bouring tribe. Of late, as the materials of which those belts are made have become scarce, they often give some skin in the place of the wampum; and receive in return, presents of a more valuable kind, from the commissioners appointed to treat with them; for they never consider a treaty of any weight, unless every article in it be ratified by some gratification.

It sometimes happens, that those different tribes or nations, scattered as they are, at an immense distance from one another, meet in their excursions whilst hunting. If there subsists no animosity between them, they behave in the most friendly and courteous manner; but, if they happen to be in a state of war, or, if there has been no previous intercourse between them, all who are not friends are deemed enemies, and they fight with the most savage fury.

War, hunting, and fishing, are the principal employments of the men; almost every other concern is consigned to the women.

The most prevailing motive with the Indians for enter ing into a war, if it does not arise from an accidental rencounter, is either to revenge themselves for the death of some lost friends, or to acquire prisoners, who may assist them in their hunting, and whom they adopt into their society. These wars are either undertaken by some private adventurers, or by the whole community. In the lat fer case, all the young men who desire to go out to battle (for no one is compelled contrary to his inclination) give a piece of wood to the chief, as a token of their design to accompany him. The chief who is to conduct the enterprize, fasts several days, and carefully observes his dreams during that time; which the presumption natural to savages mostly renders as favourable as he could desire. A variety of other superstitious ceremonies are observed.

The war kettle is set on the fire, as an emblem that they are going out to devour their enemies; which among these nations, it is probable, was formerly the case; since they still continue to express it in clear terms, and use an emblem significant of the ancient usage. Then they dispatch a cup or large shell to their allies; inviting them to join in the destruction of their enemies, and drink their blood; for like the ancient Greeks, they think that those

in their alliance, must not only adopt their quarrels, but that they must also have their resentments wound up to the same high pitch with themselves.

There are no people who carry their friendships or resentments so far as they do; this naturally results from their peculiar circumstances. The Americans live in small societies, accustomed to see but few objects, and few persons to be deprived of these objects to which they are so closely attached, renders them miserable. Their ideas are too confined to enable them to entertain just sentiments of humanity, or universal benevolence. But this very circumstance, while it makes them cruel and savage, to an incredible degree, towards those with whom they are at war, adds a new force to their particular friendships, and to the common tie which unites the members of the same tribe, or those in alliance with them.

With attending to this reflection, some facts which immediately follow would excite our wonder, without informing our reason; and we would be bewildered in a number of particulars, seemingly opposite to one another, without being sensible of the general cause from which they proceed.

Having finished all the ceremonies previous to the war, and the appointed day for setting out on their expedition has arrived, they take leave of their friends, and exchange their clothes, or whatever moveables they have, in token of mutual friendship; after which they proceed from the town, their wives and female relations walking before, and attending them to some distance. The warriors march dressed in all their finery, and most showy apparel, without any order. The chief walks slowly before them, singing the war song; while the rest observe the most profound silence. When they come up to their women, they deliver to them all their ornaments, and putting on their worst clothes, proceed on their expedition.

Every nation has its peculiar ensign or standard, which is generally a representation of some beast, bird, or fish. Those among the Five Nations, are the bear, otter, wolf, tortoise, and eagle, and by those names the tribes are usually distinguished. They have the figures of those animals pricked and painted on several parts of their bodies: and when they march through the woods, they

commonly, at every encampment, cut the representation of their ensign on trees, especially after a successful campaign marking at the same time, the number of scalps and prisoners they have taken.

Their military dress is very singular; they cut off, or pull out all their hair, except a spot about the breadth of two crown-pieces, near the top of their heads, and entirely destroy their eye brows: the lock left upon their heads, they divide into several parcels; each of which is stiffened and adorned with wampum, beads, and feathers of various kinds; the whole twisted into a form resembling the modern pompoon. Their heads are painted red down to the eyes, and sprinkled over with white down. The gristles of their ears are split almost around, and distended with wires or splinters, so as to meet and tie together at the nape of the neck; these are also hung with some ornaments, and generally bear the representation of some bird or beast. Their noses are likewise bored, and hung with trinkets of beads, and their faces painted with various colours, so as to make an awful appearance. Their breasts are adorned with a gorget, or medal of brass, copper, 01 some other metal; and the scalping knife hangs by a string; from the neck.

The most approved qualities among Indians in war ate vigilance and attention, to execute and avoid surprize; and indeed, in these arts they are superior to all other nations in the world. Accustomed to a continual wandering in the forests, their conceptions sharpened by keen necessity, and living in every respect according to natt re, their external senses have a degree of acuteness which at first view appears incredible. They can trace out their enemies at an immense distance, by the smoke of their fires, which they smell, and by the tracks of their feet upon the ground, imperceptible to an European eye, but which they can count with facility. It is said they can even distinguish the different nations to which they be long, and determine the precise time in which they pas sed; when an European with the aid of glasses could not dis cover the least trace of a foot-step. These circumstances are of less importance as their savage enemies are equally well acquainted with them.

When they go out, therefore, they take care to avoid making use of any thing that might lead to a discovery. They light no fire to warm themselves, or to prepare their victuals they lie close to the ground during the day, when they draw near the residence of their enemies, and travel only in the night, and marching along in files; he that closes the rear, carefully covers the tracks of his own feet, and those who preceded him with leaves. When they halt to refresh themselves, scouts are sent out to reconnoitre the country, and beat up every place where they suspect an enemy lies concealed.

In this manner they enter unawares the villages of their foes; and while the flower of the nation are engaged in hunting, massacre all the children, women and helpless old men; or make prisoners of as many as they can manage, or have strength enough to be useful to their nation. But when the enemy is apprized of their design, and coming on in arms against them, they throw themselves flat on the ground among the withered herbs and leaves, which their faces are painted to resemble. They then allow a part to pass unmolested, when all at once, with a tremendous shout, rising up from their ambush, they pour a storm of arrows or musket bullets upon their foes.

The party attacked, returns the same cry; every one shelters himself with a tree, and returns the fire of the adverse party, as soon as they raise themselves from the ground to give a second fire. Thus does the battle continue, until the one party is so much weakened, as to be incapable of further resistance. But if the force on each side continues nearly equal, the fierce spirits of the savages, inflamed by the loss of their friends, can no longer be restrained. They abandon their distant war, and rush upon one another with clubs and hatchets in their hands, magnifying their own courage, and insulting their enemies with the bitterest reproaches. A cruel combat ensues, death appears in a thousand hideous forms, which would congeal the blood of civilized nations to behold; but which rouses the fury of savages. They trample, they insult over the dead bodies, and tear the scalp from the head. The flame continues to rage till resistance ceases; then they secure the prisoners, whose fate, if men, are a thousand times more unhappy than those who died in the

field.

The conquerors set up a hideous yell to lament the friends they have lost.

They approach in a melancholy, severe gloom to their own village; a messenger is sent to announce their arrival, and the women with frightful shrieks, come out to mourn their dead brothers, or their husbands. When they are arrived, the chief relates in a low voice, to the elders, a circumstantial account of every particular of the expedi tion. The orator then proclaims this account aloud to the people; and as he mentions the names of those who have fallen, the shrieks of the women are redoubled.

The men too join in these cries, according as each is most connected with the deceased, by blood or friendship. The last ceremony is the proclamation of victory; each individual then forgets his private misfortunes, and joins in the triumph of his nation; all tears are wiped from their eyes, and by an unaccountable transition, they pass in a moment from the bitterness of sorrow, to an extravagance of joy.

But the manner in which they treat their prisoners, is the chief characteristic of the savages. The friendly affections which glow with an intense warmth within the bounds of their own villages, seldom extend beyond them. They feel nothing for the enemies of their nation but an implacable resentment. The prisoners who have themselves the same feelings, know the intentions of their con querors, and are prepared for them. The person who has taken the captive, attends him to the cottage, where, according to the distribution made by the elders, he is to be delivered to supply the loss of a relative. If those who receive him have their family weakened by war or other accidents, they adopt the captive into the family. But if they have no occasion for him, or their resentment for the loss of their friends be too high to endure the sight of any connected with those who were concerned in it, they sentence him to death. All those who have met with the same severe sentence being collected, the whole nation is assembled at the execution as for some great solemnity. A scaffold is erected, and the prisoners are tied to a stake, where they begin their death song, and prepare for the ensuing scene of cruelty, with the most undaunted courage. Their enemies on the other side, are determined to put it to the proof, by the most cruel and exquisite tortures.