"The said people have not any belief in God which may avail, for they
believe in one whom they call Cudouagny, and they say that he speaks
frequently to them and tells them what the weather should be. They say
also that when he is angry with them he throws dirt in their eyes.
They believe also that when they depart they go to the stars, then
go declining to the horizon like the said stars, then pass into fair
fields toward plains of beautiful trees, flowers and sumptuous fruits.
After they had given us to understand these things we showed them their
error and said that their Cudouagny is an evil spirit who abuses them,
and said that there is only one God, who is in heaven, who gives us all
things necessary, and is the Creator of all things, and that in Him
only should we believe, and that it was necessary to be baptised or
go to hell. Many other things of our faith were shown them which they
readily believed, and called their Cudouagny, Agojuda, so that many
times they prayed our captain to have them baptised. And the said Lord
Taignoagny, Dom Agaya, and all the people of their town, came there for
the purpose of being baptised; but because we knew not their intention
and sincerity and that there was none that could show them the faith
there, excuse was made to them, and it was told Taignoagny and Dom
Agaya that they should make them understand that we should return
another voyage, and would bring priests and holy oil, giving them
to understand for excuse that one could not be baptised without the
said holy oil, which they believed because they saw several children
baptised in Brittany, and of the promise that the captain made them to
return they were very joyous and thanked him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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