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most shocking and cruel manner; generally fcalp them, and fometimes broil and eat them A great part of the Aborigines of America are grofs idolaters, and worship the fun, moon, and ftars. It is the opinion of many learned men, fupported by several well established facts, that the Indians of America are remains of the ten tribes of Ifrael, and that they came to this continent in the manner hereafter mentioned.

Society among favages is extremely rude. The improvement of the talents which nature has given them, is of course proportionably small. It is the genius of a favage to act from the impulse of present paffion. They have neither forefight nor difpofition to form complicated arrangements with respect to their future conduct. This, however, is not to be afcribed to any defect in their natural genius, but to their state of society, which affords few objects for the display either of their literary or political abilities. In all their warlike enterprizes they are led by perfuafion. Their fociety allows of no compulfion. What civilized nations enforce upon their fubjects by compulsory measures, they effect by their eloquence; hence the foundation of those masterly strokes of oratory, which have been exhibited at their treaties; fome of which equal the moft finished pieces that have been produced by the moft eminent ancient or modern

orators.

As a fpecimen, take the following from Mr. Jefferson's notes on Virginia. I 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. And, as a tefti. mony of their talents in this line, I beg leave to introduce it, first stating the incidents neceffary for underftanding it. In the spring 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 cuftom, undertook to punish this outrage in a fummary way. Col. Crefap, a man infamous for the many murders he had committed on those much injured people, collected a party, and proceeded down the Kanhaway in queft of vengeance. Unfortunately a canoe of women and children, with one man only, was feen coming from the oppofite fhore, unarmed, and unsuspecting an 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 diftinguifhed 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 fhould be diftrufted, from which fo diftinguifhed a chief abfented himself, he fent by a meffenger the following fpeech to be delivered to Lord Dunmore.

"I appeal to any white man to fay, if ever he entered Logan's cabin hungry, and he gave him not meat; if ever he came cold and naked, and

he

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he clothed 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. Col. 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.”

Of their bravery and addrefs in war they have given us multiplied proofs. No people in the world have higher notions of military honour than the Indians. The fortitude, the calmnefs, and even exultation which they manifeft while under the extremeft torture, is in part owing to their favage infenfibility, but more to their exalted ideas of military glory, and their rude notions of future happiness, which they believe they fhall forfeit by the least manifeftation of fear, or uneafinefs, under their fufferings. They are fincere in their freindships, but bitter and determined in their refentments, and often pursue their enemies several hundred miles through the woods, furmounting every difficulty, in order to be revenged. In their public councils they obferve the greatest decorum. In the foremost rank fit the old men, who are the counsellors, then the warriors, and next the women and children. As they keep no records, it is the business of the women to notice every thing that paffes, to imprint it on their memories, and tell it to their children. They are, in short, the records of the council; and with furprising exactnefs, preferve the ftipulations of treaties entered into a hundred years back. Their kindness and hospitality is fcarcely equalled by any civilized nation. Their politenefs in converfation is even carried to excess, fince it does not allow them to contradict any thing that is afferted in their prefence. In short there appears to be much truth in Dr. Fanklin's obfervation," We call them favages, because their manners differ from ours, which we think the perfection of civility; they think the same of theirs."

The first peopling of America.] It has long been a queftion among the curious, how America was first peopled. Various have been the theories and fpeculations of ingenious men upon this fubject. Dr. Robertson has recapitulated and canvaffed the most probable of these theories, and the refult is,

I. That America was not peopled by any nation from the ancient continent, which had made any confiderable progress in civilization; because when America was first discovered, its inhabitants were unacquainted with the neceffary arts of life, which are the firft effays of the human mind toward improvement; and if they had ever been acquainted with them, for inftance with the plow, the loom, and the forge, their utility would have been so great, and obvious, that it is impoffible they should have * Hift. America, Vol. I. Page 22. C 2

been

been loft. Therefore the ancestors of the first settlers in America were uncivilized and unacquainted with the neceffary arts of life.

II. America could not have been peopled by any colony from the more fouthern nations of the ancient continent; because none of the rude tribes of these parts poffeffed enterprize, ingenuity, or power fufficient to undertake fuch a distant voyage; but more especially, because, that in all America there is not an animal, tame or wild, which properly belongs to the warm or temperate countries of the eastern continent. The first care of the Spaniards, when they fettled in America, was to stock it with all the domestic animals of Europe. The first fettlers of Virginia and New England, brought over with them horfes, cattle, fheep, &c. Hence it is obvious that the people who firft fettled in America, did not originate from those countries where these animals abound, otherwise, having been accustomed to their aid, they would have fuppofed them neceffary to the improvement, and even fupport of civil fociety.

III. Since the animals in the northern regions of America correfpond with those found in Europe in the fame latitudes, while thofe in the tropical regions are indigenous, and widely different from thofe which inhabit the corresponding regions on the eaftern continent, it is more than probable that all the original American animals were of those kinds which inhabit northern regions only, and that the two continents, towards the northern extremity, are so nearly united as that these animals might pass from one to the other.

IV. It having been established beyond a doubt, by the discoveries of Capt. Cook in his laft voyage, that at Kamfkatka, in about latitude 66° north, the continents of Afia and America are separated by a ftrait only 18 miles wide, and that the inhabitants on each continent are fimilar, and frequently pafs and repafs in canoes from one continent to the other; from thefe and other circumftances it is rendered highly probable that America was first peopled from the north-eaft parts of Afia. But fince the Efquimaux Indians are manifeftly a separate fpecies of men, diftinct from all the nations of the American Continent, in language, in difpofition, and in habits of life; and in all these respects bear a near resemblance to the northern Europeans, it is believed that the Esquimaux Indians emigrated from the north-weft parts of Europe. Several circumftances confirm this belief. As early as the ninth century the Norwegians difcovered Greenland, and planted colonies there. The communication with that country, after long interruption, was renewed in the laft century. Some Lutherian and Moravian miffionaries, prompted by zeal for propagating the Chriftian faith, have ventured to fettle in this frozen region. From them we learn, that the north-weft coaft of Greenland is feparated from America but by a very narrow ftrait, if separated at all; and that the Efquimaux of America perfectly refemble the Greenlanders in their afpect, drefs, mode of living, and probably language. By thefe decifive facts, not only the confanguinity of the Efquimaux and Greenlanders is eftablished, but the poffibility of peopling America from the north-west parts of Europe. On the whole it appears rational to conclude, that the progenitors of all the American nations, from Cape Horn to the fouthern limits of Labrador, from the fimilarity of their afpect, colour, &c. migrated from the north-east parts of Afia: and that the nations that inhabit Labrador,

Labrador, Efquimaux, and the parts adjacent, from their unlikeness to the reft of the American nations, and their resemblance to the northern Europeans, came over from the north-weft parts of Europe.

Having given a fummary account of America in general; of its first difcovery by Columbus, its extent, rivers, mountains, &c. of the Aborigines, and of the first peopling this continent, we shall next turn our attention to the discovery and fettlement of North America.

A SUMMARY Account of the first DISCOVERIES and SETTLEMENTS of NORTH AMERICA, arranged in Chronological Order.

N

ORTH AMERICA was discovered in the reign of Henry VII.

a period when the Arts and Sciences had made very confiderable progrefs in Europe. Many of the first adventurers were men of genius and learning, and were careful to preserve authentic records of fuch of their proceedings as would be interefting to pofterity. These records afford ample documents for American hiftorians. Perhaps no people on the globe an trace the hiftory of their origin and progrefs with fo much precifion as the inhabitants of North America; particularly that part of them who inhabit the territory of the United States.

The fame which Columbus had acquired by his first discoveries on this western continent, fpread through Europe, and infpired many with 1496 the spirit of enterprize. As early as 1496, four years only after

the firft difcovery of America, John Cabot, a Venetian, obtained a commiffion from Henry VII. to discover unknown lands and annex them to the crown.

In the fpring he failed from England with two fhips, carrying with him his three fons. In this voyage, which was intended for China, he fell in with the north fide of Terra Labrador, and coafted northerly as far as the 67th degree of latitude.

1497.] The next year he made a fecond voyage to America with his fon Sebaftian, who afterwards proceeded in the discoveries which his father had begun. On the 24th of June he discovered Bonavista, on the north-eaft fide of Newfoundland. Before his return he traversed the coalt from Davis's Straits to Cape Florida.

1502.] Sebaftian Cabot was this year at Newfoundland; and on his return carried three of the natives of that island to Henry VII.

1513. In the fpring of 1513, John Ponce failed from Porto Rico northerly, and discovered the continent of 30° 8 north latitude. He landed in April, a season when the country around was covered with verdure, and in full bloom. This circumftance induced him to call the country FLORIDA, which, for many years, was the common name for North and South America.

1516.] In 1516, Sir Sebaftian Cabot and Sir Thomas Pert explored the coaft as far as Brazil in South America.

This vaft extent of country, the coaft whereof was thus explored, remained unclaimed and unfettled by any European power, (except by the Spaniards in South America) for almost a century from the time of its discovery

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1524.] It was not till the year 1524 that France attempted difcoveries on the American coaft. Stimulated by his enterprizing neighbours, Francis I. who poffeffed a great and active mind, fent John Verrazano, a Florentine, to America, for the purpose of making difcoveries. He traversed the coast from latitude 28° to 50° north. In a fecond voyage,

some time after, he was lost.

1525.] The next year Stephen Gomez, the firft Spaniard who came upo'n the American coaft for difcovery, failed from Groyn in Spain, to Cuba and Florida, thence northward to Cape Razo, in latitude 46° north, in search of a north-west passage to the East Indies.

1534.] In the fpring of 1534, by the direction of Francis I. a fleet was fitted out at St. Malo's in France, with defign to make discoveries in America. The command of this fleet was given to James Cartier. He arrived at Newfoundland in May of this year. Thence he failed

northerly; and on the day of the festival of St. Lawrence, he found himfelf in about latitude 48° 30′ north, in the midst of a broad gulf, which he named St. Lawrence. He gave the fame name to the river which empties into it. In this voyage, he failed as far north as latitude 51o, expecting in vain to find a paffage to China.

1535.] The next year he failed up the river St. Lawrence 300 leagues to the great and fwift Fall. He called the country New France; built a fort in which he spent the winter, and returned in the following fpring to France.

1542.] In 1542, Francis la Roche, Lord of Robewell, was fent to Canada, by the French king, with three fhips and 200 men, women and children. They wintered here in a fort which they had built, and returned in the fpring. About the year 1550, a large number of adventurers failed for Canada, but were never after heard of. In 1598, the king of France commiffioned the Marquis de la Roche to conquer Canada, and other countries not poffeffed by any Chriftian prince. We do not learn, however, that la Roche ever attempted to execute his commiffion, or that any further attempts were made to fettle Canada during this

century.

1539.] On the 12th of May, 1539, Ferdinand de Soto, with 900 men, befides feamen, failed from Cuba, having for his object the conqueft of Florida. On the 30th of May he arrived at Spirito Santo, from whence he travelled northward 450 leagues from the fea. Here he difcovered a river a quarter of a mile wide and 19 fathoms deep, on the bank 1542 of which he died and was buried, May 1542, aged 42 years, 1543 Alverdo his fucceffor built feven brigantines, and the year following embarked upon the river. In 17 days he proceeded down the river 400 leagues, where he judged it to be 15 leagues wide. From the largeness of the river at the place of his embarkation, he concluded its fource muft have been at leaft 400 leagues above, so that the whole length of the river in his opinion must have been more than 800 leagues. As he paffed down the river, he found it opened by two mouths into the gulf of Mexico. These circumstances led us to conclude, that this river, fo early discovered, was the one which we now call the Miffilippi.

Jan.

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