natives are particularly friendly to the English, and the Chief has avowed himself a Christian. V.-South America, & the West Indies. "THE separation of the colonies of this continent from the mother States of Europe, and the rapid progress among them of knowledge and liberty, are opening a way for the diffusion of Christian truth, and all its attendant blessings, beyond any expectation that the most ardent mind could, a few years since, have reasonably formed. From Columbia to Patagonia, through the whole extent of this immense continent, covered, until these days, as with the shadow of death, the germ of intellectual and moral life is beginning to expand. We adore, in grateful surprise, the working of the Almighty Hand, in * preparing these vast regions for a participation in those blessings, which shall assuredly come on the whole world. "The provision made by the rising States of this quarter of the globe for securing general education, and for the gradual abolition of slavery, are, at once, strong indications of improving knowledge and principles, and among the best means to confirm and extend such improvement. On this last subject, the abolition of slavery, we quote a passage from the last Report of the African Institution: Throughout the whole range of Spanish America, now become independent, Countries, and Religious Denominations established or tolerated. SOUTH AMERICA. The Republic of Columbia is the most northerly of the new governments in South America, and includes the countries, formerly known under the several names of Venezuela, New Grenada, and Quito; a great extent of territory, reaching 1200 miles on the coast of the Atlantic, from the Orinoco to the Isthmus of Darien; and 700 miles on the Pacific, from Panama to Quito, the population of which was, some time since, stated officially at 2,644,600 souls; and since then, by an agent of the Republic, at 3,600,000. The united provinces of the Rio de la Plata have lately concluded with Spain, a convention for the cessation of hostilities for eighteen months, including the provinces of Buenos Ayres, Peru, Chili, &c. which, if France does not interfere, must necessarily lead to the establishment of their independence, thus recognized in the first instance, and which must eventually take place. The new Republic, * though Catholic, has renounced the supremacy of the Pope, suppressed many of the monasteries, established the liberty of the press, and submitted all the affairs of the church to the civil power. The population of these States, though some of them thin, cannot be less than three millions and a half. Besides these, there are the governments of La Plata, or Buenos Ayres and Brazil, the latter occupied formerly by Portugal, but now under the government of the Emperor John, formerly Prince Royal |