at twelve or fourteen Yards Distance. Their Men are excellent Marksmen, both with the Gun and Hatchet; their Dexterity at the latter is very extraordinary, for they rarely miss the Object, though at a confiderable Distance. The Hatchet in the Flight perpetually turns round, and yet always strikes the Mark with the Edge.

Before they go out, they have a Feaft upon Dog's Flesh, and a great War Dance. At these, the Warriours, who are frightfully painted with Vermillion, rife up and fing their own Exploits, or those of their Ancestors, and thereby kindle a military Enthusiasm in the whole Company. The Day after the Dance, they march out a few Miles in a Row, obferving a profound Silence. The Proceffion being ended, they ftrip the Bark from a large Oak, and paint the Defign of their Expedition on the naked Trunk. The Figure of a Canoe, with the Number of Men in it, determines the Strength of their Party; and by a Deer, a Fox, or fome other Emblem painted at the Head of it, we discover against what Nation they are gone

out.

The Five Nations being devoted to War, every Art is contrived to diffuse a military Spirit through the whole Body of their People. The Ceremonies attending the Return of a Party; feem calculated in particular for that Purpose. The Day before they enter the Village, two Heralds advance, and at a small Distance fet up a Yell, which by its Modulation intimates either good or bad News. If the former, the Village is alarmed, and an Entertainment provided for the Conquerours, who in the mean time approach in Sight: one of them bears the Scalps ftretched over a Bow, and elevated upon a long Pole. The boldest Man in the Town comes out, and receives it, and inftantly flies to the Hut where the reft are collected. If he is overtaken, he is beaten unmercifully; but if he out-runs the Purfuer, he participates in the Honour of the Victors, who at their first Entrance receive no Compliments, nor fpeak a fingle Word till the End of the Feast. Their Parents, Wives, and Children then are admited, and treat them with the profoundest Refpect. After thefe Salutations, one of the Conquerours is appointed to relate the whole Adventure, to which the rest attentively listen, without asking a Question, and the whole concludes with a Savage Dance.

The Indians never fight in the Field, or upon equal Terms, but always fculk and attack, by Surprife, in fmall Parties, meeting every Night at a Place of Rendezvous. Scarce any Enemy can efcape them, for by the Dif pofition of the Grafs and Leaves, they follow his Tract with great Speed any where but over a Rock. Their Barbarity is fhocking to human Na

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ture.

ture. Women and Children they generally kill and fcalp, because they would retard their Progrefs, but the Men they carry into Captivity. If any 'Woman has loft a Relation, and inclines to receive the Prifoner in his ftead, he not only escapes a Series of the moft inhuman Tortures, and Death itself, but enjoys every Immunity they can beftow, and is esteemed a Member of the Family, into which he is adopted. To part with him would be the most ignominious Conduct, and confidered as felling the Blood of the Deceafed; and for this Reafon it is not without the greatest Difficulty, that a Captive is redeemed.

When the Indians incline to Peace, a Meffenger is fent to the Enemy with a Pipe, the Bowl of which is made of foft, red, Marble; and a long Reed beautifully painted, and adorned with the gay Plumage of Birds, forms the Stem. This is his infallible Protection from any Affault on the Way. The Envoy makes his Proposals to the Enemy, who if they approve them, ratify the Preliminaries to the Peace, by fmoking through the Pipe, and from that Inftant, a general Ceflation of Arms takes Place. The French call it a Calumet. It is ufed, as far as I can learn, by all the Indian Nations upon the Continent. The Rights of it are esteemed facred, and have been only invaded by the Flat Heads; in just Indignation for which, the Confederates maintained a War with them for near thirty Years,

As to the Language of the Five Nations, the best Account I have had of it, is contained in a Letter from the Reverend Mr. Spencer, who refided amongst them in the Year 1748, being then a Miffionary from the Scotch Society for propagating Chriftian Knowledge. He writes thus:

« SIR,

Though I was very defirous of learning the Indian Tongue, yet through my fhort Refidence at Onoughquage, and the furly Difpofition "of my Interpreter, I confefs my Proficiency was not great.

..

Except the Tuscaroras, all the Six Nations speak a Language radically "the fame. It is very masculine and fonorous, abounding with Gutturals "and ftrong Afpirations, but without Labials. Its folemn grave Tone is

owing to the Generofity of its Feet, as you will observe in the following "Tranflation of the Lord's Prayer, in which I have diftinguished the Time "of every Syllable by the common Marks ufed in Profody*.

*If we had a good Dictionary, marking the Quantity as well as Emphasis of every Syllable in the English Language, it would conduce to an Accuracy and Uniformity of Pronunciation. The Dignity of Style, fo far as the Ear is concerned, confifts principally in generous Feet; and

perhaps it may be a juft Remark that no Sentence, unlefs in a Dialogue, ends well without a full Sound. Gordon and Fordyce rarely fwerve from this Rule, and Mr. Mason, an ingenious Author, has lately written with great Applaufe, on this Attribute of Style.

Soungwauncha, caurounkyawga, tehseetaroan, sauhsoneyoufta, esa,
Ökettauhsela, ehneauwoung, na, caurounkyawga, nughwon-

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"sawaneyou, fhauga, neattewehnesalauga, taugwaunautoronoantoughfick, toantaugweleewheyouftaung, cheneeyeut, chaquatautalehwheyouftaunna, toughsau, taugwaufsarench, tawautottenaugaloughtoungga, nasawne, sacheautaug"wafs, coantehsalohaunzaickaw, esa, sawauneyou, esa, sashautzta, esa, foungwafoung, chenneauhaungwa, auwen.

"The extraordinary Length of Indian Words, and the guttural Afpirations, neceffary in pronouncing them, render the Speech extremely rough "and difficult. The Verbs never change in their Terminations, as in "Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, but all their Variations are prefixed. Befides "the fingular and plural, they have also the dual Number. A strange Tranfpofition of Syllables of different Words, Euphonia gratiâ, is very common in the Indian Tongue, of which I will give an Inftance. ŌGILLA fignifies Fire, and CAWAUNNA great, but instead of joining the Adjective "and Substantive to fay great Fire, CAWAUNNA OGILLA, both Words would "be blended into this one,co-GILLA-WAUNNA. The Dialect of the Oneydas, " is fofter than that of the other Nations; and the Reason is, because they "have more Vowels, and often fupply the Place of harsh Letters with Liquids "Instead of R, they always ufe L: Rebecca would be pronunced Lequecca.”

The Art of publick Speaking is in high Eftcem among the Indians, and much ftudied. They are extremely fond of Method, and difpleafed with an irregular Harangue, becaufe it is difficult to be remembered. When they anfwer, they repeat the whole, reducing it into ftrict Order. Their Speeches are fhort, and the Senfe conveyed in ftrong Metaphors. In Conversation they are fprightly, but folemn and ferious in their Meffages relating to publick Affairs. Their Speakers deliver themselves with furprifing Force and great Propriety of Gefture. The Fiercenefs of their Countenances, the flowing Blanket, elevated Tone, naked Arm and erect Stature, with a half Circle of Auditors feated on the Ground, and in the open Air, cannot but impress upon the Mind, a lively Idea of the ancient Orators of Greece and Rome.

At the Clofe of every important Part of the Speech, ratifying an old Covenant, or creating a new one, a Belt is generally given, to perpetuate the Remembrance of the Tranfaction. Thefe Belts are about four Inches

wide, and thirty in Length. They confift of Strings of Conque Shell Beads fastened together *.

With Respect to Religion, the Indians may be faid to be under the thickest Gloom of Ignorance. If they have any, which is much to be questioned, those who affirm it, will find it difficult to tell us wherein it confifts. They have neither Priest nor Temple, Sacrifice nor Altar. Some Traces indeed appear, of the original Law writen upon their Hearts; but they have no Syftem of Doctrines, nor any Rites and Modes of publick Worship. They are funk, unspeakably beneath the polite Pagans of Antiquity. Some confused Notions, indeed, of Beings fuperiour to themselves, they have, but of the Deity and his natural and moral Perfections, no proper or tolerable Conceptions; and of his general and particular Providence they know nothing. They profefs no Obligations to him, nor acknowledge their Dependence upon him. Some of them, it is faid, are of Opinion, that there are two diftinct, powerful Beings, one able to help, the other to do them Harm. The latter they venerate moft, and fome alledge, that they address him by a kind of Prayer. Though there are no publick Monuments of Idolatry to be seen in their Country, yet the Miffionaries have discovered coarse Imagery in wooden Trinkets, in the Hands of their Jugglers, which the Converts deliver up as deteftable. The Sight of them would remind a Man of Letters, of the Lares and Penates of the Ancients, but no certain Judgement can be drawn of their Ufe. The Indians sometimes affemble in large Numbers, and retire far into the Wilderness, where they eat and drink in a profufe Manner. These Conventions are called Kenticoys. Some efteem them to be debauched Revels or Bacchanalia; but thofe, who have privately followed them into these Receffes, give fuch Accounts of their Conduct, as naturally lead one to imagine, that they pay a joint Homage and Supplication to fome invifible Being. If we fuppofe they have a Religion, it is worse than none, and raises in the generous Mind, most melancholy Ideas of their depraved Condition. Little has been done to illuminate these dark Corners of the Earth, with the Light of the Gospel. The French Priests boast indeed of their Converts, but they have made more Profelytes to Politicks than Religion. Queen Anne fent a Miffionary amongst them, and gave him an Appointment out of the Privy Purfe. He was a Man of a good Life, but flow Parts, and his Success very incon

Thofe Beads which pafs for Money, are called by the Indians, Wampum, and by the Dutch, Sewant; fix Beads were formerly valued at a Sty

ver.

There are always feveral poor Families at Albany, who fupport themfelves by coining this Cafh for the Traders.

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fiderable.

fiderable. The reverend Mr. Barclay afterwards refided among the Mohawks, but no fuitable Provifion being made for an Interpreter, he was obliged to break up the Miffion. If the English Society for propagating the Gofpel, that truly venerable Body, inftead of maintaining Miffionaries in rich Christian Congregations along the Continent, expended half the Amount of their annual Contributions on Evangelists among the Heathen, befides the unspeakable religious Benefits that would, it is to be hoped, accrue to the Natives, fuch a Proceeding would conduce greatly to the Safety of our Colonies, and his Majefty's Service. Much has been writen upon this Subject in America*; and why nothing to Purpose has yet been attempted in England, towards fo laudable a Defign, can only be attributed to the amazing Falsehoods and Mifreprefentations, by which fome of the Miffionaries. have long impofed upon benevolent Minds in Great Britain +.

*See Mr. Hobart's Letters to the Epifcopalians in New-England. The Account of the Scotch Miffion at Stockbridge. Douglas's Summary, &c.

cerned in thofe barbarous Irruptions, which have lately deluged the Frontiers of the South-westernProvinces, with the Blood of feveral hundreds Innocents of every Age and Sex. At the Com+ This is notorious to all who give themselves mencement of these Ravages, they flew into the the Trouble of perufing the Abstracts of their Settlements, and put themselves under the ProAccounts published in England. It would be a tection of the Government. Thefe Indians no very agreeable Office to me, on this Occafion, fooner became Chriftians, than they openly proto diftinguish the Innocent from the Guilty, but feffed their Loyalty to King George; and therethat fuch a Tafk would infallibly raise up a Hoft fore to contribute to their Converfion, was as truly of Enemies. Many of the Miffionaries are Men politick, as nobly Chriftian. Thofe Colonies which of Learning and exemplary Morals. Thefe in have done most for this charitable Design, have America are known and honoured, and cannot escaped best from the late diftreffing Calamities. be prejudiced by an indifcriminate Cenfure. Of all the Miffionaries, Mr. David Brainerd, Their joining in a Reprefentation for diftin- who recovered thefe Indians from the Darkness guifhing the Delinquents, who are a Difgrace to of Paganism, was most successful. He died the the Cloth, will ferve as a full Vindication of them- 9th of October, 1747, a Victim to his extreme felves to the Society. Mr. Ogilvie is, I believe, Mortification and inextinguishable Zeal, for the the only Perfon now employed by that charitable Profperity of his Miffion. Thofe who are cuCorporation among the Indians, and the greatest rious to enquire particularly into the Effects of Part even of his Charge is in the City of Albany. his indefatigable Induftry, may have Recourse to All the Scotch Miffionaries are among the Hea- his Journal, published at Philadelphia, by the then, and their Succefs has been fufficient to en- American Correfpondents of the Scotch Society, courage any future Attempts. There is a regu-, in whofe Service he was employed. Dr. Douglar Society of Indian Converts in New-Ferfey; lafs, ever ready to do Honour to his Native and it is worthy of Remark, that not one of Country, after remarking that this felf-denying them has apoftatized into Heathenifm. Some of Clergyman rode about 400 Miles, in the Year them have made fuch Proficiencies in practical 1744, with an Air of Approbation, afks, "Is Religion, as ought to fhame many of us, who "there any Miffionary, from any of the Soboaft the illuminating Aids of our Native Chrift-"cieties, for propagating the Gofpel in Foreignianity. Not one of thefe Indians has been con- "Parts, that has reported the like?"

As