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plentifully and regularly, who exempt them from exceffive drudgery, who keep them stationary and unexpofed to accident, produce and raise as many children as the white women. Inftances are known, under thefe circumftances, of their rearing a dozen children.

Neither do they seem to be "deficient in natural affection." On the contrary, their fenfibility is keen, even the warriors weeping moft bitterly on the lofs of their children; though in general they endeavour to appear fuperior to human events.

Their friendships are ftrong, and faithful to the uttermoft extremity. A remarkable instance of this appeared in the case of the late Col. Byrd, who was fent to the Cherokee nation to tranfact fome bufinefs with them. It happened that some of our disorderly people had just killed one or two of that nation. It was therefore proposed in the council of the Cherokees, that Col. Byrd should be put to death, in revenge for the lofs of their countrymen. Among them was a chief, called Silouce, who, on fome former occafion, had contracted an acquaintance and friendship with Col. Byrd. He came to him every night in his tent, and told him not to be afraid, they fhould not kill him. After many days deliberation, however, the determination was, contrary to Silouee's expectation, that Byrd fhould be put to death, and fome warriors were dispatched as executioners. Silouee attended them; and when they entered the tent, he threw himself between them and Byrd, and faid to the warriors, "This man is my friend: before you get at him, you must kill me." On which they returned; and the council refpected the principle so much as to recede from their determination.

That "they are timorous and cowardly," is a character with which there is little reafon to charge them, when we recollect the manner in which the Iroquois met Monf. who marched into their coun,

try; in which the old men, who fcorned to fly, or to furvive the capture of their town, braved death like the old Romans in the time of the Gauls, and in which they foon after revenged themselves by facking and deftroying Montreal. In fhort, the Indian is brave, when an enterprise depends upon bravery; education with him making the point of honour confift in the deftruction of an enemy by ftratagem, and in the prefervation of his own perfon free from injury or perhaps this is nature, while it is education which teaches us to honour force rather than fineffe. He will defend himfelf against an hoft of enemies, always choofing to be killed rather than to furrender, though it be to the whites, who he knows will treat him well. In other fituations, alfo, he meets death

with more deliberation, and endures tortures with a firmness unknown almoft to religious enthusiasm among us.

Much lefs are they to be characterised as a people of no vivacity, and who are excited to action or motion only by the calls of hunger and thirst. Their dances in which they fo much delight, and which to a European would be the moft fevere exercife, fully contradict this; not to mention their fatiguing marches, and the toil they voluntarily and cheerfully undergo in their military expeditions. It is true, that when at home they do not employ themselves in labour or the culture of the foil: but this, again, is the effect of cuftoms and manners which have affigned that to the province of the women. But it is faid, "they are averfe to fociety and a focial life." Can any thing be more inapplicable than this to a people who always live in towns or in clans? Or can they be said to have no republique, who conduct all their affairs in national councils; who pride themselves in their national character; who confider an infult or injury done to an individual by a stranger as done to the whole, and refent it accordingly?

To form a just estimate of their genius and mental powers, Mr. Jefferson obferves, more facts are wanting, and great allowance is to be made for those circumftances of their fituation which call for a display of particular talents only. This done, we fhall probably find that the Americans are formed, in mind as well as in body, on the fame model with the homo fapiens Europeus. The principles of their fociety forbidding all compulfion, they are to be led to duty and to enterprise by perfonal influence and perfuafion. Hence eloquence in council, bravery and addrefs in war, become the foundations of all confequence with them. To these acquirements all their faculties are directed. Of their bravery and address in war we have multiplied proofs, because we have been the fubjects on which they were exercised. Of their eminence in oratory we have fewer examples, because it is difplayed chiefly in their own councils. Some, however, we have of very fuperior luftre. We may challenge the whole orations of Demofthenes and Cicero, and of any more eminent orator, if Europe has furnished more eminent, to produce a fingle paffage fuperior to the fpeech of Logan, a Mingo chief, to Lord Dunmore when governor of this ftate. The story is as follows; of which, and of the fpeech, the authenticity is unquestionable. In the fpring of the year 1774, a robbery and murder were committed on an inhabitant of the frontiers of Virginia by two Indians of the Shawanee tribe. The neighbouring whites, according to their custom, undertook to punish this outrage in a fummary way. Colonel Crefap, a man infamous for the many murders he had committed on thofe much-injured

people,

people, collected a party, and proceeded down the Kanhaway in queft of vengeance. Unfortunately a cance of women and children, with one man only, was feen coming from the oppofite fhore, unarmed, and unfufpecting any hoftile attack from the whites. Crefap and his party concealed themselves on the bank of the river; and the moment the canoe reached the fhore, fingled out their objects, and at one fire killed every perfon in it. This happened to be the family of Logan, who had long been distinguished as a friend of the whites. This unworthy return provoked his vengeance. He accordingly fignalized himself in the war which enfued. In the autumn of the fame year a decifive battle was fought at the mouth of the Great Kanhaway, between the collected forces of the Shawanees, Mingoes, and Delawares, and a detachment of the Virginia militia. The Indians were defeated, and fued for peace. Logan, however, difdained to be feen among the fuppliants; but, left the fincerity of a treaty should be diftrufted from which fo diftinguished a chief abfented himself, he fent by a messenger the following fpeech, to be delivered to Lord Dunmore :- -"I appeal to any white man to say if ever he entered Logan's cabin hungry, and he gave him not meat; if ever he came cold and naked, and he cloathed him not. During the course of the last long and bloody war, Logan remained idle in his cabin, an advocate for peace. Such was my love for the whites, that my countrymen pointed as they paffed, and faid Logan is the friend of white men. I had even thought to have lived with you, but for the injuries of one man. Colonel Crefap, the laft fpring, in cold blood, and unprovoked, murdered all the relations of Logan, not fparing even my women and children. There runs not a drop of my blood in

the veins of any living creature. This called on me for revenge. I have fought it; I have killed many; I have fully glutted my vengeance. For my country, I rejoice at the beams of peace; but do not harbour a thought that mine is the joy of fear. Logan never felt fear. He will not turn on his heel to fave his life. Who is there to mourn

for Logan ?-Not one."

To the preceding anecdotes in favour of the American character, may be added the following by Dr. Benjamin Franklin. The Indian men, when young, are hunters and warriors: when old, counsellors; for all their government is by the counfel or advice of the fages. Hence they generally study oratory; the beft fpeaker having the most influence. The Indian women till the ground, drefs the food, nurse and bring up the children, and preferve and hand down to pofterity the memory of public, tranfactions. Thefe employments of men and women are accounted natural and honourable. Having few artificial wants, they

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have abundance of leifure for improvement by conversation. laborious manner of life, compared with theirs, they efteem flavish and base; and the learning on which we value ourselves, they regard as frivolous and useless.

Having frequent occafions to hold public councils, they have acquired great order and decency in conducting them. The old men fit in the foremost ranks, the warriors in the next, and the women and children in the hindmoft. The bufinefs of the women is to take exact notice of what paffes; imprint it in their memories, for they have no writing, and communicate it to their children. They are the records of the council, and they preferve tradition of the ftipulations in treaties a hundred years back; which, when we compare with our writings, we always find exact. He that would speak rifes. The reft obferve a profound filence. When he has finished, and fits down, they leave him " five or fix minutes to recollect, that if he has omitted any thing he intended to fay, or has any thing to add, he may rise again and deliver it. To interrupt another, even in common converfation, is reckoned highly indecent.

The politeness of these favages in converfation is, indeed, carried to excefs; fince it does not permit them to contradict or deny the truth of what is afferted in their prefence. By this means they indeed avoid difputes; but then it becomes difficult to know their minds, or what impreffion you make upon them. The miffionaries who have attempted to convert them to Chriftianity, all complain of this as one of the greatest difficulties of their miffion. The Indians hear with patience the truths of the gofpel explained to them, and give their usual tokens of affent and approbation; but this by no means implies conviction; it is mere civility.

When any of them come into our towns, our people are apt to crowd round them, gaze upon them, and incommode them where they defire to be private; this they esteem great rudeness, and the effect of the want of inftruction in the rules of civility and good manners. "We have", fay they, "as much curiofity as you; and when you come into our towns, we wish for opportunities of looking at you; but for this purpofe we hide ourselves behind bushes where you are to pafs, and never intrude ourselves into your company."

There manner of entering one another's villages has likewife its rules. It is reckoned uncivil in travelling ftrangers to enter a village abruptly, without giving notice of their approach. Therefore, as foon as they arrive within hearing, they ftop and hollow, remaining there till invited to enter. Two old men usually come out to them and lead them in. There

There is in every village a vacant dwelling, called the frangers houfe. Here they are placed, while the old men go round from hut to hut, acquainting the inhabitants that ftrangers are arrived, who are probably hungry and weary; and every one fends them what he can fpare of victuals, and skins to repofe on. When the ftrangers are refreshed, pipes and tobacco are brought; and then, but not before, converfation begins, with enquiries who they are, whither bound, what news, &c. and it ufually ends with offers of service; if the ftrangers have occafion for guides, or any neceffaries for continuing their journey; and nothing is exacted for the entertainment.

The fame hofpitality, efteemed among them as a principal virtue, is practifed by private perfons; of which Conrad Weifer, the interpreter, gave Dr, Franklin the following inftance: He had been naturalized among the Six Nations, and spoke well the Mohock language. In going through the Indian country to carry a meffage from our governor to the council at Onondaga, he called at the habitation of Canaffetego, an old acquaintance, who embraced him, fpread furs for him to fit on, placed before him fome boiled beans and venifon, and mixed fome rum and water for his drink, When he was well refreshed, and had lit his pipe, Canaffetego began to converfe with him: afked how he had fared the many years fince they had feen each other, whence he then came, what had occafioned the journey, &c. Conrad anfwered all his questions; and when the difcourfe began to flag, the Indian, to continue it, faid, "Conrad, you have lived long among the white people, and know "fomething of their cuftoms; I have been fometimes at Albany, and "have obferved, that once in feven days they shut up their fhops, "and affemble all in the great houfe; tell me what it is for ?—What do "they do there ?" "They meet there," fays Conrad, to hear and learn good things." "I do not doubt (fays the Indian) that they tell "you fo; they have told me the fame: but I doubt the truth of what "they fay, and I will tell you my reafons. I went lately to Albany to "fell my fkins, and buy blankets, knives, powder, rum, &c. You know I generally ufed to deal with Hans Hanfon; but I was a little "inclined this time to try fome other merchants. However I called "firft upon Hans, and afked him what he would give for beaver. He

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faid he could not give more than 4s. a pound; but (fays he) I cannot talk on bufinefs now; this is the day when we meet together to learn good things, and I am going to the meeting. So I thought to myfelf "fince I cannot do any bufinefs to-day, I may as well go to the meeting too; and I went with him. There ftood up a man in black, and

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