,,sketches ,,of                         
,,indian ,,character3                   
,,being ,a ,,brief ,,survey ,,of ,,the  
,,principal ,,features ,,of ,,character 
,,exhibited ,,by                        
,,the ,,north ,,american ,,indians2     
,,illustrating ,,the ,,aphorism ,,of    
,,the ,,socialists1 ,,that              
8,,man ,,is ,,the ,,creature ,,of       
,,circumstances40                       
,,compiled ,,by ,,james ,,napier        
,,bailey4      8,in order to complete   
the history of the human mind1 and      
attain     to a perfect knowledge of its
 nature and operations1 we must         
contemplate man in all those various    
situations in which he     has been     
placed4 ,we must follow him in his      
progress through     the different      
stages of society1 as he gradually      
advances     from the infant state of   
civil life towards its maturity and     
decline4 ,we must observe at each       
period1 how the faculties of     his    
understanding unfold2 we must attend to 

the efforts of     his active powers1   
watch the various movements of desire   
and     affection as they rise in his   
breast1 and mark whither they     tend1 
and with what ardour they are exerted40 
,,robertson4                            
,leeds3          ,,printed ,,and        
,,published ,,by ,,joshua ,,hobson1     
,,market ,,street1        ,,briggate2   
,,sold ,,by ,,abel ,,heywood1 ,,oldham  
,,street1 ,,manchester2      ,,paton    
,,and ,,love1 ,,nelson ,,street1        
,,glasgow2 ,,john ,,cleave1 ,,shoe      
,,lane1                ,,fleet ,,street1
 ,,london2 ,,and ,,all ,,booksellers4   
#ahda4     ,,sketches ,,of ,,indian     
,,character4   ,the history of nations  
fully establishes the fact1 that the    
character of man results from the       
operation of circumstances on his       
organism4 ,this great and important     
truth is written in such broad and      
legible characters on the face of human 
annals1 as may easily be distinguished  
and can scarcely be mistaken4 ,among    

rude and savage tribes we discern       
features of character1 which are        
distinctly referable to the influence of
 causes peculiar to the savage state2   
and among the members of civilized      
communities1 we behold the manifestation
 of virtues1 vices1 and talents1 which  
are also traceable to the operation of  
circumstances differing from those which
 determine the character of barbarous   
nations4 ,there is a marked             
dissimilarity between the barbarian of  
,labrador and the native of ,london or  
,paris2 yet this difference is more the 
child of accident than of nature1 and   
would probably disappear in course of   
time were the parties to be subjected to
 the influence of similar institutions4 
,among no people do we find more        
striking confirmations of the truth of  
the above doctrine than among the       
,aborigines of the ,north ,american     
,continent4 ,in the character of that   
unhappy1 but noble1 race of men1 we find
 many striking peculiarities which can  

be ascribed only to the influence of    
those circumstances in which the ,indian
 tribes are placed1 and which mark them 
out as objects of peculiar interest to  
the philosophic historian4  ,the        
,european is polished1 sagacious1 and   
cunning2 the ,asiatic vainly proud and  
ostentatiously voluptuous2 the ,african1
 patient1 servile and debased2 and the  
,north ,american ,indian1 haughty1      
warlike and independent4 ,undoubtedly   
there are causes for all these varied   
peculiarities of national character1 the
 developement of which1 in relation to  
the ,indians of ,america1 shall form the
 subject of the present treatise4  ,in  
endeavouring to prove that man is the   
creature of circumstances by rapidly    
surveying the condition of the ,north   
,american ,indians1 there are two       
methods which present themselves to our 
attention4 ,the first and most obvious1 
consists in selecting the principal     
features of ,indian character1 and      
tracing them to the operation of causes 

peculiar to the ,indian tribes4 ,the    
second method consists in taking a view 
of the efforts made by white men for the
 civilization of the ,americans1 and the
 good or ill success which has attended 
their exertions4 ,in discussing the     
subject1 therefore1 we shall adopt both 
these methods as far as our space and   
ability will allow4  ,the ,indian       
character may be said to be a compound  
of the virtues and vices of savage life4
 ,brave1 generous1 haughty and cruel1   
the ,north ,american savage moves with a
 firmness of step and a dignity of      
bearing1 which distinguish him as the   
monarch of the wilderness4 ,the ,african
 submits to slavery2 the ,north         
,american ,indian prefers banishment1   
and even death to it4 ,we pity and      
oppress the former1 because his patient 
endurance of labour renders him of      
importance1 while we endeavour by cruel 
encroachments to exterminate the latter1
 because his lands are serviceable1 and 
he scorns to become our servant4 ,such  

has ever been the policy of professed   
,christians1 and such the efforts of    
,european civilization with respect to  
this unhappy race of men4  ,the ,red    
,indian is fast disappearing from his   
native forests4 ,the ,prairie which once
 echoed with his shrill warwhoop now    
resounds with the roar of the ,western  
rifle4 ,his hunting grounds have become 
the prey of the pale faces2 the big     
knife has prevailed over the tomahawk2  
and the grave of a freeman already yawns
 to receive the savage of the wilds4    
,when ,las ,casas appeared before the   
,emperor ,charles ,v4 to dispute with   
,quevedo1 ,bishop of ,darien1 on the    
capacity of the ,south ,american        
,indians for social improvement1 8he    
rejected10 says ,robertson1 8with       
indignation1 the idea that any race of  
men was born for servitude2 and         
contended that the faculties of the     
,americans were not despicable but      
unimproved2 that they were capable of   
receiving instruction in the principles 

of religion1 as well as of acquiring the
 industry and arts which would qualify  
them for the various offices of social  
life2 and that the mildness and timidity
 of their nature rendered them so docile
 and submissive that they might be led  
and formed with a gentle hand40 ,on the 
contrary1 the ,bishop of ,darien        
contended 8that they were a race of men 
marked out by the inferiority of their  
talents for servitude2 and whom it would
 be impossible to instruct or improve1  
unless they were kept under the         
continual inspection of a master40#a ,to
 the disgrace of the ,spanish name1 the 
sentiments of ,quevedo obtained more    
general credence than the truths uttered
 by the impassioned1 and eloquent ,las  
,casas4 ,the ,indians were still kept in
 a state of servitude1 by the           
discoverers and tyrants of the ,west2   
and under pretext of reclaiming them    
from idolatry1 and instructing them in  
the principles of the ,christian faith  
they were obliged to endure the most    

galling servitude1 and compelled to     
perform a variety of unwholesome labours
 which soon terminated their existence1 
and left scarcely a remnant of their    
devoted race to tell the story of their 
oppression and their sufferings6  ,such 
has ever been the policy of those who1  
spurred on by an exorbitant and all     
grasping selfishness1 desire to         
tyrannize over their fellow beings1 and 
trample on their rights1 their liberties
 and their lives4 ,nor is this policy   
wanting on the part of those who either 
are1 or desire to be1 the oppressors of 
the ,north ,american ,indians4 ,the     
whites have1 with few exceptions1       
denounced the savages of ,america as a  
cruel1 blood-thirsty1 and treacherous   
race of men--incapable of improvement1  
and therefore unworthy of that attention
 which has been devoted to the          
civilization of other barbarians4 ,that 
this is a mere pretext under colour of  
which the most horrid crimes might be   
perpetrated1--an opiate for a guilty and

 accusing conscience1--must be evident  
to all who have made the ,indian        
character the subject of their peculiar 
study4 ,but because ,europeans1 blessed 
with all the lights of civilization1 and
 all the influence of a religion        
purporting to be from heaven1 have not  
only endeavoured1 but are continually   
endeavouring1 to encroach on the hunting
 territories of the ,indians1 some      
excuse must of course be invented to    
palliate their enormities1 and screen   
their conduct from that general         
reprobation which it deserves4 ,the     
,aborigines of ,america are therefore   
represented as false1 cruel and         
blood-thirsty1 as well as incapable of  
emerging from their present state of    
ignorance and barbarism4  ,before the   
passing of the ,catholic ,emancipation  
,bill1 the opponents of that measure    
were accustomed to represent the        
inhabitants of ,ireland1 as factious1   
discontented1 and rebellious4           
,admitting1 for the sake of argument1   

the truth of these allegations1 we ask  
why did the inhabitants of ,ireland     
evince these national characteristics8  
,simply because they had been galled and
 oppressed for a long course of time1 by
 the enactments of an illiberal         
government4 ,and if we admit that the   
,indians of ,america are still in a     
state of barbarism1 and that they       
exhibit most1 if not all1 the vices     
incident to the savage state1 may we not
 enquire the reason why they continue in
 this condition8 ,the answer we think is
 obvious4 ,the whites have seldom       
attempted to raise them from their state
 of original wildness2 for almost all   
the measures they have adopted1 in      
relation to the ,indians1 have been     
better adapted to oppress than to       
reclaim1 to destroy than to regenerate4 
,in attempting to lay before the reader 
a rough delineation of ,indian          
character1 it is necessary that we      
should attend to all the elements which 
enter into its composition4 ,we shall   

therefore treat in the first place--    
,of the bodily constitution of the      
,north ,american ,indians1 and of the   
measure of their intellectual faculties4
   ,robertson1 in his graphic           
representations of ,indian character1   
affirms or rather insinuates1 that the  
constitution of the ,american ,indian   
labours under some physical defect4 ,but
 that this defect is an accident arising
 from the influence of peculiar         
institutions1 and the mode of training  
prevalent among the ,indian tribes1 is  
evidenced by the facts which that       
historian himself relates4 ,the         
,american ,indian may be indolent during
 a season of peace4 ,extreme lassitude  
and an apparent want of physical energy 
may form the more prominent traits in   
his character4 ,but when war demands his
 exertions in the field1 or when pressed
 by the necessities of nature to go in  
quest of food1 he displays a courage1 an
 address1 and an amount of bodily energy
 which prove him to be possessed of     

physical strength equal to that which   
the natives of more polished and        
civilized climes exhibit4 ,it is during 
a season of hunting or of war that the  
most strenuous exertions of courage1    
force1 and activity are called forth4   
,the savage of ,america1 at such a time1
 appears to shake off the native        
indolence of his disposition4 ,he       
becomes patient1 active1 courageous and 
indefatigable4 ,all the powers of his   
mind and of his body are roused into    
exertion2 and he performs feats of      
agility and of strength1 and exhibits a 
degree of perseverance1 which prove him 
to be in these respects equal to the    
natives of ,europe4  ,it is true the    
exhibition of perseverance and strength1
 on the part of the ,american savage1 is
 not constant but casual4 ,it is only   
when fierce passions stimulate him to   
exertion1 that he puts forth all his    
powers4 ,nevertheless the casual        
exhibition of this strength and         
perseverance proves1 that the opposite  

qualities are not essential to his      
nature2 and seemingly warrants the      
conclusion that the indolence and want  
of energy which mark his character1 are 
the results of that peculiar system of  
training to which he has been subjected4
  ,of the persevering speed of the      
,americans many instances are on record4
 ,adair mentions a ,chikkasah warrior   
who ran through woods and over          
mountains1 three hundred computed miles 
in a day and a half and two nights4 8,i 
have known the ,indians10 he observes in
 another place1 8to go a thousand miles 
for the purpose of revenge1 in pathless 
woods1 over hills and mountains1 through
 huge cane swamps1 exposed to the       
extremities of heat and cold1 the       
vicissitudes of seasons1 to hunger and  
thirst4 ,such is their over-boiling     
revengeful temper1 that they utterly    
contemn all these things as imaginary   
trifles1 if they are so happy as to get 
the scalp of the murderer or enemy to   
satisfy the craving ghosts of their     

deceased relations40 ,robertson1 in the 
notes to his ,history of ,america1      
states that 8,m4 ,godin le ,jeune1 who  
resided fifteen years among the ,indians
 of ,puru and ,quito1 and twenty years  
in the ,french ,colony of ,cayenne1 in  
which there is a constant intercourse   
with the ,galibis1 and other tribes on  
the ,orinoco1 observes1 that the vigour 
of constitution among the ,americans is 
exactly in proportion to their habits of
 labour4 ,the ,indians1 in warm         
climates1 such as those on the coasts of
 the ,south ,sea1 on the river of       
,amazons1 and the river ,orinoco1 are   
not to be compared for strength with    
those in cold countries2 and yet1 says  
he1 boats daily set out from ,para1 a   
,portugese settlement on the river of   
,amazons1 to ascend that river against  
the rapidity of the stream2 and with the
 same crew they proceed to ,san ,pablo1 
which is eight hundred leagues distant4 
,no crew of white people or even of     
negroes1 would be found equal to a task 

of such persevering fatigue as the      
,portugese have experienced2 and yet the
 ,indians1 being accustomed to this     
labour from their infancy1 perform      
it40#b  ,these facts prove1 that        
whatever may be the accidental indolence
 of the ,indian tribes1 they do not     
labour under any physical defect        
essential to them as men1 and not       
peculiar to the natives of other climes4
 ,the fine gentleman of ,europe1 who has
 been nursed in the lap of luxury and   
refinement1 would1 if compelled to      
labour1 exhibit as great a want of      
physical strength as the ,indian of     
,america4 ,the difference in this       
respect between the ,aborigines of the  
,western world1 and the inhabitants of  
more civilized regions1 is purely       
accidental4 ,reared within the pale of a
 civilized community1 and surrounded    
with innumerable objects adapted to     
awaken thought1 stimulate curiosity1 and
 call his mental and bodily powers into 
exertion1 the ,european feels a variety 

of wants1 and is subject to a variety of
 influences to which the savage is a    
stranger4 ,experience gives him         
foresight and wisdom1 and induces him to
 act with a view to remote advantage1 as
 well as to present gratification4 ,the 
numerous casualties and reverses of     
fortune which happen to individuals in  
civilised society1 teach him to be      
provident for the future4 ,the simple   
necessities of nature1 as well as the   
more numerous class of wants which      
follow in the train of civilization1    
stimulate him to engage in long courses 
of action by which his mental faculties 
are enlarged1 his bodily strength       
disciplined1 and his power of           
persevering increased4 ,but with the    
,indian of ,america the case is in many 
respects reversed4 ,his food and drink  
are in most cases obtained with little  
trouble1 and his natural wants1 which   
are few1 are easily satisfied4 ,the     
flesh of the wild animals he ensnares or
 kills in the chase1 the roots of native

 plants and vegetables1 and a small     
proportion of maize or ,indian corn1    
along with fruits and other things      
obtained with as little art1 serve him  
for food2 the skins of beasts for       
clothing2 and a week-wam1 constructed   
with a small amount of skill and labour1
 affords him shelter from the inclemency
 of the weather4 ,surrounded with       
abundance of hunting territory1 wherein 
the 7to him7 staple commodities of life 
are plentiful1 he is satisfied1 and     
lives in a state of comparative         
independence4 ,believing that his own   
lot is the happiest1 and accustomed to  
roam the forest from his infancy1 he    
feels not the force of those powerful   
motives which affect the bosoms of other
 men4 ,the love of gain is in his case  
modified by the extent of his           
information respecting it2 and as the   
commodities1 which to him are articles  
of wealth1 are easily procured1 he      
consequently becomes indolent when      
surrounded by abundance4  ,we do not    

attempt to insinuate that the ,north    
,american ,indian is equal to the       
,european in address1 wisdom1 or even   
physical ability1 at the present time4  
,we only contend that the lack of       
physical energy1 which some authors say 
the ,aborigines of ,america exhibit1    
proceeds not from any constitutional    
defect peculiar to them as a race1 but  
from accidental causes over which they  
have but little control4 ,let these     
causes be removed--let the ,indians be  
subjected to a different mode of        
treatment--let them be placed under     
those influences which affect the       
inhabitants of civilized communities1   
and we have reason to opine that they   
would exhibit a character as vigorous as
 that of ,europeans4  ,the following    
general description of the physiological
 part of ,indian character we quote from
 a modern writer3--8the natives of this 
part of the world are in general of a   
robust frame1 and a well proportioned   
figure4 ,their complexion is of bronze1 

or reddish copper hue--rusty coloured1  
as it were1 and not unlike cinnamon4    
,their hair is black1 long1 coarse1 and 
shining1 but not thickly set on the     
head4 ,their beard is thin and grows in 
tufts4 ,their forehead is low1 and their
 eyes are lengthened out1 with the outer
 angles turned up towards the temples2  
the eyebrows high1 the cheekbone        
prominent2 the nose a little flattened  
but well marked2 the lips extended1 and 
the teeth closely set and pointed4 ,in  
their mouth there is an expression of   
sweetness1 which forms a contrast with  
the harsh character of their            
countenance4 ,their head is of a square 
shape1 and their face is broad1 without 
being flat1 and tapers towards the chin4
 ,their features viewed in profile1 are 
prominent and deeply sculptured4 ,they  
have a high chest1 massy thighs1 and    
arched legs3 their feet are generally   
large1 though some have been noticed to 
have small feet and hands2 and their    
whole body is squat and thick-set4      

,though the shape of the forehead and of
 the vertex frequently depends on       
artificial means1 yet independently of  
the custom which prevails among them of 
disfiguring the heads of infants1 there 
is no other people in the world in whom 
the frontal bone is so much flattened   
above2 and generally speaking1 the skull
 is light4 ,such are said to be the     
general characteristics of all the      
natives of ,america1 with the exception1
 perhaps1 of those who occupy the two   
extremities4 ,the ,northern ,esquimaux1 
for instance1 are below the middle      
stature2 the ,abipones1 it is said1 and 
still more the ,patagonians1 exceed the 
ordinary height4 ,this muscular         
constitution1 with a tall figure1 is in 
some degree met with among the natives  
of ,chili1 as well as the ,caribbeans1  
on the banks of the ,caroni1 a tributary
 of the ,orinoco1 and amongst the       
,arkansas1 who are esteemed the         
handsomest natives of this continent4   
8,the copper or bronze hue of the skin  

is1 with some slight exceptions1 common 
to all the natives of ,america1 upon    
which the climate1 the situation1 or the
 mode of living appear not to exercise  
the slightest influence4 ,some of the   
tribes in ,guiana are described as      
nearly black1 though easily             
distinguished from the negro4 ,the      
colour of the natives of ,brazil and of 
,california is deep1 although the latter
 inhabit the temperate zone1 and the    
former live near the tropic4 ,the       
natives of ,new ,spain are darker than  
the ,indians of ,quito and ,new         
,granada1 who inhabit a precisely       
analogous climate4 ,the nations         
dispersed to the ,north of the ,rio     
,gola are darker than those that border 
on the kingdom of ,guatemala4 ,the      
,indians who1 in the torrid zone1       
inhabit the most elevated table land of 
the ,cordilleras of the ,andes1 have a  
complexion as much copper coloured as   
those who cultivate the ,banana under a 
burning sun in the narrowest and deepest

 valleys of the equinoctial regions4    
,the ,indians who inhabit the mountains 
are clothed1 and were so long before the
 conquest2 while the ,aborigines that   
wander on the plains of ,south ,america1
 are perfectly or nearly naked1 and     
consequently are always exposed to the  
sun4 ,these facts show that the colour  
of the ,american depends very little on 
the local situation which he actually   
occupies2 and never1 in the same        
individual1 are those parts of the body 
that are constantly covered1 of a fairer
 colour than those in contact with the  
air2 the infants1 moreover1 are never   
white when they are born4  8,it was     
formerly supposed that the ,americans   
were without beards1 and certainly there
 are many among them who have neither   
beard nor hair on any part of their     
person except the head4 ,but the        
,indians who inhabit the torrid zone and
 ,south ,america1 have generally a small
 beard which becomes longer by shaving2 
and among the ,patagonians there are    

many who have beards4 ,a late traveller 
7,temple7 asserts that the ,chiriguano  
,indians of the province of ,tarija are 
beardless1 without stating any opinion  
as to this being natural or the effect  
of plucking out the hair4 ,almost all   
the ,indians near ,mexico1 and some on  
the ,north ,west coast1 wear            
moustachios4 ,an inference has been     
drawn that the ,indians have a larger   
quantity of beard in proportion to their
 distance from the equator4 ,the        
deficiency of beard does not exclusively
 belong to the ,americans1 nor is it by 
any means a certain sign of degeneracy2 
for some beardless races1 such as the   
negroes of ,congo1 are very robust and  
of colossal size40#c  ,another          
description of ,indian character we     
borrow from ,adair's 8,history of the   
,aborigines of ,north ,america40 ,we    
quote it with great pleasure1 as fully  
bearing out our own argument with       
respect to the physical capacity of the 
,north ,american ,indians1 and as being 

the testimony of a man who resided long 
among them4  8,as the ,american         
,indians10 he observes1 8are of a       
reddish or copper colour1 so1 in        
general1 they are strong1 well          
proportioned in body and limbs1         
surprisingly active and nimble1 and     
hardy in their own way of living4       
8,they are ingenious1 witty1 cunning and
 deceitful2 very faithful indeed to     
their own tribes1 but privately         
dishonourable and mischievous to the    
,europeans and ,christians4 ,their being
 honest and harmless to each other1 may 
be through fear of resentment and       
reprisal1 which is unavoidable in case  
of any injury4 ,they are very close and 
retentive of their secrets2 never forget
 injuries2 and are revengeful of blood  
to a degree of distraction4 ,they are   
timorous and consequently cautious2 very
 jealous of encroachments from their    
,christian neighbours2 and likewise     
content with freedom in every turn of   
fortune4 ,they are possessed of a strong

 comprehensive judgement1 can form      
surprisingly crafty schemes1 and conduct
 them with equal caution1 silence1 and  
address2 they admit none but            
distinguished warriors and old beloved  
men1 into their councils4 ,they are     
slow1 but very persevering1 in their    
undertakings2 commonly temperate in     
their eating1 but excessively immoderate
 in drinking4 ,they often transform     
themselves by liquor1 into the likeness 
of mad foaming bears4 ,the women1 in    
general1 are of a mild1 amiable1 and    
soft disposition2 exceedingly modest in 
their behaviour1 and very seldom noisy  
in the single or married state4  8,the  
men are expert in the use of fire       
arms--in shooting the bow and throwing  
the feathered dart into the flying      
enemy4 ,they resemble the lynx with     
their sharp penetrating black eye1 and  
are exceedingly swift of foot1          
especially in a long chase4 ,they will  
stretch away through the rough woods1 by
 the bare track1 for two or three       

hundred miles1 in pursuit of a flying   
enemy1 with the continued speed and     
eagerness of a staunch pack of          
bloodhounds1 till they shed blood4 ,when
 they have allayed this burning thirst1 
they return home at their leisure1      
unless they chance to be pursued1 as is 
sometimes the case2 whence the traders  
say1 #8that an ,indian is never in a    
hurry1 but when the ,devil is at his    
heels4'  8,it is remarkable that there  
are no deformed ,indians2 however1 they 
are generally weaker and smaller bodied1
 between the tropics1 than in higher    
latitudes2 but not in an equal          
proportion3 for though the ,chikkasah   
and ,choktah countries have not been    
long divided from each other1 as appears
 by the similarity of their language1 as
 well as other things2 yet the          
,chikkasah are exceedingly taller and   
stronger bodied than the latter1 though 
their country is only two degrees       
farther north4 ,such a small difference 
of latitude1 in so healthy a region1    

could not make so wide a difference in  
the constitution of their bodies4 ,the  
former are a comely1 pleasant looking   
people2 their faces are tolerably round1
 contrary to the visage of the others1  
which inclines much to flatness1 as is  
the case with most of the other ,indian 
,americans4 ,the lips of the ,indians1  
in general1 are thin4  8,their eyes are 
small1 sharp1 and black2 and their hair 
is lank1 coarse1 and darkish4 ,i never  
saw any with curled hair1 but one1 in   
the ,choktah country1 where was also    
another with red hair2 probably1 they   
were a mixture of the ,french and       
,indians4 ,both sexes pluck all the hair
 off their bodies with a kind of        
tweezers1 made formerly of shells1 now  
of middle-sized wire1 in the shape of a 
gunworm2 which being twisted round a    
small stick1 and the ends thereof       
fastened therein1 after being properly  
tempered1 keeps its form3 holding this  
,indian razor between their forefinger  
and thumb1 they deplume themselves after

 the manner of the ,jewish novitiate    
priests and proselytes4  8,their chief  
dress is very simple1 like that of the  
patriarchal age2 of choice1 many of     
their old head men wear a long wide     
frock1 made of the skins of wild beasts4
 ,they seem quite easy and indifferent  
in every various scene of life1 as if   
they were utterly divested of passions  
and of the sense of feeling4 ,martial   
virtue and not riches is their          
invariable standard for preferment2 for 
they neither esteem nor despise any of  
their people one jot more or less on    
account of riches or dress4 ,they       
compare both these to paint on a        
warrior's face2 because it incites      
others to a spirit of martial           
benevolence for their country1 and      
pleases his own fancy1 and the eyes of  
spectators for a little time1 but is    
sweated off1 while he is performing his 
war dances1 or is defaced by the change 
of weather4  8,they formerly wore shirts
 made of dressed deer-skins for their   

summer visiting dress2 but their winter 
hunting clothes were long and shaggy1   
made of the skins of panthers1 bucks1   
bears1 beavers1 and otters2 the fleshly 
side outwards1 sometimes doubled1 and   
always softened like velvet cloth1      
though they retained their fur and hair4
 ,the needles and thread they used      
formerly1 7and now at times7 were fish  
bones1 or the horns and bones of deer1  
rubbed sharp1 and deer's sinews1 and a  
sort of hemp that grows among them      
spontaneously1 in rich open lands4 ,the 
women's dress consists only in a broad  
softened skin1 or several small skins   
sewed together1 which they wrap and tie 
round their waist1 reaching a little    
below their knees3 in cold weather they 
wrap themselves in the softened skins of
 buffalo calves1 with the wintery       
shagged wool inward1 never forgetting to
 anoint and tie up their hair except in 
their time of mourning4 ,the men wear   
for ornament and for the convenience of 
hunting1 thin deer skin boots well      

smoked1 that reach so high up their     
thighs1 as with their jackets to secure 
them from the brambles and braky        
thickets4 ,they sew them about five     
inches from the edges1 which are formed 
into tassels1 to which they fasten      
fawn's trotters and small pieces of     
tinkling metal1 or wild turkey cock's   
spurs4 ,the ,braves used to fasten the  
like to their warpipes1 with the        
addition of a piece of an enemy's scalp1
 with a tuft of long hair hanging down  
from the middle of the stem1 each of    
them painted red3 and they still observe
 that old custom1 only they choose bell 
buttons to give a greater sound4  8,the 
young ,indian men and women1 through a  
fondness of their ancient dress1 wrap a 
piece of cloth round them1 that has a   
near resemblance to the ,roman toga1 or 
prtexta4 ,it is about a fathom square1  
bordered seven or eight quarters deep1  
to make a shining cavalier of the ,beau 
,monde1 and to keep out both heat and   
cold4 ,with this frantic apparel the red

 heroes swaddle themselves1 when they   
are waddling whooping and prancing it   
away around the reputed holy fire4 ,in a
 sweating condition they will thus      
incommode themselves frequently for a   
whole night1 actuated by the same       
principle of pride which actuates the   
,spaniard to wear his winter cloak in   
summer4'''  8,they make their shoes for 
common use1 out of the skins of the bear
 and elk1 well dressed and smoked to    
prevent hardening2 and those for        
ornament1 out of deer-skins1 done in the
 like manner3 but they chiefly go       
bare-footed1 and always bare-headed4    
,the men fasten several different sorts 
off beautiful feathers1 frequently in   
tufts1 or the wing of a red bird1 or the
 skin of a small hawk1 to a lock of hair
 on the crown of their heads4 ,and every
 different nation when at war1 trim     
their hair after a different manner1    
through contempt of each other2 thus    
they can distinguish an enemy in the    
woods so far off as they can see him4   

8,the ,indians flatten their heads in   
divers forms2 but it is chiefly the     
crown of the head they depress1 in order
 to beautify themselves1 as their wild  
fancy terms it2 for they call us long   
heads by way of contempt4 ,the ,choktah 
,indians flatten their foreheads from   
the top of the head to the eyebrows with
 a small bag of sand2 which gives them a
 hideous appearance2 as the forehead    
naturally shoots upwards according as it
 is flattened3 thus the rising of the   
nose instead of being equidistant from  
the beginning of the chin to that of the
 hair1 is1 by their wild mechanism1     
placed a great deal nearer to the one   
and further from the other4 ,the ,indian
 nations round ,south ,carolina1 and all
 the way to ,new ,mexico1 to effect     
this1 fix the tender infant on a kind of
 cradle1 where his feet are tilted1     
above a foot higher than a horizontal   
position1 his head bends back into a    
hole1 made on purpose to receive it2    
where he bears the chief part of his    

weight on the crown of the head1 upon a 
small bag of sand without being in the  
least able to move himself4 ,the skull1 
resembling a fine cartilaginous         
substance1 in its infant state1 is      
capable of taking any impression4 ,by   
this pressure1 and their thus flattening
 the crown of the head1 they            
consequently make their heads thick and 
their faces broad4 ,may we not to this  
custom and as a necessary effect of this
 cause attribute their fickle1 wild1 and
 cruel tempers8 ,especially when we     
connect therewith1 both a false         
education and great exercise to agitate 
their animal spirits4 ,when the brain1  
in cooler people1 is disturbed1 it      
neither reasons nor determines with     
proper judgment4 ,the ,indians thus look
 on every thing around them through     
their own false medium2 and vilify our  
heads because they have given a wrong   
turn to their own40  ,the preceding     
description of ,indian character is more
 deserving of attention on account of   

its simplicity1 correctness1 and the    
information it affords1 than on account 
of the beauty of its style4 ,adair is   
indeed a harsh writer2 yet he narrates  
facts and occurrences which fell beneath
 his own observation2 and therefore his 
testimony is of considerable value4 ,his
 history of the ,american ,indians1     
whatever value we may attach to his     
theory respecting their origin affords  
many striking confirmations of the      
position we have assumed1 namely1 that  
the ,american ,indians are not naturally
 and essentially inferior in physical   
capacity to any other race of men4 ,nor 
is ,adair the only author who either    
adopts this opinion1 or furnishes the   
facts from which it may be inferred4    
,these facts may be found in the        
narratives of missionaries1 traders1 and
 almost all writers who have visited the
 ,indian tribes4  ,james ,buchanan1     
formerly his ,britannic ,majesty's      
,consul for the ,state of ,new ,york1   
has some excellent observations on the  

evidences of general capacity among the 
,indians1 in the first volume of his    
,sketches of their ,history and         
,customs4 ,after describing the         
hospitable and polite reception which he
 met with from the children of the      
celebrated ,mohawk ,indian ,chief1      
,captain ,brandt1 he observes3--8,my    
thus becoming acquainted with this young
 lady and her brother1 fully establishes
 in my mind all ,i was anxious to prove 
by the education of a young ,indian3 and
 many such instances might be adduced   
which would evince that wisdom1 science1
 and exaltation of character1 are not   
the exclusive property of any colour1   
tribe1 or nation4 ,the bravery1         
political sagacity1 and knowledge of    
government1 manifested by the negroes   
who now govern in ,st4 ,domingo1 7not to
 mention other well known instances17   
are calculated to allay the doubts which
 used to prevail as to the capacity of  
the ,african4 ,but between the ,indian  
of ,north ,america1 and the ,african1   

there is a remarkable difference4 ,the  
former never can be bowed to become the 
slave of man1 to pay tribute1 or to     
submit1 by any hope of reward to live in
 vassalage4 ,free1 like the son of      
,ishmael1 he will die rather than yield 
his liberty2 and he is1 therefore1      
hunted down by the people who boast of  
civilisation and christianity1 and who1 
while they value their own freedom1 do  
not hesitate to extend their lands and  
property by the merciless destruction of
 the unoffending proprietor4 ,but let   
not those who still claim the ,british  
name1 nor the citizens of the ,united   
,states deceive themselves in the belief
 that because the poor ,indians1 whose  
lands they possess1 and whose rivers    
they navigate1 have no powerful voice to
 blazon their wrongs1 and hold them up  
to the abhorence of mankind1 they will  
always rest unavenged2 or that the      
civilization1 which is pompously carried
 on1 but which is in fact a slow        
consuming system of extinction1 will    

avert the retributive justice which ,god
 will assuredly render4 ,the poor       
,indians confess that for their crimes  
they are now placed by the ,great       
,spirit under the feet of the white men1
 and in the midst of their sufferings1  
they pathetically warn their cruel      
oppressors that the time may come when  
the ,lord will have pity on them1 and in
 turn punish the ,europeans4 ,truly the 
ways of the ,almighty are wonderful6    
,the apparent prosperity of the wicked  
are among the most unaccountable        
features of the will of our creator1 and
 would be utterly without a solution had
 we not the ,bible to guide us into a   
right understanding of his designs4     
,however the ,deist may scoff1 or the   
philosopher doubt1 yet therein we see   
that1 though the wrath of ,god may be   
long delayed1 the punishment of iniquity
 will assuredly come to pass4 ,the      
reaction of crime and punishment is to  
be seen in the history of all nations4  
,let the ,european oppressors of the    

,indian savage1 as he is called1 look to
 it in time2 and while the diffusion of 
the true principles of ,christianity    
throughout the ,british ,empire1 is     
followed by clemency and mercy to the   
,african1 it is to be hoped the same    
benevolent spirit will extend itself to 
the noble-minded ,aborigines of ,north  
,america2 and that instead of supplying 
arms1 ammunition1 blankets and rum1 we  
may lead them to the arts and blessings 
of peace1 and to the improvement of     
their admirable native talent40#d  ,mr4 
,buchanan displays in this passage more 
of the piety of the saint1 than of the  
wisdom of the philosopher4 ,in our      
opinion1 the ,lord has but little to do 
with the oppression and gradual         
extirpation of the ,indian tribes4      
,these are the natural results of that  
peculiar system of policy pursued by the
 white people towards the ,aborigines of
 ,america4 ,as the tide of white        
population rolls on and extends itself  
inwards1 the native tribes must         

disappear before it by retiring into the
 inaccessible forests and waste         
territories of the transatlantic world4 
,nor can they hope to successfully      
assert their rights until they become   
more highly civilized and more          
skillfully warlike than their           
oppressors4 ,then indeed1 the ,lord1    
aided by the puissant arms of thousands 
of ,indian warriors1 might inflict that 
retributive justice on ,europeans1 which
 ,mr4 ,buchanan speaks of4 ,the ample   
possession of the munitions of war1 the 
diffusion of intelligence1 and the union
 of all the ,indian tribes1 would more  
effectually curb the rapacity of white  
,christians than all the aid which the  
,lord affords4  ,nor is it to be        
expected1 that religion1 as it is found 
in the ,old and ,new ,testaments1 will  
effect the melioration of their         
condition4 ,the chosen people of the    
,lord made slaves of some of the nations
 they conquered2 and those they did not 
enslave they destroyed with a cruelty as

 relentless as it was atrocious4 ,what  
more natural than for those who believe 
in the same ,god and draw their religion
 from the same source1 to act in the    
same manner8 ,the examples of murder1   
pillage1 bloodshed1 profligacy1 and     
abominations of all kinds to be found in
 the ,old ,testament1 would rather tend 
to deteriorate the character of the     
,indians than improve it1 were the      
contents of that book made known to     
them4 ,bad as the ,indians are1 they    
have some nobility of mind among them4  
,they do not betray the person with whom
 they have smoked the calumet1 or pipe  
of peace1 or the man to whom they have  
plighted their friendship4 ,but in the  
,old ,testament we find this done1 as in
 the case of ,jael and ,sisera1 and the 
action attributed to divine prompting4  
,what good end can be answered by       
teaching the ,north ,american ,indians a
 religion which has ever been followed  
by destruction1 pillage1 rapacity and   
bloodshed1 persecution for opinion1 and 

a long catalogue of evils8 and which1   
however good it may be in some of its   
precepts1 is nevertheless utterly unable
 to restrain the avarice and cruelty of 
its followers4  ,the celebrated ,french 
,essayist1 ,montaigne1 between two or   
three hundred years ago1 wrote as       
follows3--  8,i find that there is      
nothing barbarous and savage in this    
nation1 by anything ,i can gather1      
excepting that every one gives the title
 of barbarity to every thing that is not
 in use in his own country3 as indeed we
 have no other level of truth and reason
 than the example and idea of the       
opinions and customs of the place       
wherein we live4 ,there is always the   
true religion2 there the perfect        
government1 and the most exact and      
accomplished usance of things4 ,they    
7the ,indians7 are savages at the same  
rate that we say fruits are wild which  
nature produces of herself and by her   
own ordinary progress2 whereas1 in      
truth1 we ought rather to call those    

wild whose natures we have changed by   
our artifice and diverted from the      
common order4''' ,these nations1 then1  
seem to me to be so far barbarous1 as   
having received but very little form and
 fashion from art and human invention1  
and consequently not much remote from   
their original simplicity4 ,the laws of 
nature1 however1 govern them still1 not1
 as yet1 much vitiated with any mixture 
of ours2 but in such purity that ,i am  
sometimes troubled we were no sooner    
acquainted with these people1 and that  
they were not discovered in those better
 times1 when there were men much more   
able to judge of them than we are4 ,i am
 sorry that ,lycurgus and ,plato had no 
knowledge of them2 for to my            
apprehension1 what we now see in those  
natives1 does not only surpass all the  
images with which the poets have adorned
 the golden age1 and all their          
inventions in feigning a happy estate of
 man2 but moreover the fancy and even   
the wish of philosophy itself4 ,so      

native and so pure a simplicity1 as we1 
by experience1 see to be in them1 could 
never enter into the imagination of the 
ancient philosophers1 nor could they    
ever believe that human society could   
have been maintained with so little     
artifice4 ,should ,i tell ,plato that it
 is a nation wherein there is no manner 
of traffic1 no knowledge of letters1 no 
science of numbers1 no name of          
magistrate nor political superiority1 no
 use of service1 no riches or poverty1  
no contracts1 no successions1 no        
dividends1 no proprieties1 no           
employments but those of leisure1 no    
respect of kindred but of common1 no    
clothing1 no agriculture1 no metal1 no  
use of corn or wine1 and where so much  
as the very words which signify lying1  
treachery1 dissimulation1 avarice1      
destruction1 and pardon were never heard
 of1--how much would he find his        
imaginary ,republic short of this       
perfection40#e  ,this description is too
 highly coloured1 and is in many        

respects incorrect4 ,the savages of     
,america are not in such a blissful     
state as ,montaigne would leave the     
reader to infer2 neither can it be said 
with truth that they are free from      
deceit1 treachery1 and avarice4 ,it is  
true they exhibit many noble traits of  
character which might be copied with    
profit by their more civilized brethren2
 but these traits are generally         
associated with the vices peculiar to   
the savage state4 ,in conducting our    
researches respecting them1 therefore1  
we should carefully ascertain what      
amount of credibility is due to the     
statements of those writers who affirm  
their condition to be almost            
paradisiacal4 ,extremes ought to be     
avoided in most cases1 especially with  
regard to the ,american ,indians4 ,some 
authors have represented them as the    
vilest of men2 cruel1 blood-thirsty1 and
 rapacious1 and incapable of being      
civilized2 while others have depicted   
them as a noble1 high-minded1 virtuous  

race1 with scarcely a single vice in    
their character1 or evil in their       
physical condition4 ,if we adopt the    
mean of these extremes1 we shall not be 
far from the truth4  ,before we close   
this section of our treatise1 a few     
remarks upon the oratory of the ,indians
 may not be deemed inappropriate or     
unimportant4 ,even the thunders of      
,demosthenes1 and the eloquent harangues
 of the sweet-lipped and silver-tongued 
,cicero did not produce more wonderful  
effects on ,athenian or ,roman          
audiences1 than are occasionally        
produced by the bold and pathetic       
discourses of an ,american warrior on   
the minds of his hearers4 ,governor ,de 
,witt ,clinton1 in his discourse to the 
,new ,york ,society1 speaking of the    
,iroquois1 or ,five ,nations1 informs us
 that 8their exterior relations1 general
 interests1 and national affairs were   
conducted and superintended by a great  
council1 assembled annually in          
,onondaga1 the central canton1 composed 

of the chiefs of each ,republic2 and    
eighty ,sachems were frequently convened
 at this national assembly4 ,it took    
cognizance of the great questions of war
 and peace2 of the affairs of the       
tributary nations1 and of their         
negociations with the ,french and       
,english colonies4 ,all their           
proceedings were conducted with great   
deliberation1 and were distinguished for
 order1 decorum1 and solemnity4 ,in     
eloquence1 in dignity1 and in all the   
characteristics of a profound policy1   
they surpassed an assembly of feudal    
barons1 and were perhaps not far        
inferior to the great ,amphyctionic     
,council of ,greece40#f ,in another     
place he speaks of the sublime display  
of intellectual power in the address of 
,garangula1 an ,onondaga chief1 to ,m4  
,delabarre1 a ,french general1 who in   
#afhc1 marched with an army against the 
,iroquois4 ,this rhetorical talent1     
however1 is declared by the same        
authority to be peculiar to the ,five   

,nations4 8,the most remarkable         
difference10 he states1 8existed between
 the confederates and the other ,indian 
nations1 with respect to eloquence4 ,you
 may search in vain in the records and  
writings of the past1 or in events of   
the present times1 for a single model of
 eloquence among the ,algonkins1 the    
,abenaquis1 the ,delawares1 the         
,shawanese1 or any other nation of      
,indians except the ,iroquois40#g ,on   
the other hand1 the ,rev4 ,mr4          
,heckewelder1 who has spent the greater 
portion of a long life among the ,lenni 
,lenap1 or ,delawares1 has affirmed1 in 
his historical account of the ,indian   
nations1 7of which the ,lenni ,lenap and
 the ,iroquois form the two great       
divisions71 that the ,delawares are also
 conspicuous for oratorical ability4 ,he
 quotes a speech of ,captain ,pipe1 a   
chief of that nation1 and has made use  
of the following words1 in commenting on
 it4 8,here we see boldness1 frankness1 
dignity1 and humanity happily blended   

together1 and most eloquently displayed4
 ,i am much mistaken if the component   
parts of this discourse are not put     
together much according to the rules of 
oratory which are taught in the schools1
 and which were certainly unknown to    
this savage4 ,the peroration is short1  
but truly pathetic1 and ,i would say1   
sublime2 and then the admirable way in  
which it is prepared6 ,i wish ,i could  
convey to the reader's mind only a small
 part of the impression which this      
speech made on me and on all present    
when it was delivered40#h ,the assertion
 of ,governor ,clinton1 seems to have   
resulted from his knowing more of the   
,five ,nations than of any other tribe  
of ,indians4 ,the ,shawanese no less    
than the ,delawares1 are among the list 
of exceptions2 and yet1 we find1 in the 
book published by ,mr4 ,hunter1 a most  
splendid example of eloquence in a      
speech of ,te-cum-seh1 a ,shawanee      
warrior4#i ,the effect it had upon his  
hearers1 one of whom was ,mr4 ,hunter   

himself1 was electrical2 and we will    
quote his account of it1 in order to    
show that the high opinion of ,indian   
oratory is not derived from any one     
authority which might be exaggerated1 or
 through the medium of professed        
translators1 who might be disposed to   
manufacture these harangues1 after a    
given model1 into the ,european tongues2
 but that it operates upon all alike1   
and shines with the same character      
through every variety and accident of   
interpretation4 ,the ,indian orations   
have been rendered by illiterate persons
 sent among them to conciliate their    
favour2 by prisoners male and female1   
who learnt the language during their    
captivity2 by learned missionaries2 by  
traders1 who will not perhaps be        
suspected of romantic enthusiasm2 by    
,dutchmen1 ,frenchmen1 ,englishmen1 and 
,americans2 and the result1 in all      
cases1 has been very similar4 ,the      
doubts1 therefore1 which have been1 and 
still continue to be1 entertained as to 

,indian eloquence1 are1 to say the least
 of them1 inconsiderate4 ,the           
probability is1 that they are injured   
rather than improved1 by transmission   
into ,european languages4 8,i wish it   
was in my power10 says ,mr4 ,hunter1    
speaking of ,te-cum-seh1 8to do justice 
to the eloquence of this distinguished  
man2 but it is utterly impossible4 ,the 
richest colours1 shaded with a master's 
pencil1 would fall infinitely short of  
the glowing finish of the original4 ,the
 occasion and subject were peculiarly   
adapted to call into action all the     
powers of genuine patriotism2 and such  
language1 such gestures1 such feelings1 
and fulness of soul contending for      
utterance1 were exhibited by this       
untutored1 native of the forest in the  
central wilds of ,america1 as no        
audience1 ,i am persuaded1 either in    
ancient or modern times1 ever before    
witnessed4 ,his discourse made an       
impression on my mind1 which ,i think1  
will last as long as ,i live40#aj  ,the 

occasion on which this oration was      
delivered1 was as follows2 it appears   
from ,mr4 ,hunter's account1 that 8some 
of the white people among the ,osages   
were traders1 and others were reputed to
 be runners from their great ,father    
beyond the waters1 to invite the        
,indians to take up the tomahawk against
 the settlers4 ,they made many long     
talks1 and distributed many valuable    
presents2 but without being able to     
shake the resolution which the ,osages  
had formed1 to preserve peace with their
 ,great ,father1 the president4 ,their  
determinations were1 however1 to undergo
 a more severe trial3 ,te-cum-seh now   
made his appearance among them4  8,he   
addressed them in long1 eloquent1 and   
pathetic strains2 and an assembly more  
numerous than had ever been witnessed on
 any former occasion1 listened to him   
with an intensely agitated1 though      
profoundly respectful1 interest and     
attention4 ,in fact so great was the    
effect produced by ,te-cum-seh's        

eloquence1 that the chief adjourned the 
council shortly after he had closed his 
harangue1 nor did they finally come to a
 decision on the great question in      
debate for several days afterwards4#aa  
,his proposals were1 however1 in the end
 rejected40   ,,the ,,oration ,,of      
,,te-,,cum-,,seh4  8,brothers1--,we all 
belong to one family2 we are all        
children of the ,great ,spirit2 we walk 
in the same path2 slake our thirst at   
the same spring2 and now affairs of the 
greatest concern leads us to smoke the  
pipe around the same council fire6      
8,brothers1--,we are friends2 we must   
assist each other to bear our burdens4  
,the blood of many of our fathers and   
brothers has run like water on the      
ground1 to satisfy the avarice of the   
white men4 ,we1 ourselves1 are          
threatened with a great evil2 nothing   
will pacify them but the destruction of 
all the red men4  8,brothers1--,when the
 white men first set foot on our        
grounds1 they were hungry2 they had no  

place on which to spread their blankets1
 or to kindle their fires4 ,they were   
feeble2 they could do nothing for       
themselves4 ,our fathers commiserated   
their distress1 and shared freely with  
them whatever the ,great ,spirit had    
given his red children4 ,they gave them 
food when hungry1 medicine when sick1   
spread skins for them to sleep on1 and  
gave them grounds1 that they might hunt 
and raise corn4 ,brothers1 the white men
 are like poisonous serpents2 when      
chilled1 they are feeble and harmless2  
but invigorate them with warmth1 and    
they sting their benefactors to death4  
8,the white people came among us feeble2
 and now we have made them strong they  
wish to kill us1 or drive us back1 as   
they would wolves and panthers4         
8,brothers1--,the white men are not     
friends to the ,indians2 at first1 they 
only asked for land sufficient for a    
wigwam1 now nothing will satisfy them   
but the whole of our hunting grounds1   
from the rising to the setting sun4     

8,brothers1--,the white men want more   
than our hunting grounds2 they wish to  
kill our warriors2 they would even kill 
our old men1 women1 and little ones4    
8,brothers1--,many winters ago1 there   
was no land2 the sun did not rise and   
set3 all was darkness4 ,the ,great      
,spirit made all things4 ,he gave the   
white men a home beyond the great       
waters4 ,he supplied these grounds with 
game1 and gave them to his red children2
 he gave them strength and courage to   
defend them4  8,brothers1--,my people   
wish for peace2 the red men all wish for
 peace2 but where the white people are1 
there is no peace for them1 except it is
 on the bosom of our mother4            
8,brothers1--,the white men despise and 
cheat the ,indians2 they abuse and      
insult them2 they do not think the red  
men sufficiently good to live4  8,the   
red men have borne many and great       
injuries2 they ought to suffer them no  
longer4 ,my people will not2 they are   
determined on vengeance2 they have taken

 up the tomahawk2 they will make it fat 
with blood2 they will drink the blood of
 the white people4  8,brothers1--,my    
people are brave and numerous2 but the  
white people are too strong for them    
alone4 ,i wish you to take up the       
tomahawk with them4 ,if we all unite1 we
 will cause the rivers to stain the     
great waters with their blood4          
8,brothers1--,if you do not unite with  
us1 they will first destroy us1 and then
 you will fall an easy prey to them4    
,they have destroyed many nations of red
 men because they were not friends to   
each other4  8,brothers1--,the white    
people send runners among us2 they wish 
to make us enemies1 that they may sweep 
over and desolate our hunting grounds1  
like devastating winds1 or rushing      
waters4  8,brothers1--,our ,great       
,father1 over the great waters1 is angry
 with the white people1 our enemies4 ,he
 will send his brave warriors against   
them3 he will send us rifles1 and       
whatever else we want--he is our friend1

 and we are his children4               
8,brothers1--,who are the white people  
that we should fear them8 ,they cannot  
run fast and are good marks to shoot at2
 they are only men2 our fathers have    
killed many of them2 we are not squaws1 
and we will stain the earth red with    
their blood4  8,brothers1--,the ,great  
,spirit is angry with our enemies2 he   
speaks in thunder1 and the earth        
swallows up villages1 and drinks up the 
,mississippi4 ,the great waters will    
cover the lowlands2 their corn cannot   
grow2 and the ,great ,spirit will sweep 
those who escape to the hills from the  
earth with his breath4  8,brothers1--,we
 must be united1 we must smoke the same 
pipe2 we must fight each others'        
battles2 and more than all1 we must love
 the ,great ,spirit2 he is for us2 he   
will destroy our enemies1 and make all  
his red children happy40  ,in           
,jefferson's notes on the state of      
,virginia1 we find a speech reported to 
have been made by ,logan1 a ,mingo chief

 to ,lord ,dunmore when governor of the 
,state of ,virginia4 ,the circumstances 
under which it was made were the        
following3--  8,in the spring of the    
year #aggd1 a robbery was committed by  
some ,indians on certain land           
adventurers on the river ,ohio4 ,the    
whites in that quarter1 according to    
their custom1 undertook to punish this  
outrage in a summary way4 ,captain      
,michael ,cresap1 and a certain ,daniel 
,greathouse1 leading on these parties1  
surprised at different times travelling 
and hunting parties of the ,indians     
having their women and children with    
them1 and murdered many4 ,among these   
were1 unfortunately1 the family of      
,logan2 a chief celebrated in peace and 
war1 and long distinguished as the      
friend of the whites4 ,this unworthy    
return provoked his vengeance4 ,he      
accordingly signalised himself in the   
war which ensued4 ,in the autumn of the 
same year a decisive battle was fought  
at the mouth of the great ,kanhaway1    

between the collected forces of the     
,shawanese1 ,mingoes1 and ,delawares1   
and a detachment of the ,virginia       
militia4 ,the ,indians were defeated1   
and sued for peace4  8,logan1 however1  
disdained to be seen among the          
suppliants4 ,but lest the sincerity of a
 treaty should be disturbed1 from which 
so distinguished a chief absented       
himself1 he sent the following speech to
 be delivered to ,lord ,dunmore4  8#8,i 
appeal to any white man to say1 if ever 
he entered ,logan's cabin hungry1 and he
 gave him not meat2 if ever he came cold
 and naked1 and he clothed him not4     
,during the course of the last long and 
bloody war1 ,logan remained idle in his 
cabin1 an advocate for peace4 ,such was 
my love for the whites1 that my         
countrymen pointed as they passed and   
said1 #8,logan is the friend of the     
white men4' ,i had even thought to have 
lived with you but for the injuries of  
one man4 ,colonel ,cresap1 the last     
spring1 in cold blood and unprovoked    

murdered all the relations of ,logan1   
not even sparing my women and children4 
,there runs not a drop of my blood in   
the veins of any living creature4       
8#8,this called on me for revenge1 ,i   
have sought it2 ,i have killed many4 ,i 
have glutted my vengeance3 for my       
country ,i rejoice at the beams of      
peace4  8#8,but do not harbour a thought
 that mine is the joy of fear2 ,logan   
never felt fear4 ,he will not turn on   
his heel to save his life4 ,who is there
 to mourn for ,logan8 ,not one4'0  ,who 
can blame ,logan the ,mingo warrior for 
his deeds when the provocation he       
received is taken into consideration8   
8,not one60     ,of the ,political state
 and ,institutions of the ,american     
,indians4   ,among savage nations there 
is generally a degree of individual     
independence which is highly            
unfavourable to the establishment and   
consolidation of regular government4    
,men accustomed to victory and the use  
of arms1 and inured to danger and       

fatigue1 are not likely to submit to    
those restraints of law and             
jurisprudence which exist in civilized  
communities4 ,the will of the savage is1
 in most cases1 the only law which he   
acknowledges or submits to4 ,it is only 
when the tribe to which he belongs is   
menaced by some foreign foe that he     
submits to follow a leader to the field 
and to be controuled by his mandates4   
,even then1 his actions are not         
constrained1 but voluntary4 ,his natural
 ardour1 and warlike disposition1 hurry 
him on to battle more than any          
compulsory edict issued by the council  
of his nation4 ,but in a season of peace
 he is his own master4 ,scarcely any    
rule except that of custom does he deign
 to follow2 hence his actions spring    
spontaneously from the impulses of his  
own mind4  ,in considering the political
 institutions of any people1 our first  
enquiry should relate to their mode of  
subsistence4 8,according as that        
varies10 to use the language of         

,robertson1 8their laws and policy must 
be different4 ,the institutions suited  
to the ideas and exigencies of tribes   
which subsist chiefly by fishing or     
hunting1 and which have as yet acquired 
but an imperfect conception of any      
species of property1 will be much more  
simple than those which must take place 
when the earth is cultivated with       
regular industry1 and a right of        
property1 not only in its productions   
but in the soil itself1 is completely   
ascertained40  ,the ,american nations   
live chiefly by hunting1 fishing1 and   
the spontaneous products of their       
bountiful soil4 ,agriculture is but     
little practised amongst them4 ,a large 
tract of territory1 therefore1 is       
requisite for the support of a tribe4   
8,the chase10 observes ,robertson1 8even
 where prey is abundant1 and the        
dexterity of the hunter much improved1  
affords but an uncertain maintenance2   
and at some seasons it must be suspended
 altogether4 ,if a savage trusts to his 

bow alone for food1 he and his family   
will be often reduced to extreme        
distress4 ,hardly any region of the     
earth furnishes man spontaneously with  
what his wants require4 ,in the mildest 
climates and most fertile soils1 his own
 industry and foresight must be exerted 
in some degree to secure a regular      
supply of food4 ,their experience of    
this surmounts the abhorence of labour  
natural to savage nations1 and compels  
them to have recourse to culture as     
subsidiary to hunting4 ,in particular   
situations1 some small tribes may       
subsist by fishing1 independent of any  
production of the earth raised by their 
own industry4 ,but throughout all       
,america we scarcely meet with any      
nation of hunters which does not        
practice some species of cultivation40  
,this is the condition of most of the   
,american tribes at the present time4   
,their agriculture1 however1 is neither 
extensive nor laborious4 ,among some    
tribes as the ,oneidas and ,senecas1    

agriculture prevails more than among    
others4 ,this is to be attributed to the
 benevolent efforts of the ,quakers1    
which shall be described in a subsequent
 part of this work4 ,the ,indians in the
 interior of ,america1 who are less     
exposed to the influence of the whites1 
subsist chiefly by hunting and fishing4 
,agriculture is only accounted          
subsidiary to these4 ,it is adopted as a
 resource against famine1 and to supply 
the deficiency of game4 ,it is not      
pursued as the chief mode of obtaining  
subsistence1 and as a consequence has   
not risen to that state of perfection   
among the ,indians1 as among civilized  
nations4 ,hunting and fishing may be    
said to be the staple business of life  
among the more primitive tribes in      
,north ,america4 ,the character1        
therefore1 of their political           
institutions1 may be deduced from their 
peculiar mode of obtaining subsistence4 
,robertson1 in treating this subject has
 expressed himself with such clearness1 

and reasoned upon facts with such       
accuracy1 that it would be impossible   
for us to do better than to quote his   
remarks4  ,he observes1 8,they were     
divided into small independent          
communities4 ,while hunting is the chief
 source of subsistence1 a vast extent of
 territory is requisite for supporting a
 small number of people4 ,in proportion 
as men multiply and unite1 the wild     
animals1 on which they depend for food1 
diminish1 or fly at a greater distance  
from the haunts of their enemy4 ,the    
increase of a society in this state is  
limited by its own nature1 and the      
members of it must either disperse1 like
 the game which they pursue1 or fall    
upon some better method of procuring    
food1 than by hunting4 ,beasts of prey  
are by nature solitary and unsocial2    
they go not forth to the chase in herds1
 but delight in those recesses of the   
forest where they can roam and destroy  
undisturbed4 ,a nation of hunters       
resembles them both in occupation and in

 genius4 ,they cannot form into large   
communities1 because it would be        
impossible to find subsistence2 and they
 must drive to a distance every rival   
who may encroach on those domains which 
they consider as their own4 ,this was   
the state of all the ,american tribes3  
the numbers in each were inconsiderable1
 though scattered over countries of     
great extent2 they were far removed from
 one another1 and engaged in perpetual  
hostilities or rivalship4 ,in ,america1 
the word nation is not of the same      
import as in other parts of the globe4  
,it is applied to small societies1 not  
exceeding perhaps1 two or three hundred 
persons1 but occupying provinces greater
 than some kingdoms in ,europe4 ,the    
country of ,guiana1 though of larger    
extent than the kingdom of ,france1 and 
divided among a greater number of       
nations1 did not contain above          
twenty-five thousand inhabitants4#ab ,in
 the provinces which border on the      
,orinoco1 one may travel several hundred

 miles in different directions1 without 
finding a single hut1 or observing the  
foot steps of a human creature4#ac ,in  
,north ,america1 where the climate is   
more vigorous1 and the soil less        
fertile1 the desolation is still        
greater4 ,there1 journeys of some       
hundred leagues have been made through  
uninhabited plains and forests4#ad ,as  
long as hunting continues to be the     
chief employment of man to which he     
trusts for subsistence1 he can hardly be
 said to have occupied the earth4       
8,nations which depend upon hunting are1
 in a great measure1 strangers to the   
idea of property4 ,as the animals on    
which the hunter feeds are not bred     
under his inspection1 nor nourished by  
his care1 he can claim no right to them1
 while they run wild in the forest4     
,where game is so plentiful that it may 
be catched0--caught 8with little        
trouble1 men never dream of             
appropriating what is of small value1 or
 of easy acquisition4 ,where it is so   

rare1 that the labour or danger of the  
chase requires the united efforts of a  
tribe1 or village1 what is killed is a  
common stock1 belonging equally to all1 
who1 by their skill or their courage1   
have contributed to the success of the  
excursion4 ,the forest1 or hunting      
grounds are deemed the property of the  
tribe1 from which it has a title to     
exclude every rival nation4 ,but no     
individual arrogates a right to any     
district of these1 in preference to his 
fellow-citizens4 ,they belong alike to  
all2 and thither1 as to a general and   
undivided store1 all repair in quest of 
sustenance4 ,the same principle by which
 they regulate their chief occupation1  
extends to that which is subordinate4   
,even agriculture has not introduced    
among them a complete idea of property4 
,as the men hunt1 the women labour      
together2 and after they have shared the
 toils of the seed time1 they enjoy the 
harvest in common4#ae ,among some       
tribes1 the increase of their cultivated

 lands is deposited in a public granary1
 and divided among them at stated times1
 according to their wants4#af ,among    
others1 though they lay up separate     
stores1 they do not acquire such an     
exclusive right of property1 that they  
can enjoy superfluity1 while those      
around them suffer want4#ag ,thus the   
distinctions arising from the inequality
 of possessions are unknown4 ,the term  
rich or poor enter not into their       
language2 and being strangers to        
property1 they are unacquainted with    
what is the great object of laws and    
policy1 as well as the chief motive     
which induced mankind to establish the  
various arrangements of regular         
government4#ah  8,people in this state  
retain a high sense of equality and     
independence4 ,wherever the idea of     
property is not established1 there can  
be no distinction among men1 but what   
arises from personal qualities4 ,these  
can be conspicuous only on such         
occasions as call them forth into       

exertion4 ,in times of danger1 or in    
affairs of intricacy1 the wisdom and    
experience of age1 are consulted1 and   
prescribe the measure which ought to be 
pursued4 ,when a tribe of savages takes 
the field against the enemies of their  
country1 the warrior of most approved   
courage leads the youth to the          
combat4#ai ,if they go forth in a body  
to the chase1 the most expert and       
adventurous hunter is foremost1 and     
directs their motions4 ,but during      
seasons of tranquility and inaction1    
when there is no occasion to display    
those talents1 all pre-eminence ceases4 
,every circumstance indicates that all  
the members of the community are on a   
level4 ,they feed on the same plain     
fare4 ,their houses and furniture are   
exactly similar4 ,no distinction can    
arise from the inequality of            
possessions4 ,whatever forms dependence 
on one part1 or constitutes superiority 
on the other1 is unknown4 ,all are      
freemen2 all feel themselves to be such1

 and assert with firmness the rights    
which belong to that condition4#bj ,this
 sentiment of independence is imprinted 
so deeply in their nature1 that no      
change of condition can eradicate it1   
and bend their minds to servitude4      
,accustomed to be absolute masters of   
their own conduct1 they disdain to      
execute the orders of another2 and      
having never known control1 they will   
not submit to correction4 ,many of the  
,americans1 when they found that they   
were treated as slaves by the           
,spaniards1 died of grief2 many         
destroyed themselves in despair4#ba     
8,among people in this state1 government
 can assume little authority1 and the   
sense of civil subordination must remain
 very imperfect4 ,while the idea of     
property is unknown or incompletely     
conceived2 while the spontaneous        
productions of the earth1 as well as the
 fruits of industry1 are considered as  
belonging to the public stock1 there can
 hardly be any such subject of          

difference or discussion among the      
members of the same community1 as will  
require the hand of authority to        
interpose1 in order to adjust it4 ,where
 the right of separate and exclusive    
possession is not introduced1 the great 
object of law and jurisdiction does not 
exist4 ,when the members of a tribe are 
called into the field1 either to invade 
the territories of their enemies1 or to 
repel their attacks2 when they are      
engaged together in the toil and dangers
 of the chase1 they then perceive that  
they are a political body4 ,they are    
conscious of their own connexion with   
the companions in conjunction with whom 
they act2 and they follow and reverence 
such as excel in conduct and valour4    
,but1 during the intervals between such 
common efforts1 they seem scarcely to   
feel the ties of political union4#bb ,no
 visible form of government is          
established4 ,the names of magistrate   
and subject are not in use4 ,every one  
seems to enjoy his natural independence 

almost entire4 ,if a scheme of public   
utility be proposed1 the members of the 
community are left at liberty to choose 
whether they will or will not assist in 
carrying it into execution4 ,no statute 
imposes any service as a duty1 no       
compulsory laws oblige them to perform  
it4 ,all their resolutions are          
voluntary1 and flow from the impulse of 
their own minds4#bc ,the first step     
towards establishing a public           
jurisdiction has not been taken in these
 rude societies4 ,the right of revenge  
is left in private hands4#bd ,if        
violence is committed1 or blood is shed1
 the community does not assume the power
 either of inflicting or of moderating  
the punishment4 ,it belongs to the      
family or friends of the person injured 
or slain to avenge the wrong1 or to     
accept of the reparation offered by the 
aggressor4 ,if the elders interpose1 it 
is to advise1 not to decide1 and it is  
seldom their councils are listened to2  
for as it is deemed pusillanimous to    

suffer an offender to escape with       
impunity1 resentment is implacable and  
everlasting4#be ,the object of          
government is rather foreign than       
domestic4 ,they do not aim at           
maintaining interior order and police by
 public regulation1 or the exertions of 
any permanent authority2 but labour to  
preserve such union among the members of
 their tribe1 that they may watch the   
motions of enemies1 and act against them
 with concert and vigour4  8,such was   
the form of political order established 
among the greater part of the ,american 
tribes4 ,in this ,state were almost all 
the tribes spread over the provinces    
extending eastward of the ,mississippi1 
from the mouth of the ,st4 ,lawrence to 
the confines of ,florida4 ,in a similar 
condition were the people of ,brazil1   
the inhabitants of ,chili1 several      
tribes in ,paraguay and ,guiana1 and in 
the countries which stretch from the    
mouth of the ,orinoco to the ,peninsula 
of ,yucatan4 ,among such an infinite    

number of petty associations1 there may 
be peculiarities which constitute a     
distinction1 and mark the various       
degrees of their civilization and       
improvement4 ,but an attempt to trace   
and ennumerate these would be in vain1  
as they have not been observed by       
persons capable of discerning the minute
 and delicate circumstances1 which serve
 to discriminate nations resembling one 
another in their general character and  
features4 ,the description which ,i have
 given of the political institutions    
that took place among those rude tribes 
in ,america1 concerning which we have   
received most complete information1 will
 apply1 with little variation1 to every 
people1 both in its ,northern and       
,southern division1 who have advanced no
 farther in civilization than to add    
some slender degree of agriculture to   
fishing and hunting4#bf  8,but these    
political institutions1 however         
defective1 did not exist among all the  
,american tribes4 ,the system of        

government adopted by some of them      
approximated more closely the system    
which prevails in civilized communities4
 ,thus1 8among the ,natchez1 a powerful 
tribe1 7now extinct17 formerly situated 
on the banks of the ,mississippi1 a     
difference of rank took place with which
 the ,northern tribes were altogether   
unacquainted4 ,some families were       
reputed noble1 and enjoyed hereditary   
dignity4 ,the body of the people was    
considered as vile1 and formed only for 
subjection4 ,this distinction was marked
 by appellations which intimated the    
high elevation of the one state1 and the
 ignominious depression of the other4   
,the former were called respectable2 the
 latter the stinkards4 ,the great chief1
 in whom the supreme authority was      
vested1 was reputed to be a being of a  
superior nature--the brother of the sun1
 the sole object of their worship4 ,they
 approached this great chief with       
religious veneration1 and honoured him  
as the representative of their deity4   

,his will was law1 to which all         
submitted with implicit obedience4 ,the 
lives of his subjects were so absolutely
 at his disposal1 that if any one had   
incurred his displeasure1 the offender  
came with profound humility and offered 
him his head4 ,nor did the dominion of  
the ,chiefs end with their lives3 their 
principal officers1 their favourite     
wives1 together with many domestics of  
inferior rank1 were sacrificed at their 
tombs1 that they might be attended in   
the next world by the same persons who  
served them in this2 and such was the   
reverence in which they were held1 that 
those victims welcomed death with       
exultation1 deeming it a recompence of  
their fidelity and a mark of            
distinction1 to be selected to accompany
 their deceased master4 ,thus a perfect 
despotism1 with its full train of       
superstition arrogance and cruelty1 was 
established among the ,natchez2 and by a
 singular fatality1 that people tasted  
of the worst calamities incident to     

polished nations1 though they themselves
 were not far advanced beyond the tribes
 around them in civility and            
improvement40#bg  ,in the political     
institutions of the ,natchez1 however   
despotic and imperfect they may be      
considered1 we discover a bond of union 
which did not exist among other tribes  
who trusted for subsistence to hunting  
and fishing without any species of      
cultivation4 ,their wants were few and  
simple2 they therefore formed into      
separate tribes1 and acted together from
 instinct or habit rather than from any 
formal concert or contract4 ,hence their
 political institutions were as simple  
as their wants2 and hardly any          
appearance of regular government could  
be discerned among them4  ,from the     
foregoing statements it may be inferred 
that the political institutions of the  
,american ,indians arise from the       
peculiarity of their condition4 ,their  
military tactics1 their form of         
government1 their peculiar religious    

opinions1 and their unconquerable spirit
 of revenge1 all spring out of their    
peculiar state of semi-civilization4    
,that the circumstances around them     
determine the character of their        
political and other institutions will be
 fully proved by us when we come to     
speak of the efforts of the ,quakers in 
civilizing the ,oneidas and ,senecas of 
the ,five ,nations4 ,the ,socialist will
 readily perceive how the foregoing     
statements1 respecting the political    
institutions of the ,american           
,aborigines confirm and illustrate the  
truth of his principles4     ,of the    
,military ,tactics of the ,north        
,american ,indians4   ,there are two    
motives which stimulate savage nations  
to war2 these are interest and revenge4 
,the latter operates with a fierceness  
among rude nations1 unknown among       
civilized people4 ,the desire of        
vengeance is the first and almost only  
principle which the savage instils into 
the mind of his children4 ,this grows   

with his growth and strengthens with his
 strength1 and acquires a force and a   
preponderance over all other passions1  
which causes it to resemble the         
instinctive rage of a tiger or hyna4    
8,when under the dominion of this       
passion10 says ,robertson1 8man becomes 
the most cruel of all animals4 ,he      
neither pities1 nor forgives1 nor       
spares4 ,the force of this passion is so
 well understood by the ,americans      
themselves1 that they always apply to it
 in order to excite the people to take  
up arms4 ,if the elders of any tribe    
attempt to rouse their youth from sloth1
 if a chief wishes to allure a band of  
warriors to follow him in invading an   
enemy's country1 the most persuasive    
topics of their martial eloquence are   
drawn from revenge4 #8,the bones of our 
countrymen1' say they1 #8lie uncovered2 
their bloody bed has not been washed    
clean4 ,their spirits cry against us2   
they must be appeased4 ,let us go and   
devour the people by whom they were     

slain4 ,sit no longer inactive upon your
 mats2 lift the hatchet1 console the    
spirits of the dead1 and tell them that 
they shall be avenged4'0  ,animated with
 such exhortations1 the youth snatch    
their arms in a transport of fury1 raise
 the song of war1 and burn with         
impatience to embrue their hands in the 
blood of their enemies4 ,private chiefs 
assemble small parties1 and invade a    
hostile tribe1 without consulting the   
rulers of the community4 ,a single      
warrior1 prompted by caprice or revenge1
 will take the field alone1 and march   
several hundred miles to surprise and   
cut off a straggling enemy4 ,the        
exploits of a noted warrior1 in such    
solitary excursions1 often form the     
chief part in the history of an         
,american campaign2 and their elders    
connive at such irregular sallies1 as   
they tend to cherish a martial spirit1  
and accustom their people to enterprise 
and danger4#bh ,but when a war is       
national1 and undertaken by public      

authority1 the deliberations are formal 
and slow4 ,the elders assemble2 they    
deliver their opinions in solemn        
speeches2 they weigh with maturity the  
nature of the enterprise1 and balance   
its beneficial or disadvantageous       
consequences with no inconsiderable     
portion of political discernment or     
sagacity4 ,their priests and soothsayers
 are consulted1 and sometimes they ask  
even the advice of their women4#bi ,if  
the determination be for war1 they      
prepare for it with much ceremony4 ,a   
leader offers to conduct the expedition1
 and is accepted4 ,but no man is        
constrained to follow him2 the          
resolution of the community to commence 
hostilities1 imposes no obligation upon 
any member to take part in the war4     
,each individual is still master of his 
own conduct1 and his engagement in the  
service is perfectly voluntary4#cj  ,the
 maxims1 by which they regulate their   
military operations1 though extremely   
different from those which take place in

 more civilized and populous nations1   
are well suited to their own political  
state1 and the nature of the country in 
which they act4 ,they never take the    
field in numerous bodies1 as it would   
require a greater effort of foresight   
and industry1 than is usual among       
savages1 to provide for their           
subsistence during a march of some      
hundred miles through dreary forests1 or
 during a long voyage upon their lakes  
and rivers4 ,their armies are not       
encumbered with baggage or military     
stores4 ,each warrior1 besides his arms1
 carries his mat and a small bag of     
pounded maize1 and with these1 is       
completely equipped for any service4    
,while at a distance from the enemy's   
frontier1 they disperse through the     
woods1 and support themselves with the  
game which they kill1 or the fish which 
they catch4 ,as they approach nearer the
 territories of the nation which they   
intend to attack1 they collect their    
troops1 and advance with great caution4 

,even in their hottest and most active  
wars1 they proceed wholly by stratagem  
and ambuscade4 ,they place not their    
glory in attacking their enemies with   
open force4 ,to surprize and destroy is 
the greatest merit of a commander1 and  
the highest pride of his followers4 ,war
 and hunting are his only occupations1  
and they conduct both with the same     
spirit and the same arts4 ,they follow  
the track of their enemies through the  
forest4 ,they endeavour to discover     
their haunts2 they lurk in some thicket 
near to these1 and1 with the patience of
 sportsmen lying in wait for game1 will 
continue in their station day after day1
 until they can rush upon their prey    
when most secure1 and least able to     
resist them4 ,if they meet no straggling
 party of the enemy1 they advance       
towards their villages1 but with such   
solicitude to conceal their own         
approach1 that they often creep on their
 hands and feet through the woods1 and  
paint their skins of the same colour as 

the withered leaves1 in order to avoid  
detection4#ca ,if so fortunate as to    
remain unobserved1 they set on fire the 
enemy's huts in the dead of night1 and  
massacre the inhabitants1 as they fly   
naked and defenceless from the flames4  
,if they hope to effect a retreat       
without being pursued1 they carry off   
some prisoners whom they reserve for a  
more dreadful fate4 ,but if1            
notwithstanding all their address and   
precautions1 they find that their       
motions are discovered1 that the enemy  
has taken the alarm1 and is prepared to 
oppose them1 they usually deem it most  
prudent to retire4 ,they regard it as   
extreme folly to meet an enemy who is on
 his guard1 upon equal terms1 or to give
 battle in an open field4 ,the most     
distinguished success is a disgrace to a
 leader if it has been purchased with   
any considerable loss of his followers2 
and they never boast of a victory1 if   
stained with the blood of their own     
countrymen4#cb ,to fall in battle1      

instead of being reckoned an honourable 
death1 is a misfortune which subjects   
the memory of a warrior to the          
imputation of rashness or imprudence4#cc
  ,buchanan in his ,sketches of the     
,north ,american ,indians1 speaking of  
the military tactics of the ,five       
,nations observes1 8,previous to setting
 out on any warlike expedition they have
 a feast1 to which all the noted        
warriors of the nation are invited2 when
 they have their war-dance to the beat  
of kettle drums4 ,the warriors are      
seated on two rows2 each rises in turn1 
and sings the deeds he has performed2 so
 that they work up their spirits to a   
high degree of enthusiasm4 ,they come to
 these dances with faces painted in a   
frightful manner1 to make themselves    
look terrible to their enemies4 ,by     
these war-songs they preserve the       
history of their great achievements4    
,the solemn reception of these warriors1
 and the acclamation of applause which  
they receive at their return1 cannot but

 have on the hearer the same effect in  
raising an emulation for glory1 that a  
triumph had on the old ,romans4 ,after  
their prisoners are secured they never  
offer them the least bad treatment1 but 
on the contrary1 will rather starve     
themselves than suffer them to want2 and
 ,i have been always assured that there 
is not one instance of their offering   
the least violence to the chastity of   
any woman that was their captive4 ,the  
captives are generally distributed among
 those who have lost a member of their  
family in battle3 if they are accepted1 
they enjoy all the privileges which the 
person had2 but if otherwise1 they die  
in torment to satiate the revenge of    
those who refuse them4  8,they use      
neither drum nor trumpet1 nor any kind  
of musical instruments in their wars2   
their throats serve them on all         
occasions4 ,we find the same was        
practised by ,homer's heroes3--         
#8,thrice to its pitch1 his lofty voice 
he rears1     ,o friend6 ,ulysses'      

shouts invades my ears'06  ,the mode of 
torturing prisoners taken in battle1    
alluded to in the preceding extract1    
prevails among all the ,indian tribes in
 ,north ,america4 ,heckewelder1 a       
,moravian ,missionary1 who had acquired 
a great deal of information respecting  
,indian customs1 during a residence of  
the greater part of his life among the  
,indians of ,pennsylvania and the       
adjoining states1 thus speaks of this   
custom3--  8,much has been said on the  
subject of the preliminary cruelties    
inflicted on prisoners1 when they enter 
an ,indian village with the conquering  
warriors4 ,it is certain that this      
treatment is very severe when a         
particular revenge is to be exercised2  
but otherwise ,i can say with truth1    
that in many instances1 it is rather a  
scene of amusement than of punishment4  
,much depends on the courage and        
presence of mind of the prisoner4 ,on   
entering the village1 he is shown a     
painted post at the distance of from    

twenty to forty yards1 and told to run  
to it and catch hold of it as quickly as
 he can4 ,on each side of him stand men1
 women and children1 with axes1 sticks1 
and other offensive weapons1 ready to   
strike him as he runs1 in the same      
manner as is done in the ,european      
armies1 when soldiers1 as it is called  
run the gauntlet4 ,if he should be so   
unlucky as to fall in the way1 he will  
probably be immediately despatched by   
some person1 longing to avenge the death
 of some relation or friend slain in    
battle2 but the moment he reaches his   
goal1 he is safe and protected from     
farther insult1 until his fate is       
determined4  8,if a prisoner in such a  
situation shows a determined courage1   
and when bid to run for the painted     
post1 starts at once with all his might1
 and exerts all his strength and agility
 until he reaches it1 he will most      
commonly escape without much harm1 and  
sometimes without any injury whatever1  
and on reaching the desired point1 he   

will have the satisfaction to hear his  
courage and his bravery applauded4 ,but 
woe to the coward who hesitates1 or     
shows any symptoms of fear6 ,he is      
treated without much mercy1 and may     
consider himself happy1 at last1 if he  
escape with his life4  8,in the month of
 ,april1 #aghb1 when ,i was myself a    
prisoner at ,lower ,sandusky1 waiting   
for an opportunity to proceed with a    
trader to ,detroit1 ,i witnessed a scene
 of this description1 which fully       
exemplified what ,i have above stated4  
,three ,american prisoners were one day 
brought in by fourteen warriors1 from   
the garrison of ,fort ,m',intosh4 ,as   
soon as they had crossed the ,sandusky  
river to which the village lay adjacent1
 they were told by the ,captain of the  
party1 to run as hard as they could to a
 painted post which was shown to them4  
,the youngest of the three1 without a   
moment's hesitation1 immediately started
 for it1 and reached it1 fortunately1   
without receiving a single blow2 the    

second hesitated for a moment1 but      
recollecting himself1 he also ran as    
fast as he could1 and likewise reached  
the post unhurt2 but the third1         
frightened at seeing so many men1 women1
 and children1 with weapons in their    
hands1 ready to strike him1 kept begging
 the ,captain to spare his life1 saying 
he was a mason1 and he would build him a
 fine large stone house1 or do any thing
 for him that he should please4 #8,run  
for your life1' cried the chief to him1 
#8and don't talk now of building        
houses'6 ,but the poor fellow still     
insisted1 begging and praying to the    
,captain1 who at last finding his       
exhortations vain1 and fearing the      
consequences1 turned his back upon him1 
and would not hear him any longer4 ,our 
mason now began to run1 but received    
many a hard blow1 one of which nearly   
brought him to the ground1 which1 if he 
had fallen1 would at once have decided  
his fate4 ,he1 however1 reached the     
goal1 not without being sadly bruised1  

and he was besides1 bitterly reproached 
and scoffed at all round as a vile      
coward1 while the others were hailed as 
brave men1 and received tokens of       
universal approbation40     ,of the     
,religion of the ,north ,american       
,indians4   ,s4 ,f4 ,jarvis1 ,d4 ,d41   
,a4 ,a4 ,s41 of ,new ,york1 in his      
discourse on the religion of the ,north 
,american ,indians1 details many facts  
illustrating the notions which they     
entertain respecting ,deity and a future
 state4 ,his statements on this head    
exhibit both research and accuracy2     
though in the first part of his         
discourse he has digressed from the     
subject for the purpose of discharging a
 clerical arrow at the memory of ,volney
 and ,voltaire4 ,this however1 is       
pardonable in an individual holding the 
title of ,doctor of ,divinity4 ,after   
indulging in many speculations          
respecting the true religion1 and the   
modes in which it became corrupted1 he  
observes3--  8,having thus seen that all

 false religions are1 in a greater or   
less degree1 departures from the true2  
that there is a tendency in the human   
mind to form low and limited views of   
the ,supreme ,being2 and that1 in fact1 
all nations have fallen into the        
corruptions of polytheism and idolatry1 
we should conclude1 even in reasoning   
priori1 that the religion of the        
,indians would be found to partake of   
the general character4 ,accordingly1 the
 fact is amply attested1 that while they
 acknowledge one ,supreme ,being1 whom  
they denominate the ,great ,spirit1 or  
the ,master of ,life1 they also believe 
in subordinate divinities1 who have the 
chief regulation of the affairs of men4 
8,charlevoix1 who had all the           
opportunities of obtaining information  
which personal observation1 and the     
united testimony of the ,french         
missionaries could give1 is an          
unexceptionable witness with regard to  
the ,hurons1 the ,iroquois1 and the     
,algonquins4 ,nothing1 says he1 is more 

certain1 though at the same time        
obscure1 than the conception which the  
,american savages have of a ,supreme    
,being4 ,all agree that he is the ,great
 ,spirit1 and that he is the master1    
creator1 and governor of the world4#cd  
,the ,hurons call him ,areskoui2 the    
,iroquois1 by slight variation1         
,agreskooue4 ,he is with them the god of
 war4 ,his name they invoke as they     
march4 ,it is the signal to engage1 and 
it is the war-cry in the hottest of the 
battle4#ce  8,but1 beside the ,supreme  
,being1 they believe in an infinite     
number of subaltern spirits1 who are the
 objects of worship4 ,these they divide 
into good and bad4 ,the good spirits are
 called by the ,hurons1 ,okkis1 by the  
,algonquins1 ,mannitous4 ,they suppose  
them to be the guardians of men1 and    
that each has his own tutelary deity4   
,in fact1 every thing in nature has its 
spirit1 though all have not the same    
rank nor the same influence4 ,the       
animals they hunt have their spirits4   

,if they do not understand any thing1   
they immediately say it is a spirit4 ,if
 any man performs a remarkable exploit1 
or exhibits extraordinary talents1 he is
 said to be a spirit1 or in other words1
 his tutelary deity is supposed to be of
 more than ordinary power4#cf  8,it is  
remarkable1 however1 that these tutelary
 deities are not supposed to take men   
under their protection till something   
has been done to merit the favour4 ,a   
parent who wishes to obtain a guardian  
spirit for his child1 first blackens his
 face1 and then causes him to fast for  
several days4 ,during this time it is   
expected that the spirit will reveal    
himself in a dream2 and on this account1
 the child is anxiously examined every  
morning with regard to the visions of   
the preceding night4 ,whatever the child
 happens to dream of the most           
frequently1 even if it happen to be the 
head of a bird1 the foot of an animal1  
or any thing of the most worthless      
nature1 becomes the symbol or figure    

under which the ,okki reveals himself4  
,with this figure1 in the conceptions of
 his votary1 the spirit becomes         
identified2 the image is preserved with 
the greatest care--is the constant      
companion on all great and important    
occasions1 and the constant object of   
consultation and worship4#cg  8,as soon 
as a child is informed what is the      
nature or form of his protecting deity1 
he is carefully instructed in the       
obligations he is under to do him       
homage1 to follow his advice            
communicated in dreams1 to deserve his  
favours1 to confide implicitly in his   
care1 and to dread the consequences of  
his displeasure4 ,for this reason1 when 
the ,huron or the ,iroquois goes to     
battle or to the chase1 the image of his
 ,okki is as carefully carried with him 
as his arms4 ,at night1 each one places 
his guardian idol on the palisades      
surrounding the camp1 with the face     
turned from the quarter to which the    
warriors1 or hunters1 are about to      

march4 ,he then prays to it for an hour1
 as he does also in the morning before  
he continues his course4 ,this homage   
performed1 he lies down to rest1 and    
sleeps in tranquility1 fully persuaded  
that his spirit will assume the whole   
duty of keeping guard1 and that he has  
nothing to fear4  8,with this account of
 ,charlevoix1 the relations which the   
,moravian missionaries give1 not only of
 the ,iroquois1 but also of the ,lenaps1
 or ,delawares1 and numerous tribes     
derived from them1 perfectly accord4    
#8,the prevailing opinion of all these  
nations is1' says ,loskiel1 #8that there
 is one ,god1 or as they call him1 one  
great and good spirit1 who has created  
the heavens and the earth1 and made man 
and every other creature4 ,but beside   
the ,supreme ,being1 they believe in    
good and evil spirits1 considering them 
as subordinate deities4 ,our            
missionaries have not found rank        
polytheism1 or gross idolatry1 to exist 
among the ,indians4 ,they have1 however1

 something which may be called an idol4 
,this is the manitto1 representing in   
wood1 the head of a man in miniature1   
which they always carry about them1     
either on a string round their neck1 or 
in a bag4 ,they hang it also about their
 children1 to preserve them from        
illness1 and ensure to them success4    
,when they perform a solemn sacrifice1 a
 manitto1 or a head as large as life1 is
 put upon a pole in the middle of the   
house4 ,but they understand by the word 
manitto1 every being to which an        
offering is made1 especially all good   
spirits4 ,they also look upon the       
elements1 almost all animals1 and even  
some plants1 as spirits2 one exceeding  
the other in dignity and power4 ,the    
manittoes are also considered as tutelar
 spirits4 ,every ,indian has one or     
more1 which he conceives to be          
peculiarly given to him to assist him   
and make him prosper4 ,one has1 in a    
dream1 received the sun as his tutelar  
spirit1 another the moon2 a third1 an   

owl2 a fourth1 a buffalo4 ,an ,indian is
 dispirited1 and considers himself as   
forsaken by ,god1 till he has received a
 tutelar spirit in a dream2 but those   
who have been thus favoured1 are full of
 courage and proud of their powerful    
ally40#ch  ,this account is corroborated
 by ,heckewelder1 in his late           
interesting history of the ,indian      
nations4  8,it is a part of their       
religious belief0 says he1 8that there  
are inferior manittoes to whom the great
 and good being has given the rule and  
command over the elements2 that being so
 great1 he1 like their chiefs1 must have
 his attendants to execute his supreme  
behests3 these subordinate spirits1     
7something in their nature between ,god 
and man7 see and report to him what is  
doing upon earth2 they look down        
particularly upon the ,indians1 to see  
whether they are in need of assistance1 
and are ready at their call to assist   
and protect them against danger4 ,thus  
,i have frequently witnessed ,indians1  

on the approach of a storm or           
thunder-gust1 address the manitto of the
 air to avert all danger from them2 ,i  
have also seen the ,chippeways1 on the  
lakes of ,canada1 pray to the manitto of
 the waters1 that he might prevent the  
swells from rising too high1 while they 
were passing over them4 ,in both these  
instances they expressed their          
willingness to be grateful1 by throwing 
tobacco in the air or strewing it on the
 waters4 #8,but amidst all these        
superstitious notions1 the supreme      
manitto1 the creator and preserver of   
heaven and earth1 is the great object of
 their adoration4 ,on him they rest     
their hopes2 to him they address their  
prayers1 and make their solemn          
sacrifices4'#ci  8,the ,knistineaux     
,indians who inhabit the country        
extending from ,labrador1 across the    
continent1 to the ,highlands which      
divide the waters on ,lake ,superior1   
from those of ,hudson's ,bay1 appear1   
from ,mackenzie's account1 to have the  

same system1 of one great ,supreme1 and 
innumerable subordinate deities4 #8,the 
great master of life1' to use their own 
expression1 is the sacred object of     
their devotion4 ,but each man carries in
 his medicine bag a kind of household   
god1 which is a small carved image1     
about eight inches long4 ,its first     
covering is of down1 over which a piece 
of beech bark is closely tied1 and the  
whole is enveloped in several folds of  
blue and red cloth4 ,this little figure 
is an object of the most pious regard4  
8,it is remarkable1 that the description
 given by ,peter ,martyr1 who was the   
companion of ,columbus1 of the worship  
of the inhabitants of ,cuba1 perfectly  
agrees with this account of the         
,northern ,indians1 by ,mackenzie4 ,they
 believed in the existence of one       
supreme1 invisible1 immortal and        
omnipotent ,creator1 whom they named    
,jocahuna1 but at the same time         
acknowledged a plurality of subordinate 
deities4 ,they had little images called 

,zemes1 whom they looked upon as only a 
kind of messengers between them and the 
eternal omnipotent and invisible ,god4  
,these images they consider as bodies   
inhabited by spirits1 and oracular      
responses were therefore received from  
them as uttered by the divine           
command40#dj  8,the religion of ,porto  
,rico1 ,jamaica1 and ,hispaniola1 was   
the same as that of ,cuba2 for the      
inhabitants were of the same race1 and  
spoke the same language4 ,the ,caribbean
 ,islands1 on the other hand1 were      
inhabited by a very fierce and savage   
people who were continually at war with 
the milder natives of ,cuba and         
,hispaniola1 and were regarded by them  
with the utmost terror and abhorence4   
,yet #8the ,charaibeans1' to use the    
language of the elegant historian of the
 ,west ,indies1 #8while they entertained
 an awful sense of the one great        
,universal ,cause1 of a superior1 wise1 
and invisible ,being of absolute and    
irresistible power1 admitted also the   

agency of subordinate divinities4 ,they 
supposed that each individual person had
 his peculiar protector1 or tutelar     
deity2 and they had their laws and      
penalties1 gods of their own creating4' 
,hughes1 in his history of ,barbadoes1  
mentions many fragments of ,indian      
idols1 dug up in that island1 which were
 composed of the same materials as their
 earthen vessels4 #8,i saw the head of  
one1' says he1 #8which alone weighed    
above sixty pounds4 ,this1 before it was
 broken off1 stood upon an oval         
pedestal1 about three feet in height4   
,the heads of all the others were very  
small4 ,these lesser idols were1 in all 
probability1 made small for the ease and
 conveniency of being carried with them 
in their several journeys1 as the larger
 sort were perhaps designed for the     
stated places of worship4'0#da  8,thus1 
in this vast extent of country1 from    
,hudson's ,bay1 to the ,west ,indies1   
including nations whose languages are   
radically different1 nations unconnected

 with1 and unknown to1 each other1 the  
greatest uniformity of belief prevails1 
with regard to the supreme ,being1 and  
the greatest harmony in their system of 
polytheism4 ,after this view1 it is     
impossible not to remark1 that there is 
a similar departure from the original   
religion among the ,indians of ,america1
 as among the more civilized nations of 
,egypt1 ,greece1 and ,rome4 ,the idea of
 the ,divine ,unity is much more        
perfectly preserved2 the subordinate    
divinities are kept at a much more      
immeasurable distance from the ,great   
,spirit2 and1 above all1 there has been 
no attempt among them to degrade to the 
likeness of men the invisible and       
incomprehensible ,creator of the        
universe4 ,in fact1 theirs is exactly   
that milder form of idolatry which      
#8prevailed everywhere from the days of 
,abraham1 his single family excepted1'  
and which1 after the death of that      
patriarch and of his son ,isaac1        
infected1 from time to time1 even the   

chosen family itself40#db  8,the belief 
of a future state of rewards and        
punishments1 has been kept alive among  
all heathen nations1 by its connection  
with the sensible enjoyments and        
sufferings1 and the consequent hopes and
 terror of men4  8,its origin must have 
been in divine revelation2#dc for it is 
impossible to conceive that the mind can
 have attained to it by its own         
unassisted powers4 ,but the thought1    
when once communicated1 would in the    
shipwreck of dissolving nature1 be clung
 to with the grasp of expiring hope4    
,hence no nation have yet been found1   
however rude and barbarous1 who have not
 agreed in the great and general        
principle of retributive immortality4   
,when1 however1 we descend to detail1   
and inquire into their peculiar notions 
with regard to this expected state1 we  
find that their traditions are coloured 
by the nature of their earthly          
occupations1 and the opinions they      
thence entertained on the subject of    

good and evil4  8,this remark is fully  
verified by the history of the ,american
 ,indians4 #8,the belief most firmly    
established among the ,american         
,savages1' says ,charlevoix1 #8is that  
of the immortality of the soul4 ,they   
suppose that when separated from the    
body1 it preserves the same inclinations
 which it had when both were united4    
,for this reason1 they bury with the    
dead all that they had in use when      
alive4 ,some imagine that all men have  
two souls1 one of which never leaves the
 body1 unless it be to inhabit another4 
,this transmigration1 however1 is       
peculiar to the souls of those who die  
in infancy1 and who therefore have the  
privilege of commencing a second life1  
because they enjoyed so little of the   
first4 ,hence children are buried along 
the highways1 that the women as they    
pass may receive their souls4 ,from this
 idea of their remaining with the body1 
arises the duty of placing food upon    
their graves2#dd and mothers have been  

seen to draw from their bosoms that     
nourishment which these little creatures
 loved when alive1 and shed it upon the 
earth which covered their remains4'0#de 
8,when the time has arrived for the     
departure of those spirits which leave  
the body1 they pass into a region which 
is destined to be their eternal abode1  
and which is therefore called the       
country of souls4 ,this country is at a 
great distance towards the ,west1 and to
 go thither costs them a journey of many
 months4 ,they have many difficulties to
 surmount1 and many perils to encounter4
 ,they speak of a stream in which many  
suffer shipwreck2 of a dog from which   
they with difficulty defend themselves2 
of a place of suffering where they      
expiate their faults2 of another in     
which the souls of those prisoners who  
have been tortured are again tormented1 
and who therefore linger on their       
course1 to delay as long as possible the
 moment of their arrival4 ,from this    
idea it proceeds that after the death of

 these unhappy victims1 for fear their  
souls may remain around the huts of     
their tormentors from the thirst of     
vengeance1 the latter are careful to    
strike every place around them with a   
staff1 and to utter such terrible cries 
as may oblige them to depart40#df  8,to 
be put to death as a captive1 is1       
therefore1 an exclusion from the ,indian
 paradise2 and1 indeed1 the souls of all
 who have died a violent death1 even in 
war1 and in the service of their        
country1 are supposed to have no        
intercourse in the future world with    
other souls4 ,they1 therefore1 burn the 
bodies of such persons1 or bury them1   
sometimes before they have expired4     
,they are never put into the common     
place of interment1 and they have no    
part in that solemn ceremony which the  
,hurons and the ,iroquois observe every 
ten years1 and other nations every      
eight1 of depositing all who have died  
during that period in a common place of 
sepulture4  8,to have been a good       

hunter1 brave in war1 fortunate in every
 enterprise1 and victorious over many   
enemies1 are the only titles to enter   
their abode of bliss4 ,the happiness of 
it consists in the never-failing supply 
of game and fish1 an eternal spring1 and
 an abundance of every thing which can  
delight the senses without the labour of
 procuring it4 ,such are the pleasures  
which they anticipate1 who often return 
weary and hungry from the chase1 who are
 often exposed to the inclemencies of a 
winter sky1 and who look upon all labour
 as an unmanly and degrading employment4
  8,the ,chippewayans live between the  
parallels of lat4 #fj and #fe north1 a  
region of almost perpetual snows2 where 
the ground never thaws1 and is so barren
 as to produce nothing but moss4#dg     
8,to them1 therefore1 perpetual verdure 
and fertility1 and waters unincumbered  
with ice1 are voluptuous images4 ,hence 
they imagine that1 after death1 they    
shall inhabit a most beautiful island in
 the centre of a most extensive lake4   

,on the surface of this lake they will  
embark in a stone canoe1 and if their   
actions have been generally good1 will  
be borne by a gentle current to their   
delightful and eternal abode4 ,but if1  
on the contrary1 their bad actions      
predominate1 the stone canoe sinks1 and 
leaves them up to their chins in the    
water to behold and regret the reward   
enjoyed by the good1 and eternally      
struggling1 but with unavailing         
endeavours1 to reach the blissful island
 from which they are excluded for       
ever4#dh  8,on the other hand the       
,arrowauks1 or natives of ,cuba1        
,hispaniola1 ,porto ,rico1 ,jamaica1 and
 ,trinidad1 would naturally place their 
enjoyments in every thing that was      
opposite to the violence of a tropical  
climate4 ,they suppose1 therefore1 that 
the spirits of good men were conveyed to
 the pleasant valley of ,coyaba2 a place
 of indolent tranquillity1 abounding    
with ,guavas and other delicious fruits1
 cool shades1 and murmuring rivulets2 in

 a country where drought never rages1   
and the hurricane is never felt4#di     
8,while these voluptuous people made the
 happiness of the future state to       
consist in these tranquil enjoyments1   
their fierce enemies1 the ,charaibes1   
looked forward to a paradise1 in which  
the brave would be attended by their    
wives and captives4 ,the degenerate and 
the cowardly they doomed to everlasting 
banishment beyond the mountains2 to     
unremitting labour in employments that  
disgrace manhood--disgrace heightened by
 the greatest of all afflictions1       
captivity and servitude among the       
,arrowauks40#ej  8,to all the inferior  
deities1 whether good or malevolent1 the
 ,hurons1 the ,iroquois1 and the        
,algonquins1 make various kinds of      
offerings4 ,to propitiate the ,god of   
the waters1 says ,charlevoix1 #8they    
cast into the streams and lakes1        
tobacco1 and birds which they have put  
to death4 ,in honour of the sun1 and    
also of inferior spirits1 they consume  

in the fire a part of every thing they  
use1 as an acknowledgement of the power 
from which they have derived these      
possessions4 ,on some occasions they    
have been observed to make libations1   
invoking at the same time1 in a         
mysterious manner1 the object of their  
worship4 ,these invocations they have   
never explained2 whether it be1 that    
they have in fact no meaning1 or that   
the words have been transmitted by      
tradition1 unaccompanied by their       
signification1 or that the ,indians     
themselves are unwilling to reveal the  
secret4 ,strings of wampum1 tobacco1    
ears of corn1 the skins1 and often the  
whole carcases of animals1 are seen     
along difficult or dangerous roads1 on  
rocks1 and on the shores of rapids1 as  
so many offerings made to the presiding 
spirit of the place4 ,in these cases1   
dogs are the most common victims2 and   
are often suspended alive upon trees by 
the hinder feet1 where they are left to 
die in a state of madness4'#ea  8,what  

,charlevoix thus affirms with regard to 
the ,hurons1 ,iroquois and ,algonquins1 
is mentioned by ,mackenzie1 as practised
 among the ,knisteneaux4 #8,there are   
stated periods' says he #8such as the   
spring and autumn1 when they engage in  
very long and solemn ceremonies4 ,on    
these occasions dogs are offered as     
sacrifices3 and those which are fat and 
milk-white are preferred4 ,they also    
make large offerings of their property1 
whatever it may be4 ,the scene of these 
ceremonies1 is in an open enclosure1 on 
the banks of a river or lake1 and in the
 most conspicuous situation1 in order   
that such as are passing along1 or      
travelling1 may be induced to make their
 offerings4 ,there is also a particular 
custom among them1 that on these        
occasions if any of the tribe1 or even a
 stranger1 should be passing by1 and be 
in real want of any thing that is       
displayed as an offering1 he has a right
 to take it1 so that he replaces it with
 some article he can spare1 though it be

 of far inferior value2 but to take or  
touch any thing wantonly is considered  
as a sacrilegious act1 and highly       
insulting to the great master of life1  
who is the sacred object of their       
devotion4' ,at the feasts made by their 
chiefs1 he further observes1 #8a small  
quantity of meat or drink is sacrificed 
before they begin to eat1 by throwing it
 into the fire1 or on the earth4'#eb    
8,a similar account is given by ,adair  
of the practice among the ,creeks1      
,katbahs1 ,cherokees1 ,chocktaws1 and   
other ,southern ,indians4 #8,the ,indian
 women1' says he1 #8always throw a small
 piece of the fattest of the meat into  
the fire1 when they are eating1 and     
frequently before they begin to eat4    
,they pretend to draw omens from it1 and
 firmly believe that it is the mean of  
obtaining temporal blessings1 and       
averting temporal evils4 ,the men1 both 
in their summer and winter hunt1        
sacrifice in the woods a large fat piece
 of the first buck they kill1 and       

frequently the whole carcase4 ,this they
 offer up1 either as a thanksgiving for 
the recovery of health1 and for their   
former success in hunting1 or that the  
divine care and goodness may still be   
continued with them4'#ec  8,the song of 
the ,lenap warriors1 as they go out to  
meet their enemy1 concludes with the    
promise of a victim if they return in   
safety4      ,o6 ,thou ,great ,spirit   
above6     '''     ,give me strength and
 courage to meet my enemy2     ,suffer  
me to return again to my children1      
,to my wife1     ,and to my relations6  
,take pity on me and preserve my life4  
,and ,i will make to thee a sacrifice4  
8,accordingly1 #8after a successful     
war1' says ,heckewelder1 #8they never   
fail to offer up a sacrifice to the     
great ,being1 to return him thanks for  
having given them courage and strength  
to destroy or conquer their             
enemies4'0#ed  8,loskiel1 who has given 
a minute account of the sacrifices      
offered by the ,lenaps or ,delawares and

 who is said by ,heckewelder to have    
almost exhausted the subject1 affirms   
that they are offered on all occasions1 
the most trivial as well as the most    
important4 #8,they sacrifice to a hare1'
 says he1 #8because according to report1
 the first ancestors of the ,indian     
tribe had that name4' ,to ,indian corn  
they sacrifice bear's flesh1 but to deer
 and bears ,indian corn2 to the fishes1 
small pieces of bread in the shape of   
fishes2 but they positively deny that   
they pay any adoration to these         
subordinate good spirits1 and affirm    
that they only worship the true ,god    
through them3 #8for ,god1' say they1    
#8does not require men to pay offerings 
or adoration immediately to him4' ,he   
has1 therefore1 made known his will in  
dreams1 notifying to them what beings   
they have to consider as manittoes1 and 
what offerings to make to them40#ee     
,when a boy dreams that he sees a large 
bird of prey1 of the size of a man1     
flying towards him from the ,north1 and 

saying to him #8roast some meat for me1'
 the boy is then bound to sacrifice the 
first deer or bear he shoots to this    
bird4 ,this sacrifice is appointed by an
 old man1 who fixes on the day and place
 in which it is to be performed4 ,three 
days previous to it1 messengers are sent
 to invite the guests4 ,these assemble  
in some lonely place1 in a house large  
enough to contain three fires4 ,at the  
middle fire1 the old man performs the   
sacrifice4 ,having sent for twelve      
straight and supple sticks1 he fastens  
then into the ground1 so as to enclose a
 circular spot1 covering them with      
blankets4 ,he then rolls twelve red-hot 
stones in the enclosure1 each of which  
is dedicated to one god in particular4  
,the largest belongs1 as they say1 to   
the great god in heaven2 the second to  
the sun1 or the god of the day2 the     
third1 to the sun or the moon2 the      
fourth1 to the earth2 the fifth1 to the 
fire2 the sixth1 to the water2 the      
seventh1 to the dwelling or house of    

,god2 the eighth1 to ,indian corn2 the  
ninth1 to the ,west2 the tenth1 to the  
,south2 the eleventh1 to the ,east2 the 
twelfth to the ,north4 ,the old man then
 takes a rattle1 containing some grains 
of ,indian corn1 and leading the boy1   
for whom the sacrifice is made1 into the
 enclosure1 throws a handful of tobacco 
upon the red-hot stones1 and as the     
smoke ascends1 rattles his calabash1    
calling each god by name1 and           
saying3--#8,this boy 7naming him7 offers
 unto thee a fine fat deer1 and a       
delicious dish of sapan6 ,have mercy on 
him1 and grant good luck to him and his 
family4'#ef  8,all the inhabitants of   
the ,west ,indies offered sacrifices2   
and of these the ,charaibes were        
accustomed1 at the funerals of their    
friends1 to offer some of the captives  
who had been taken in battle4#eg ,i     
scarcely need advert to the well-known  
fact1 that human sacrifices were offered
 by the ,mexicans4 ,of these1 all the   
,spanish historians have given the most 

horrible and disgusting account1 and    
they are described more especially by   
,bernal ,diaz1 who was an eye-witness1  
with the most artless and affecting     
simplicity4 ,of this practice1 however1 
there are no traces among the present   
,indian tribes1 unless the tormenting of
 their captives1 as ,charlevoix seems to
 intimate1 be considered as a sacrifice 
to the god of war4  8,having seen that  
,sacrifice is practised among the       
,indians1 we are naturally led to       
consider the question1 whether they have
 among them a priesthood3 and on this   
point1 the testimony of travellers is   
somewhat discordant4 ,mackenzie mentions
 that the ,chipewyans have              
high-priests2#eh yet he describes the   
public sacrifices of the ,knisteneaux1  
as offered by their chiefs1 and the     
private1 by every man in his own cabin1 
assisted by his most intimate friend4#ei
 ,charlevoix says1 that among the       
,indians of whom he writes1 #8in public 
ceremonies1 the chiefs are the priests2 

in private1 the father of each family2  
or where there is none1 the most        
considerable person in the cabin4 ,an   
aged missionary1' he says1 #8who lived  
among the ,ottwas1 stated that with them
 an old man performed the office of     
priest4' ,loskiel says of the ,lenap1 or
 ,delaware ,indians1 that #8they have   
neither priests regularly appointed1 nor
 temples4 ,at general and solemn        
sacrifices the oldest men perform the   
offices of priests2 but in private      
parties1 each man bringing a sacrifice  
is priest himself4 ,instead of a temple1
 a large dwelling-house is fitted up for
 the purpose4' ,he afterwards speaks of 
the place of offering under the name of 
#8the house of sacrifice1' and mentions 
it as being #8in a lonely place4'#fj    
8,on the other hand1 ,bartram1 in his   
account of the ,southern tribes1 says1  
#8there is in every town1 or tribe1 a   
high-priest1 with several inferior or   
junior priests1 called by the white     
people jugglers1 or conjurers4'#fa ,to  

the same purpose1 ,adair asserts1 that  
they #8have their high priests1 and     
others of a religious order4'           
#8,ishtahoollo1' he observes1 #8is the  
name of all their priestly order1 and   
their pontifical office descends by     
inheritance to the eldest4'#fb          
8,notwithstanding this diversity1       
however1 the difference is more in      
appearance than in reality4 ,various    
meanings attached to the same words1 in 
consequence of arbitrary associations1  
may produce a diversity of description4 
,if a priest be one whose exclusive duty
 it is to celebrate the rites of        
religion1 then it must be admitted that 
a priesthood exists among the ,indians2 
for those who deny that they have       
priests1 allow that in their public     
sacrifices the chiefs are the only      
persons authorized to officiate4 ,the   
only difference1 then1 lies in this1    
whether the priesthood be1 or be not1   
connected with the office of the        
magistrate4  8,among ,christians1 as    

among the ,jews1 the priesthood is      
distinct from the civil authority2 but  
previous to the separation of the family
 of ,aaron1 these two offices were      
generally united4 ,melchizedeck was both
 king of ,salem and priest of the most  
,high ,god4 ,jethro was1 at the same    
time1 priest and prince of ,midian2 and 
,abraham himself1 who is called a       
prince1 performed the sacerdotal        
functions4 ,we find this union of the   
regal and sacerdotal characters existing
 among heathen nations4 ,homer described
 the aged ,pylian king as performing    
religious rites2#fc and ,virgil tells of
 the monarch of ,delos1 who was both    
priest and king3--      #8,rex ,anius1  
rex idem1 hominum ,phbique sacerdos4'#fd
  8,among the ,creeks and other         
,southern ,indians1 a monarchical form  
of government seems to prevail2 among   
the ,northern ,indians1 a republican4   
,in both1 the sacerdotal office may be  
united with civil authority2 and        
therefore partake of its peculiar       

character4 ,among the one1 it may be    
hereditary2 among the other elective4   
,if this be not sufficient to reconcile 
the discordant accounts1 we are bound1  
,i think1 to respect the united         
testimony of ,charlevoix and ,loskiel1  
in preference to any other1 as they do  
not appear to have had any system to    
serve which might give a bias to their  
statements4 ,and if this be so1 it will 
be seen that the religion of the        
,indians approaches much nearer to the  
patriarchal1 than to that of the ,jews4 
,their public sacerdotal offices are    
performed by their chiefs1 and in their 
private1 the head of every family is its
 priest4  8,but there is another office 
which ,carver1 ,bartram and others have 
confounded with the priesthood1 which   
exists among all the ,indian tribes1 and
 concerning which there is no diversity 
in the statements of travellers4 ,to    
this class of men the ,french           
missionaries gave the name of           
,jongleurs1 whence the ,english have    

derived that of jugglers or conjurers4  
,to use the definition of ,charlevoix1  
they are those servants of their ,god1  
whose duty it is to announce their      
wishes1 and to be their interpreters to 
men3 or1 in the language of ,volney1    
those #8whose trade it is1 to expound   
dreams1 and to negotiate between the    
,manitto and the votary4' #8,the        
,jongleurs of ,canada1' says            
,charlevoix1 #8boast that by means of   
the good spirits whom they consult1 they
 learn what is passing in most remote   
countries1 and what is to come to pass  
at the most remote period of time2 that 
they discover the origin and nature of  
the most secret disorders1 and obtain   
the hidden method of curing them2 that  
they discern the course to be pursued in
 the most intricate affairs2 that they  
learn to explain the obscurest dreams1  
to give success to the most difficult   
negociations1 and to render the gods    
propitious to warriors and hunters4'    
#8,i have heard1' he adds1 #8from       

persons of the most undoubted judgment  
and veracity1 that when these imposters 
shut themselves up in their sweating    
stones1 which is one of their most      
common preparations for the performance 
of their sleight of hand1 they differ in
 no respect from the descriptions given 
by the poets1 of the priestesses of     
,apollo1 when seated on the ,delphic    
,tripod4 ,they have been seen to fall   
into convulsions1 to assume tones of    
voice1 and to perform actions1 which    
were seemingly superior to human        
strength1 and which inspired with an    
unconquerable terror even the most      
prejudiced spectators4' ,their          
predictions were sometimes so           
surprisingly verified1 that ,charlevoix 
seems firmly to have believed that they 
had a real intercourse with the father  
of lies4#fe  8,this account of the      
,jongleurs of ,canada1 is confirmed by  
,mr4 ,heckewelder1 in his late work on  
the ,indian tribes4 #8,they are a set1' 
he observes1 #8of professional          

impostors1 who availing themselves of   
the superstitious prejudices of the     
people1 acquire the name and reputation 
of men of superior knowledge1 and       
possessed of supernatural powers4 ,as   
the ,indians in general believe in      
witchcraft1 and ascribe to the arts of  
sorcerers many of the disorders with    
which they are afflicted in the regular 
course of nature1 this class of men has 
arisen among them1 who pretend to be    
skilled in a certain occult science1 by 
means of which they are able1 not only  
to cure natural diseases1 but to        
counteract or destroy the enchantments  
of wizards or witches1 and expel evil   
spirits4'#ff  8,there are jugglers of   
another kind1 in general old men and    
women1 who get their living by          
pretending to supernatural knowledge1 to
 bring down rain when wanted1 and to    
impart good luck to bad hunters4 ,in the
 summer of #agii1 a most uncommon       
drought happened in the ,muskingum      
country4 ,an old man was applied to by  

the women to bring down rain1 and after 
various ceremonies1 declared that they  
should have rain enough4 ,the sky had   
been clear for nearly five weeks1 and   
was equally clear when the ,indian made 
this declaration4 ,but about four in the
 afternoon the horizon became overcast1 
and1 without any thunder or wind1 it    
began to rain1 and continued to do so   
till the ground became thoroughly       
soaked4 ,experience had doubtless taught
 him to observe that certain signs in   
the sky or in the water were forerunners
 of rain2 yet the credulous multitude   
did not fail to ascribe it to his       
supernatural power4#fg ,it is incredible
 to what a degree the superstitious     
belief in witchcraft operates on the    
mind of the ,indian4 ,the moment his    
imagination is struck with the idea that
 he is bewitched1 he is no longer       
himself4 ,of this extraordinary power of
 their conjurers1 of the causes which   
produce it1 and the manner in which it  
is acquired1 they have not a very       

definite idea4 ,the sorcerer1 they      
think1 makes use of some deadening      
substance1 which he conveys to the      
person he means to strike1 in a manner  
which they can neither understand or    
describe4 ,the person thus stricken is  
immediately seized with an unaccountable
 terror4 ,his spirits sink1 his appetite
 fails1 he is disturbed in his sleep1 he
 pines and wastes away1 or a fit of     
sickness seizes him1 and he dies at     
last1 a miserable victim to the workings
 of his own imagination4#fh  8,a        
remarkable instance of this belief in   
the power of these sorcerers1 and of the
 wonderful effects of imagination1 is   
related by ,hearne1 as having occurred  
during his residence among the northern 
or ,chepewyan ,indians4 ,matonabbee1 one
 of their chiefs1 had requested him to  
kill one of his enemies1 who was at that
 time several hundred miles distant4    
#8,to please this great man1' says he1  
#8and not expecting that any harm could 
possibly arise from it1 ,i drew a rough 

sketch of two human figures on a piece  
of paper1 in the attitude of wrestling2 
in the hand of one of them ,i drew the  
figure of a bayonet1 pointing to the    
breast of the other4 ,this1 said ,i1 to 
,matonabbee1 pointing to the figure     
which was holding the bayonet1 is ,i1   
and the other is your enemy4 ,opposite  
to those two figures ,i drew a fine     
tree1 over which ,i placed a large human
 eye1 and out of the tree projected a   
human hand4 ,this paper ,i gave to      
,matonabbee1 with instructions to make  
it as public as possible4 ,the following
 year when he came to trade1 he informed
 me that the man was dead4 ,matonabbee  
assured me1 that the man was in perfect 
health when he heard of my design       
against him1 but almost immediately     
afterwards became quite gloomy1 and1    
refusing all kinds of sustenance1 in a  
very few days died4'#fi  8,bartram1 in  
his account of the manners and habits of
 the tribes which inhabit ,florida and  
the south of the ,united ,states1       

relates1 as their general belief1 that  
their seer has communion with powerful  
invisible spirits1 who have a share in  
the government of human affairs1 as well
 as of the elements4 ,his influence is  
so great1 as frequently to turn back an 
army when within a day's journey of     
their enemy1 after a march of several   
hundred miles4 #8,indeed1' he adds1     
#8the predictions of these men have     
surprised many people4 ,they foretell   
rain or drought1 pretend to bring rain  
at pleasure1 cure diseases1 exercise    
witchcraft1 invoke or expel evil        
spirits1 and even assume the power of   
directing thunder and lightening4'#gj   
8,the power1 then1 of these imposters1  
is supposed to consist in the miraculous
 cure of diseases2 the procuring of     
rain1 and other temporal blessings1 in  
the same supernatural manner2 the       
miraculous infliction of punishment upon
 the subjects of their displeasure1 and 
the foretelling of future events4 ,it   
will immediately be seen1 that these    

are1 in fact1 the characteristics of the
 prophetic office2 those ,i mean1 which 
are external1 which produce therefore1 a
 lasting impression on the senses of    
men1 and from the force of ocular       
tradition1 would naturally be pretended 
to1 even after the power of ,god was    
withdrawn40     ,of the mode in which   
the ,north ,american ,indians educate   
their children4   ,many of the ,asiatic 
nations and ,african tribes sell their  
children without compunction2 but no    
emolument or hope of advantage can      
induce a ,north ,american ,indian to    
part with his child to strangers4 ,of   
the tenderness with which the ,american 
,indians regard their offspring1        
,buchanan witnessed the following       
manifestation3--  8,a mother with an    
infant at her breast1 and two other     
children1 one about eleven and the other
 eight or nine years of age1 were in a  
canoe near a mile from land1 during a   
violent squall4 ,the wind came in sudden
 gusts1 and the waves dashed in rapid   

succession over the frail vessel4 ,the  
poor woman1 with a small oar in one hand
 and the other surrounding her babe1    
directed the two young ones1 who each   
had a paddle1 to get the head of the    
canoe to the wind while the squall      
lasted2 which1 with much labour on the  
part of these tender little mariners1   
aided by the mother1 was at length      
effected2 but during the effort it was  
very touching to see the strong emotions
 of maternal love1 evidenced to the poor
 infant at her breast4 ,she would clasp 
it tightly to her agitated bosom1 then  
cast a momentary look at her other      
children1 and with an anxious and steady
 gaze1 watch the coming wave4 ,in this  
scene was exhibited such high degrees of
 fortitude1 dexterity1 and parental     
affection1 that ,i would have wished    
many of our civilized mothers1 who look 
and think with contempt on the poor     
,indian1 had beheld her40  ,it might be 
expected that those who display such    
tenderness to their offspring1 should be

 particularly careful of their          
subsequent education4 ,accordingly1 we  
find that the ,indians pay particular   
attention to this matter4 8,it may be   
justly a subject of wonder10 says ,mr4  
,heckewelder1 8how a nation without a   
written code of laws or system of       
jurisprudence1 without any form or      
constitution of government1 and without 
even a single elective or hereditary    
magistrate1 can subsist together in     
peace and harmony1 and in the exercise  
of the moral virtues2 how a people can  
be well and effectually governed1       
without any external authority1 by the  
mere force of the ascendency which men  
of superior minds have over those of a  
more ordinary stamp2 by a tacit1 yet    
universal submission to the aristocracy 
of experience1 talent1 and virtue6      
,such1 nevertheless1 is the spectacle   
which an ,indian nation exhibits to the 
eye of a stranger4 ,i have been a       
witness to it for a long series of      
years1 and after much observation and   

reflection to discover the cause of this
 phenomenon1 ,i think ,i have reason to 
be satisfied that it is in a great      
degree to be ascribed to the pains which
 the ,indians take to instil at an early
 age honest and virtuous principles into
 the minds of their children1 and to the
 method which they pursue in educating  
them4 ,this method ,i will not call a   
system1 for systems are unknown to these
 sons of nature1 who1 by following alone
 her dictates1 have at once discovered1 
and followed without effort1 that plain 
obvious path which the philosophers of  
,europe have been so long in search     
of40#ga  ,the manner of this education  
is described by our good missionary as  
follows3--  8,the first step that       
parents take towards the education of   
their children1 is to prepare them for  
future happiness1 by impressing upon    
their tender minds1 that they are       
indebted for their existence to a great1
 good1 and benevolent spirit1 who not   
only has given them life1 but has       

ordained them for certain great         
purposes4 ,that he has given them a     
fertile extensive country1 well stocked 
with game of every kind for their       
subsistence2 and that by one of his     
inferior spirits he has also sent down  
to them from above1 corn1 pumpkins1     
squashes1 beans1 and other vegetables   
for their nourishment2 all which        
blessings their ancestors have enjoyed  
for a great number of ages4 ,that this  
great spirit looks down upon the        
,indians1 to see whether they are       
grateful to him and make him a due      
return for the many benefits he has     
bestowed1 and therefore1 that it is     
their duty to show their thankfulness by
 worshiping him1 and doing that which is
 pleasing in his sight4  8,this is in   
substance the first lesson taught1 and  
from time to time repeated to the       
,indian children1 which naturally leads 
them to reflect and gradually to        
understand that a being which hath done 
such great things for them1 and all to  

make them happy1 must be good indeed1   
and that it is surely their duty to do  
something that will please him4 ,they   
are then told that their ancestors1 who 
received all this from the hands of the 
,great ,spirit and lived in the         
enjoyment of it1 must have been informed
 of what would be most pleasing to this 
good being1 and of the manner in which  
his favour could most surely he         
obtained2 and they are directed to look 
up for instruction to those who know all
 this1 learn from them1 and revere them 
for their knowledge and the wisdom which
 they possess2 this creates in the      
children a strong sentiment of respect  
for their elders1 and a desire to follow
 their advice and example4 ,their young 
ambition is then excited by telling them
 that they were made the superiors of   
all other creatures1 and are to have    
power over them2 great pains are taken  
to make this feeling take an early root1
 and it becomes1 in fact1 their ruling  
passion through life2 for no pains are  

spared to instil into them1 that by     
following the advice of the most admired
 and extolled hunter1 trapper1 or       
warrior1 they will at a future day      
acquire a degree of fame and reputation 
equal to that which he possesses2 that  
by submitting to the counsels of the    
aged1 the chiefs1 the men superior in   
wisdom1 they may also rise to glory1 and
 be called wise men1 an honorable title 
to which no ,indian is indifferent4     
,they are finally told that if they     
respect the aged and infirm1 and are    
kind and obliging to them1 they will be 
treated in the same manner when their   
turn comes to feel the infirmities of   
old age40  ,when this first and         
important lesson is thought to be       
sufficiently impressed upon children's  
minds1 the parents next proceed to make 
them sensible of the distinction between
 good and evil2 they tell them that     
there are good and bad actions1 both    
equally open to them to do or commit2   
that good acts are pleasing to the ,good

 ,spirit which gave them their          
existence2 and that on the contrary1 all
 that is bad proceeds from the ,bad     
,spirit who has given them nothing1 and 
who cannot give them anything that is   
good1 because he has it not1 and        
therefore he envies them that which they
 have received from the good spirit1 who
 is far superior to the bad one4  8,this
 introductory lesson1 if it may be so   
called1 naturally makes them wish to    
know what is good and what is bad4 ,this
 the parent teaches them in his own way1
 that is to say1 in the way in which he 
was himself taught by his parents4 ,it  
is not the lesson of an hour or of a    
day2 it is rather a long course more of 
practical than of theoretical           
instruction2 a lesson1 which is not     
repeated at stated times and seasons1   
but which is shown1 pointed out1 and    
demonstrated to the child1 not only by  
those under whose immediate guardianship
 he is1 but by the whole community1 who 
consider themselves alike interested in 

the direction to be given to the rising 
generation4  8,when this instruction is 
given in the form of precepts1 it must  
not be supposed that it is done in an   
authoritative or forbidding tone1 but1  
on the contrary1 in the gentlest and    
most persuasive manner3 nor is the      
parent's authority ever supported by    
harsh or compulsive means2 no whips1 no 
punishments1 no threats are ever used to
 enforce commands or compel obedience4  
,the child's pride is the feeling to    
which an appeal is made1 which proves   
successful in almost every instance4 ,a 
father needs only to say in the presence
 of his children3 #8,i want such a thing
 done2 ,i want one of my children to go 
upon such an errand2 let me see who is  
the good child that will do it6' this   
word good operates1 as it were1 by      
magic1 and the children immediately vie 
with each other to comply with the      
wishes of their parent4 ,if the father  
sees an old decrepit man or woman pass  
by1 led along by a child1 he will draw  

the attention of his own children to the
 object by saying3 #8what a good child  
that must be1 which pays such attention 
to the aged6 ,that child1 indeed1 looks 
forward to the time when it shall be    
old6' or he will say3 #8may the ,great  
,spirit1 who looks upon him1 grant this 
good child a long life6'  8,in this     
manner of bringing up children1 the     
parents1 as ,i have already said1 are   
seconded by the whole community4 ,if a  
child is sent from his father's dwelling
 to carry a dish of victuals to an aged 
person1 all in the house will join in   
calling him a good child4 ,they will ask
 whose child he is2 and on being told1  
will exclaim1 what6 #8has the ,tortoise1
 or the ,little ,bear 7as the father's  
name may be7 got such a good child8' ,if
 a child is seen passing through the    
streets leading an old decrepit person1 
the villagers will in his hearing1 and  
to encourage all the other children who 
may be present to take example from him1
 call on one another to look on and see 

what a good child that must be4 ,and so1
 in most instances1 this method is      
resorted to1 for the purpose of         
instructing children in things that are 
good1 proper1 or honorable in           
themselves2 while1 on the other hand1   
when a child has committed a bad act1   
the parent will say to him1 #8,o6 how   
grieved ,i am that my child has done    
this bad act6 ,i hope he will never do  
so again4' ,this is generally effectual1
 particularly if said in the presence of
 others4 ,the whole of the ,indian plan 
of education tends to elevate rather    
than depress the mind1 and by that means
 to make determined hunters and fearless
 warriors4  8,thus1 when a lad has      
killed his first game1 such as a deer or
 a bear1 parents who have boys growing  
up will not fail to say to some person  
in the presence of their own children3  
#8that boy must have listened           
attentively to the aged hunters1 for1   
though so young1 he has already given a 
proof that he will become a good hunter 

himself4' ,if1 on the other hand1 a     
young man should fail of giving such a  
proof1 it will be said of him3 #8that he
 did not pay attention to discourses of 
the aged4'  8,in this indirect manner is
 instruction on all subjects given to   
the young people4 ,they are to learn the
 arts of hunting1 trapping1 and making  
war1 by listening to the aged when      
conversing together on those subjects2  
each in his turn relating how he acted2 
and opportunities are afforded to them  
for that purpose4 ,by this mode of      
instructing youth1 their respect for the
 aged is kept alive1 and it is increased
 by the reflection that the same respect
 will be paid to them at a future day1  
when young persons will be attentive to 
what they shall relate4  8,this method  
of conveying instruction is1 ,i believe1
 common to most ,indian nations2 it is  
so1 at least1 amongst all those that ,i 
have become acquainted with1 and lays   
the foundation for that voluntary       
submission to their chiefs1 for which   

they are so remarkable4 ,thus has been  
maintained for ages1 without convulsions
 and without civil discords1 this       
traditional government1 of which the    
world perhaps does not offer another    
example2 a government in which there are
 no positive laws1 but only long        
established habits and customs2 no code 
of jurisprudence1 but the experience of 
former times2 no magistrates1 but       
advisers1 to whom the people            
nevertheless pay a willing and implicit 
obedience2 in which age confers rank1   
wisdom gives power1 and moral goodness  
secures a title to universal respect4   
,all this seems to be effected by the   
simple means of an excellent mode of    
education1 by which a strong attachment 
to ancient customs1 respect for age1 and
 the love of virtue are indelibly       
impressed upon the minds of youth1 so   
that these impressions acquire strength 
as time pursues its course1 and as they 
pass through successive generations40   
,what can afford stronger proof of the  

,socialist's doctrine1 that the         
character of man results from the       
peculiar mode of training to which he   
may be subjected1 than the forgoing     
statements of the missionary            
,heckewelder8 ,robert ,owen and his     
disciples assert that man is the        
creature of circumstances2 that the     
quality of his character corresponds to 
the quality of the associations under   
the influence of which he has been      
trained4 ,and in the statements of a    
minister of the ,gospel1 we find ample  
proof of the truth of these assertions4 
,o6 that men were wise enough to        
perceive the benefits that would result 
from the proper application of a        
principle1 the truth of which is thus   
warranted by the condition1 character1  
and training of the ,aborigines of      
,america6     ,further particulars      
respecting the ,cruelty of the ,indians1
 their ,hospitality1 their sense of     
,justice1 and the mode in which the     
,whites have acted towards them4   ,a   

great deal has been said respecting the 
cruelty of the ,north-,american         
,indians4 ,that they are in some        
instances cruel1 may be admitted2 but   
this need not be wondered at1 when we   
consider the atrocities which the whites
 have perpetrated upon them4 8,cruelty  
and eager desire for revenge0 says      
,buchanan1 8are the chief1 if not the   
only deformities of their nature2 and   
these are scarcely ever manifested1     
except in their open hostilities1 the   
causes of which are precisely similar to
 those which actuate civilized nations4 
,then indeed their ferocity breaks out  
with almost demoniacal fury2 their      
captives are generally doomed to death2 
but it is not until they have undergone 
the most exquisite tortures1 the most   
ingenious1 unutterable and protracted   
agony1 that the final blow is given4    
,these atrocious practices are not      
however peculiar to our unlettered      
,indians4 ,the metal boot and wedge2 the
 thumb screw2 the rack2 the gradual     

burnings of ,smithfield2 the religious  
butchery of the bloody ,piedmontese who 
rolled ,mother with ,infant down the    
rocks2 the dismemberment by horses2     
,luke's iron crown2 ,damien's bed of    
steel20 and the kiss of the virgin2     
8sufficiently attest the claims of      
enlightened man to distinction in the   
art of torture40#gb  ,governor ,clinton 
in his discourse to the ,new ,york      
,society1 says that 8the five nations1  
notwithstanding their horrible cruelty1 
are in one respect1 entitled to singular
 commendation for the exercise of       
humanity2 those enemies they spared in  
battle they made free2 whereas1 with all
 other barbarous nations slavery was the
 commutation of death4 ,but it becomes  
not us1 if we value the character of our
 forefathers2 it becomes not the        
civilized nations of ,europe who have   
had ,american possessions1 to inveigh   
against the merciless conduct of the    
savage4 ,his appetite for blood was     
sharpened and whetted by ,european      

instigation and his cupidity was        
enlisted on the side of cruelty by every
 temptation40#gc  ,on the cruelty of the
 ,indians1 and the provocation they have
 received from the ,whites1 ,mr4        
,heckewelder in his #ddth chapter1 has  
the following observations--  8,the     
,indians are cruel to their             
enemies6--,in some cases they are1 but  
perhaps not more so than white men have 
sometimes shown themselves4 ,there have 
been instances of white men flaying or  
taking off the skins of ,indians who had
 fallen into their hands1 then tanning  
those skins or cutting them up in       
pieces1 making them up into             
razor-straps1 and exporting them for    
sale1 as was done at or near ,pittsburg 
sometime during the revolutionary war4  
,those things are abominations in the   
eyes of the ,indians1 who indeed1 when  
strongly excited1 inflict torments on   
their prisoners and put them to death by
 cruel tortures1 but never are guilty of
 acts of barbarity in cold blood4       

,neither do the ,delawares and some     
other ,indian nations1 ever on any      
account disturb the ashes of the dead4  
8,the custom of torturing prisoners is  
of ancient date1 and was first          
introduced as a trial of courage4 ,i    
have been told1 however1 that among some
 tribes it has never been in use2 but it
 must be added that those tribes give no
 quarter4 ,the ,delawares accuse the    
,iroquois of having been the inventors  
of this piece of cruelty1 and charge    
them further with eating the flesh of   
their prisoners after the torture was   
over4 ,be this as it may1 there are now 
but few instances of prisoners being put
 to death in this manner4  8,rare as    
these barbarous executions now are1 ,i  
have reason to believe that they would  
be still less frequent1 if proper pains 
were taken to turn the ,indians away    
from this heathenish custom4 ,instead of
 this1 it is but too true that they have
 been excited to cruelty by unprincipled
 white men1 who have joined in their    

war-feasts and even added to the        
barbarity of the scene4 ,can there be a 
more brutal act than1 after furnishing  
those savages1 as they are called1 with 
implements of war and destruction1 to   
give them an ox to kill and to roast    
whole1 to dance the war dance with them 
round the slaughtered animal1 strike at 
him1 stab him1 telling the ,indians at  
the same time1 #8,strike1 stab6 thus you
 must do to your enemy6' ,then taking a 
piece of the meat and tearing it with   
their teeth1 #8,so you must eat his     
flesh6' and sucking up the juices1      
#8,thus you must drink his blood2' and  
at last devour the whole as wolves do a 
carcass4 ,this is what is known to have 
been done by some of those ,indian      
agents that ,i have mentioned4  8,is    
this possible8 the reader will naturally
 exclaim4 ,yes6 it is possible6 and     
every ,indian warrior will tell you that
 it is true4 ,it has come to me from so 
many credible sources that ,i am forced 
to believe it4 ,how can the ,indians now

 be reproached with acts of cruelty to  
which they have been excited by those   
who pretended to be ,christians and     
civilized men1 but who were worse       
savages than those whom1 no doubt1 they 
were ready to brand with that name4     
8,when hostile governments give         
directions to employ the ,indians       
against their enemies1 they surely do   
not know that such is the manner in     
which their orders are to be executed2  
but let me tell them and every other    
government who will descend to employ   
these auxiliaries1 that is the only way 
in which their subaltern agents will and
 can proceed to make their aid          
effectual4 ,the ,indians are not fond of
 interfering in quarrels not their own1 
and will not fight with spirit for the  
mere sake of a livelihood which they can
 obtain in a more agreeable manner by   
hunting and their other ordinary        
occupations4 ,their passions must be    
excited2 and that is not easily done    
when they themselves have not received  

any injury from those against whom they 
are desired to fight4 ,behold then1 the 
abominable course which must unavoidably
 be resorted to--to induce them to do   
what8--to lay waste the dwelling of the 
peaceable cultivator of the land1 and to
 murder his innocent wife and helpless  
children6 ,i cannot pursue this subject 
farther1 although ,i am far from having 
exhausted it4 ,i have said enough to    
enable the impartial reader to decide   
which of the two classes of men1 the    
,indians or the ,whites1 are the most   
justly entitled to the epithets of      
brutes1 barbarians1 and savages4 ,it is 
not for me to anticipate his decision40 
,the cruelty of the ,indians need not be
 wondered at1 when the provocations they
 have received are taken into account4  
,the white settlers usually treat them  
as inferiors1 as lawful prey1 as beings 
only fit to be trampled on and          
oppressed4 ,of the truth of this        
statement1 the following extracts will  
afford abundant proof4 ,we quote them   

from ,buchanan's ,sketches of the       
,manners and ,customs of the            
,north-,american ,indians2              
,heckewelder's ,historical ,account1 and
 the ,report on the ,condition of the   
,indians of ,upper-,canada1 published   
recently by the ,aborigines ,protection 
,society4 ,these extracts1 it will be   
seen1 contain a narration of events1    
more creditable to the character of the 
,indians1 than to the character of their
 white oppressors4  ,mr4 ,buchanan says3
 8,in passing down the ,st4 ,lawrence in
 the summer of #ahai1 ,i stopped my     
batteaux at a tavern1 where ,i proposed 
to remain all night4 ,two squaws were   
there with a basket of wild strawberries
 for sale1 and ,i directed the mistress 
of the tavern to purchase some1 that ,i 
might have them with cream for my       
supper4 ,it was soon1 however1 to be    
perceived by the conversation in        
bargaining1 that my landlady and the    
,indian women could not come to terms4  
,there seemed to be much harshness in   

the manner of the former2 but the       
replies of the latter were so meek1 and 
their demeanour so submissive1 that had 
,i been making the bargain under the    
impression of my feelings1 few words    
would have been necessary4 ,the         
,christian purchaser1 however1 continued
 so extortionate in her demands1 that   
the poor disappointed heathens turned   
away from her4 ,truly unreasonable      
indeed must the lady have been2 for     
there was neither village1 nor other    
house near likely to afford a market for
 the poor ,indian hawkers1 who it seemed
 had come to this very tavern with the  
hope of selling their fruit4 ,under this
 impression ,i followed the poor women1 
put a small sum into the hands of one of
 them1 and hastily passed on1 while they
 gazed at me with astonishment at so    
unexpected a largess1 for so it appeared
 to them4 ,on my return from a walk     
along the river1 ,i was surprised to see
 the two squaws standing at the corner  
of the house patiently waiting for me2  

when1 eyes sparkling with emotions which
 ,i could not misunderstand1 but which  
,i am incapable of portraying1 they     
presented me with a bowl top-full of    
picked strawberries1 which ,i rejected  
at first1 being desirous of convincing  
them there were some1 if not many1 white
 men who felt kindly towards them4 ,but 
their expression of entreaty was so     
vehement1 their importunity so great1   
that ,i felt it necessary to their      
happiness to accept their present2 for  
they had no other way of showing their  
gratitude4 ,this humble offering        
furnished my supper1 and sweet indeed   
would my meal have been1 had not        
commiseration for the wrongs of these   
sorely abused1 persecuted1 forlorn1     
abandoned people1 mingled with my       
enjoyment4 ,i am so fully impressed with
 their undeserved misery1 and with the  
nobleness of their character1 that ,i   
should esteem the devotion of my life in
 their cause the most honourable way in 
which it could be employed2 but alas1   

years and circumstances prevent my doing
 more than making this feeble effort to 
rouse the energies of youthful talent in
 their behalf2 and as benevolence       
pervades the youthful mind more         
powerfully than that of the aged1 ,i am 
not without a hope that thousands will  
yet start up to advocate the cause of   
the ,red ,indians1 and prosecute        
measures for the amelioration of their  
state4  8,the above instance of want of 
charity1 nay1 of common decency on the  
part of white people in their           
intercourse with the ,indians1 is not by
 any means of rare occurrence4 ,my      
reader will already have seen the       
complaints and pathetic appeals of      
justice which the poor children of the  
wilderness are so frequently compelled1 
by the treachery of their civilized     
neighbours1 to make2 and ,i am sorry to 
add another specimen to the long list of
 these atrocious outrages1 which1 in    
large and petty aggressions1 is daily   
swelling and becoming more and more     

enormous4 ,in passing1 on the very day  
,i have just adverted to through the    
,thousand ,islands1 one of the boatmen  
who were rowing me1 hallooed to a canoe 
in which some ,indians were fishing1 who
 immediately came towards us1 and a     
barter commenced between them and the   
boatmen4 ,the boatmen held up a piece of
 cold pork and a loaf1 for which they   
were to receive fish4 ,the poor young   
,indians1 7for the eldest was not above 
fourteen1 and there were two little     
girls younger7 showed what fish they    
would give2 yet warily kept at a        
distance1 fearing what1 in spite of     
their precaution1 actually took place4  
,the boatmen struck suddenly at the     
canoe with their oars1 and in the       
confusion which this attack caused1     
grasped the fish2 the bread and the pork
 they at first offered were1 ,i need    
hardly say1 withheld4 ,having achieved  
this noble enterprise they shouted and  
assailed the unresisting and defenceless
 children 7who paddled off evidently    

fearful of further outrage17 with taunts
 and mockery4 ,these men were           
,canadians2 there were four of them2 and
 ,i had no other means of punishing them
 on this occasion than by withholding   
the usual pecuniary fee4 ,i was in some 
measure at their mercy2 but though      
compelled to be a calm spectator of so  
dastardly a theft1 ,i confess ,i was    
still more incensed at seeing how       
heartily some inhabitants of ,canada1   
who were my fellow passengers1 seemed to
 enjoy the joke4 ,the fact is1 the      
,indians are esteemed lawful prey4 ,such
 is the feeling of thousands of men     
called ,christians1 who boast of        
civilization1 but who derive their      
subsistence by intercourse with the     
,indians2 and however just many in the  
,united ,states are1 and however careful
 the ,british government is to guard the
 rights of the red men1 yet as this     
guardianship is chiefly committed to    
those who are partakers in the spoils of
 the ,indians1 the care1 instead of     

being wise and benign1 is rather to     
debauch their untutored mind by the     
introduction of spirits among them4     
,every cup to them is indeed            
#8unblessed1 and the ingredient is a    
devil6' ,gradually1 therefore1 are they 
diminishing1 and receding from the      
haunts of what we term civilization6    
,that this charge does not apply to all1
 and rarely to the heads of these       
departments1 ,i rejoice to admit2 but   
still those heads of departments are    
responsible for all the acts of their   
subordinate agents1 and should exercise 
a vigilant superintendence1 impartially 
punishing any1 the least1 infringement  
of their regulations4 ,no man should be 
connected with the ,indian department   
who is directly or indirectly interested
 in trade with the ,indians40  ,the     
following facts derived from            
,heckewelder's historical account speak 
volumes4 ,eternal ,god can white men be 
so cruel6 ,can the professors of        
religion be so depraved66  8,in the     

summer of the year #agfc1 some friendly 
,indians from a distant place1 came to  
,bethlehem to dispose of their peltry   
for manufactured goods and necessary    
implements of husbandry4 ,returning home
 well satisfied1 they put up the first  
night at a tavern1 eight miles          
distant4#gd ,the landlord not being at  
home1 his wife took the liberty of      
encouraging the people who frequented   
her house for the sake of drinking1 to  
abuse the ,indians1 adding1 that she    
would freely give a gallon of rum to any
 one of them that should kill one of the
 black devils4 ,other white people from 
the neighbourhood came in during the    
night1 who also drank freely1 made a    
great deal of noise1 and increased the  
fear of the poor ,indians who1 for the  
greatest part1 understanding ,english1  
could not but suspect that something bad
 was intended against their persons4    
,they were not1 however1 otherwise      
disturbed2 but in the morning1 when     
after a restless night they were        

preparing to set off1 they found        
themselves robbed of some of the most   
valuable articles they had purchased1   
and on mentioning this to a man who     
appeared to be the bar-keeper1 they were
 ordered to leave the house4 ,not being 
willing to lose so much property1 they  
retired to some distance into the woods1
 where1 some of them remaining with what
 was left them1 the others returned to  
,bethlehem and lodged their complaint   
with a justice of the peace4 ,the       
magistrate gave them a letter to the    
landlord pressing him without delay to  
restore to the ,indians the goods that  
had been taken from them4 ,but behold6  
when they delivered that letter to the  
people at the inn they were told in     
answer1 #8that if they set any value on 
their lives1 they must make off with    
themselves immediately4' ,they well     
understood that they had no other       
alternative1 and prudently departed     
without having received back any of     
their goods4 ,arrived at ,nescopeck on  

the ,susquehannah1 they fell in with    
some other ,delawares1 who had been     
treated much in the same manner1 one of 
them having had his rifle stolen from   
him4 ,here the two parties agreed to    
take revenge in their own way1 for those
 insults and robberies for which they   
could obtain no redress2 and that they  
determined to do as soon as war should  
be again declared by their nation       
against the ,english4  8,scarcely had   
these ,indians retired1 when in another 
place1 about fourteen miles distant from
 the former1 one man1 two women and a   
child1 all quiet ,indians1 were murdered
 in a most wicked and barbarous manner1 
by drunken militia officers and their   
men1 for the purpose of getting their   
horses and the goods they had just      
purchased4#ge ,one of the women1 falling
 on her knees1 begged in vain for the   
life of herself and her child1 while the
 other woman seeing what was doing1 made
 her escape to the barn1 where she      
endeavoured to hide herself on the top  

of the grain4 ,she however was          
discovered1 and inhumanly thrown down on
 the thrashing floor with such force    
that her brains flew out4  8,here1 then1
 were insults1 robberies and murders1   
all committed within the short space of 
three months1 unatoned for and          
unrevenged4 ,there was no prospect of   
obtaining redress2 the survivors were   
therefore obliged to seek some other    
means to obtain revenge4 ,they did so2  
the ,indians1 already exasperated       
against the ,english in consequence of  
repeated outrages1 and considering the  
nation as responsible for the injuries  
which it did neither prevent nor punish1
 and for which it did not even offer to 
make any kind of reparation1 at last    
declared war2 and then the injured      
parties were at liberty to redress      
themselves for the wrongs they had      
suffered4 ,they immediately started     
against the objects of their hatred1 and
 finding their way unseen and           
undiscovered to the inn which had been  

the scene of the first outrage1 they    
attacked it at day-break1 fired into it 
on the people within who were lying on  
their beds4 ,strange to relate6 the     
murderers of the man1 two women1 and    
child1 were among them4 ,they were      
mortally wounded1 and died of their     
wounds shortly afterwards4 ,the         
,indians1 after leaving this house1     
murdered by accident an innocent family1
 having mistaken the house that they    
meant to attack1 after which they       
returned to their homes4  8,now a       
violent hue and cry was raised against  
the ,indians2 no language was too bad1  
no crimes too black to brand them with4 
,no faith was to be placed in those     
savages2 treaties with them were of no  
effect2 they ought to be cut off from   
the face of the earth6 ,such was the    
language in everybody's mouth2 the      
newspapers were filled with accounts of 
the cruelties of the ,indians2 a variety
 of false reports were circulated in    
order to rouse the people against them2 

while they1 the really injured party1   
having no printing presses among them1  
could not make known the story of their 
grievances4  8#8,no faith can be placed 
in what the ,indians promise at         
treaties2 for scarcely is a treaty      
concluded than they are murdering us4'  
,such is our complaint against these    
unfortunate people2 but they will tell  
you that it is the white men in whom no 
faith is to be placed4 ,they will tell  
you that there is not a single instance 
in which the whites have not violated   
the engagements that they have made at  
treaties4 ,they say that when they had  
ceded lands to the white people1 and    
boundary lines had been established1    
#8firmly established1' beyond which no  
whites were to settle2 scarcely was the 
treaty signed when white intruders again
 were settling and hunting on their     
lands6 ,it is true that when they       
preferred their complaints to the       
government1 the government gave them    
many fair promises1 and assured them    

that men would be sent to remove the    
intruders by force from the usurped     
lands4 ,the men1 indeed1 came1 but with 
chain and compass in their hands1 taking
 surveys of the tracts of good land1    
which the intruders1 from their         
knowledge of the country1 had pointed   
out to them6  8,what was then to be     
done1 when those intruders would not go 
off from the land1 but1 on the contrary 
increased in numbers6 #8,oh6' said these
 people1 7and ,i have myself frequently 
heard this language in the ,western     
country17 #8a new treaty will soon give 
us all this land2 nothing is now wanting
 but a pretence to pick a quarrel with  
them6' ,well1 but in what manner is this
 quarrel to be brought about8 ,a ,david 
,owen1 a ,walker1 and many others1      
might1 if they were alive1 easily answer
 this question4 ,a precedent however1   
may be found1 on perusing ,mr4          
,jefferson's appendix to his notes on   
,virginia4 ,on all occasions1 when the  
object is to murder ,indians1 strong    

liquor is the main article required2 for
 when you have them dead drunk1 you may 
do to them as you please1 without       
running the risk of losing your life4   
,and should you find that the laws of   
your country may reach you where you    
are1 you have only to escape or conceal 
yourself for a while until the storm has
 blown over6 ,i well recollect the time 
when thieves and murderers of ,indians  
fled from impending punishment across   
the ,susquehannah1 where they considered
 themselves safe2 on which account this 
river had the name given to it of #8the 
rogues' river4' ,i have heard other     
rivers called by similar names4  8,in   
the year #agdb1 the ,rev4 ,mr4          
,whitefield offered the ,nazareth       
,manor1 7as it was then called7 for sale
 to the ,united ,brethren4 ,he had      
already begun to build upon it a        
spacious stone house1 intended as a     
school-house for the education of       
,indian children4 ,the ,indians1 in the 
meanwhile1 loudly exclaimed against the 

white people for settling in this part  
of the country1 which had not been      
legally purchased of them1 but1 as they 
said1 had been obtained by fraud4#gf    
,the ,brethren declined purchasing any  
lands on which the ,indian title had not
 been properly extinguished1 wishing to 
live in peace with all the ,indians     
around them4 ,count ,zinzendorff        
happened at that time to arrive in the  
country2 he found that the agents of the
 proprietors would not pay to the       
,indians the price which they asked for 
that tract of land2 he paid them out of 
his private purse1 the whole of the     
demand which they made in the height of 
their ill temper2 and moreover1 gave    
them permission to abide on the land1 at
 their village1 7where1 by the by1 they 
had a fine large peach orchard17 as long
 as they should think proper4 ,but among
 those white men1 who afterwards came   
and settled in the neighbourhood of     
their tract1 there were some who were   
enemies to the ,indians2 and a young    

,irishman1 without any cause or         
provocation1 murdered their good and    
highly respected chief1 ,tademi1 a man  
of such an easy and friendly address1   
that he could not but be loved by all   
who knew him4 ,this1 together with the  
threats of other persons ill disposed   
towards them1 was the cause of their    
leaving the settlement on this manor1   
and removing to places of greater       
safety4  8,it is true1 that when        
flagrant cases of this description      
occurred1 the government1 before the    
revolution1 issued proclamations        
offering rewards for apprehending the   
offenders2 and in later times1 since the
 country has become more thickly        
settled1 those who had been guilty of   
such offences1 were brought before the  
tribunals to take their trials4 ,but    
these formalities have proved of little 
avail4 ,in the first case1 the criminals
 were seldom1 if ever1 apprehended2 in  
the second1 no jury could be found to   
convict them2 for it was no uncommon    

saying among many of the men of whom    
juries in the frontier counties were    
commonly composed1 that no man should be
 put to death for killing an ,indian2   
for it was the same thing as killing a  
wild beast6  8,in the course of the     
revolutionary war1 in which 7as in all  
civil commotions7 brother was seen      
fighting against brother1 and friend    
against friend2 a party of ,indian      
warriors1 with whom one of those white  
men1 who under colour of attachment to  
their king1 indulged in every sort of   
crimes1 was giving out against the      
settlers on the ,ohio1 to kill and      
destroy as they had been ordered4 ,the  
chief of the expedition had given strict
 orders not to molest any of the white  
men who lived with their friends the    
,christian ,indians2 yet as they passed 
near a settlement of these converts1 the
 white man1 unmindful of the orders he  
had received1 attempted to shoot two of 
the missionaries who were planting      
potatoes in their field1 and though the 

captain warned him to desist1 he still  
obstinately persisted in his attempt4   
,the chief1 in anger1 immediately took  
his gun from him1 and kept him under    
guard until they had reached a          
considerable distance from the place4 ,i
 have received this account from the    
chief himself1 who on his return sent   
word to the missionaries that they would
 do well not to go far from home as they
 were in too great danger from the white
 people4  8,another white man of the    
same description1 whom ,i well knew1    
related1 with a kind of barbarous       
exultation1 on his return to ,detroit   
from a war excursion with the ,indians1 
in which he had been engaged1 that the  
party with which he was1 having taken a 
woman prisoner who had a sucking babe at
 her breast1 he tried to persuade the   
,indians to kill the child1 lest its    
cries should discover the place where   
they were2 the ,indians were unwilling  
to commit the deed1 on which the white  
man at once jumped up1 tore the child   

from its mother's arms1 and taking it by
 the legs dashed its head against the   
tree1 so that the brains flew out all   
around6 ,the monster in relating this   
story said3 #8the little dog all the    
time was making wee6' ,he added1 that if
 he were sure that his old father1 who  
some time before had died in ,old       
,virginia1 would1 if he had lived       
longer1 have turned rebel1 he would go  
all the way into ,virginia1 raise the   
body1 and take off his scalp6  8,let us 
now contrast with this the conduct of   
the ,indians4 ,carver tells us in his   
travels with what moderation1 humanity1 
and delicacy they treat female          
prisoners1 and particularly pregnant    
women4#gg ,i refer the reader to the    
following fact1 as an instance of their 
conduct in such cases4 ,if his          
admiration is excited by the behaviour  
of the ,indians1 ,i doubt not that his  
indignation will be raised in an equal  
degree by that of a white man who       
unfortunately acts a part in the story4 

8,a party of ,delawares1 in one of their
 excursions1 during the revolutionary   
war1 took a white female prisoner4 ,the 
,indian ,chief1 after a march of several
 days1 observed that she was ailing1 and
 was soon convinced 7for she was far    
advanced in her pregnancy7 that the time
 of her delivery was near4 ,he          
immediately made a halt on the banks of 
a stream1 where1 at a proper distance   
from the encampment1 he built for her a 
close hut of peeled barks1 gathered dry 
grass and fern to make her a bed1 and   
placed a blanket at the opening of the  
dwelling as a substitute for a door4 ,he
 then kindled a fire1 placed a pile of  
wood near it to feed it occasionally1   
and placed a kettle of water at hand    
where she might easily use it4 ,he then 
took her into her little infirmary1 gave
 her ,indian medicines1 with directions 
how to use them1 and told her to rest   
easy1 and she might be sure that nothing
 should disturb her4 ,having done this1 
he returned to his men1 forbade them    

from making any noise1 or disturbing the
 sick woman in any manner1 and told them
 that he himself should guard her during
 the night4 ,he did so2 and the whole   
night kept watch before her door1       
walking backward and forward1 to be     
ready at her call at any moment1 in case
 of extreme necessity4 ,the night passed
 quietly2 but in the morning1 as he was 
walking by on the bank of the stream1   
seeing him through the crevices she     
called to him and presented her babe4   
,the good chief1 with tears in his eyes1
 rejoiced at her safe delivery2 he told 
her not to be uneasy1 that he should lay
 by for a few days1 and would soon bring
 her some nourishing food1 and some     
medicines to take4 ,then going to his   
encampment he ordered all his men to go 
out a hunting1 and remained himself to  
guard the camp40  ,after citing this    
account a modern writer observes3       
8forgive me1 reader1 if1 for a moment1  
,i disturb the order of my extract4     
,there is nothing that ,i know within   

the whole scope of anecdotal history    
more affecting than the present         
narration4 ,how exalted was the humanity
 of this ,indian ,chief6 how refined his
 delicacy6 how watchful and tender his  
care6 ,the pathos1 though deep1 is      
sweet2 and ,mr4 ,heckewelder has        
communicated the story in a style of    
feeling and simplicity worthy of it4 ,he
 has made us witnesses of the           
transaction4 ,we see through the        
darkness of the night1 the swarthy      
warrior walking anxiously backward and  
forward before the hut of bark--the     
#8little infirmary' of the labouring    
woman4 ,the morning comes2 and in the   
pale dawn1 behold6 the poor creature1   
pointing1 in a state of utter exhaustion
 to her babe1 delivered in the          
wilderness--in night and solitude6 ,yet 
was she not entirely without support2   
for1 over and above the secret aid which
 came to her pangs from high1 see6 she  
meets with sympathy in a wild man1 a    
stranger1 a warrior1 who melts into     

tears at the sight6 ,my heart1 too1     
swells as ,i read4 ,bear with me----we  
will resume our extract40  8,now for the
 reverse of the picture4 ,among the men 
whom this chief had under his command1  
was one of those white vagabonds whom ,i
 have before described4 ,the captain was
 much afraid of him1 knowing him to be a
 bad man2 and as he had expressed a     
great desire to go a hunting with the   
rest1 he believed him gone1 and         
entertained no fears for the woman's    
safety4 ,but it was not long before he  
was undeceived4 ,while he was gone to a 
small distance to dig roots for his poor
 patient1 he heard her cries1 and       
running with speed to her hut1 he was   
informed by her that the white man had  
threatened to take away her life if she 
did not immediately throw her child into
 the river4 ,the captain1 enraged at the
 cruelty of this man1 and the liberty he
 had taken with his prisoners1 hailed   
him as he was running off1 and told him1
 #8that the moment he should miss the   

child1 the tomahawk should be in his    
head4' ,after a few days this humane    
chief placed the woman carefully on a   
horse1 and they went together to the    
place of their destination1 the mother  
and the child doing well4 ,i have heard 
him relate this story1 to which he      
added1 that whenever he should go on an 
excursion1 he never would suffer a white
 man to be of his party4  8,yet ,i must 
acknowledge that ,i have known an       
,indian ,chief who had been guilty of   
the crime of killing the child of a     
female prisoner4 ,his name was          
,glikhican4 ,in the year #aggj1 he      
joined the congregation of the          
,christian ,indians2 the details of his 
conversion are related at large by      
,loskiel1 in his #8,history of the      
,missions'4#gh ,before that time he had 
been conspicuous as a warrior and a     
counsellor1 and in oratory it is said he
 never was surpassed4 ,this man having  
joined the ,french in the year #aged or 
#agee1 in their war against the         

,english1 and being at that time out    
with a party of ,frenchmen1 took1 among 
other prisoners1 a young woman1 named   
,rachel ,abbott1 from the ,conegocheague
 settlement1 who had at her breast a    
sucking babe4 ,the incessant cries of   
the child1 the hurry to get off1 but    
above all1 the persuasions of his white 
companions1 induced him much against his
 inclination to kill the innocent       
creature2 while the mother in an agony  
of grief1 and her face suffused with    
tears1 begged that its life might be    
spared4 ,the woman1 however1 was brought
 safe to the ,ohio1 where she was kindly
 treated and adopted1 and some years    
afterwards was married to a ,delaware   
,chief of respectability1 by whom she   
had several children1 who are now living
 with the ,christian ,indians in ,upper 
,canada4  8,glikhican never forgave     
himself for having committed this crime1
 although many times1 and long before   
his becoming a ,christian1 he had begged
 the woman's pardon with tears in his   

eyes1 and received her free and full    
forgiveness4 ,in vain she pointed out to
 him all the circumstances that he could
 have all edged to excuse the deed2 in  
vain she reminded him of his            
unwillingness at the time1 and his      
having been in a manner compelled to do 
it by his ,french associates2 nothing   
that she did say could assuage his      
sorrow or quiet the perturbation of his 
mind2 he called himself a wretch1 a     
monster1 a coward1 7the proud feelings  
of an ,indian must be well understood to
 judge of the force of this             
self-accusation17 and to the moment of  
his death the remembrance of this fatal 
act preyed like a canker worm upon his  
spirits4 ,i ought to add1 that from the 
time of his conversion he lived the life
 of a ,christian1 and died as such40    
,in the 8,report on the condition of the
 ,indians of ,upper ,canada10 published 
by the ,aborigines ,protection ,society1
 we find the following statements       
respecting the attempts which have been 

made to civilize them3--  8,it is an    
important additional fact in regard to  
the light in which the ,indians of      
,north ,america were once looked upon1  
that their rights are stipulated for in 
the treaty of ,utrecht4 ,but on the     
other hand1 modern writers on the laws  
of nations seem inclined to exclude them
 from its benefits4 ,and modern         
statesmen carry this theory further1 so 
as to sacrifice them by positive        
injustice in practice4 ,sir ,francis    
,bond ,head recommended the             
discontinuance of payment due by treaty 
to certain tribes1 on the ground of     
those tribes being at war with our      
present allies1 the people of the       
,united ,states2 a matter undoubtedly   
deserving grave consideration1 in       
reference to the point especially       
raised1 namely1 the supply of arms2 but 
which also involves a question of       
international rights1 on this occasion  
much too summarily disposed of by the   
,canadian governor4 ,lord ,glenelg      

hesitated to adopt his recommendation1  
but his lordship does not seem to have  
taken entirely a just view of the       
case4#gi  8,it is strictly within the   
limits of truth to say1 that neither the
 ,home government1 nor the ,colonial    
authorities have acted up to the        
injunctions of those two documents of   
#afgj1 and #agfc1 which are             
unquestionably binding to this day2 and 
the extent to which these injunctions   
have been neglected1 fully accounts to  
us for the ruin of the ,indians4 ,that  
extent is proved1  8,first1--,by the    
unjust and improvident manner in which  
the land of the ,indians has been dealt 
with by us1 their insecurity of title1  
and their actual removal from it in late
 remarkable cases under an oppressive   
and fraudulent treaty1 and by unjust    
contracts4  8,second1--,by the neglect  
of obvious means of securing justice to 
,indians in courts of law1 in their     
participation of civil rights2 and in   
just regulations of trading with them4  

,and  8,third1--,by the small provision 
of direct means of improving the        
,indians1 in missions1 in schools1 and  
other institutions4  8,unquestionably   
the various benefits contemplated by the
 royal instructions of #afgj1 have not  
been conferred3 and the frauds and      
abuses mentioned in the proclamation of 
#agfj1 have been repeated down to a very
 late period by the government itself1  
instead of being repressed4  8,we shall 
prove the unworthiness of this course of
 neglect and injustice1 by producing    
incontrovertible evidence of the        
capacity of the ,indians to become      
civilized1 and of their desire to accept
 the elements of civilization at our    
hands1 as well to be gradually          
incorporated with the ,colonists4  8,we 
shall also show1 that numerous          
,colonists are anxious to promote the   
civilization of the ,indians40  ,the    
undue acquisition of the ,indians' land1
 and encroachments upon it1 are not new2
 and the personal appeals of their      

delegates to the crown1 have been       
frequent4 ,more than thirty years ago   
such a delegate1 ,john ,norton1 had the 
countenance of the late ,mr4            
,wilberforce4#hj ,in #ahbb1 the younger 
,brant1 and ,colonel ,kerr1 came to     
,london on such a mission for the six   
nations4 ,subsequently1 the ,rev4 ,peter
 ,jones has come over more than once for
 the ,mississaguas1 of the river        
,credit1 on the like errand4 ,and the   
visit of ,heshtona-quet1 has shewn the  
,indians of the river ,st4 ,clair to be 
in the same danger4  ,other examples    
might be cited1 and it is believed that 
none have produced proper results4 ,the 
case however of the river ,credit       
,indians1 has some favourable aspects2  
and it will be mentioned fully4  ,but   
these visits have exhibited ,indians to 
the impartial ,english public most      
favourably2 and they in that respect1 as
 well as in some others to be mentioned 
hereafter1 deserve particular attention4
  ,we pass by the earlier cases of      

alienation of land from the ,indians of 
,upper ,canada1 amounting for example in
 the years #ahah1 #ahai1 and #ahbj1 to  
#d1fhj1jjj acres acquired by the        
government for annuities of #eab4ha     
,the sum due annually to these ,indians 
from the crown for lands acquired from  
them2 was stated in the 8,parliamentary 
,papers0 of #ahcd1 at #eajf currency1 or
 #ddbf sterling4#hb  ,those earlier     
cases1 appear to be more remarkable for 
general neglect of a proper system of   
treatment of the ,indians1 than for any 
extreme oppression and injustice in the 
bargains made4 ,they did not involve the
 ,,removal of the ,indians from the     
unimproved land sold1 and still less the
 alienation of their improvements and   
forms4 ,on the contrary1 in the year    
#ahbc1 a general reform of the old      
system was very seriously contemplated  
by the ,secretary of ,state of that     
time1 ,earl ,bathurst4 ,one of the      
,sub-,committee was in fact employed by 
the ,secretary of ,state in #ahbc1 to   

draw up a general plan for that reform1 
which had the approbation of the late   
,bishop of ,quebec1 the ,honourable ,dr4
 ,stuart4 ,but it was not acted upon4   
,before #ahbh1 however1 a reform was    
begun by the government1 in addition to 
what had been long doing usefully by the
 ,moravians1 the ,new ,england ,company1
 and other societies4 ,it was pursued   
during eight or nine years with great   
success1 although the plan was defective
 in several material points4  ,the      
character of what was accomplished may  
be inferred from the following extracts 
from the ,parliamentary papers of #ahcd1
 ,no4 #fag4  ,in #ahbh1 ,general        
,darling reported to ,earl ,dalhousie as
 follows on the subject3--  ,the        
,mississaquas of ,rice ,lake1 consisting
 of #cag souls1 and the ,mohawks of ,bay
 of ,quinti1 and the ,rice ,lake have   
recently been converted to ,christianity
 by the ,methodist society1 who have    
introduced missionaries among the       
,indians here1 and in every part of     

,upper ,canada1 where they have been    
able to obtain a footing4 ,these        
missionaries come chiefly from the      
,united ,states1 and belong to the      
8,canada ,conference ,missionary        
,society10 auxiliary to the 8,missionary
 ,society of the ,methodist ,episcopal  
,church of the ,state of ,new ,york10   
from which they receive a small salary1 
seldom exceeding #dj a year4 ,it is     
undoubted that they have done some good1
 by influencing the ,indians to embrace 
,christianity1 and have inculcated the  
first principles of civilization1       
particularly in the tribes now under    
consideration1 which shows itself in the
 desire which they have expressed to be 
collected in a village1 and have lands  
allotted them for cultivation4  ,the    
,mohawks of the ,bay of ,quinti were    
separated from the ,mohawk nation about 
the year #aghd1 and settled in the ,bay 
of ,quinti2 amongst these are some      
becoming tolerable farmers4 ,they have  
in many instances assumed the dress of  

the ,european1 which is sometimes mixed 
with their native attire1 presenting a  
curious compound of barbarism and       
civilization4  ,chippawas under the     
,chief ,yellow head4--,these ,indians   
amount1 upon an average1 to #eej souls2 
they occupy the lands about ,lake       
,simcoe1 ,holland ,river1 and the       
unsettled county in the rear of ,york4  
,they have expressed a strong desire to 
be admitted to ,christianity1 and to    
adopt the habits of civilized life2 in  
these respects they may be classed with 
the ,mississaquas of the ,bay of        
,quinti1 and ,rice ,lake1 but are at    
present in a more savage state4         
,mississaquas of the ,credit4--,the     
present state of this tribe1 amounting  
to #ahj souls1 who were lately notorious
 for drunkenness and debauchery1        
affords1 in my humble opinion1 the      
strongest encouragement to extend to the
 other tribes now disposed to           
,christianity and civilization1 the     
experiment that has been tried by his   

,excellency ,sir ,peregrine ,maitland1  
with every promise of success with these
 ,mississaquas4  ,they are now settled  
in a delightful spot on the banks of the
 ,credit1 about sixteen miles from      
,york1 in a village consisting of twenty
 substantial log huts1 eighteen feet by 
twenty-four1 having an upper story or   
garret to each4 ,they have a            
school-house for the boys 7in which is  
combined decent arrangement for the     
performance of divine service1 which is 
regularly attended17 and another for the
 girls4  ,the progress made in the      
former is highly creditable to the      
superintendent1 considering the short   
time it has been established4 ,i found  
it attended by thirty-one boys1 mostly  
very young1 who spelt and read fluently 
in ,english2 they also answered several 
questions which ,i put to them          
promiscuously from the church catechism1
 and sung a hymn1 remarkable for the    
loyalty of its sentiments4 ,finding the 
houses built for them too few for their 

numbers1 they have added some of their  
own construction similar to those first 
erected4  ,they have two enclosures of  
about seven acres of wheat1 and a field 
on the banks of the river1 containing   
about thirty-five acres of ,indian corn1
 in a promising state of cultivation4 ,a
 small plot is attached to each house   
for their potatoes or other garden      
stuff4  ,the expense of these buildings 
has not exceeded1 ,i believe1 #ad       
currency each1 say #bej sterling on the 
whole4 ,a respectable ,englishman1 now a
 ,methodist missionary1 who receives a  
pension from the ,british government for
 the loss of an arm in the late war1    
when he served in the provincial marine 
of ,upper ,canada1 resides amongst these
 ,indians1 and as his feelings towards  
,great ,britain have been well tried1   
there is every reason to hope that his  
exertions for the perfect civilization  
of his flock will be crowned with       
success4  ,mohawks and the ,six         
,nations4--,under #bjjj souls are       

settled on the banks of the ,ouse1 or   
,grand ,river1 a fine and fertile tract 
of country1 which was purchased from the
 ,chippawas 7the ,aborigines7           
exclusively from them when they were    
brought to this country from the ,mohawk
 ,river1 in the ,state of ,new ,york1 at
 the termination of the revolutionary   
,american war4  ,the proclamation of    
,sir ,f4 ,haldimand1 which constitutes1 
,i believe1 their only title1 allots    
them 8six miles deep from each side of  
the river1 beginning at ,lake ,erie1 and
 extending in that proportion to the    
head of the river40  ,they are now      
considered as having retained about     
#bfj1jjj acres of land1 mostly of the   
best quality4 ,their possessions were   
formerly more extensive1 but large      
tracts of land have been sold by them1  
with the permission of his majesty's    
government2 the monies arising from     
which sales were either founded in      
,england1 or lent on interest in this   
country4 ,the proceeds amount to about  

#aejj per annum4  ,the principal        
village1 or ,mohawk ,castle1 as it is   
called1 consists now of half a dozen    
miserable huts1 scattered without any   
order1 and a paltry church4  ,the town  
was formerly more respectable2 but the  
increasing scarcity of fuel in its      
neighbourhood1 and the fine quality of  
the soil1 induced them by degrees to    
separate and settle on the bank of the  
river1 where they cultivate the ground  
in companies or bands1 a certain number 
of families divided amongst them the    
produce of certain numbers of acres4    
,their knowledge of farming is          
exceedingly limited1 being chiefly      
confined to the cultivation of ,indian  
corn1 beans and potatoes2 but those of  
more industrious habits follow the      
example of their white neighbours1 and  
have separate farms1 on which they raise
 most kind of ,english grain4  ,were ,i 
to offer to your lordship all the       
observations which appear to me worthy  
of attention respecting these ancient   

allies of his majesty1 this report would
 assume the character of a history and  
far exceed the expected limits4 ,i      
hasten1 therefore1 to submit a          
statement1 which has been compiled with 
great attention1 showing their present  
possessions in houses1 horses1 cattle1  
c42 viz4      ,dwelling-houses          
#daf     ,computed number of acres of   
land in cultivation       #fhgb         
,horses                                 
#gch     ,cows                          
#hfi     ,oxen                          
#fac     ,sheep                         
#aib     ,swine                         
#afcj  ,i have already adverted to the  
introduction of ,methodist ,missionaries
 and teachers amongst the ,indians of   
,upper ,canada1 several of whom are     
found in this neighbourhood4  ,there is 
also an ,english ,protestant            
,missionary1 lately sent out from       
,london by the ,new ,england            
,corporation1 a young man whose zeal and
 devotion to the cause in which he has  

embarked promise the best results1 the  
,indians giving in all cases the        
preference to whatever is given or      
recommended by their great father1 to   
whatever comes from any other quarter4  
,in earnest of their disposition to     
profit by and assist the labours of this
 minister1 they have readily agreed1 on 
my recommendation1 to allot one hundred 
acres of land to each school that may be
 established on the ,grand ,river1 under
 his direction4  ,i submit1 with all    
deference1 whether it is not worthy the 
liberality of the ,british government to
 encourage the disposition now shown    
generally amongst the resident ,indians 
of the province1 to shake off the rude  
habits of savage life1 and to embrace   
,christianity and civilization4  ,it    
appears to me that this would not be    
attended with much expence4 ,a small    
sum1 by way of salary1 to a schoolmaster
 wherever a school may be formed1 say   
four or five in the whole1 a trifling   
addition to the salary of the present   

missionary1 who is paid by a society1   
and of a second if appointed1 which ,i  
believe is contemplated by the ,lord    
,bishop of the diocese2 and some aid in 
building school houses4  ,there are     
,chippawas who have prayed urgently for 
a missionary and schoolmaster to be sent
 amongst them4     ,of the attempts     
which have been made to civilize the    
,american ,indians4   ,the ,indians of  
,america owe very few obligations to the
 white people that have settled among   
them4 ,the latter have endeavoured to   
exterminate the former1 and by violence 
or fraud1 to get possession of their    
territories4 ,they have slaughtered a   
great part of the ,american ,aborigines 
in open war1 endeavoured to enslave the 
rest1 and multiplied so rapidly1 and    
spread themselves so regularly over the 
face of the transatlantic world1 as to  
render the ,indian mode of procuring    
subsistence exceedingly precarious4     
8,while the diminution of their         
supplies0 observes a writer in the      

,edinburgh ,review 8was thus sowing the 
seeds of decay1 the lessons which they  
learnt from their new neighbours1       
drunkenness and other excesses1 with    
several diseases which they imported1   
tended to accelerate their utter        
extinction4 ,it appeared indeed quite   
obvious1 that if the ,indians did not1  
by imitating the whites learn new habits
 and occupations1 their race in a few   
years would be completely destroyed40   
8,from these considerations a duty      
devolved upon the ,european settlers1   
which several bodies of men in the      
,united ,states1 seem to have felt      
extremely urgent4 ,they were called upon
 to contribute as much as lay in their  
power towards the alleviation of the    
sufferings which their own increased    
prosperity was daily entailing upon the 
original and rightful proprietors of the
 country4 ,they were called upon to     
prevent1 if possible1 the utter         
extinction of a race1 which their own   
progress in wealth and in numbers1 was  

constantly depriving of the means of    
subsistence4 ,accordingly1 various plans
 were adopted with this view1 sometimes 
by the government1 sometimes by         
individuals1 and public bodies4         
,pensions were granted to certain       
tribes1 whose hunting had been destroyed
 by the clearing of the forests4 ,such a
 relief1 unaccompanied by any change in 
their character and habits1 was at best 
but temporary1 and1 in the end1 rather  
did evil than good2 for the same people 
who bestowed the annuity1 had taught the
 ,indians to drink1 and continued to    
supply them with spirituous liquors3 the
 temptations of which1 those savages had
 not fortitude to resist4 ,another means
 adopted1 with somewhat more wisdom1 was
 the employment of missionaries among   
them1 for the purpose of converting and 
instructing them4 ,but this plan was    
involved in one radical mistake1 and was
 also injudiciously pursued4 ,the       
,indians had a religion of their own1 to
 which1 as the inheritance of their     

ancestors1 they were strongly attached4 
,the evils of their situation lay not in
 the errors of their faith1 but of their
 practice4 ,they might be converted to  
,christianity1 without leaving off the  
habits of the hunting state2 and it by  
no means followed1 that their growth in 
grace must be attended with a           
proportionate improvement in the arts of
 common life4 ,yet the missionary scheme
 hinged entirely on religious points4   
,its object was to send a multitude of  
preachers among the ,indians2 to preach 
them1 not out of their ignorance and    
idleness1 but out of their theological  
errors2 to convert them1 not to the life
 of husbandmen and shepherds1 but to the
 knowledge of the life to come4 ,add to 
this1 that the missionaries who could be
 found1 in a country so little prone to 
any but commercial and agricultural     
labours as ,america1 were necessarily   
zealots2 persons of narrow views2       
ignorant and superstitious1 and ill     
natured2 and1 in the affairs of this    

world1 idle4 ,they had no success at    
all4 ,they preached the gospel to men   
already satisfied with their spiritual  
condition1 and only anxious for food and
 raiment2 they despised and intolerantly
 cried down all the notions held sacred 
by a people as prejudiced and bigoted as
 themselves2 they recommended sobriety  
as a religious duty1 to men whose former
 faith did not prohibit the use of      
strong liquors1 and whose tastes all    
point to bodily intoxication as a       
greater blessing than the holy raptures 
of their new instructors4 ,thus the     
missionaries always quarrelled with     
their flocks1 and made but few converts2
 nor among these produced any real      
improvement4  8,the instruction of the  
,indians in schools1 among the          
,europeans settled at the great towns1  
was another method which was adopted    
with the same view1 and with no better  
success4 ,after receiving in part the   
education1 and in whole the vices of    
civilized life1 those pupils returned to

 their naked and hunting brethren1 from 
corruption the most profligate1 and from
 necessity the most idle1 members of the
 ,indian community4 ,they found a       
society in the woods1 to which they     
originally belonged by blood1 but for   
the manners and pursuits of which they  
had been altogether incapacitated by    
education4 ,we need go no further1 to   
illustrate the absurdity of this plan of
 inoculating the ,indian tribes with    
civilization1 than the remarks of a     
person in this predicament4 ,he had been
 educated at ,prince town2 and upon     
being asked by an ,american commandant  
in the neighbourhood of his tribe1 why  
his countrymen continued so perversely  
addicted to a savage life1 he replied3  
#8it is natural that we should follow   
the footsteps of our forefathers2 and   
when you white people undertake to      
divert us from this path1 you teach us  
to eat1 drink1 dress1 and write like    
yourselves1 and then turn us loose1 to  
beg1 starve1 or seek our native forests1

 without alternative2 and1 outlawed from
 your society1 we curse you for the     
feelings you have taught us1 and resort 
to excess1 that we may forget you4'     
8,such having been the necessary        
consequence of the feeble and           
ill-planned attempts1 both of government
 and other societies1 to civilize the   
,indians1 we had begun to despair of    
ever seeing this laudable undertaking   
prosper4 ,men seemed resolved 7as       
appears from the foregoing statement1   
which we have prefixed to the present   
article1 as a proper introduction7 to   
begin at the wrong end1 and to neglect  
the only plain and simple method by     
which these savage tribes ever can be   
reclaimed from their barbarism1 or made 
the partakers1 and not the victims of   
the civilization that surrounds them4   
,happily our fears have proved          
groundless4 ,the people called ,quakers1
 a society in many respects by far the  
most meritorious and amiable among our  
religious sects1 seems to have solved   

the problem2 and1 by a close attention  
to the principles above sketched out1   
they appear to have laid a very solid   
foundation for the rapid civilization of
 those unhappy natives4 ,the little     
tract now before us1 contains a plain   
unvarnished detail of their benevolent  
and most judicious proceedings4 ,it was 
printed originally at ,philadelphia1 and
 is now reprinted in ,london4 ,we trust 
it will meet with due attention1 as it  
is1 in fact1 one of the most interesting
 publications which has appeared of late
 years4 ,we shall now present our       
readers with a short account of what the
 ,quakers have done4 ,the scene of their
 operations was among the ,indians of   
the ,five ,nations1 who inhabit a tract 
of country about three hundred miles    
,north ,west1 from ,philadelphia2 and of
 these nations1 the experiments now to  
be described1 were performed on the     
,oneidas and ,senecas4  8,the ,quakers  
appear to have proceeded upon the       
fundamental assumption that the only    

means of civilizing those tribes1 and   
indeed of preserving their existence1   
must be sought in a well planned attempt
 to reclaim them from the precarious and
 idle life of hunters4 ,for this        
purpose1 they conceived that the        
settlement of a few missionaries among  
them was absolutely necessary4 ,but the 
missionaries1 whom they choose1 were not
 preachers2 they were artizans1         
carpenters1 blacksmiths1 and ploughmen4 
,they likewise imagined that a very     
small number of such persons1 chosen for
 their quiet conduct and industrious    
regular habits1 and sent to settle among
 the ,indians without parade or pomp1   
would do more good than the most        
splendid scheme of colonization1 by     
means of the greatest and wealthiest    
body of settlers4 ,example was to be    
their great engine--and example1 they   
well knew1 works slowly1 gradually1 and 
quietly4  8,proceeding upon these       
principles1 they waved1 for the present1
 every idea of converting the ,indians  

to ,christianity4 ,the remarks of the   
committee1 to whose care we owe this    
publication1 are particularly judicious 
and enlightened on this point4 #8,it is 
probable1' they observe1 #8that some    
readers may think every scheme of       
civilization defective1 that does not   
immediately attempt to plant            
,christianity4 ,of the infinite value of
 ,christianity1 our ,pensylvanians are  
doubtless aware2 but here1 though not   
directly acting the part of             
missionaries1 they are preaching        
religion by example2 and are probably   
preparing the ,indians1 by more means   
than one1 for the reception and         
acknowledgment of the gospel4'  8,their 
first step was to address circular      
letters to the different tribes in      
#agif1 accompanied by one from the      
executive government of the ,united     
,states1 expressive of its approbation4 
,the letters merely contained an offer  
to instruct such as should apply to     
them1 in husbandry4 ,the ,oneidas were  

the only tribe that at first made the   
application2 and accordingly three      
,quakers repaired to their country1 and 
settled there4 ,at first1 the natives   
were quite averse to labour of every    
kind2 and the ,quakers only cultivated  
their own ground1 and worked a saw-mill 
for themselves4 ,by degrees their       
example had its effect1 and the use of  
the saw-mill became familiar to the     
tribe4 ,in winter they opened a school  
for the children2 and in summer they    
found the ,indians beginning to assist  
their wives in cultivating little pieces
 of ground2 a labour which had formerly 
devolved entirely on the latter4 ,the   
want of a blacksmith being very greatly 
felt1 a ,quaker of that profession      
volunteered his services to settle      
there2 and his wife accompanied him1 to 
instruct the ,indian girls4 ,a number of
 the young men were hired and boarded by
 the ,quakers1 to assist them in        
working4 ,the spirit of labour and taste
 for husbandry became more prevalent2   

the blacksmith's work was generally     
attended to2 the women learned to sew   
and spin4 ,implements of husbandry were 
judiciously and sparingly distributed4  
,the use of these was acquired1 and1 in 
#agii1 the natives began to clear lands 
for themselves1 and sow wheat4  8,having
 proceeded thus far in reclaiming the   
tribe from the hunting state1 and its   
attendant misery and idleness1 an       
incident occurred1 which displays in a  
remarkable manner1 the happy mixture of 
judgment with which the promoters of    
this admirable plan tempered their zeal4
 ,the whites of other sects had not     
failed to spread abroad stories         
unfavourable to the scheme of the       
,quakers2 and the ,indians1 naturally   
mistrustful1 like all savages1 began to 
entertain suspicions that these surmises
 were well founded4 ,they knew that the 
labours of the ,quakers must have cost  
money2 and1 as they never before saw any
 example of ,europeans working for      
nothing1 they suspected that the new    

settlers had a design of making a       
permanent establishment1 and then laying
 claim to their lands4 ,as soon as this 
notion came to the ears of the ,quakers1
 they resolved to withdraw instantly1   
and leave the natives in the natural    
course of improvement1 to benefit by the
 civilization which they had already    
planted among them4 ,after a residence  
of three years1 therefore1 they         
disclosed their intentions in a council 
of the nation1 and they left the place1 
accompanied by the unanimous thanks and 
good wishes of those rude tribes4 ,a    
similar instance of suspicion afterwards
 occurred1 and it was allayed with equal
 judgment4 ,the ,indians of another     
tribe having received many benefits from
 them1 were afraid lest repayment should
 be demanded at some future time4 ,a    
speedy and frank explanation from men   
whose honesty they never had even reason
 to doubt1 at once allayed these        
apprehensions4  8,the observations of   
what had been done among the ,oneidas1  

induced the ,senecas to send an         
invitation1 requesting a similar        
assistance from the society4 ,three     
,quakers immediately repaired thither3  
they were welcomed with great joy2 and  
thanks were given by the nation to the  
,great ,spirit1 for their safe arrival  
among them4 ,here1 as in every other    
hunting tribe1 the women and girls are  
left to the labour of rearing such      
vegetables as their husbandry affords1  
and in hewing timber for fuel4 ,the     
chase1 and amusements of different      
sorts1 occupied the men and boys4 ,the  
,quakers exhorted them constantly to    
give up such practices2 and never failed
 to set before them1 in the strongest   
light1 the necessity both of general    
industry and temperance2 a virtue almost
 unknown among the ,indians at the      
commencement of the ,quaker missions4   
,the progress of improvement in the arts
 and comforts of life1 uniformly kept   
pace with the disuse of spirituous      
liquors2 and the speeches and other     

communications of thanks from the chiefs
 of the tribe1 to the society and its   
emissaries1 never fail to mark the state
 of morals1 and especially of sobriety  
among the natives4 ,the sketch of       
improvement given above1 relative to the
 ,oneidas1 is also applicable to its    
history among the ,senecas4 ,but we     
shall be excused for extracting the     
following discourse1 delivered by the   
,quakers to those ,indians1 in a        
council4 ,it is1 in our apprehension1   
the right model of a right missionary   
sermon4 ,we shall also subjoin the      
answer of the chief3--                  
8#8,brothers1--,it has afforded us      
satisfaction1 in passing through your   
town1 to notice marks of industry taking
 place2 that you are building better and
 warmer houses to live in2 and that so  
much of your cleared land is planted    
with corn1 beans1 potatoes1 c42 and to  
see these articles kept in good order4  
8#8,brothers1--,we observe1 where your  
new houses are building1 that the timber

 is very much cut off a rich flat1 which
 we wish you encouraged to clear and    
make fit for ploughing4 ,we hope more of
 your men will assist in clearing and   
fencing land1 and planting it with corn2
 also sowing it with wheat2 you will    
then have a supply of provision1 more   
certain to depend upon than hunting4    
8#8,brothers1--,we are pleased to see   
your stock of cattle increased4 ,the    
rich bottoms on the river will be plenty
 for them to live on in the summer      
season2 but1 as your winters are long   
and cold1 it will require something for 
them to live on in the winter4 ,the     
white people keep their cattle on hay1  
on straw1 and on corn fodder4 ,straw you
 cannot get1 until you have raised wheat
 or other grain2 the rich bottoms1 if   
put in order1 would produce a great deal
 of hay4 ,but1 for an immediate supply1 
we think1 that1 as soon as you gather   
the corn1 if you would cut the stalks   
close at the ground1 bind them up in    
small bundles1 and put them in stacks1  

as our young men do1 they would keep    
your cattle part of the cold weather4   
8#8,brothers1--,we are pleased to see a 
quantity of fence made this summer1 and 
we would not have you discouraged at the
 labour it takes2 for1 if you will clear
 a little more land every year1 and     
fence it1 you will soon get enough to   
raise what bread you want1 as well as   
some for grass1 to make hay for your    
cattle in winter4  8#8,brothers1--,we   
understand you are desirous to          
discourage whiskey from being brought   
among you1 with which we are much       
pleased1 and should be glad you could   
entirely keep it away4 ,to get it1 you  
give your money1 with which you should  
buy clothing1 oxen1 c4'  8,the ,indians 
were also informed that one of the young
 men1 who had been there since the      
settlement was first formed1 7about     
sixteen months7 appeared most uneasy to 
leave them1 and return to his friends   
before winter4 ,they hoped another would
 supply his place4  8,cornplanter1 on   

behalf of the nation1 made a reply1 in  
substance as follows3--  8#8,that1 when 
our young friends first settled among   
them1 many of his chiefs were averse to 
it2 but they had this summer several    
councils among themselves respecting the
 young men1 and all the chiefs seeing   
their good conduct and readiness to     
assist ,indians1 were now well          
satisfied4 ,he hoped1 several of his    
young men would do more at farming than 
heretofore2 and friends must not be     
discouraged because so little was done2 
but exercise patience towards them1 as  
it was hard for them to make much change
 from their ancient customs4 ,he        
regretted the loss of the friend who    
expected to leave them soon2 he said he 
had been useful to him in keeping       
whisky1 and other strong liquors1 out of
 the town2 that they now drank much less
 than formerly2 but feared1 when the    
friend was gone1 he should keep it away 
so well as he had lately done4' p4p4    
#ah1 #ba4  8,we add the following       

passage1 as an interesting account of   
the progress1 in one of the grand       
circumstances which distinguishes the   
civilized from the barbarous state of   
society4  8#8,in the ninth month of this
 year1 7,sept4 #ahja71 three of the     
committee visited the settlement1 being 
accompanied by a young friend1 a        
blacksmith1 who went to instruct some of
 the ,indians in that useful and        
necessary occupation4 ,two of the       
visitors had been there before4 ,the    
preceding spring1 the ,indians first    
began to use a plough2 and the men      
performed the labour with a little      
instruction and assistance from friends4
 ,they took a very cautious method of   
determining whether it was likely to be 
an advantageous change for them or not4 
,several parts of a very large field    
were ploughed2 and the intermediate     
spaces prepared by their women with the 
hoe1 according to ancient custom4 ,it   
was all planted with corn2 and the parts
 ploughed besides the great saving of   

labour1 produced much the heaviest crop2
 the stalks being more than a foot      
higher1 and proportionably stouter1 than
 those on the hoed ground4 ,the corn was
 now ripe and gathering in2 and as their
 stock of cattle was much increased1    
instead of letting the stalks and leaves
 perish on the ground as heretofore1    
they preserved them for winter fodder4  
,several of them had mown grass1 and    
made small stacks of hay2 and they had  
made a fence about two miles long1 which
 encloses the lower town1 and a large   
body of adjacent land fronting on the   
river2 also several other fences within 
it1 to separate the corn ground from the
 pasture1 c4  8#8,the cabins which they 
used to live in1 were generally either  
gone to decay1 or pulled down4 ,most of 
them had built good log houses1 with    
shingled roofs1 and some of them with   
stone chimneys4  8#8,with the exception 
of houses and fences1 the improvements  
at ,jeneshadago did not bear a          
comparison with the upper settlements1  

where the ,indians lived more scattered4
 ,their thus settling separate and      
detached from each other1 was already   
manifestly more to their advantage than 
living together in villages4 ,a chief1  
who is not ashamed to be seen at work by
 the women of his own family1 would be  
probably much mortified1 were he        
discovered by a number of females1 who1 
on such occasions1 do not always refrain
 from ridicule4 ,yet this false shame on
 the part of the men1 and ridicule of   
the women1 is wearing away1 in          
proportion as they become familiarized  
to each other's assistance in their     
little agricultural labours4            
8#8,friends requested a council with the
 chief women of the ,jeneshadago town1  
which was readily granted1 when they    
were favoured to make some              
communications pertinent to their       
situation4 ,the women expressed their   
thankfulness to the ,great ,spirit for  
affording them this council2 the words1 
they said1 had sunk deep into their     

hearts1 and they hoped would never be   
forgotten by them4 ,cornplanter and his 
brother ,conedieu were present4  8#8,the
 ,indians were become very sober1       
generally refraining from the use of    
strong drink1 both at home and when     
abroad among the white people4 ,one of  
them observed to our committee1 8no more
 bark cabin1 but good houses2 no more   
get drunk now this two year40'--p4p4    
#bd1 #be1 #bf4  8,we shall only add one 
proof more of the progress which        
industry had made among these tribes1 by
 the laborious and judicious example of 
the ,quakers4 ,a single tribe had formed
 a road of twenty-two miles in length2  
and a few families1 in one place1 had   
cleared and fenced sixty acres of good  
land4  8,it is impossible to contemplate
 the signal success which has attended  
these experiments1 without remarking    
that it was owing in part to the        
character of the ,quakers1 as well as to
 the wisdom of the plans which they here
 adopted4 ,the general reputation of    

that sect for peacefulness and honesty1 
and the quiet manner of those whom they 
sent to reside among the ,indians1 could
 not fail to disarm any repugnance of   
the savage natives towards strangers1   
and to conciliate their confidence and  
esteem4 ,even their taciturnity was     
favourable to the end in view4 #8,your  
young men1' said a chief in one of their
 councils1 #8do not talk much to us1 but
 when they do1 they speak what is good1 
and have been very helpful in keeping us
 from using spirituous liquors4' ,their 
punctual performance of engagements1 and
 the regularity of all their habits had 
the same good effects in gaining the    
respect of the ,indians4 #8,brothers1'  
said they1 in a conference which had    
been held for the purpose of explaining 
some differences1 #8,brothers1 we are   
well satisfied with your conduct towards
 us4 ,you have always done what you     
promised4' ,we subjoin the following    
anecdote as illustrative of the         
influence which the character of the    

sect has had on the success of their    
experiment and as interesting in itself4
 #8,in the evening1 when friends were   
sitting with the chief warrior1 he said 
he wished to ask them a question1 but   
was almost afraid4 ,they desired him to 
speak1 and they would give him such     
information as they were able4 ,it was1 
,do the ,quakers keep any slaves8 ,he   
was told they did not4 ,he said he was  
very glad to hear it2 for if they had   
kept any1 he could not think so well of 
them as he now did4 ,that he had been at
 the city of ,washington last winter1 on
 business of the nation1 and found many 
white people kept blacks in slavery1 and
 used them no better than horses4'      
8,from these causes1 as well as from the
 admirable discretion and sound sense   
which directed the formation of these   
plans1 this small society of ,quakers   
have1 at an expence inconceiveably      
trifling1 secured the civilization of   
the ,indian tribes1 and laid the        
foundation of their entire conversion to

 the state of peaceful and industrious  
husbandmen1 from that of wandering and  
turbulent and idle hunters4 ,the        
missionaries left those children of     
their care mutually satisfied with the  
progress and result of their labours4   
,for the first time ,europeans had      
resided amongst them with no interested 
ends in view2 for the first time they   
had learnt no bad lesson1 and received  
no injury from intercourse with more    
polished communities2 for the first time
 since the voyage of ,columbus1 a       
stranger and a friend became compatible 
appellations--the natural antipathy to  
new faces vanished in the course of     
further acquaintance--and he who had    
been welcomed with distrust1 was only   
suffered to depart with tears4 ,the     
,indian tribes view the departure of the
 ,quaker missionaries as a national     
calamity1 and are not afraid to consult 
with their society on all matters of    
general import40#hc  ,the success which 
attended the benevolent exertions of the

 ,quakers1 affords demonstrable proof of
 the possibility of reclaiming the      
,american ,aborigines from the savage   
state4 ,it must not1 however1 be        
supposed that the efforts of other      
missionaries have been equally          
successful2 nor ought the reader to     
conclude that even the efforts of the   
,quakers were productive of any         
considerable and abiding change in the  
condition of the red men4 ,however      
anxious we may be for the civilization  
of the ,american ,savages1 there is no  
historic fact more certain than that    
they are not yet civilized4             
,missionaries and preachers are not the 
men likely to produce any great change  
in the condition of these children of   
nature4 ,that the efforts of the        
missionaries have1 in most cases1 proved
 ineffectual1 the following letter from 
an ,indian ,chief will abundantly       
show3--   ,,letter ,,from ,,red         
,,jacket4                               
,canandaigua1 #ahth4 ,jan41 #ahba4      

8,brother ,parrish1      8,i address    
myself to you1 and through you to the   
governor4      8,the chiefs of ,onondaga
 have accompanied you to ,albany1 to    
do business with the governor2 ,i also  
was to have been with     you1 but ,i am
 sorry to say that bad health has put it
 out of     my power4 ,for this you must
 not think hard of me4 ,i am not to     
blame for it4 ,it is the will of the    
,great ,spirit that it should     be so4
      8,the object of the ,onondagas is 
to purchase our lands at                
,tonnewanta4 ,this1 and all other       
business that they may have     to do at
 ,albany1 must be transacted in the     
presence of the     governor4 ,he will  
see that the bargain is fairly made1 so 
that     all parties may have reason to 
be satisfied with what shall be         
done1 and when our sanction shall be    
wanted to the transaction1     it shall 
be freely given4      8,i much regret   
that at this time the state of my health
 should     have prevented me from      

accompanying you to ,albany1 as it was  
the wish of the nation that ,i should   
state to the governor some              
circumstances1 which show that the chain
 of friendship between     us and the   
white people is wearing out and wants   
brightening4      8,i proceed now1      
however1 to lay them before you by      
letter1 that     you may mention them to
 the governor1 and solicit redress4     
,he is appointed to do justice to all1  
and the ,indians fully     confide that 
he will not suffer them to be wronged   
with     impunity4      8,the first     
subject to which we would call the      
attention of the     governor1 is the   
depredations that are daily committed by
 the     white people upon the most     
valuable timber on our reservations4    
,this has been a subject of complaint   
with us for many years2     but now1 and
 particularly at this season of the     
year1 it     has become an alarming     
evil1 and calls for the immediate       
interposition of the governor in our    

behalf4      8,our next subject of      
complaint is1 the frequent thefts of our
     horses and cattle by the white     
people1 and their habit of     taking   
and using them whenever they please1 and
 without our     leave4 ,these are evils
 which seem to increase upon us with the
     increase of our white neighbours1  
and they call loudly for     redress4   
8,another evil arising from the pressure
 of the whites upon us1     and our     
unavoidable communication with them1 is 
the frequency     with which our        
,chiefs1 and ,warriors1 and ,indians1   
are thrown     into jail1 and that too  
for the most trifling causes4 ,this is  
very galling to our feelings1 and ought 
not to be permitted to     the extent to
 which1 to gratify their bad passions1  
our white     neighbours now carry this 
practice4      8,in our hunting and     
fishing too1 we are greatly interrupted 
by the whites4 ,our venison is stolen   
from the trees1 where we     have hung  
it to be reclaimed after the chase4 ,our

 hunting camps     have been fired into2
 and we have been warned that we shall  
no     longer be permitted to pursue the
 deer in those forests which     were so
 lately all our own4 ,the fish1 which in
 the ,buffalo and     ,tonnewante       
,creeks1 used to supply us with food1   
are now by the     dams and other       
obstructions of the white people1       
prevented     from multiplying1 and we  
are almost entirely deprived of that    
accustomed sustenance4      8,our ,great
 ,father1 the ,president1 has           
recommended to our young     men to be  
industrious1 to plough and to sow4 ,this
 we have     done2 and we are thankful  
for the advice1 and for the means     he
 has afforded us of carrying it into    
effect4 ,we are happier     in          
consequence of it2 but another thing    
recommended to us1     has created great
 confusion among us1 and is making us a 
quarrelsome and divided people2 and that
 is the introduction     of preachers   
into our nation4 ,these black-coats     

continue to     get the consent of some 
of the ,indians to preach among us1 and 
wherever this is the case1 confusion and
 disorder are sure to     follow1 and   
the encroachments of the whites upon the
 lands1 are     the invariable          
consequence4 ,the governor must not     
think hard of     me for speaking thus  
of the preachers2 ,i have observed their
     progress1 and when ,i look back to 
see what has taken place of     old1 ,i 
perceive that whenever they came among  
the ,indians1 they     were the         
forerunners of their dispersion2 that   
they always     excited enmities and    
quarrels among them2 that they          
introduced     the white people on their
 lands1 by whom they were robbed and    
plundered of their property2 and that   
the ,indians were sure to     dwindle   
and decrease1 and be driven back in     
proportion to the     number of         
preachers that came among them4         
8,each nation has its own customs and   
its own religions4 ,the     ,indians    

have theirs1 given to them by the ,great
 ,spirit1 under     which they were     
happy4 ,it was not intended that they   
should     embrace the religion of the  
whites1 and be destroyed by the         
attempt to make them think differently  
on that subject from     their fathers4 
8,it is true these preachers have got   
the consent of some of the     chiefs to
 stay and preach among us1 but ,i and my
 friends know     this to be wrong1 and 
that they ought to be removed2 besides  
we have been threatened by ,mr4 ,hyde1  
who came among us as a     school master
 and a teacher of our children1 but has 
now become     a black-coat1 and refused
 to teach them any more1 that unless    
we listen to his preaching and become   
,christians1 we shall be     turned off 
our lands4 ,we wish to know from the    
governor if this     is to be so1 we    
think he ought to be turned off our     
lands1     and not allowed to plague us 
any more4 ,we shall never be at         
peace while he is among us4      8,we   

are afraid too that these preachers1 by 
and by1 will     become poor1 and force 
us to pay them for living among us and  
disturbing us4      8,some of our chiefs
 have got lazy1 and instead of          
cultivating     their lands themselves1 
employ white people to do so4 ,there    
are now eleven white families living on 
our reservations at     ,buffalo2 this  
is wrong1 and ought not to be permitted4
 ,the     great source of all our       
grievances is that the white men     are
 among us4 ,let them be removed1 and we 
will be happy and     contented among   
ourselves4 ,we now cry to the governor  
for help1     and hope that he will     
attend to our complaints1 and speedily  
give us redress4                        
8,,red ,,jacket40  ,this letter was     
dictated by ,red ,jacket1 and           
interpreted by ,henry ,obeal1 in the    
presence of the following ,indians3--   
8,,red ,,jacket',s ,,son1 ,,corn        
,,planter1     ,,john ,,cobb1           
,,peter1 ,,young ,,king',s ,,brother1   

,,tom ,,the ,,infant1     ,,blue ,,sky1 
,,john ,,sky1     ,,jemmy ,,johnson1    
,,marcus1     ,,big ,,fire1             
,,captain ,,jemmy40#hd  ,to this may be 
added the testimony of ,timothy ,flint1 
who had ample opportunities of judging  
of the effects of the proselyting scheme
 on the character of the ,indians4      
8,during my long residence10 he         
observes1 8in the ,mississippi valley1  
,i have seen them the ,indians in every 
point of view1 when hunting1 when       
residing in their cabins1 in their      
permanent stations1 wild and            
unsophisticated in the woods1 in their  
councils and deputations1 when making   
treaties in our towns4 ,i have seen     
their wisest1 bravest1 and most         
considered2 and ,i have seen the        
wretched families that hang round the   
large towns1 to trade and to beg1       
intoxicated subdued1 filthy1 and        
miserable1 the very outcasts of nature4 
,i have seen much of the ,creeks and    
,cherokees1 whose civilization and      

improvement are so much vaunted4 ,i have
 seen the wretched remains of the tribes
 on the lower ,mississippi1 that stroll 
about ,new ,orleans4 ,i have taken      
observations at ,alexandria and         
,nachitoches of the ,indians of those   
regions1 and from the adjoining country 
of ,new ,spain4 ,i have resided on the  
,arkansas1 and have been conversant with
 its savages4 ,while ,i was at ,st4     
,charles1 savages came down from the    
rocky mountains1 so untamed1 so unbroken
 to the ways of the whites1 that they   
were said never to have eaten bread     
until on that trip4 ,while ,i was at    
,st4 ,louis1 a grand deputation from the
 northern points of the ,missouri1 the  
,mississippi1 and the ,lakes1 comprising
 a selection of their principal warriors
 and chiefs1 to the number of #ahjj1 was
 there for a length of time4 ,they were 
there to make treaties and settle the   
relations which had been broken during  
the war1 in which most of them had taken
 a part hostile to the ,united ,states4 

,thus ,i have inspected the ,northern1  
the ,middle1 and ,southern ,indians for 
a length of ten years1 and ,i mention it
 only to prove that my opportunities of 
observation have been considerable1 and 
that ,i do not undertake to form a      
judgment of their character1 without at 
least having seen much of it40  ,after  
thus stating the circumstances which    
qualified him to give an opinion on the 
subject of ,indian civilization1 he     
asserts that the efforts of religious   
missionaries have not met1 in the long  
run1 with any apparent success4 ,nor    
does he seem to think very differently  
of the result of two ,romanist          
,missions1 of which glowing and animated
 accounts were published some years ago4
  8,the ,catholics10 he observes1 8have 
caused many to hang a crucifix around   
their necks1 which they show as they do 
their medals and other ornaments2 but   
this too often is all that they have to 
mark them as ,christians4 ,i have       
conversed with many travellers that have

 been over the stony mountains into the 
,great ,missionary ,settlements of ,st4 
,peter and ,st4 ,paul4 ,these           
travellers1--and some of them were      
professed ,catholics1--unite in         
affirming that the converts will escape 
from their mission whenever it is in    
their power1 fly into their native      
deserts1 and resume at once their old   
modes of life4 ,the vast empire of the  
,jesuits1 in ,paraguay1 has all passed  
away1 and1 we are told1 the descendants 
of their convert ,indians are no way    
distinguished from the other savages4   
,it strikes me that ,christianity is the
 religion of civilized man1 that the    
savages must first be civilized1 and    
that as there is little hope that the   
present generation of ,indians can be   
civilized1 there is but little more that
 they will be ,christianized40#he  ,to  
the foregoing ,i will add the testimony 
of ,sir ,francis ,bond ,head1 who1 in   
one of his despatches to ,lord ,glenelg1
 thus depicts the effects which have    

resulted from the efforts of the        
missionaries4  8,whenever and wherever  
the two races come in contact it is sure
 to prove fatal to the red man4 ,however
 bravely for a short time he may resist 
our bayonets and fire arms1 sooner or   
later he is called upon by death to     
submit to his decree4 ,if we stretch    
forth the hand of friendship1 the liquid
 fire it offers him to drink proves     
still more destructive than our wrath2  
and lastly if we attempt to             
,christianize the ,indians1 and for that
 sacred object congregate them in       
villages of substantial log houses1     
lovely and beautiful as such a theory   
appears1 it is an undeniable fact1 to   
which ,i unhesitatingly add my humble   
testimony1 that as soon as the hunting  
season commences1 the men 7from warm    
clothes and warm houses having lost     
their hardihood7 perish1 or rather rot  
in numbers by consumption2 whilst1 as   
regards their women1 it is impossible   
for any accurate observer to refrain    

from remarking that civilization1 in    
spite of the pure1 honest1 and          
unremitting zeal of our missionaries1 by
 some accursed process has blanched     
their babies faces2 in short1 our       
philanthropy1 like our friendship1 has  
failed in its professions4''' ,i believe
 that every person of sound mind in this
 country1 who is disinterested in their 
conversion1 and who is acquainted with  
the ,indian character will agree        
8,first1--,that the attempt to make     
farmers of the red men has been1        
generally speaking1 a complete failure4 
8,second1--,that congregating them for  
the purpose of civilization1 has        
implanted many more vices than it has   
eradicated2 and consequently1           
8,third1--,the greatest kindness we can 
perform towards this intelligent and    
simple minded people1 is to remove and  
fortify them as much as possible from   
any communication with the whites40#hf  
,in reply to these statements1 many     
articles have appeared in the           

newspapers1 chiefly written by          
missionaries and divines who are        
interested in the missionary scheme1 and
 who1 we may be sure1 would say nothing 
on the subject likely to prevent the    
religious from coming forward with their
 subscriptions4 ,their statements1      
however should be received with caution1
 and considered with impartiality4 ,men 
of comparatively weak intellect 7it is  
not often that any other description of 
missionaries are sent out7 and who are  
interested in the success of their      
schemes1 ought not to be trusted        
implicitly1 unless their evidence be    
confirmed by other authorities4 ,in the 
present case the statements of the      
,methodist and other missionaries are in
 direct opposition to the statements of 
more impartial persons1 who have enjoyed
 equal facilities for forming an        
accurate judgement4 ,though the evidence
 given by both sides is flatly          
contradictory1 yet for my own part ,i   
adopt that which has the sanction of the

 church1 inasmuch as ,i cannot find in  
all the records of history1 an example  
of lying or forgery on the part of      
religious men6787 ,from time immemorial 
they have told the truth when the       
interest of their religion required it1 
and it would indeed be an anomaly if    
they were in the present age to depart  
from the course they have pursued for   
the last eighteen centuries4  ,i have   
now taken a survey of the principal     
features of character exhibited by the  
,aborigines of ,america1 as far as my   
information and as well as my ability   
would permit4 ,if ,i could have procured
 ,mr4 ,catlins's ,travels or work on the
 ,indians1 which is now in the press1   
while ,i was compiling these sketches1  
,i should have been able to have said a 
great deal more respecting the manners1 
customs1 religion1 and civilization of  
the unhappy and oppressed red men4 ,as  
that work however has not yet been      
published1 ,i must endeavour to conclude
 this treatise with a few reflections   

suggested by the preceding narrative4   
,it must be obvious to the reader1 that 
the character of the ,indians is        
proportionate to the associations under 
the influence of which they are trained4
 8,the ,aborigines of ,america10 to use 
the language of ,timothy ,flint1 8are a 
moody and musing race1 whose familiarity
 with the wilderness renders them sullen
 and grave4 ,how could they be          
otherwise8 ,they are more accustomed to 
behold the rocks and forests and mighty 
rivers of the transatlantic world than  
those objects which excite the loquacity
 of mankind40 ,whatever some individuals
 may say about the inward power of      
8mind0 and 8will0 and 8volition0 in     
forming the human character1 it will be 
admitted by all who have travelled      
through scenes of physical majesty and  
grandeur1 that scenery exercises an     
extensive influence over human beings4  
,the sight of the mighty ,maranon or ,st
 ,lawrence rolling their immense volumes
 of water towards the ocean1 tends to   

excite a feeling of sublimity1 rather   
than that light-heartedness of spirit   
which vents itself in loud peals of     
laughter1 and which is generally        
connected with a keen perception of the 
ridiculous4 ,the ,north ,american       
,indian is forced to associate with     
rocks and rivers and almost boundless   
forests from his infancy2 he hears the  
tempest roll1 and fancies that his      
,manitto speaks in thunder from the     
clouds2 and the natural consequence of  
this constant familiarity with the      
wilderness is a certain degree of       
gravity and sullenness in his           
deportment4 ,the mode in which he is    
educated or trained fosters this habit1 
and all the circumstances around him1   
whether of a physical1 mental1 or moral 
description1 tend to render it an       
element in his character4 ,indeed if the
 circumstances which surround these     
children of the wilds1 their mode of    
procuring a subsistence1 the manner in  
which they are educated1 the nature of  

their religion1 and their method of     
waging war1 be taken into account and   
duly considered1 it will not appear     
surprising that they should exhibit a   
degree of gravity and sullenness which  
is seldom found among polished nations4 
,it is a mournful and painful truth that
 the whites have acted towards the      
savages of ,america in such a way as to 
prejudice them against the benefits and 
arts of civilization4 ,the white people 
have robbed1 plundered1 and murdered the
 ,indians1 thrown their chiefs into     
jail1 and treated them as if they were  
made to be trampled on2 and then raised 
the hue and cry whenever the ,indians   
attempted to retaliate4 ,nor have the   
,christian ,missionaries acted towards  
the unfortunate red men as became their 
professions of peace and philanthropy4  
,this is evident from the letter written
 by ,red ,jacket1 an ,indian chief1 who 
was well acquainted with the conduct of 
the missionaries1 and whose evidence is 
more worthy of credit than the ex parte 

statements of these propagators of the  
gospel4 ,the conduct of the whites      
towards the ,indians1 the rapacity with 
which they have treated them1 and the   
manner in which they have broken all    
their promises1 presents a powerful     
barrier to the progress of ,indian      
civilization4 ,the experiments of the   
,pensylvanian ,quakers prove1 however1  
that this barrier is not impassable4    
,the same thing is evidenced by the     
partial success which has attended the  
efforts of some of the ,wesleyan        
,missionaries in ,canada4 ,though we    
ought not to give implicit credence to  
all that these holy men say respecting  
the success of their efforts1 there is  
nevertheless good reason to believe that
 they have some ground for their        
exaggerated statements4 ,some of the    
,indian tribes1 for a time at least1    
have been partially civilized2 and this 
fact proves that their entire           
civilization is not impossible4 ,but the
 8black-coats10 to use the language of  

,red ,jacket1 are not the men likely to 
accomplish such an undertaking4 ,they   
may indeed convert the ,indians to      
,christianity1 and by this means inflict
 on them all the evils resulting from   
the spread of a dogmatic sectarianism2  
but as it regards the civilization of   
these savages the efforts of ,christian 
,missionaries are sure to prove         
abortive1 unless they alter their plan  
of operation4 ,artizans and mechanics of
 upright character1 faithful to their   
promises1 and fully imbued with the     
8milk of human kindness10 would be the  
best missionaries that could be sent    
among the ,indian tribes4 ,the example  
of such persons would1 in a short time  
work wonders among the ,indians4 ,the   
success of the ,quaker experiment       
warrants this supposition4  ,it may seem
 strange that the good people who tell  
such melting stories about the love of  
,christ1 as exhibited in the conduct of 
the converted heathen1 and who publish  
such marvellous accounts of the         

unprecedented success which attends     
missionary exertions1 ad captandum      
vulgus1 should have met with so little  
success among the ,indians4 ,this       
phenomenon1 however1 is not at all      
surprising to any one who has studied   
the ,indian character4 ,it is agreed on 
all hands that whatever vices may deform
 the character of the ,indian warrior1  
he is in some respects characterized by 
a nobility of soul which is rarely met  
with in civilized nations4 ,this very   
nobility causes him to look down upon   
the whites as a deceiving and           
treacherous race4 ,he keeps his word    
sacred2 if he pledges himself he        
performs his promise4 ,the whites have  
broken almost every treaty they have    
made with the ,indians4 ,with them      
political expediency obtains the mastery
 over justice1 honour1 and truth4 ,the  
missionaries1 too1 have in many cases   
endeavoured to wriggle into office and  
to lead an idle life instead of         
8learning and labouring truly to get    

their own living1 and doing their duty  
in that state of life unto which it hath
 pleased ,god to call them40 ,it is     
natural for men who hate injustice and  
detest lying1 to despise the            
ministrations of such teachers4 ,this   
appears to be one among the many causes 
which have prevented the efforts of the 
missionaries from being successful4     
,and truly if the ,indians had wisdom   
enough to anticipate the consequences   
likely to result from the success of    
missionary schemes1 they would not only 
reject the ministrations of such        
teachers1 but expel them from their     
territories4 ,the 8pale faces0 are      
always dangerous to the man of ,america4
 ,wherever the sound of the ,asiatic    
gospel has been heard1 the roar of the  
,european cannon has speedily followed4 
,brandy1 ,small ,pox1 and the ,gospel1  
are the three principal blessings we    
have given to the red men4 ,the         
consequences resulting from the two     
former1 have been more extensive than   

those resulting from the latter4 ,the   
whites must abandon their own vices     
before they can expect to civilize the  
,aborigines of ,america4      ,joshua   
,hobson1 ,printer1 #e1 ,market ,street1 
,briggate1 ,leeds4     ,,footnotes   #a 
,robertson's ,history of ,america1 vol4 
#a4 b4 #c4  #b ,robertson's ,history of 
,america1 ,note #df4  #c ,penny         
,cyclopdia1 ,art4 ,america4  #d         
,buchanan's ,sketches of ,indian        
,history1 vol4 #a1 p4 #cg4  #e          
,montaigne's ,essay's1 ,book1 #a1 ,chap4
 #cj1 ,cotton's ,translation4  #f       
,discourse to the ,new ,york ,society1  
p4p4 #di1 #ej4  #g ,discourse to the    
,new ,york ,society1 p4 #ga4  #h        
,heckewelder's ,historical account of   
the ,indian ,nations1 p4 #abd4  #i      
,hunter's ,memoirs of a ,captivity among
 the ,north ,american ,indians1 p4 #dc1 
c4  #aj ,buchanan's ,sketches1 ,north   
,american ,indians1 ,introduction1 p4   
#ad4  #aa ,hunter's ,memoirs1 p4 #dh4   
#ab ,voyages de ,marchais1 iv4 #cec4    

#ac ,gumilla1 ii4 #aja4  #ad ,m4 ,fabry1
 quoted by ,buffon1 iii4 #dhh4  #ae ,dr4
 ,fergusson's ,essay1 #abe4  #af        
,gumilla1 i4 #bfe4 ,brickell's ,hist1 of
 ,n4 ,carol4 #cbg4  #ag ,deny's ,hist4  
,natur4 ii4 #cib1 #cic4  #ah ,p4        
,martyr4 ,decad4 p4 #de4 ,veneg4 ,hist4 
of ,californ4 i4 #ff1 ,lery1 ,navig4 in 
,brasil1 c4 #ag4  #ai ,acosta1 ,hist4   
lib4 vi4 c4 #ai4 ,stadius1 ,hist4       
,brazil1 lib4 ii4 c4 #ac4 ,de ,bry1 iii4
 p4 #aaj4 ,biet #cfa4  #bj ,labat4 vi4  
#abd4 ,brickell4 ,hist1 of ,carol4 #caj4
  #ba ,oviedo1 lib4 iii4 c4 #f1 p4 #ig4 
,vega4 ,conquist4 de la ,florida1 i4    
#cj1 ii4 #daf4 ,labat4 ii4 #ach4 ,benzo1
 ,hist4 ,nov4 ,orb4 lib4 iv4 c4 #be4    
#bb ,lozana1 ,descr4 del ,gran4 ,chaco1 
#ic4 ,melendez ,teforos ,verdaderos1 ii4
 #bc4  #bc ,charlev4 ,hist4 ,n4 ,france1
 iii4 p4p4 #bff1 #bfh4  #bd ,herrera1   
,dec4 #h lib4 #d4 c4 #h4  #be ,charlev4 
,hist4 ,n4 ,france1 iii4 #bga1 #bgb4    
,lafit4 i4 #dhf4 ,cassani1 ,hist4 de    
,nuevo4 ,reyno de ,granada1 #bbf4  #bf  

,robertson's ,history of ,america1 vol4 
#b1 b4 #d4  #bg ,robertson's ,history of
 ,america1 vol4 #b1 b4 #d1 p4 #bc4  #bh 
,bossu1 i4 #adj4 ,lery ap de bry1 #bae4 
,hennepin1 ,murs des ,sauv4 #da4        
,lafitau1 ii4 #afi4  #bi ,charlev4      
,hist4 ,n4 ,fr4 #bae1 #bfh4 ,biet4 #cfg1
 #chj4  #cj ,charlev4 ,hist4 ,n4 ,fr4   
#bag1 #bah4  #ca ,charlev4 ,hist4 ,n4   
,fr4 iii4 #bcg1 #bch4 ,hennep4 ,murs des
 sauv4 p4 #ei4  #cb ,charlev4 ,hist4 ,n4
 ,fr4 iii4 #bch1 #cjg4 ,biet4 #cha4     
,lafitau1 ,murs des ,sauv4 ii4 #bdh4    
#cc ,charlev4 iii4 #cgf4 ,robertson     
,hist4 ,amer4 c4  #cd ,charlevoix1      
,journal1 c4 let4 xxiv1 p4 #cdc4  #ce   
,charlevoix1 ,journal1 c4 let4 xxiv1 p4 
#cdd4  #cf ,charlevoix1 ,journal1 c4    
let4 xxiv1 p4 #cde-f4  #cg ,charlevoix1 
ut supr4 p4 #cdf4  #ch ,loskiel1 ,part  
#a1 ,chap4 #c1 p4p4 #cd1 #ce1 #ci1 #dj4 
,london1 #agid4  #ci ,heckewelder1 p4   
#bje-f4  #dj ,pet4 ,mart4 ,decad i4 lib4
 ix4 apud ,stillingfleet's ,origines    
,sacr1 vol4 i4 p4 #c4 ,edward's ,west   

,indies1 vol4 i4 p4 #hhc4  #da ,edwards1
 vol4 i4 p4 #dh-i1 and ,hughes1 p4 #g4  
apud ,edwards ut sup4  #db ,horsley's   
,dissertation1 supr4 ut4 p4 #dg4  #dc   
,we leave national theologians to reply 
to this4  #dd ,journal ,historique1 p4  
#cea4  #de ,charlev4 ,journal1 ut supr4 
p4 #cgb-c4  #df ,journal ,historique1 ut
 supr4 p4 #ceb4  #dg ,mackenzie #hvo4   
vol4 #a1 p4 #aee-g4  #dh ,mackenzie's   
,gen4 ,hist4 ,fur ,trade1 vol4 #a1 p4   
#ade-f4  #di ,edwards1 ,west ,indies1   
vol4 #a1 p4 #gc4  #ej ibid4 vol4 #a1 p4 
#dg4  #ea ,charlev4 ,journal1 p4 #cdg-h4
  #eb ,gen4 ,hist of ,fur ,trade1 #dto4 
p4 c4 ci4 cii4 civ4 #hvo4 vol4 #a1 p4p4 
#abc1 #abd1 #abh4  #ec ,adair's ,history
 of ,north ,american ,indians1 p4p4     
#aae1 #aag4  #ed ,heckewelder's         
,historical ,account of ,india1 p4p4    
#bjd1 #bjg4  #ee ,loskiel1 p4 #dj4  #ef 
,loskiel1 ,part #a1 cap4 iii4 p4p4 #db1 
#dc4  #eg ,edwards' ,west ,indies1 p4p4 
#dg1 #ea4  #eh ,mackenzie1 #hvo4 vol4   
#a1 p4 #aec4  #ei ,ibid1 p4p4 #abd1     

#abh1 #abi4  #fj ,loskiel1 p4p4 #ci1    
#dj1 #db1 ad calc4  #fa ,bartram's      
,travels through ,north and ,south      
,carolina1 ,georgia1 ,east and ,west    
,florida1 c4 ,london1 #agib1 #hvo4 p4   
#die4  #fb ,adair's ,history of ,north  
,american ,indians1 p4p4 #hj1 #ha4  #fc 
,odyss1 lib4 iii1 c4 #dah1 #dfj4  #fd   
neid4 lib4 iii1 #a4 #hj4  #fe           
,charlevoix ,journal1 p4p4 #cfa1 #cfb4  
#ff ,heckewelder's ,hist4 ,account1 ut  
supr1 p4 #bbd4  #fg ,heckewelder's      
,historical ,account of ,indians1 ut    
supr4 p4p4 #bbi1 #bcd4  #fh             
,heckewelder's ,hist4 ,account of       
,indians1 p4p4 #bcb1 #bcc4  #fi         
,hearne's ,journey to the ,northern     
,ocean4 ,dublin1 #agif1 p4 #bba4--,note4
  #gj ,bartram's ,travels1 ut supr4 p4  
#dae4  #ga ,heckewelder's ,historical   
,account1 p4 #ic4  #gb ,sketches of     
,indian ,char4 vol4 #a1 p4 #ah4  #gc ,de
 ,witt4 ,clinton's ,discourse1 p4 #ef4  
#gd ,this relation is authentic2 ,i have
 received it1 says ,mr4 ,heckewelder1   

from the mouth of the chief of the      
injured party1 and his statement was    
confirmed by communications made at the 
time by two respectable magistrates of  
the county4  #ge ,justice ,geiger's     
,letter to ,justice ,horsfield1 proves  
this fact4  #gf ,alluding to what was at
 that time known by the name of the long
 day's walk4  #gg ,carver's ,travels1   
chap4 #i1 p4 #aif4  #gh ,loskiel1 chap4 
#c p4 #c4  #gi ,message of ,sir ,francis
 ,bond ,head1 to the ,legislature of    
,upper ,canada1 #bi ,january1 #ahch4    
#hj ,life of ,wilberforce1 vol4 iii4    
#ha ,martin's ,north ,america1 ,vol4    
iii1 p4 #bfa4  #hb ,house of ,commons   
,papers1 #ahcd1 ,no4 #fag1 p4 #ed4  #hc 
,edinb4 ,rev4 vol4 #h1 p4 #ddb1 et seq4 
,article on ,civilization of ,american  
,savages1 by ,pensylvanian ,quakers4    
#hd ,buchanan's ,sketches1 vol4 #a1 p4  
#ig4  #he ,flint's ,ten ,years ,resid4  
,mississ4 vid ,quarterly ,review1 ,no4  
,,xcv4 p4 #bad4  #hf ,letter of ,sir    
,francis ,bond ,head to ,lord ,glenelg1 

,nov4 #bjth1 #ahcf4