The Documentary history of the state of New-York; arranged under direction of the Hon. Christopher Morgan, secretary of State. By E. B. O'Callaghan ...

130 DESCRIPTION OF NEW NETHERLAND.
time, happens that a ringleader will admit of no reasoning
whereupon some of the chiefs strikes the mutineer on the head
with an axe. No one is so bold as to dare to mutter a
word in such a case. No trace of divine worship
Worship can hardly be discovered here. Only they ascribe
great influence to the moon over the crops. The
Sun, as all seeing, is taken to witness as often as they take an
oath. They pay great reverence to the Devil, beDevil worship. cause they fear great trouble fromr him wchen
hunting and fishing: wherefore the first fruits of'
the chase is burnt in his honor, so that they may not receive
injury. If they experience pain in afiy part, they say-JI Devil
larks,in there. They fully acknowledge tlha t a
Ideas. of God, very
ridiculous; fo God dwells beyond tle star's, who, however, gives
himself no concern about the doings of Devils on
earth: because he is.constantly occupied with a beautiful Goddess, whose origin is unknown. She once came down7 firom
heaven into the water (for before the creation all was water,)
and would have sunk, unless land had suddenly bubbled up
under her feet. The land waxed bigger, so tlat
lsoalof the * erelong a whole globe was perceptible, which
quickly produced all sorts of vegetables and trees.
Meanwhile, the goddess brought forth a deer, bear and wolf,
and again cohabited with these animals: She thus became
pregnant, and lay in of divers sorts of creatures at one birth.
From this arises the variety not only of animals, but also of men,
which in color are either black, white or sallow; in disposition
either timid as the deer, revengeful as bears or rapacious as
wolves. After she had thus acted the Universal mother returned up to Heaven, where she enjoys perfect bliss with the
Sovereign Lord, whom they know not onof ever saw; wherefore
they will be held less responsible than the Christians; pretending to acknowledge him a punisher of all wicked deeds which
they commit notwithstanding, and it is with more difficulty that
they can be brought from these adopted vices to christianity.
Regarding the souls of the Dead, they believe:
tohe soul. that those who have done good enjoy every sort
of pleasure in a temperate country to the Soutl,