^aj S), IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // /- % 1.0 I.I ■uuu 2,5 IL25 ■ 1.4 2.0 1.8 1.6 V] <^ /i o ^> c^. o-k ^'^^ "^ ^>* / /A w w Photographic &iences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 873-4503 iV ^^ N> ''t-.,.v<> %^ <^ .,y ^^ y^:%^ t/i i ^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiquos Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. D D D D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur □ Covers damaged/ Couverture endommag^e □ Cov Cou Covers restored and/or laminated/ verture restaur6(3 et/ou pelliculde I I Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque I I Coloured maps/ Cartes g^ographiques en couleur □ Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou il A HIS- J^^l. HISTORY OF THE NORTH-AMERICAN INDIANS, THEIR CUSTOMS, &c. Obfervatiom on the colour., Jl:)ape^ temper^ and drcfs of the Indians of America, 45» IS- TH E Indians are of a copper or red-clay colour— and they de- light in every thing, which they imagine may promote and increafe it : accordingly, they paint their faces with vermilion, as the beft and mod beautiful ingredient. If we confidcr the common laws of nature and providence, we fhall not be furpriiied at this cuftom -, for every thing loves beft its own likenefs and place in the creation, and is dlfpofed to ridicule its oppofite. If a deformed fon of burning Africa, was to paint the devil, he would not do it in black colours, nor delineate him with a fhaggcd coarfe woolly head, nor with thick lips, a fliort flat nofe, or clumfy feet, like thofe of a bear: his devil would repreient one of a difix;rcnt nation or people. But was he to draw an agreeable piflure, — according to the African talk', he would daub it all over with Iboty black. All the Indians are fo ftrongly attached to, and prejudiced in favour of, their own colour, that they think as meanly of the whites, as we pofllbly can do of them. The Englifh traders among them, experience much of it, and are often very glad to be allowed to pafs multcr with the Indian chieftains, as fellow-brethren 'V, B of 'ill V (I i I ( • t On the colour of the Indians of America, - •■- ■ of the human fpecics. One indance will lufficiently (hew in what flattering glafl'es they view tiiemrdvcs. Some time part, a large body of the Englifh Indian traders, on their way to the Cboktiib country, were el'corted by a body of Creek and Choktah warriors. The Creeks having a paiticiilar friendfhip forfomeof the traders, who had treated them pretty liberally, took this opportunity to chide the Choktahs, before the traders, in a fmart though friendly way, for not allowing to the Englifii the name of human creatures: — for the general name they give us in their moft favourable war-fpeecbes, refcmbles that of a contemptible, heterogeneous animal. The hotter, or colder the climate is, wliere the Indians have long refided, tlie greater proportion have they either of the red, or white, colour. I took j)articular notice of the Shawano Indian<:, as they were pafling from the northward, within fifty miles of the Chikkafah country, to that of the Creeks j and, by comparing them with the Indians which I accompanied to their camp, I obferved the Shawano to be much fairer than the Chikkafah •; though I am fatisfied, their endeavours to cultivate the copper colour, •were alike. Many incidents and obfervations lead me to believe, that the Indian colour is not natural -, but that the external difference between them and the whites, proceeds entirely from their cuftoms and method of living, and not from any inherent fpring of nature ; which will entirely overturn Lord Karnes's v.'hole fyftem of colour, and feparate races of men. That the Indian colour is merely accidental, or artificial, appears pretty evident. Their own traditions record them to have come to their prefent lands by tliJ way of the weft, from a far diftant country, and where there was no vai legation of colour in human beings ; and they are entirely ignorant which was the firfl: or primitive colour. Befides, their rites, cuftoms, &c. as we fhall prefently f.?, prove them to be orientalifts : and, as the difference of colour among th'- human Ipecies, is one of the principal caufes of feparation, Itrife, and bloodftied, would it not greatly refled on the goodnefs and jullice of the Divine Being, ignominioudy to brand numerous tribes and their pofterity, with a colour odious and hateful in the fight and opinion of thofe of a different colour. Some writers have contended, from • S is not a note of plurality with the Indians ; when I mention therefore either their na- tional, or proper names, that common error is avoided, which writers ignorant of their lan- guage conilantly commit.. the On the C'Jour of the Indians af America . 3 tlie divcrfity of colour, that America was not peopled from any p.iit of AHa, or of the olil world, but that the natives were a il-paratc creation. Of this opinion, is Lord Kanies, and which lu- labours to ellablifii in Ins Lite pub- lication, entitled. Sketches of the Uijlory cf Man. But his reafunin;; on this point, for a local creation, is contrary both to revelation, and i'arts. His chief argument, that " ther'." is not a fingle hair on the bo.ly of any American, nor the lead appearance of a beard," is utterly dclUiute of foundation, as can be atteiled by all who have had any communication v/ith tbem — of this more prefently. — Moreover, to form one creation cjf •Kl.nits, a fccond creation for the yellows., and a third for the bkcks, is a v/eaknels, of wliich infinite wifdom is incapable. Its operations are plain, eaiy, conllant, and perfed. The variegation therefore of colours amony the human race, depends upon a fecond caufe. Lord Kames himfelf acknowledges, ti'.at " the Spanifli in- habitants of Carthagena in South- America lofe their vigour and coloui- in a few months." \Vc are informed by the anatomical obfervations of our American phyfi- cians, concerning the Indians, ihat they have difcerned a certain fine cowl, or web, of a red gluey fubftance, clofe under the outer (kin, to which it reflefls tlie colour -, as the epidermis, or outer iliin, is alike clear in every difi'erent creature. And experience, which is the beil nedium to difcover truth, chives tlie true caufe why this corpus nuicoium, or gluifn v/eb, is red in the Indians, and white in us; the parching winds, and hot fun-beams, beating upon their naked bodies, in their various gradations of life, necefi"arily tarnifi-i their fkins with the tawny red colour. Add to this, heir conftant anointing themfelves with bear's oil, or greafe, mixt with a certain red root, which, by a peculiar property, is able alone, in a fev; years time, to produce the Indian colour in thofe who are white born, and who have even advanced to maturity. Thefv: metamorphofes I have often feen. At the Shawano main camp *, I faw a Penfylvanian, a white man by birth, and in profeffion a chrillian, who, by the inclemency of the fun, • In the year 1747, I headed a company of the diccrfil, brave Chikkrifali, wiih the eagles tails, to the camp of the Shawano Indian.-, to apprehend one Peter ijliarice, (,i Frenchman) who, by his artful paintings, an.! the fiipine conduct of the Penfylvanian j;overn- ment, had decoyed a large body of the Shav.aiio from the Engl ilh, to the Trench, int.rclt. Hut fearing the confequences, he went round an hundred milea, toward the Chceral..' nation, with his family, and the head warriors, and tlicieby evaded the danger. B .-- and ■:& 2 ll !'> I l\ It I i 4 On the colour and temper of the Indians of America. and his endeavours of improving the red colour, was tarniflied with as deep nn Indian hue, as any of the tamp, though tliey had been in the woods only the fpacc of four years. \Vc may eafily conclude then, what a fixt chunge of colour, fuch a con- ftant method of life would produce : for the colour being once tiioroughly eltabliflicd, nature would, as it were, forp.ct hcrlelf, not to beget her own likcnLfs. Btfides, may we not Kii-'pofe, that the imagination can imprefs the animalculii;, in tlie time i>f copulation, by its flrong fubtile power, witJi at Icall fuch an external fimiiituUe, as we ipeak of? — The I'acred oracles, and chrifiian rtgifl'.rs, as wtU as Indian traditions, fupport the fentimcnt-, — the colour of Jacob's cattle refcnibled that of the peeled rods he placed be- fore them, in the time of conception. We have good authority of a Spanifli lady, who conceived, and was dclivcreil of a nt-gro child, by means of a black pifture that hung on the wall, oppofite to the bed w here flie lay. There is a record among the Chikkafah Indians, that tells us of a white child with Haxen hair, born in their country, long before any white people appeared in that part of the world •, which they afcribed to the immediate power of the Deity impreffing her imagination in a dream. And the Philofophical Tranf- aflions afflire us of two white children having been born of black parents. But waving all other arguments, the different method of living, connedcd •with the difference of climates, and extraordinary anointings and paintings, will effeft both outward and inward changes in the human race, all round the globe : or, a different colour may be conveyed to the foetus by the parents, through the channel of the fluids, without the leaft variation of the original ftamina. for, though the laws of nature cannot be traced far, where there are various circumftances, and combinations of things, yet her works are exquifitely conftant and regular, being thereto impelled by unerring divine Wifdom. As the American Indians are of a reddilh or copper colour, — fo in general they are fl:rong, well proportioned in body and limbs, furprifingly a(ftive and nimble, and hardy in their own way of living. They are ingenious, witty, cunning, and deceitful ; very fiiithful indeed to their own tribes, but privately dilhoneft, and mifchievous to the Europeans and chriftians. Their being honeft and harmlefs to each other, may be througlv fear of refentment and reprifal — which is unavoidable in cafe of any injury. 7 They ll ■1 -i On the temper aridJJjape of the Indiiins of America, They are very clofe, and retentive of their fecrcts ; never furgct iiijiiri':'? ; revengeful of blood, to a degree of difhradion. They arc tiinoious, and, confcqucntly, cautious •, very jealous of encroachments from tlcir cliriilin neighbours j and, likewife, content with freedom, in every turn of fortune. They are poffefTed of a ftrong coin prehcn five judgment, — can form furprif- ini'ly crafty fchemes, and condu(5t them with equal ;• union, filencc, and addrel's ; they admit none but diftinguilhed v.-arriois, an 1 old bdovfd meii, into their councils. They are flow, but very pcrfevcring in ihcir under- takings — commonly temperate in eating, but excclFively im.moderat • in drinking. — They often transform themlelves by liquor into the likcicfs of mad foaming bears. The women, in general, arc of a mi! 1, amial^le, foft difpofition : exceedingly modeft in their behaviour, and very fcldom noify, either in the fingle, or married ftate. The men are expert in the ufe of fire arm.";, — in fliooting t!ic bow, — and throwing tlie feathered dart, ard tomohav,!:, into tlic flying enemy. They rcfem.ble the lynx, with their fharp penetrating black eyes, and arc exreed- incly fwift of footj efpecially in a long chaie ; they will ftretc!; away, through the rough woods, by the bare track, for two or three hundred miles, mi purluit of a flying enemy, witli the continued fpecd, and cagernds, of a {tancli pack of blood hounds, till they flied blood. When they h;;v(^ alliyed this their burning third, they return home, at their leilure, unlets they chance to be purfued, as is fometimes the cafe -, whence the traders fay, '* that an Indian is never in a hurry, but when the devil is at his heels." It is remarkable, that there are no deformed Indians — however, they are generally weaker, and fmaller bodied, between the tropics, than in the higlier latitudes -, but not in an equal proportion : for, though the Cl.ikkafah and. Clioktah countries have not been long divided from each other, as appears by the fimilarity of their language, as well as other things, yet the Chikkaiah are exceedingly taller, and ftronger bodied than the latter, thougl\ tlieir country is only two degrees farther north. Such a fmall difference of latitude, in fo healthy a region, could not make fo wide a difference in the conlli- tution of their bodies. The former are a comely, pleafant looking peo- ple •, their faces are tolerably round, contrary to the vifage of the other.-, which inclines much to flatnefs, as is the cafe of mod of the other Indian Americans. The lips of the Indians, in general, are thin. Thtir 111 ', IT f»l t On t'.h'f'trpe tf the hulinHS i/'Aiiurici. 'i'luif eyes nro rin.iU, fh.irp, ami black •, and ihcir hair i, l.ml:, coarfo, nnil ilarkilli. I lu'vcr law any witii curled hair, but one in ilic Clu)kr;ili country, whc.c was alio another wiili red hair-, probably, they were a mix- ture ot" the French and Indian"!. Komanciny travellers, and their credulous eopyilb, report tiieni ro l)e imbarks, and as perlbns rwpuleresy and they ap- pear lb to Itrangers. Hut both fexes pluck all the hair off their bodie% ^Mth a kind of tweezers, niatle tbrmerly of clani-lhclls, now of middle- fized wire, in ihe lliape of a pun-wonn •, which, being twiflcd round a fmall (lick, and the entis fallened therein, after beinp; properly tcm.pered, keeps its Ibrm : holding this Indian raxor between their fore-finger and thumb, they deplume tlienifelves aiter the inaniur of the Jewifh novitiate prielts, and piDl'clytes. — As tlie ibrmer could not otlicrwife be purified for the fundion cif liis iacerdotal otilce ; or the lat'tCr, be adrniit'ed to the benefit of reli- ^,ioi!3 communion. Their cliief r.V.yj- is very fimple, like that of the patriarchal age -, of choice, many of th.eir old head-men wear a long wide frock, matis of tl'.e fl as all their men fit down to make 7 water,. ;'■. il 8 On the drefs of the Indians of America. water, the ugly breeches would exceedingly incommode them ; and that, if they were allowed to wear breeches, it would portend no good to their country : however, they add, (hould they ever be fo unlucky, as to have that pinching cuftom introduced among them, the Englifh breeches would beft iuit their own female pofture on that occafion ; but that it would be exceedingly troublefomc either way. The men wear a flip of cloth, about a quarter of an cU wide, and an ell and an half long, in the lieu of brccclK's ; which they put between their legs, and tye round their haunches, with a convenient broad bandage. The women, fuice the time •we firfl: traded with them, wrap a fathom of the half breadth of Stroud cloth round their vvaift, and tie it with a leathern belt, which is commonly covered with bra!"s runners or buckles : but this fort of loofe petticoat, reaches only to their hams, in order to flicvv their cxquifitcly tine propor- tioned limbs, They make their flioes for common ufe, out of the fliins of the bear and elk, well drcffcd and fmoked, to prevent hardening ; and thofe for orna- ment, out of deer-fl the one, and farther from the otlier. The Indian nations, n.und South-Carolina, and all the way to New iVIexico, (pro- p:r'v cuii'. '.i i^.It'rh.iko) to viTevfl this, fix the tender infant on a kind of cradle, where his iect are tilted, above a foot higher than a horizontal po- fition. ' ' ! On the drefs of the Indians of America. ^ fltion,---his head bends back into a hole, made on purpofe to receive ic vhcre M bears the chief part of his weight on the crown of the h d ^ i a Ml ag of land wKhout being in the lead able to n.ove hi.I T n. , 1 re embhng a fine cartilaginous fubllance, in its infant fla is cf pable of talong any .mpreffion. By this preflbre, and their t'u 'fluten u,g the crown ot the head, they confcqt.ently ^akc tl,ei ds th , and the.r faces broad : for, when the fn^ooth channel of nlr ffto pptj -one place, ,f a deftruflion of the whole fyRen. doth no 1 reby en ue .t breaks out ,n a proportional redundancy, in another. Ma wl no to th.s cuaom, and as a necefTary efi^eft of this cauHs attribute their fickle yd, and cruel te.npcrs ? efpecially, when we conned therewith bo ,' alie education, and great exercife to agitate their animal fpirits W en thebra>n, .n cooler people, is difturbed, it neither reafons, nor determi eT vvuh proper judgment? The Indians thus look on ev^y thinlaZ d hem, through the.r own falfe medium; and vilify our head', becturth - have given a wrong turn to their own. ^ I Ohjtrvalmt [ 10 ] 1 f Ohfervations on the origin and defcent of the Indians* \ - ;) s THE very remote hi (lory of all nations, is disfigured with fable, and gives but little encouragement to diftant enquiry, and laborious re- fearches. Much of the early hiftory and antiquities of nations is loft, and fome people have no records at all, and to this day are rude and uncivi- lized. Yet a knowledge of them is highly interefting, and would afford amufement, and even inftrudlion in the moft poliflied times, to the moft polite. Every fcience has certain principles, as its bafis, from which it reafons and concludes. Mathematical theorems, and logical propofitions, give clear demonftrations, and neceflary conclufions : and thus other Ici- ences. But, hiftory^ and the origin of tribes and nations, have hitherto been covered with a great deal of obfcurity. Some antient hiftorians were igno- rant ; others prejudiced. Some I'earchers into antiquities adopted the tra- ditional tales of their predeceflbrs : and others looking with contempt orr the origin of tribes and focieties, altogether exploded them, without invef- tigation. My defign is, to examine, and if polliblc, afcertain the genea- logy and defcent of the Indians, and to omit nothing that may in the leaf: contribute to furnifh the public with a full Indian Si-STi;M. \ n In tracing the origin of a people, where there are no records of any kind, either written, or engraved, who rely folely on oral tradition for the fupport of their antient ufagcs, and have lolt great part of them — though the under- tnking be difBculr, yet where feveral particulars, and circumftances, ftron"- nnd clear, correfpond, they not only make room for conjedure, but cherilh probability, and till better can be offered, muft be deemed conclufive. 1 All the various nations of Indians, feem to be of one defcent ; t'lcy call a buffalo, in their various dialeds, by one and the fame name, " Tanafa." And there is a ftrong fimilarity of religious rites, and of civil and martial cuftoms, among all the various American nations of Indians we 7 have On the origin and defcent qfthe Indians. II \ \ \ have any knowledge of, on the cxtenfive continent j as will foon be fhewn. Their language is copious, and very exprefiive, for their narrow orbit of ideas, and full of rhetorical tropes and figures, like the orientalifts. In early times, when languages were not fo copious, rhetoric was invented to fupply that defecft ; and, what barrennefs then forced them to, cultom now continues as an ornament. Formerly, at a public meeting of the head-men, and chief orators, of the Choktah nation, I heard one of their eloquent fpeakers deliver a very pathetic, elaborate, allegorical, tragic oration, in the high praife, and for the great lofs, of their great, iudicious war-chieftain, Shu-lits hum ))uijh- tii-be, our daring, brave friend, red Jhoes. The orator compared him to the fun, that enlightens and enlivens the whole fvltem of created beings : and having carried the metaphor to a confiderable length, he expatiated on the variety of evils, that neceflarily refult from the difappcarance and ab- fence of the fun •, and, with a great deal of judgment, and propriety of expreflion, he concluded his oration with the fame trope, with which he began. They often change the fenfe of words into a different fignification from the natural, exaflly after the manner alfo of the orientalills. liven, tiieir common fpccch is full of it ; like the prophetic writings, and the book of Job, their oration- are concife, ftrong, and full of fire ; which fuf- ficiently confutes the wild notion which fome have efpoufed of tlie North American Indians being Pra:-Adamites, or a fcparate race of men, created for that continent What ftronger circumftantial proofs can be expefted, than that they, being di.s)oined from the reft of the woilJ, time immemorial, and deftitute alfo of the ufe of letters, Diould have, and ftill retain the ancient ftandard of fpeech, conveyed down by oral tradition from father to fon, to the prefent generation? Befidcs, th.ir perlbns, cuftoms, &c. are not fingular fom the reft of the world ; wiiich, probably, they would, were they not tlefcendtd from one an.l tl;e fame common head. Their notions of thino-s are like ours, and their oriiaiiic d Itrufture is tlie fame. In tliem, the foul governs tlie body, according to the common laws of God in the creation of Adam. God einplovcd fix- days, in creating the heavens, this earth, and the iniiumcrabic l|;ccies C ?. of i I ff/i 12 On the origin and defcent of the Indians. ¥ of creatures, wherewith it is fo amply furniflied. The works of a being, infinitely perfeft, muft entirely anfwer the dcfign of them : hence there could be no necefflty for a fecond creation -, or God's creating many pairs of the human race differing from each other, and fitted for different cli- mates : becaufe, that implies imperfeftion, in the grand fcheme, or a wane of power, in tht execution of it — 1-lad there been a prior, or later formatioa of any new clafs uf creatures, they muft materially differ from thofe of the fix days work •, for it is inconfiftcnt with divine wifdom to make a vain, or unnecefiary repetition of the fime ad. Rut tlie American Indians nei- ther vary from the rcll of mankind, in their internal conilrudion, nor ex- ternal appearance, except in colour; which, as hath been fliewn, is cither entirely accidental, or artificial. As the Mofdc account declares a comple- tion of the manifellatiuns of God's inffaite wiiUom and power ia creation, within that fpace of time; it follows, that the Indians have lineally defcended from Adam, the firil", and tlie great parent of all the human fpecies. Both the Chikkafih and Choktah Indians, call a deceitful perfon, Seenti^ a fnake : and they frequently fay, they have not Sccnte Soolijh, the fnake's tongue i the meaning of which, is very analogous to "31, a name the He- brews gave to a deceitful perfon -, which probably proceeded from a tra- ditional knowledge of Eve's being beguiled by the tempter, in that fliape; for the Indians never affix any bad idea to the prefent reptile fraternity, except that of poifonous teeth : and they never ufe any fuch metaphor, as that of a fnake's teeth. 1 i ^;i \ 1. Some have fuppofed the Americans to be defcended from the Chiticfe : but neither their religion, laws, cuftoms, &c., agree in the kaft with thofe of the Chinefe : which fufficiently proves, they are not of that line. Befides, as our beft fliips now are almoft half a year in failinr^ to China, or from thence to Europe -, it is very unlikely they fliould attempt fuch dangerous difcoveries, in early time, with their (fuppofed) fmall veflels, againft rapid currents, and in dark and fickly monfoons ; efpecially, as it is very probable they were unacquainted with the ufe of the bad-done to direft their courfe. China is above eight thoufand miles diftant from the American continent, which is twice as far as acrofs the Atlantic ocean. — And, we are not informed by any antient writer, vf their maritime Ikill, or fo much as any inclination that way, befides 7 fmall '\ On the or'gtn and def cent of the Indians. '3 I finall coading voyrffrcs. — The winds blow likcwife, with little vari.^.tion, from call: to v.cH, within the latitudes of thirty and odd, north and Ibvith, and thcrt-torc they could not drive them on the American coalt, it lying di- rccUy contrary to fuch a courle. Ni-ither could perfons iuil to America, from the north, by the way of Tai;ary, or ancient Scythia •, that, from its f;fuation, never was, or can be, a mariiin-e power, and it is utterly imprai^icable for any to come to America, by lea, from that quarter. Befides, the remaining traces of their religious ceremonies, and civil and martial culloms, are quite oppofite to tiij like velligts of the old Scythians. i : Nor, even in the moderate northern climates, is to be feen the lead vellige of any ancient (lately buildings, or of any thick fettlements. a^ are faid to remain in t!;e lefs healthy regions of Peru and Mexico. Several of the Indian nations afTure us they crolled the Miflifippi, before they made their prefent northern fettlements ; whieh, connected with the former arguments, will fulliciently explode that weak opinion, of the American Aborigines being liaeally defcended from the Tartars, or ancient Scy- thians. '^5 d It is a very difficult thing to dived ourfelvc^, not to fiy, otiier perfons, of prejudices and favourite opinions; and I expert to be cenfured by fome, foroppofipg commonly received fentim.ents, or for meddling with a difjiuto ngitattd asrciig trie learned ever fmce the firll difcovery of America. But, Truth is my objecT: : and I hope to olTer ibmc things, whicli, if tliey do not fully fol'.-e the problem, may lead the way, and enable others, poClf- fmg ftrcnger iudgmenr, more learning, and more leifure, to accomplifli it. As I before fuggcftcd, where we have not the light of hiftory, or records, to guide U5 througli the da.k ma/x of antiquity, we mull endeavour to l:nd it cut by prob;!lile arguments-, and in fuch fubjciSls of enquiry, where r.o material oqiedioi'i can be raifcd againfl: probability, it is ftrongly con- clufive of the truih, and nearly gives the thing fought for. Dfs -r, es- all From t!ie mod exact obfervations I could make in the long time T traded among the Indian Americans, I was forced to believe them lineally defcended from the Il'raelitcs, cither while they were a maritime power. or . ' if 14 On the origin and defcent of the Indians, or foon after the general captivity •, the latter however is the moft pro^ bable. This deicent, I (hall endeavour to prove from their religious rites, civil and martial culloms, their marriages, funeral ceremonies, manners, Ir n^uage, traditions, and a variety of particulars. — Which will at the fame time make the reader thoroughly acquainted with nations, of which it may be faid to this day, very little have been known. -. 1 ObfervationSf i it'! [ 15 ] pro- rites, iners, fame : may « OhfervationSy and arguments^ in proof of the Amerka7i Indians being defended from the Jews, ANumber of particulars prefent themfelvcs in favour of a Jewifli defccnr. But to form a true judgment, and draw a folid conclufion, t!:e fol lowing arguments muft not be partially feparated. Let them be diitinftly confidcred — then unite them together, and view their force collcflively. tiouSf ARGUMENT I. As the Ifraelites were divided into Tribes, and had chiefs over them, fo the Indians divide themfelves : each tribe forms a little community within the nation — And as the nation hath its particular fymbol, fo hath each tribe the badge from wliich it is denominated. The fachem of each tribe, is a neceilliry party in conveyances and treaties, to which he affixes the mark of his tribe, as a corporation with us doth their public feal *. — If we go from nation to nation among them, we fhall not find one, wlio doth not lineally diftinguifli himfelf by his refpeiftive family. The genealogical names wliich they aflume, arc derived, either from the names of thofe animals, whereof the cherubim are faid in revelation, to be compounded •, or from fuch crea- tures as are mod familiar to them. They have the families of the eagle, f anther, tyger, and buffalo ; the fiimily of the bear, deer, raccon, tcrlcife, fnake, ffi ; and, likewife, of the ivimi. The lad, if not derived from the appearance of the divine glory, as exprefled by the prophet Ezekiel, may • Men) of the ancient h iliens followed ilie Jewifli ciirtom of dniding tlicuifclves into tribes, or families. The city cf Athens was divided inta ten parts, or tribes, and which the Greeks called Phuk, a tiibe. They named each of the heads that prcfuled over them, Archegos, Archiphulogos, Siz. And writers inform us, that the Eaft Indian pn"-ans have to this day tribes, or calls ; and that each cad chufes a head to maintain its privilccs, to promote a firiifl obfervance of their haws, and to take care that every thing bo managed with proper order. The ancient heathens mimicked a great deal of the JewiTa ceremonial law. be 1(1 'i6 Or: ijj ujl-aii cj the American Ind'uins fi om the Jeios. hz of Tyr'uin cxtracliori. Wc arc told in the fragment of Sanchoniathon, that tlie Tyrinr,'; wcrfliippcd fire, and the a:rial wind, as gods; and that 'Jfovis, the for. of llyiirouranias, built a facrud pillar to each of them: {'o i!iat, if it i;i not of Ifiaoliiifli cxtradion, it may bt; derived from the Tyrians their neighbours — as may, likewife, the appellative name ofy^j •, efpecially, as the Indians, ibmctimes, invoke the eagle, and the fifli, when they are curing ilieir fick. The Tyrians v/ere the people, in e^rly times, who, above al! otlr.Tj, enriched thenifs-lves in the natural element of the Jiih. 1 iic Indians, however, b.ar no religions refpeifl to tl-.c animals from which they derive tlie names of their tribes, but will kill any of ti;c fpecits, wl'.en opportunity ferves. Tin" ccv:/ indeed, feveral of thcni do nor care to meddle with, believing it unlucky to kill tliem -, wliicli is tlie fo'e reafon that few of tlie Indians fiioor at th^t crearure, throu^di a notion of fpailing their puns. ConfK'erlng the proximity of Tyre to Kpypt, pruliably this miglit be a cuftom of Egyptian extraction \ though, at the i'amc time, they are fo far from elleeming it a deity, they reckon it themofb aboniinaule quadruped of the v;hole creation. ^'M' 1 ; m There is no tribe, or individual, among them, however, called by the name cpcffiim *, which is with the Cheeralce ftiled feequa ; and with the Chikkalah and Choktah Indians, ficokka, fynonymous with tliat of a bog. This may be more material than at firfl: appears, as our natural hiflories tell lis, th.at the opofium is common in other parts of the world. Several of the old Indians affure us, they formerly reckoned it as filthy uneatable an animal, as a hog; although they confefs, and we know by long obfervation, that, from the time our traders fettled among them, they are every year more corrupt in their morals ; not only in this inftance of eating an impure animal, but in many other religious cuftoms of their forefathers. When we confider the various revolutions thefe unlettered favages arc likely to have undergone, among themftlves, through a long-forgotten mtafiire of time ; and that, probably, they have been above twenty centu- ries, without the ufe of letters to convey down their traditions, it cannot be reafonably expeifted they fliould ftill retain the identical names of » A creature that hath a head like a hog, and a tail like a rat. - their f '§. T/jcir divifion into tribes and fiimllies , »7 their primo-genial tribes. Their main cuftoms corrcfponding witli thofe of the ItVaelites, iiiHiciently clears tlic iubjeft. '" fulcs, as hath been liinted, they call ibme of their tribes by the names of the cherubimical figures, that were carried on the four principal ftandards of Ifrael. \ I iiave obfcrved with much inward fatisfa(5lion, the community of goods that prevailed among them, after the patriarchal manner, and tliat of the primitive cliriftians ; efpecially with thofe of their own tribe. Tliougli they are become exceedingly corrupt, in mofl: of their ancient com- mendable qualities, yet they are fo hofpitable, kind-hearted, and free, that they would fliare with thofe of their own tribe, the lall part of their provifions, even to a fingle ear of corn ; and to others, if they called when they were eating-, for they have no ftated meul-time. An open gene- rous temper is a {landing virtue among them \ to be narrow-hearted, efpe- cially to thofe in want, or to any of their own family, is accounted a great crime, and to refleft fcandal on the reft of the tribe. Such wretcheil mifcrs thty brand with bad charadlers, and willi them the fate of Prometheus, to have an eagle or vulture faftened to their liver : or of Tantalus, Qarving in the t: ..lit of plenty, without being able to ufc it. The Cheerake Indians have a pointed proverbial cxprelTion, to the fame eftedt — Sinnawah na ivora ; " The great hawk is at home." However, it is a very rare thing to find any of them of a narrow temper : and though they do not keep one promif- cuous common ftock, yet it is to the very fame effc(ft ; for every one has his own fiimily, or tribe : and, when one of them is fpeaking, either of the individuals, or habitations, of any of his tribe, he fays, " He is of my houfe •," or, " It is my houfe." Thus, when King David prayed tliat the divine wrath might only fall on his houfe, he might mean the tribe of Juilah, as well as his own paiticular family, exclufive of the aggregue body of Ifrael. of ^ When the Indians are travelling in their own country, they enquire for a houfe of their own tribe ; and if there be any, they go to it, and arc kindly received, though they never (aw the perfons before — they eat, drink, and regale themfelves, with as much freedom, as at their own tables -, which is the folid ground covered with a bear-fkin. It is their ufual cuftom to carry nothing along with them in their journies but a looking-glafs, and red paint, hung to their back — their gun and fhot pouch — or bow and quiver D full ?'W >)di ! ! 1 8 On the dcfcent of the American Indians from the Javs. full of barbed arrows ; and, frequently, both gun and bow : for as they are generally in ;i iliue of war againfl: each other, they are obliged, us foon as able, to cany thofe arms of defence. Every town has a Itate-houli:, or fynedrion, as the Jewifli fanhedrim, where, almoft every night, the head men convene about public bufinels •, or the town'n-pcople to feaft, fing, dance, and rejoice, in the divine prcfcnce, as will fully be dcfciibed hereafter. And if a llranger calls there, he is treated with the greatcft civility and hearty kindnefs — he is fure to find plenty of their fmiple home fare, and a large cane-bed covered with the foftened (kins of bears, or buH'aloes, to deep on. But, when his lineage is known to the people, (by a Itated cullom, they are flow in greeting one another) his relation, if he h.is any tlicrc, ad- drcfll's him in a familiar way, invites him home, and treats him as his kinf- man. When a warrior dies a natural death, (which feldom happens) the war- drums, mufical inftruments, and all other kinds of di^erflon, are laid afide for the fpace of three days and nights. In this time of mourning for the dead, I have known fome of the frolickfome young fparks to afk the name of the deceafed perfon's tribe ; and once, being told it was a racoon, (the genealogical name of the family) one of them fcoffingly replied, " then let us away to another town, and cheer ourfelves with thofe who liave no reaion to weep -, for why ihould we make our hearts weigh heavy for an ugly, dead racoon ?" f^^l But notwithftanding they are commonly negligent of any other tribe but their own, they regard their own particular lineal defcent, in as ftrift a. manner as did the Hebrew nation. ARGUMENT II. By a llrid, permanent, divine precept, the Hebrew nation were ordered to worfiiip at Jcrufalem, Jehovah the true and living God, and who by the Indians is H'lkd 2'ohe'wah -, which the feventy-two interpreters, either from ignorance or fuperftition, have tmndated Jdonai ; and is the very fame as the Greek Kurios, fignifying Sir, Lord, or Mafter ; which is commonly applied to earthly potentates, without the leaft fignification of, or relation to, that moft great and awful name, which defcribes the divine effence, who naturally and ' j Their notions of a Deity cor' and nccefliirily exifts of himfdf, without beginning or end. I'ht- a nt heathens, it is well known, worfhipped a plurality of gods — Gutls v ich they formed to thcmftlvcs, according i heir own liking, as variou-. •• iN countries they inhabited, and as numerous, with fome, as the days of the year. But thefe Indian Americans pay their rcli['/ious devoir to Loak-ljhloboollo-Aba., *' the great, beneficent, fupremc, holy Ijiirit of lire," who rcfidcs (as they think) above the clouds, and on earth alio wiih unpolluted people. He is with them tiie fole author of warmth, light, and of all animal and vegetable life. They do not pay the lead perceivable adoration to any images, or to dead perfons ; neither to the celelbal luminaries, nor evil fpirits, nor any created being whatfoever. Tiicy are utter Ilrangers to all the geiUires praLliild by tiie pagans in their religious rites. They kil's no idols ; nor, it they were placed out of their reach, would they kifs tlieir hands, in token of reverence and a willing obedience. The ceremonies of the Indians in their religious worfliip, are more after the Molaic inltitution, than of pagan imitation: which could not be, if the m.ijurity of the old natives were of heatlienifli dcfcent •, for all bigots and enthufialls will fight to death for the very fliadow of their fuperilitious wor- fliip, when they have even loft all the fubllance. There yet remain fo many marks, as to enable us to trace the Hebrew extraction and rites, through all the various nations of Indians ; and we may with a great deal of probability conclude, that, if any heathens accompanied them to the American world, or were fettled in it before them, they became profelytes of juftice, and their pagan rites and cuftoms were fwallowed up in the Jewifli. i To illuftrate the general fubjcft, I fliall give thr Indian opinion of fume of the heathen gods, contrafted with that of the pagan. The American Indians do not believe the Sun to be any bigger than it appears to the naked eye. Converfing with the Chikkafaii archi-magus, or hlgh-prieft, about that luminary, he told me, " it might pollibly be as broad and round as his wintcr-houle ; but he tliought it could not well exceed it." We cannot be furprized at the llupidicy of the Americans in this refpect, when we confider the grofs ignorance which now prevails among the general part of the Jews, not only of the whole fyflem of nature, but of the eiicntial meaning of their own religious ceremonies, received from the Divine Majefty. I) 2 — And 20 Oft the dcfcent of the Atmrlcan Indians from the few s. \ '\. — And alfo when we rcflctfl, that the very learned, and mod polite of the an- cicni Romans, bclie\cd (not by any ncw-invcntcd mythology of tlicir own) that the fun was drawn round the earth in a chariot. Their philofi pliic fy- ftem was not very difllmilar to that of the wild Americans ; for Cicero ttlk us, Epicurus thought the fun to be lefs than it appeared to the eye. And Lucretius fays, Tautilhis i!!c fol, " a diininutive thing." And, if the IfracI • itcs had not at one time thougiu the fun a portable god, they would not have thought of a chariot for it. 'I'his they derived from the neighbouring^ heathen-, for we are told, that they had an houfe of the fun, wh' re thej* danced in honour of him, in circuits, and had confccrated fphc rical figures ; and that they, likewife, built a temple to it ; for " they purified and fanifli • fied themfelvcs in the gardens, behind the houl'e, or temple of Achad." In Ifa. xvii. 3, we find they had fiin-ima^eSt whicli the Hebrews called chuw- nioiim., made to rcprefcnt the fun, or for the honour and worfliip of it: and the Egyptians met yearly to worlliip in the temple of Beth-Shemefli, a houlc dedicated to the fun. Moft part of the old heathens adored all the ccltdial orbs, efpecially the fun ; probably they firll imagined its enlivening rays im- mediately iflued from the holy fire, light, and fpirit, who either refidcd in, or was the identical fun. That idolatrous ceremony of the Jews, Jofiah utterly aboliihcd about 640 years before our chriftian a:ra. The facred te;.t fays, " lie took away the horfes, wliich the kings of Judah had given to the fun, and he burned the chariots of the fun with fire." At Rhodes, a neighbouring idand to Judaea, they confecrated cliariots to the I'un, on ac- count of his glorious fplendour and benign qualities. Macrobius tells ur., that the Afl^yrians worfliipped Adad, or Acliad, an idol of the fun -, ard Strabo acquaints us, the Arabians paid divine homage to the fun, &c. But the Indian Americans pay only a civil regard to the fun : and tlie more in- telligent fort of them believe, that all the luminaries of the heavens are moved by the llrong fixt laws of the great Author of nature. In 2 Kings xvii. 30, we read that the men of Babylon built Succoth-Bc- noth, " tents for young women ;" having confecrated a temple to Venus, they fixed tents round it, where young women proftituted themfclves in ho- nour of the goddefs. Herodotus, and other authors, are alfo fufficient witnefies on this point. Now, were the Amercains originally heathens, or. not of IfracI, when they wandered there from captivity, in queft of 7 liberty,. Their notions of a Ddfy {{IJJImilar to the heathens. 21 liberty, or on any other acciileiital account, t!iat vicioin prccctlcnt was fo well calculated for America, where every place was a thick arbour, it is very improbable they fliould have difcontinued it : But they arc the very reverie. To commit fuch afts ot" pollution, while tliey arc performing any of their reli gious ceremonies, is deemed fo provol ng an impiety, as to occafion even r.ie fuppofed finner to be excluded iVom all religious communion \vi:Ii the reft of the people. Or even was a man known to have gone i:i to his own wife, during the time of their faftings, puritications, &c. he would alfo be feparated from them. There is this wide difference between the impure and obfccne religious ceremonies of the ancient heathens, and the yet penal, and ftridi: purity of the natives of America. The heathens chofe fuch gods, as were moft fuitablc to their inclinations, and the fituation of their country. The warlike Greeks and Romans wor- iliip[)ed Mars the god of war ; and the favage and more bloody Scythians deified the SzvorJ. The neighbouring he.'.thens round Judiva, each built a temple to the fuppofed god that prcfidcd over their land. Riinno)!^ w.n the Syrian god of pomegranates : and the Philiftincs, likewifc, erected a temple to Dngo>u who had firll taught ihem the ufe of wheat i which li.c Greeks and Romans changed into Ceres, the goddefs of corn, from tlio Hebrew. Geres, which fignilies grain. But tj-.e red Americans firmly be- lieve, that their war-captains, and tlieir reputed prophets, gain fucceli, over their enemies, and bring on feafonabic rains hy tiie immediate rtfl.vtion of the divine fire, co-operating with them. I We arc informed by Cicero, that the maritime Sidonians adored fpa : and by the fragment of Sanchoniathon, tliat th.c Tyrians worOiipped the (I'-mcnt oi fre, and the which their pretended fucceflbrs obferve wicli the UricleOl I M '11 M I On the defcent of the American Indians f rem the Jevis. llriftcft devotion, and affirm it has been burning, without the leafl inter- mifl'.on, icvcral thoiiHind years. But the Indian Americans are fo tar from the idohxtry of the Sidonians, that they efteem fifli only as they are -ifefu! to thf fupport of human life ; though one of their tribes is called the fiJI: : — th'.y are fo far from paying any religious worfliip to the aerial wind, like tlie Tyrians, that they often call the bleak north-wind, cxplicatively, very evil, and accurfed •, which they probably, would not fay, if they de» rivfd the great eftccm they now have for the divine fire, from the aforefaid idolairous nations: neither would they wilfully extinguilh their old fire, before the annual facrifice is offered up, if, like the former heatliens, they paid rclij,iuus worfhip to the elementary fire ; for no fociety of people would kill their own gods, unlcls the papilts, who go farther, eve;i to cat him. The Indians efieem tiie old year's fire, as a mod dangerous pollution, re- garding only the fuppofed holy fire, which the archi-magus annually renews for the people. They pay no religious worfliip to ftocks, or ftones, after the manner of the old eailern pagans •, neither do they worfiiip any kind of images what- focvcr. And it deferves our notice, in a very particular manner, to invali- date the lule dreams of the jefuitical fry of South.- America, that none of all the various nations, from Hudfon's Bay to the MilTifippi, has ever been known, by our trading people, to attempt to make any image of the great Divine Being, whom they Vv-orlhip. This is confonant to the Jewifh oblervance of the fecond commandment, and diredlly contrary to the ufage of al! ilif ancient heathen world, who made corporeal reprcfcntations of their deities — .md their conduct, is a reproach to many reputed chrillian temples, which are littered round with a crowd of ridiculous figures to reprefcnt God, fpurious angels, pretended faints, and notable villains. Tlic ficred penmen, and propliane writers, afllire us that the ancient hea- tliens had lalcivious gods, particularly ra'^SD, 2 Cbrou.w. i6. which was the abominable i'riapus. But I never heard that any of our North-American In- dians had images of any kind. There is a carved human ftatue of wood, to which, howcvLT, they pay no religious homage : It belongs to the head war- tuwn of the upp^r Muflvohge country, and feems to have been originally de- figned to p-rpctuate the memory of fome diftinguifhed hero, who defervcd ell of his cou.itry ; for, when their cuffeena, or bitter, black drink is about to 7 be 1 i Their avsffion to images. H < be diank in die fynedrion, they frequently, on common ocrnfiJiT?, -.vill bring it tliere, and honour it with the firil concli-fhell full, by the hand of the chief religious attendant : and then they return it to its former place. It is ob- fervable, that the fame beloved waiter, or holy attendant, and his co ailju- tant, equally obferve the fame ceremony to every pcrfon of reputed merit, in that quadrangular place. When 1 pall that way, circumftanccs did not allow me to viev/ this fingular figure •, but I am afTured by Icvcral of the traders, who have frequently feen it, that the carving is modcd, and very neatly finillied, not unworthy of a modern civilized artill. As no body of people we are acquainted with, have, in general, fo great a fliare of ftrjng natural parts as tholb favages, v.t may v.ith a great deal of probability fup- pofe, that tlicir tradition of the fecond commandment, prevented them from having one, not to fay the fame plentiful variety of images, or idols, as have the popifli countries. Notwithltanding they are all degenerating apace, on account of their great intercourfe witli foreigners, and other concurring caufcs -, I well remember, that, in the year 1746, one of the upper towns of the aforefaid Muiliohge, was lb exceedingly exafperated againft fomc of our Chikkafah traders, for having, when in their cups, forcibly viewed the nakednel's of one of their women, (who was reputed to be an hermaphrouite) that they were on the point of putting them to death, according to one of their old laws againft crimes of that kind. — I'ut llvcial of us airiRed by fun-ie of ilie Koofah town, refcued them from their jult demerit. Conncding togciher thefe particulars, we can fcarctly defire a Rrons.'cr proof, that they have iioc been idolaters, fmce tlicy firil came to America •, much lefs, that they erected, and worfliippcd any fuch lafcivious and obfccne idols, as the hea- thens above recited. 1; ' I -'n The Sidonians and Philiftines worfliippcd Afhtaroth, in the figure of tlie cdejlial hvmiinrics ; or, according to others, in the form of a yZw/ ; but tlie Americans pay the former, only, a civil regard, becaufe of the beneficial influence with which the deity hath imprefled them. And they reckon Jfjeep as defpicablc and helplefs, and apply the name to perfons in that pre- dicament, although a ram was the animal emblem of power, with the an- cient eaftcrn heathens. The Indians Ibmetimes call a nafty fellow, Chookphe ktijUoonuiy [ml 24 On the defcent of the American Indians from the Jeivs. kufocina, " a (linking fheep," and " a goat." And yet a goat was one of the Egyptian deities ; as likewife were all the creatures that bore wool •, on which account, the facred writers frequently term idols, " the hairy," The defpicable idea which the Indians affix to the fpecies, fliews they neither ufe it as a divine fymbol, nor have a defire of being named Dorcas, which, with the Hebrews, is a proper name, exprefTive of a wild flie goat. I fliall fubjoin here, with regard to Aditaroth, or Ailarte, that though the ancients believed their deities to be immortal, yet they made to themfelves both male and female gods, and, by that means, Aftarte, and others, are of the fasmi- nine pendcr, Tril'megllUis too, and the Platonics, affirmed there was deus mafculo fa:;mineu3-, though differenL fexes were needful for the procrea'Joii of human beinffs. 5 . m ' t|! Inflead of confulting fuch as the heathen oracles — or tlie Tcrapliim — the Dii Penates — or Dii Lares, of the ancients, concerning future contingencies, the Indians only pretend to divine from their dreams ; which may proceed from the tradition they ftill retain of the knowledge their anccfl:ors obtained from iieaven, in vifions of the night. Job xxxiii. " God fpcaketli once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vifion of the night, when deep fleep fallech upon men, in fiumberin^'^ upon tl:e bed, then he opcneth the ears of men, and fealeth their indruftion." Vv'lien we confider how well ftocktd with gods, all the neighbouring nations of Judaea were; efpecially the maritime powers, fuch as Tyre and Sidon, Cartilage and Egypt, which continually brought home foreign gods, and entered the.m into their own Palladia •, and that thefe Americans are utterly ignorant both of the gods and their worfhip, it proves, with fufficient evidence, that the gentle- men, who trace them from either of zhofe ftates, only perplex themfelves in wild theory, without entering into the merits of the queftion. As the bull was the firft terredrial cherubic emblem, denoting fire, the an- cient Egyptians, in length of riine, worlbipped Apis, Serapis, or Ofiris, under the form of an ox ; but, when he grew old, they drowned him, and lamented his death in a mourning habit; which occafioned a philofopher thus to jeft them, Si Dii fun t, cur planptis ? Si morlui, cur adoratis ? " If they be gods, why do you weep for them ? And, if they are dead, why do you worfhip them .'"' A bull, ox, cow, or calf, was tlie favourite deity of the \ ] l tkey pay no religious veneration to the dead. n the ancient idolaters. Even when Yohewah was condu»5ling Ifrael in tiie >vildcrnels, Aaron was forced to allow them a golden calf, according to the ulage of the Egyptians : and at the defeftion of the ten tribes, they wor- fliipped before the emblematical images of two calves, through the policy of Jeroboam. The Troglodites ufed to flrangle tlieir aged, with a cow's tail : and fome of the li,aft-Indians are faid to fancy tliey fliall be happy, by holding a cow's tail in their hand when dying : others imagine the Ganges to wafli away all their crimes and pollution. The Indian Americans, on tiie contrary, though they derive the name of cattle from part of the divine efilntial name, (as ihall be tlkwliere obferved) and ufe the name of a buffalo as a war appellative, and the name of a tribe -, yet their nrg^ird to them, centres only ui il.cir ufefulnefs for the fupport of human life: and they believe they can ji.iorm their religious ablutions and puriilcations, in any deep clean waur. The fuperftitious lieathcns, whom the Hebrews called, I'cJoiiim, pretence J tlut the bones of thole they worfliipped as gods when alive, revcal'.'d both prefent and future things, that were othervvife concealed : and tiie hieroglyphics, the prieftly legible images, which the Egyptians iiilcrlbcd on the tombs of the deceafed, to praife their living virtue, and incite youth to imitate them, proved a great means of inducing them in procefs of time to worlliip their dead. But the Americans praife only tlie \ irtues of their dead, as fit copies of imitation for the living. They firmly believe that tlie hand of God cuts off the days of their dead friend, by his pre-determined pur- pole. They are lb far from deifying ii^-llow-creatures, that they prefer none of their own people, only according to the general ftandard of reputed merit. TheChinefe, likewife, thougli they call God by the appelUuive, CbiVn Ti, and have their temples of a quadrangular form, yet they are grofs idolaters -, like the ancient Egyptians, inllead of offering up religious oblations to tlie great Creator and I'rtiijrver of the univerie, tliey pay them to the piclures of their deceafed ancellors, and cred temples to them, in folitary places without their cities — likewife to the fun, moon, planets, fpirits, and inventors of arts; efpecially to tlie great Confucius, notvvithilanding lie ftriiflly prohibittd thclikc idolatrous rites. And the religious modes of the ancient inhabitants E of a6 Ofi the defcent of the American Indians from the yews. ;;v) of Niphon, or the Japanefe, are nearly the fame; which are tliametrically oppofite to the religious tenets of the wild Americans. The diviners among the Philiftines pretended to foretel thinj Sj by the flying, chirping, and feeding of wild fowls. The Greeks and Ronans called fowls, Niincii Deorum. And Calchas is faid to have foretold to Aga- memnon, by the number of fparrows which flew before him, how many years the Trojan war fhoiild lafl:. The Aflyrians worflnipped pigeons, and bore the figure of them on their ftandards, as the facred oracles fliew us, where the anger of the pigeon, and the fword of the pigeon, points at tiie deftroying fword of the AfP/rians. But, tliough the American woods fwarin with a furprizing variety of beautiful wild fowl, yet the natives do not make the Icafl pretenfion to auguries. They know it is by a certain gift or indinil, inferior to human reafon, that the birds have a fufficicnt knowledge of the fcalbns of the year. I once indeed obferved them to be intimidated at tlie voice of a fmall uncommon bird, when it pitched, and chirped on a tree over their war camp. But that is tiie only trace of fuch fupcrllition, as I can rccoUeifl: among them. Inftead of calling birds the mcflengers of the gods, they call the great eagle, Oook ; which feems to be an imitation of Elcha. — This may be accounted for, from the eagle being one of the che- rubic emblems, denoting the air, or fpirit. They efteem pigeons only as they are lulutary food, and they- kill the turtle-dove, though they apply it as a proper name to their fem.aie children. Tlie Babylonians were much addifled to auguries : and they believed them to be unerring oracles, and able to direct them in doubtful and ar- duous things, Ezck. xxi. 21. Thole auguries always dircdcd their conduft, in every material thing they undertook •, fuch as the beginning and carrying on war, going a journey, marriage, and the like. Bur, as we lliall loon fee, the Americans, when they go to war, prepare and fanctify tliemrdves, only by fading and ablutions, that they may not defile their fuppofed holy ark, and thereby incur the refentment of the Deity. And many of tlum firmly believe, that marriages are made above. If the Indian Ame- ricans were defcended from any of the Itates or people above mentioned, tliey could not well have forgotten, much lefs could they have fo cfTentially departed from their idolatrous worfliip. It is hence probable, they came here, 7 foou. ' No traces of idolatry among :bcm. 27 foon after the captivity, w!ien the rcr7,ion of the Hebrew nation, refpefting the worfhip of Deity, was in ics purity. And if any of tlic ancient hea- thens came with them, they bccar.-.u profelytes of habitation, or juRicc — hereby, their heathenifli rites and ceremonies were, in procefa of time, intirely abforbed in the religious ceremonies of the Jews. Had the nine tribes and half of Ifr.iel which were carried off by Shalma- nefer, Kiny of ..Mryn::, and fettled in iVIedia, continued there long, it is veiy probabk, .:,i,i\ by inteniiarrying with the natives, and from their natural ficklenci's and proncncis tj idolatry, and the force of example, they would have adopted, and bowcu bcr.re the goJiS of the Mcdcs and the Aflyrians, and carried tiiem along with riicm. B'.ic there is not a trace of this idolatry among tlic Imiians. The fcverc aflliCLiuns th' ', underwent in captivity, doubtlefs h'.'mbled their hearts, and reclaimed them from the lervice of the calves, and of Baalam, to tlie true divine worlliip — a glimpfe of which th(.-y ilil! retain. And that tlie full fettlers came to America before the de- ftruCtion of the firlt temple, m:iy be inferred, as it is certain both from Piiilo and Jofephus, tliat t'^e fecond temple had no cherubim. To reflect ye. {^rearer light on the fubj'.ft, I fliall here add a few obfcrvations on t!;e Indi:.ni iuppofed religious cherubic emblems, the cherubimical names of their trib'/s, and from whence they, and tlie early heathens, may be Iuppofed to have derived them. h When the goodnefs of Deity induced him to promife a faviour to fallen man, in paraditif, he Itationcd flaming cherubim in the garden. The type I fliall leave ; but when mankind became intirely corrupt, God renewed his promile to the IfraeHtes, and to convey to pofterity the true divine worlliip, ordered them to fix in the tabernacle, and in Solomon's temple, chcruhir.'., over the mercy- feat, — the very curtains which lined the walls, and the veil of the temple, likewilc, were to have thofe figures. The cherubim are laid to reprefent the nances antl offices oi I'ohezvah Elohim, in redeeming loft man- kind. The word □'213, is drawn from D, a note of refemblance, and l";. a great or mighty one ; z. e. the " fimilitude of the great and migiity One,'' whole emblems were the bull, the lion, the man, and the eagle. The pro- phet Ezekiel has given us two drauglits of the cherubim (certainly not without an inftrudlive defign) in his two vifions, defcribed in the firlt F. 2 and m 'Ill ^ ! im m m •I r If .1 M i -^ 28 O;; //'d' defccnt of the American Indians from the Jews. and tenth chapters. In chap. x. vcr. 20, he afllu'es us that " he knew tlicy were the cherubim." They were uniform, and had thofe four com- pounded animal emblems; "Every one had four faces — DOS," appear- ances, habits, or forms ; which pafTage is illuilratcd by the fimilar divine emblems on the four jm incipal ftandards of Ifrael. The ftandard of Judab bore the image of a liou ; F.phraini's liad the likenels of a bull; Reuben's Jiad the figure of a ;;m«'s head ; and Dan's carried the picture of an eagle^ with a ferpcnt in his talons *: Each of the cherubim, according to the pro- phet, had the head and face of a man — the likencfs of an eagle, about the ihoulders, with expanded wings ; their necks, manes, and breafts, refem- blcd thofe of a lion •, and their feet thofe of a bull, or calf. " The iole of their feet was like the fole of a calf's foot." One would conclude, from Ezekiel's vifions, and r/nl. xviii. 10. — Pf. xcix. i. " lie rode upon a chtrub, and did- fly :" — " The Eord reignetli, let the people tremble : he fitteth between ,he cherubim, let the earth be moved," — that Elohim chofc the cherubic en blems, in condefcenfion to man, to difplay his tranfcendenc glorious title cf King of kings. We view him feated in his triumphal cha- riot, and as i'.i the midll of a formidable war camp, drav/n by thofe four creaturco, the bull, the lion, the man, and the eagle ; ftrong and defcriptive emblems of the divine cflence. What animal is equal to the bu'l, or ox> for ftrength, indefatigable fervice, and alfa for food ? ^n caltern countries, they were always ufed to plough, and beat out the grain, befides othc- lerviccs omitted in modern times ; the lion excels every otiier animal in courage, force, and prowefs : man far furpafles all other creatures, in un- derfl:anding, judgment, and wifdom ; and there is no bird fo fagacious, or can fly fo fwift, or foar fo high as the eagle, or that bears fo intenfe a love to its young ones. Thefc are the emblems of the terrejlrial cherubim :■ and the Pfalmifl: calb them Merabha Hafliekina, " The chariot of Divine Majefty :" " God fitteth between, and rideth upon, the cherubim," or divine chariot. The celejlial fberubim wcrejire, lights and air, or fpirit, which were typified by the bull, tlic lien, and the eagle. Tliofe divine emblems, in a long revolution of time. 'j • The Man, which the lion on the (landard of Judah, and the head on Reuben's, typified, \jas, in the fulncfs of time, united 10 the divine efl'ence. 7 induced s \ their rcllgkus chcnihic embums. 29 induced the ancients by degrees, to divide tlu-m, and make images of tli« divine peifons, powers, and aflions, \\\yx\\ they typified, and to citcem tliein gods. They confecrated the ouil's head to tl-c liie, the l/jn's to light, and the eagle's to the air, which they wo.ihipped as gods. And, in pro- portion as they loll the knowledge ot the emblems, thty nuikipiicd anti compounded their heads with tholl* of dilllrenc creatures. The Egyptians commonly put the head of a lion, luwh, or eagle, and fomctimes that of a ram, or bull, to their images ; fo.ViC of which rcf(.mbkd the human body. Their Apis, or Ofiris, gave rife to Aaion's, and apoftatc Ifrael's, golden calf: and their fphynx had three head. Diana of J^phcfus was iriformis •, Janus of Rosne, bii'onnis, and, for. ,c limes, quadriformis \ and Jupiter, .Sol, Mercury, Proicrpine, and Cerberus, were iriple-iieaded. Hcfiod tells us, the ancient heathens hi'.d no lefs thin tliiriy thouland gods. It is well known that the ancient lieatlien'?, el'peci.Uly the Greeks ar.d Romans, abounded with male and ianale deities ; and commonly in humati tftigy. As they imagined they could not lafely trull themlelvcs to the care of any one god, they therefore chofe a multiplicity. 1 hey multiplied and changed them iVom ciiildhood to old age. '1 he Romans proceeded lo far, as to make Cloacina the guardian goddefs of each houfe-of-olHce. The hea- thens in general, ap[iointed one god to prefide over the land, and anotlicr over the water •, one for the mountains, and another for the valleys. And tliey v^ere lb dil'iident of the power of their gods, that they cl.ofe a goJ, c ■ goddels, for each part of the body-, contrary to the religious fyllem of ihcir belt ])oets and philolopliers, and tiuit of the prefent favage Americans : tlie IbrnKT aftirm.ed, j'apuni' dcminahitur aftrls^ &c. ; " A wife, good man, will always be ruled by divine reafon ; and not pretend to 1 e drawn to this or that, by an over-bearing power of the ftars, or fortune :" and tlie Litter afl'ert, " that temporal good or evil is the neceflary effedl of their own cor, • duft ; and that the Deity prciides over life and death." 1 % ' If the fu-fl inftitution of the cherubic emblems was not religious, nor de- rived from the compounded figures of the fcripture cherubim, how is it thac fo many various nations of antiquity, and far remote from each other, flioukl Jiave chofen them as gods, and fo exadly alike ? Is it not mod reafonablc- i.o fuppofc, tliat as tliey loft tlic meaning of thole fymbolical figures, and tliei"- ■ ■ 'l« 30 On the (kfcent of the American Indlaus from the feivs. their archetypes, fire, light, and air, or fpirit, which rcprefented the attri- butes, names, and offices of Yohciuah Elohim^ they divided them into fo m.my various god.s, and paid them divine vvorfhip. Yet, though the Indian Americans have the ivippofed cherubimical figures, in their fynliedria, and, through a ftrong religious principle, dance there, perhaps every winter's night, always in a bowing polture, and frequently fing Haklu-Tah To HcWab, I could never p;.Tceive, nor be informed, that they fubllitutcd them, or the iimiiitude of any thing whatfoever, as objects of divine adoration, in tlie room of the great invifible divine eflcnce. They ufe the feathers of the; eagle's tail, in certain friendly and religious dances, but the whole town will contribute, to the value of 200 deer-ikins, for killing a larj^e eagle ; (the bald eagle they do not efteem) ; and the man alio f^ets an honourable title for the exploit, as if he had brought in tlie Icalp of an enCiny, Now, if they reckoned the eagle a god, tliey would not only refufe jierlbnal profit:;, and honours, to liim who killed it, but affurcdly inllicl on him tlie fevereil puniOiment, for committing fo atrocious and facrilegious an aef. I. .. \ \ I have feen in feveral of the Indian fynhedria, two white painted eagles carved out of poplar wood, vvitli their wings ftretched oi;r, ar.d raifed five feet off the ground, (landing at the corner, clofe to their red and white imperial feats : and, on the inner fide of each of the deep-notched pieces of wooi.1, v.'here the eagles Itand, iVt Indians frequently paint, with a chalky clay, the figure of a man, with buftalo horns — and that of a panther, with the fame colour; from which I conje(5lure, efpecially, connected with their other rites and cultoms loon to be mentioned, that the former emblem was defigned to defcribe the divine attribute?, as that bird excels the reft of the feathered kind, in various luperior qualities ; and that the latter fymbol is a contradlion of the cherubimical figures, the man, the bull, and the lion. And this opinion is corroborated by an eftabliflied cuftom, both religious and m.irtial, among them, whiti) obliges them to paint thole lacred emblems anew, at the firft fruit-offering, or the annual expiation of fins. Every one (;f their war leaders muft alfo make three fuccel'sful wolfiJJj caynpr.igns^ with t'.icir reputed iioly/ark, before he is admitted to v/ear a pair of a young bufi"alo-buirs horns on his forehead, or to fing the triumphal war fbng, and to dance with the fame animal's tail (ticking up behind him, while he fings To To^ &c. .'ow I I'hcir religious cherubic emblems. 31 Now we know it was an iifiial cullom with the cailern nations, to afiix horns to their gods. The Sidonian goddels Allitaroth was Inrncd : and Herodotus iVys, the Egyptians painted their Venus, or Ifis, ai'tcr the lame manner: and tlu- G-'cek Jo, (which probably was Yo) !iad horns, in alluHon to the bull's he .., the chiet' einbkm ot tl.e cekll.al cherubic fire, rcpre- fenting Yo (He Wah) as its name plainly indicates. A horn was, like- wife, a Peilian eiiiblenj of power *. I i the That the Indians derived thofe fymbolical reprefentations from the com- pounded figures of tlic cherubim, feems yet more clear, from the jMvfcnt cherubic names of tl.eir tribes, and the prc-emiiicnce they f'jrmerly bore over the rcll:. At prefent, indeed, the moft numerous tribe commonly' bears the higheft eomniand ; yet ihcir old warriors alRire us, it was not lo even wichin their own remembrance. 1 h^: title of the tld k'aved wen, or archimaj^i is Oiil! hereditary in i\\<:. paii.'hcr, or tygcr family : j^s North- America biict:-. nij lions, the panther, of any animal it contains, is the neareit ernblem of it. The Indian name of tach cherub, bodi terrelbial anti celelli>.l, rctkcts great liglu on the prefent lubjtdf ; for they call the butfalo (buhy I'andja ■■, tlie panther, or fuppofed lion, Kcc-IJJ:4o, or Kcc-O, " the cat ut God i" tne man, or human creature, I'a-rx'e ; and the eagle, OoJ/e ; fire is Leak ; the iolar light, /IjJjtdhulc ; and air, Mul\ile, in aliufion to ''D, water, an*.: ht^., the omnipotent-, the note of alpiration is inferted, to give tiie word a fuller arid more vehement found. I'heir eagle and buffalo tribes relirmoie two other cherubic names or eniblems, Tiicy liave one tliev call Spbiiiie, the meaning of which tliey have lolt ; perhaps it might havu Qgnified tlie hian. Near to the red and white imperial feats, they have the reprelentarion oi a full moon, and either a half moon, or a breufl- plate, raifed five or fix feet high at the front of the broad feats, and painted with chalky clay •, fome- times black paintings are intermixed. Bur, let it be noticed, liiat in the and * The mctaplioricilcxprcdior.s, and emblematical reprefentations, of the law and the pro- phets, are generally faitcd to the ufar.es of tlie ealkrn countries. And this metaphoi-, of a horn, is commonly fo ufed, through all the divine regiilcrs, multiplying the number of horns of the objeft they are defcribing, to denote its various, great, and perfcft power ; unlefa where fevcn is mentioned as a number of peifeiliun, as iu St, John's figurative, magnificent,, and fublime defcription of Chrill. rami- Ill ! mm M--.^r' ''4 O.'i tb: dij'ccnt of the /liner iwi Indians from the fexvs. fi time of their moll religious excrcifcs, or their other friendly rejoicings there, ihey do not pay the leall adoration to any of thofe exprefllve emblems ; nor feem to take any notice of them : which is the very reverfe to the ufage of all the ancient heathen world. Hence one would conclude, that they not only brought with them the letter, but the meaning of thofe reputed che- rubimical figures, which were defigncd to rcprefent the infeparable attri- butes of Tchewab. It is univerl'iUy ap;recd, by the chriftip.ii world, th.ic every religious ob- fervance of the ancient lieadicns, which the Mol'aic law approved of, was at firit derived from divine appointment -, and as we are allured in the firit pages of the facred oracles, concerning Cain, Gen. iv. i6. " that he went out trom \.\\t prefciitc of the L.crd" we learn, that God, in that early Hate of the world, cho.'e a place for his more immetliate prefence, — DME), his fices, ap- |)i.aranrcs, or I'urms reliding in, or between, the cherubim. We mav, there- fore, reafonablv conclude, from the various gods, and religious wurlhip of the ancient heatr.ens, and from the remaining divine embltins, and family names of the Indian Americans, that the former deduced thole emblems they deifyed, from the compounded cherubim in paradl'e : ami that tiie Indians derived their cherubic figures, and names of tribis, iVom tlie clieru- bim tliat covered the mercy-feat, in the tabernacle, and in Solomon's tem- ple, alluded to and delineated in fevcral parts of the fiicred oracles. A R G U M E N T III. Agiecable to tr.c thcocracv, or divine government of Ifrael, the Indians think the Deity to be the immediate head of tlieir Hate. All the nations of Indians arc exceedingly intoxicated with religious pride, and have an inexprefiible contempt of the white people, unlefs we exce[)t tiiofe half-favage Europeans, who are become their profelytes. N'olhh.'j^s is the moll favourable name they give us, in their fet fpeeches : even the Indians who were formerly bred in amity with u?, and in enmity to the i'Vench, uled to call us, in their war orations, i'oltilk ookprcojl\ " The accurfed peo- ple." But they flatter themfclves with the name hotttik oretcopdh, " The be- loved peo,-!e,'* becaule their luppofed anceltor.s, as they afFirni, v/ere under the immeuuite governaienc of the I ■city, who was prcfent with ihem, in a very T/jcir belief of being under a theocnn-)'. 33 very iiarticular manntr, and direcfled tlicm by pioi'liets •, v.Iule ihc rclL of the world were aliens and out-laws to the covtiiant. When the archt-nw^us, or any one of their marii, is perliiadinp the people, at their religious lulemnities to a (Iriifl obl'crvance of the old beloved, or di- vine fpeecli, he always calls them, " The beloved," or holy jx-ople, agree- able to the Hebrew epithet, Ammi, during the theocracy of Il'rael : he urges them, with the greatell energy of expreH'on he is capable of, a Ibong voice, and very expreffive geftures, to imitate the noble aftions of their great ami virtuous forefathers, which they jierforined, in a furprizing manner, by their holy things, and a ftrict obfcrvance of the old, beloved Ipeech. Then, he flouridies on their beloved land that flowed with milk and honey, telling them they had good, and the bed: things in the greatcfl plenty : and rpeaks largely of tlieir prefent martial cuUoins, and religious rites, which they derived from their illuilrious predecelfors, — Ihictiy charging them not to deviate, in the leall, out of tliat old, beloved, beaten path, and they will iurely meet with all the luccefs that attended their beloved foic- fathers. I have heard the fpeaker, on thefe occafions, after quoting the war actions of their diftinguiflied chieftains, who fell in baulc, urging the m as a copy of imitation to the living — afiure the audience, that fuch a death, in defence of their beloved land, and beloved things, was fur preferable to fomc of tiieir living j'/iflures, tliat were only fpending a dying life, to the fliame ar.d liangcr of tlie fociety, and of all their beloved thin;i,s, while the others died by tlieir virtue, and rtill continue a living copy. Then, to foften the thoughts of death, he tells them, they who died in battle arc only gone to fleep with their beloved forefathers-, (for they always collc-'il the bones^ — and mentions a common proverb they have, Neetak bitahab, " 1 he days ap- pointed, or allowed him, were finiflicd." And this is their firm belief; for they aHlrni, that there is a certain fixt time, and place, when, and where, every one muft die, without any poflibility of averting it. They frequently lay, " Such a one was weighed on the path, and made to be light /' afcribing life and death to God's unerring and particular providence ; which may be derived from a religious opinion, and proverb of tlie Hebrews, that " the divine care extended itlelf, from the horns of the unicorn, to tlie very feet of tiie lice." And the more refined part of the old hejthens hL-licvcd the like. The ancient Cjrceks and Romans, who were givac copiers F i.'f J -I ^s.; I! i! ■! ii m. "SI ^,4 Ofi I he ilij'wnt of t/jL- American Indumsfrom the Jeius. ut' the rites and cudoms of the Jews, believed there were three dertinies who prdidcd over human life, and had each of them their particular office ; one lukl tl.o diltafl'of life, while another fpun the thread, and Atropos cut it off: .1 llronf^ Init v/ild pidture of the divine fire, light, and fpirit. When Virgil is praifing the extraordinary virtue of Ripheus, who was killed in defence of his native city, Troy, he adds, Diis aliter vifum eji, — fubmittin^; to the <;ood and wife providence of the gods, who thought fit to call him off tlic ll.-.'ie. However, lie fecms to be perplexed on the fubjedt i as he makes fatr ,ometitnc3 ronditional ; Si Wilis fi cur a fuijftt^ Nee pater oi)iiiipotens Trojam uee fata vclahajH Stare, ■ - • <• If the ufu.-.l pv:>p.cr ca:e luv.l been taken, neither Jupiter nor fate wnulii have hindcrc.l Tr'"*}' from IVrmding r.: this time." Rur, if the time of lying was un '.Ircrabl y P.vcd, accordinr; to the Indian fyltem, or tliat of our latallHs, h'.'W wouM its v:A of mankind, as liis jicculur and beloved people, — which ani- mates bodi tlic white j-iw, r.nd the red Atnerican, with that fleady hatred j^ainiL .1!! tli; worLl, cxcc.n- t.'icmfcivcs, and renders them hated or defpifed by .ill. T^-' ..■)'t.irr''.cy of the former, in Ihutting tiieireycs againft t!ie facred oracles, vii',.:!! -we. very cxplici and clear in the original text, and of which '.ley wc •€ tlii' truftees, incites both our pity and reproof; whereas the others ?.!''ere!ice to, :md (Irung retention of, the rites and cuftoms of their , . . ;•/ atrrad our admiiation. ^ - . •» ■-» , Vuc .•'^.nv. lican Indians are fo fiir from ht'mg Atheijis, as fomc godlefo '• iiupeato, hivt P.iUtered themfelves, to excufe their own infidelity, thatthty ■A-, '• th ; ftrciic facred name of God, that defcribes his divine eflence, and 7 i:v 1 heir firm l>t'liif of God's government 0/ the ii;o-ltI. 3: by which he manifcftfd IiiniSl'U' 10 MdIcs — ami arc fiiirJy pcrfiiadcd thoy now hvc uiuier tlie immaliate govcrr.siKnt of the Dciiy. I !ic afccnlioii 01 the fmoUc of their vidim, as a Iwcet Tavoiir in I'chcx'iihy (of wliich l.crc.u'Kr) is a full proof to the contrary, as alio that tluy woilhin Go^l, in a ftiKikt' anil cloud, believing hiai to rcfulc above t'l'.' cIouiN, and in the fIs.f.ic»T: (,' the, fiipi-ofeil, holy annual fire. It is no way niatciial tu ?*:< any cert.!'; place for tiu: rtfidcnce of llini, who is omnipitftnc, and who liilKiin', '.'v,:' iyfl,"in of beings. It is not efllntial to future happiiuls, whctlitr v,e be.. •. . his cliicf place of alioile is in €x!o tertio, faradifo terrcjiri, r cUiucf.iO i^y..\ , God hath placed confcience in u'i fur a inunitor, wiiurl";, aii.. ju !;^;r. ~I; .:. the guilty or innocent mind, that accules, or exciilts us, to 1 iini. ff luy farther knowledge was required, it would be revealed •, but St. I'.iul icudi- cufly conceals the mylleries he faw in the cntpyrcal heavtas. The place of the divine refidence is commonly laid to be above tiic cloud's ; but that is bccauie of the iliitance of the place, as well as our uticr i^'no- rance of the nature of Elohim's exigence, the omnipicUnr fpirit of thi' i.ni- vcrfc. Our finite minds cannot comprehend a being who is infinite. Thi., inlcrutable labyrinth occafioned Simonides, a difcrect heathen poet and phi- lofopher, to requefl: Hiero, King of Sicily, for feveral days fuccefTively, tu grant him a longer time to delcribe the nature of the Deify ; and, at the end, to confefs ingenuoufly, that the farther he waded in that deep myftcry, the more he funk out of liis depth, and was Icfs able to define it. If we trace Indiart antiquities ever fo far, we Ihall find that not one i t them ever retained, or imbibed, atheiftical principles, cx..cpt fixli vvhcii* interefl: as to futurity it notorioufly appeared to be — wiiu'e pradiccs mad< them tremble whenever they thought of a juft and avenging Ciod : but ihefe rare inftances were fo far from infefting the reft, that tlicy were the more confirmed in the opinion, of not being able either to live or die well, without a God. And this all nature proclaims in ever;- part of the univcrfe. m \ -' ARGUMENT IV. We have abundant evidence of the Jews believing in tiie mwijlratiou of angelsy during the Old-Teitament difpenfation •, their frequent appearances, and their fervices, on earth, are recorded in the oracles, which the Jews thcmfelves receive as given by divine infpiration. And St. Paul in \\v^ F 2 epift'.e .1 36 Gn the dijccnt of the Amciican Indians from the J civs. epiillf addrcfTed to the Hebrews, fpeaks of it as their general opinion, that " Angels arc minillring ipirits to the good and righteous on earth." And that it was the fentiment of thole Jews who embraced chriftianity, is evident from /lits xii. where an angel is laid to deliver Peter from his imprifonmenr, and when the maid reported that Peter ftood at the gate knocking, his friends doubting, laid, " It is his angel." Women alio are ordered to have their heads covered in religious aHemblies, becaufe of the prefence of the angels, and to oblervc lilcncc, the modeft cuftom of the eaftern co'jntries. ihe Indian fentiinents and traditions are the fame. — They believe the highc: regions to be inhabited by good fpirits, whom they call Hottttk IJhtoljoolio, and Ndna Iptobo-jllo^ " holy people," and " relations to the great, iioly One." The Ihtiuk cokproofc, or Nana cokprocfe^ " accurfed people," or " accurlcil beings," they lay, pollefs the dark regions of the weft ; tlie for- mer attend, and favour the virtuous ; and the latter, in like manner, accoin- pany nnd have power over the vicious : on which account, when arv of their relations die, they immediately fire off feveral guns, by one, two, and three at a time, for fear of being plagued with the lall troubleibme neighbours : all the adjacent towns alfo on the occafion, whoop and halloo at night ; for they reckon, this offenfive noife fends off the ghofts to their proper fixed place, till they return at fome certain time, to repoflTefs their beloved trad of land, and enjoy their terreftrial paradife. As they believe in God, fo they firmly believe tliat there is a clafs of higher beings than men, and a future flate and exi Hence. r't There are not greater bigots in F.urope, nor perfons more fuperftitious, than the Indians, (cfpecially the women) concerning the power of witches, ■wizards, and evil fpirits. It is the chief fubjecl of their idle winter night's chat : and botli they, and feveral of our traders, report very incredible and fiiocking ftories. They will affirm that they have fecn, and diftindly, mod furprizing apparitions, and heard horrid fhrieking noiles. They pretend, ic was impoffible for all their fenfes to be deluded at the fame time ; cfpecially at Ckwitige., the old wade town, belonging to the Mujkohge^ 150 miles S. W. of Augulla in Georgia, which the South-Carolinians deftroycd about the year 1715. They ibenuoufly aver, that when necelTity forces them to en- camp there, they always hear, at the dawn of the morning, the ufual noife of Indians iinging tiieir joyful religious notes, and dancing, as if going down to the river to purify themfelves, and then returning to the old town- lioufe : with a great de 1 more to the fame cffedl. Whenever I ha-'e been there.. 'Xbelr belief of the exijlence and viinijlyatiju of angels . ."> iiiaiiy jtiditiL ii.i write;;. 7 F m^ ii y.iatici', 38 On the defeat of the American Indians from the Jews. phatical, fonrrnus, and bold — and ofccn, both in letters and f-f nification. fynonynoiis wkii tht; Hebrew language. It is a common ar.d old remnrk, that there is no language, in which fome Hebrew word'; are not to be found. Probably Ildrciv was the finl:, and only lanc;uagc, till dillar.ce of time and place introduced a change, and then foon followed a mixture of 'tliers. The accidental pofition of the chara^flers, might alfo coincide with fome Heb-ew words, in various dialefts, without the lead intention. As the true pronu;i- ciation of the Hebrew ciir.raders, is lofl. in a confiderable degree, it is t< o difficult a taili, for a ficllful Hcbraif]-, to alccrtain a fatislv.(5lory identity of langua;;e, between the Jews, ai. 1 American Aborigines; much more fo to an Indian trader, who profelfes but a fmall acquaintance with tiie Jiebrew, and that acquired by his own application. However, I will endeavimr to make up the deficiency oi Hdreiv, v.itli a plenty of good folid LuHnu rods. The Indian nouns have neither cafes nor dcclenfions. They arc invariably the lame, through both numbers, after ilie Hebrew manner. In their verbs, they likewife fometimes ufe the preterperfefl, inttead of the prefcnt tcnfo of the indicative mood ; as Blahfas Jialre, Apeefahre, " Ycllerddy I went and iliw i" and Eemmako Aiahre., Apesfahre, " Now I go and fee." Like tlie Hebrews, they have no comparative, or fuperlative degree. They exprefs a preference, b/ the oppofite extremes ; as Cbekttjieene, " You are virtuous-," Sdbakfe, " I am vicious." But it implies a comparative degree, and figni- fi:s, " You are more \irtuousthan I am." By prefixing the adverbs, which cxprefs little, anil much, to the former words, it conveys the fame meaning ; the former of wliich is agreeable to the Hebrew idiom. And a double re- peiition of the fame adjeftive, makes a fuperlative, according to the Hebrew manner •, as Lawzva, Lau;wa, " moft, or very many." To add hah to the rnd of un adjeclive, unlefs it is a noun of multitude like the former, makes It alio a fuperlative; as Hckfe to bah, " They are moil, or very wicked." fhkfe fignifies vicious, probably when the vicious part of the Ifraelites were under rhe hand of the corredor, the judge repeated that word : ta, is a note cf plurality, and hah an Hebrew accent of admiration ; which makes it a fuperlative. To join the name of God, or the leading vowel of the myftc- rious, great, divine name, to the end of a noun, likewife implies a fuperla- tive ; as Ilnkfe-ifi.Ho, or Hakfe-o, ** He, or fhe, is very wicked." The former rrethod of fpeech exaflly agrees with the Hebrew idiom ; as the original rcyt (hews, in innumerable inllances. Wiicii 'The idiom iV^d genua of their language, -y^ When the Hebrews compare two things, and would fignify a parity be- tween them, they double the particle of refemblancc ; " I am as thou art ; and my people as thy people :" And the Indians, on account of that original defeiflive lUindard of fpeech, are forced to ufe the like circumlocution -, as Che Ah'A'ajlj, *' I am like you i" a;v-l Sahottuk Chehcttuk toonh, he. for llottuk fiiTniiies people, and the S exprefies the pronoun my, or mine : and It likewife changes an adive, into a piifTive verb. Alihougli tliis Indiai. and Hebrew r.iethod of fpeech, is rather tedious and dcftdive, yet, at the fam.o time, they who attain any tolerable fkill in the diakJis of the one, and laiv^uage of the other, will difcovcr the fenfe plain enout^h, when a comparifoa is implied. There is not, perhaps, any one langua\;e or fixec'i, except the Hebrew, and the Indian American, which h^.s net a ^jcat many prepoli Lions. The Indian ., '^l.- confonants, called frrviles, were tools to fupply the place oi :;■,<.; prepofitions. The InJ.ian?, for v/unt of a futiicient number of radical words, are forced to ap;.'ly the fame noun and verb, to fignify ma.'iy thinjrs o" a various nature. With clic Checrake, Ecankke, fignifies a f^-:/oticr, cap/hi; Jla'j:, n:v!, p.'??, fjecl/c, dec. ; which occi-fions the In'han dialcCis to ';■: vcr) -. :;">:uIl t") P:rn;igcr:-. The Jtwifli Rabbins tell us, that the IJehrew langc '^l■e tontal.Tj only a 'ew more than a thoufand primitive words, of v.'l ich their v;I,>;ic langu.u.;e is formed. So that the fame word very often denotcj vanouj, tIiou|_;h net contrary things. I'ut there is c;;; r;i lical ir.cainng, "..Iiich will agree to every fcnfe that word is ufed in. i'.y cullotn, a Hebrew noun frequently fupplicd the place of a pronoun j by which n-.ean.~, it caufcd a tedious, and fometimes an ambiguous circum- locution. From this original defedlive (tandard of fpeech, the Indians iiave forgotten all their pronouns, except two primitives and two relatives ; as, ^hu::;rl', £^^■?, and Jfjiw:, Tu : the latter bears a great many figniHcations, I,' jl!: as fuigular and plural, viz. EeUpa and Eeako ; which fignify he, (he, thii, that, &c. : And they are likewife adverbs of place ; as here, there, &c. Win Ilt'M!, fignifies he or fliej ^JM Jrii, we; and IJIK, Jnozva, he, ike, him, her, &c. :r I' Pi 1*1 Th' t . (hi On the dcfccnt of the American Inu'.ansfrom the J civs. The Hebrew language frequently iites hyperboles, or magnifying num- bers, to denote a long fpace of time : the Indians, accordingly, apply the words, Ncetnk ahoobah, " all days," or, in other words, " fur ever," to a long feries of years. With the Jews, fitting, fignificd dvveliin<^- •, and, with the Indians, it is the very Jame ; for, when they afli a perfon where he dwells, they fay, Katcmuk IJIAeneek [chunk /"), which is literally, " where do you fit?" And when they call us irreligious, they fay AVina U-bat, " No thing," or literally, " a relation to notliin^ ;" for NToia fignifies a relation : and the other is always a negative adverbial period ; which fecms aifo to jirocced from a religious cuflom of the Hebrews, in giving defpicable bor- rowed names to idols ; as to □"'^rQ, Baalim, "• Particles of air," meaning, iw- thitig. To which the Pfalmift alludes, laying, " I will not take up their names in my lips." And St. Paul fays, " We know that an idol is nothing.'* 'J'his exprefflon the Indians apply, in a pointed metaphor, to the w'iite peo- ple, but never to each other. Like the Hebrews, they feldom, if ever, double the liquid Lonfonant R ; for they generally feem defirous of fluifrling over it, at any rate : And they often give it the found of L \ but, if it precedes a word, where the other conlbnant loon follows, they always give it itr. proper found, contrary to tiie ulage of the Chinefe: as the name of a (lone, they often call, Tahle, inftead of '■Tahre -, but the Indians fay, " '■TtiLre lakkana, literally, " Yellow ilone," /. e. gold. The Hebrews fubjoincd one of their lerviles, to words, to cxprefs the pronoun relative, thy or thine: And as tliat particle was alfo a note of re- I'emblance, it ihews tlie great fterillty of tliac language. As a ipecimen — They laid -I''2^<, (Abiche) " your father," and yz\ii, (Ameche) " Your n:!Other," &:c. Only that tl^e Hebrew period is initial, in fuch a cafe, to the Indian nouns, they always ufe the very fame niethod of expreffion. This I iliall illuflrate with tv,o words in the diale^ls of the Chikkafali and Chee- rake — as Chinge and C/Outokta, " your father -," /Ingge and Aketohla figni- fyint iViV ia;!-Lr,'' in i\l ,iT.i :e^<:c in ix. Alba, of the fame import ; Ilk \\\W Chijuke \\?A CAiache^c.h, " your mother;" for Sn/ke and AkacLee fignify "• ny mother," in imitation ofnriN*, Afiw. Alio Sets Kipj fignifies podex meus, Clifj Kill, j.j 'c.x tuu;:, anJ Kijh Kijh, podex illius , v.'hicli I giicfb to be an opprobrious The idiom of their language. 41 I opprobrious allufion to Kifli the father Of Saul, for the fon's afTuming the throne at the end of the Jewilh theocracy. In their adjeflives and verbs, they ufe the fame method of fpeech •, as Nahoorefo Chin-Chookoma^ " Your book is good." The former word is compounded of X3 {Na) now, or the prefent time, and Hoorefo., delineated, marked, or painted. Aia fignifies to go^ and JWaia-Cha, " Go along," or Maia, the fame •, for, by prefixing D to it, it im- plies a requifite obedience. In like manner, /ipeefab, to fee, and Peesacha, look, or " fee you." And, when that particle is prefixed to a verb, it always exprefles the accufative cafe of the fame pronoun ; as Chepeefahre., " I fa-.v you," and Chepeefahras^ " I fliall fee you." Each of the Hebrew charaflers are radicals ; although half of them are ferviks, according to that proper term of the fcholiafts ; for, when they are prefixed, inferted, or fubjoined, either at the beginning, middle, or end of a radical word, they ferve to form its various augments, inflexions, and derivatives. According to this difficult ftandard of fpeech, the Indian nouns, moods, and tenfes, are varioufly formed to ex- prefs different things. As there is no other known language or dialect, which has the fame tedious, narrow, and difficult principles -, muff we not confider them to be twin- born fifters ? The want of proper fkill to obferve the original fixed idea of the Indian words, their radical letters, and the due founds in each of them, feems to have been the only reafon why the writers on the American Aborigines, have not exhibited the true and genuine pro- perties of any one of their dialers •, as they arc all uniform in principle : fo far at leaft, as an cxtenfive acquaintance reaches. 4 The Hebrew nouns are either derived from verbs, or both of them are one and the fame -, as nana, (Beroche) " Blefling," from 113, (Beroch) « to blefs," and in "lai, (Dabar Daber) " he fpoke the fpeech." This proper name fignifies " loquacious," like the Indian Sekakec, fignifying the " grafshopper." The Indian method of expreffion, exactly agrees with that Hebrew mode of fpeech -, for they fay Ammbdle Anumbok (kis) " I fpake the fpeaking ;" and Anumbok En:tmhole {kis), " he fpoke the fpeak- ing, or fpeech." And by inferting the name of God between thele two words, their meaning is the very fame with thofe two firft Hebrew words. I fhall fubjoin another word of the fame Ibrt — Hookfeeleta fignifies " a fluJt- ting inftrument ;" and they fay J/lAookJeelctd, or Hookfeeleta, IJfj-hookfcetos, or Hcokfeeta Cha, " You (hall, or, ffiut you the door." Their period of the hi\ word, always denotes the fecond perfon firgularof the imperative mood; G and i;i;r li'i i ii; i 42 On the defcent of the- American Indians from the fetas* and that of the other preceding it, either the firft or fccond perfon fingular of the indicative mood -, which is formed fo by a fixed rule, on account of the variegating power of the ferviles, by affixing, inferring, or fuffixing them, to any root. According to the ufage of the Hebrews, they always place the accufativc cafe alfo before the verb ; as in tiie former Indian words. With the Hebrews, r^'^TS fignificd " a prayer," or a religious invocation, derived from n'73, Phelac, " to pray to, or invoke the Deity." In a ftrong refemblance thereof, when the Indians are performing their facred dance,, with the eagles tails, and with great earneftneis invoking To He Wah to- blefs them with fuccefs and profperity, Phale fignifies, " waving," or in- voking by waving, Ippbille, you wave, PJoalicba, wave you, jiphalale, I waved, Apbalelas, I will wave, &c. Pl'almodifls Teem to have borrowed the notes /(^i, la, from the aforcfaid Hebrew words of praying, finging to, or invoking Elohim. bv^y (Phoole) " to work," is evidently drawn from the former Hebrew word, which fignifies to invoke (and probably to wave the feathers of the cherubic eagle before) To He Wab. The greateft part of the L.evitical method of worfliipping, confided in laborious mechanical exercifes, much after the Indian manner; which the popifh priefts copy after, in a great many inftances, as pulling oft" their clothes, and putting on others ;, imagining that the Deity is better pleafed with perfons who variegate their external appearances, like Proteus, than with thofe who worfhip with a fteady,, fincere difpofition of mind ; befides a prodigious group of other fupcrftitious ceremonies, which are often fliamefuUy blended with thole of the old pagans.. As the Hebrew word N3, Na, fignifies the prefent time — fo when the Indians dcfire a perfon to receive fomething from tliem fpeedily, they fay, Aa (ihort and gutturally) eejcba, " take it, now." He replies Unta, or Omeb, which are good-natured afiirmatives. The pronoun relative, " you," which they term Ijhna, is a compounded Hebrew word, fignifying (by ap- plication) the perfon prefent, or " you." With the Hebrews, "irr nn, Hara Hara, fignifies, " mod, or very, hot ;" the repetition of the word makes it a fuperlative. In a ftrict refemblance of that word, and mode of fpecch, when an Indian is baffled by any of their 7 humorous 3 i f Tk-c idiom and fimilarity of their hingu(tge. 4] luimorous wits, he iays, in a loud jelling manner, Jlrra Hara, or Ha!a Hala, according to their capacity of pronouncing the liquid R : and it fig- nifies, " you are very hot upon me :" their word, which expreffes " Iharp," conveys the idea of bitter-heartedncfs with them ; and that of bitternefs they apply only to tlie objects of tafie. :^ With the Cheerake, Chikkafuh, and Choktah Indians, Nannc fignifies *' a hill ;" and Namcb, with the two lafl-nicntioned nations, " a fifli i" and UiicKiha^ " a mountain." But tliey call an alligator, or crocodile, Naumh Chtinchal/a, literally, " the fifli like a mountain j" which the EngliHi lan- guage would abbreviate into the name of a mountain-fiili ; but, inflead of a hyphe. x\ fe the Hebrew j, a note of rclemblance, which feems to poin' • the \ unge from which i. ^ .icrived it. In like manner, A a fignifies to walk, and Ectte, wood ; but Ectte CLnvi'ia, any kind of wheel ; which is confonant to the aforefaid Hebrew idiom -, with many others cf the like nature : but a fpecimen of this fort mull fuffice. The Hebrew and Indian words, which cxprefs delineating, writing, decy- phering, marking, and painting, convey the fame literal meaning in both languages \ as Exod. xvii. 14. iS'i' aro {Cbethcba Sepbcire) " delineate this with delineations ;" and, with the Indians, Hoorefo is, in like manner, the radical name of books, delineating, ."kc. ; and Octchna that for numbering, inftcad of reading. l"he nearefl: approach they can make to it, is, Anumbole hoorefo JJhanumhUas., " You fnall fpcak the fj^cech, which is delineated." u They call a razor, Bafpoo Shnpbe, " A (having knife ;" and Shaphe always fignifies to (have •, probably, becaufe when they firfl: began to Ihave them- felves, they were ridiculed by the higher, or more religious part of tiie peo- ple, for imitating that heathenifh cuflom. The Hebrew nsty {Shaphe) fignifying lip, confelTion, or wordiip ; which divine writ ailurcs ui, the dc- fcendants of Noah changed, when they oppofcd the divine will of fettling various parts of the earth, and built the great tower of Babel, as an emblem of greatnefs, to get them a name *. * Skin fignifies an eye; and Skeejhiiphit, one-eyed; as If proceeding from the divine anger They often change i into ti. lil 'II, IP--' G 2 Lonk 44 On the defccnt of the American Indians from the Jews. Leak fiffnifics fire, and Lock IptohooHo, " the holy or divine fire," or the anger of Ifhtohoollo, " the great, holy One " which nearly agrees with the Hebrew an"?, that which flumes, or I'corches with vehement heat. And it is the fcriptiire method of conveying to us a fenfible idea of the divine wrath, according to the cherubic name Mnk, which likewife fignifies fire. But the Perfians worfiiipped the burning fire, by the name of Oromazes ; and darknefs, or the fpirit, by that oi /Iramamiis -, quite contrary to the re- ligious fyftem of t!ie Indian Americans : and the aforefaid Indian method of exprefTjon, fecms exactly to coincide with the Hebrew idiom. Bak-JJ.eab-ma is the name of their Indian flap, or broad flip of cloth with which the men cover their naked nefs ; but the word they ufe to ex- jirefs our fort of breeches, is a compound, Balaphooka, derived frorr> the Hebrew bti2, which fignifies, behind-, and the Indian Naphooka, a coat, any kind of clothes, or covering -, Baloka fignifies, behind ; filently telling us, they formerly wore a difl^erenr fort of breeches to what they ufe ..u pre- fcnt. They likewife fay, Neeppe-Phii ka^ " A flelli- covering." The father of King Saul was called Kifh, " podexj" which fignifies alio the rear of an army, or the hindermoft perfon, according to the Hebrew idiom. Thus the Indians, by Kijh^ exprcfs the podex of any animal — the hindermoft perfon — the gavel-end of an houfe, and the like. Kip Kijli, is with them a fuperlative, and, as before hinted, ufed to convey the contempt they have for that proper name. May not the contemptible idea the Wefl:-Florida- Miffifippi Indians affix to the name of KiHi, be on account of his fon's fuc- cefTion to the throne, at the end of the theocracy of Ifrael, and beginning a defpotic regal government ? The Indians, according to the ufage of the Hebrews, always prefix the fiibftantive to the adjedtive -, as Netak Chookdma, " A good day ;" Nakkaus and Eho Chookbma, " A good, or goodly man and woman." The former of which is termed, in Hebrew, Toma Tobe, fignifying, according to our method of falutation, a good-day, a merry feafon, a feftival day, &c. And the Indian appellatives are fimilarly expreft in Hebrew, Behtobe and JJhe- Tobe, " A good, goodly, difcreet, or wife man and woman." Chookbmay with the Indians, is the proper name of a comely woman, when A is prefixed to it J as A-(hockma, ^' My goodly, or beautiful :" they ufe it for a warrior, when Their names of the Deify. 45 when it is compounded without the A; as Chookoma himniaJJjlahe, " One who killed a beautiful, great, red, or war-chieftain •," which is compounded of Chookoma^ comely, Humma, red, !:>>*, JJIj., fire, and Abe, a contraftion of "^nK, Abeky fignifying grief, or forrow. Hence it appears, tliat becaufi! the Hebrews affixed a virtuous idea to Tobe, goodly ; t!ie Indians call white by the fame name, and make it the conftant emblem of every thing that is good, according to a fimilar Hebrew cuftom. Of this the facred oracles make frequent mention. I The Jews called that, which was the mod excellent of every thing, the fat ; and the Indians, in like manner, fay, Ocjlo Neehe, " The fat of the pompion," Tranche Neebe, " The fat of the corn. Neeha is the adjeftivc, fignifying fa(, from which the word Necta, " a bear," is derived. They apply the word hearty only to animate beings. As tlie Deity is the foul of every fyftem — and as every nation, from the remotefl: ages of antiquity, believed that they could not live well, without fome god or other -, when, therefore, we clearly underfland the name, or names, by which any fociety of people exprefs their notions of a deity, we can with more precifion form ideas of the nature of their religious worflilp, and of the objeft, or objedts, of their .adoration. I (hall therefore here give a plain defcription of the names by which the Indian Americans fpeak of God. \k JJhtohoollo is an appellative for God. IHitohoolIo points at the great- nefs, purity, and goodnefs, of the Creator in forming '.yw* and i<'i"N : it is derived from IJJjlo, great, which was the ufual name of God through all the prophetic writings ; likewife, from the preftnt tcnfe of the infinitive mood of the aftive verb, Ahoollo, " I love," and from the prefer tenfe of the pafTive verb, Tloolloy which fignifics " fanclifying, fanflified, divine, or holy." Women fet apart, they term, IIoollo, i. e. fanJtifying themfelves to IlhtohooUo : likewife, Netakhoollo fignifies " a fanc- tified, divine, or holy day \* and, in like manner, Ookka IIoollo, " water fanftified," &c. So that, IJhtohoolloy when applied to God, in its true radical meaning, imports, " The great, beloved, holy Caufe -," which is exceedingly comprehenfive, and more exprelTive of the true nature of God, than the He- brew name Adonaiy which is applicable to a human being. Whenever the Indians '.4- M Ml ii; f 'iT ' it 46 On the d'fccnt of the American Indians from the Jeivs. Iiuii.ins apply the cpitlu t, compoiinik'il, to any of their own religious men, it ligiufjfs Uk- great, holy, btlovecl, and laiidilied men ot" the Holy One. '1 hey m.ikc this divine name point yet more flrongly to the fiiprcnie author ot nature ; ibr, as 32^, fignities father -, and as the oniniprefent Spirit of rhe univcrfe, or the holy father of mankind, is laid to dwell above, they therefore call the immenfe fpace of the heavens, ,ilt7, Al.'ij't\ and yp>at.)ra : and, to liilVmguilh the King of kings, by his attributes, from their own Min^^o Ijhto, or great chieftains, they frequently name him Minggo IJhto Aba, &c. \ IJIjto Aba, &cc. ; M/nggo Abu, &c, ; and, wiicn they arc ftriving to move the paflions of the audience, IJIjlohoolIo Aba. The He- brew fervants were not allowed to call their mafter or miftrefs at*, Abba^ till tliey were adopted; to wliich cullom ^t. Taul alludes, Rom, viii. 15. They have another appellaiirc, which with them is the myftcrious, eflen- tial name of God — the tctragranir.mtou, or great four-lettered name — which they never mention in comn.on fpcech, — uf the time and place, when, and where, they mention it, they are very pariicular, and always with a folema air. ii." There is a fpecics of tea, that grows fpontaneoufly, and in great plenty, along tf?e fea-coafl: of the two Carolinas, Georgia, and b'.all and Well Florida, which we call Tupcn, or Cujj'eena : the Indians tranfplant, and are ex- tremely f nd of it •, rhey drink it on certain Aated occafiuns, and in their moil religious Iblemnities, with awful invocations : but the women, and chil- dren, ai d thoii: who have not fuccefsi'ully accompanied their holy ark, pro Aris et Focis, dare I'ot even enter the facred fquare, when they are on this religious duty ; othv.">vile, they would be dry fciatched with fnakes teeth, fixed in tlie middle of a iplit reed, or piece of wood, without the privilege of warm water to fupple tlie itifFened fliin. When this beloved liquid, or fuppofed holy drink-offering, is fully prepared, and fit to be drank, one of their Magi brings two old confecrated, large conch-fliells, out of a place appropriated for containing the holy things, and delivers them into the hands of two religious acrendants, who, after a wild ceremony, fill them with the fuppofed fanftifyiiig, bitter liquid : then .they approach near to the two central red and white feats, (which the traders i \ i i i T/jeir names of the Deity, 47 traders call the war, and beloved cabbins) flooping with their heads and bodies pretty low •, advancing a few fteps in tliis poftiire, they carry their ihcUs with both hands, at an inlt.ini, to one of the moft principal men on thofc red and white feats, faying, on a bafs key, Y'aii, quite Ihort : tlien, in like manner, they retreat backward, facing each otiier, with their heads bowing forward, their arms acrcfs, rather below tijeir brealV, and their eyes half llnit -, tluis, in '. very grave, lokmn manner, they fing on a ftrong bafs key, tlu- awful monofyllabk', O, for the fpacc of a minute : tlien they ilrike up majcdic lli;, on tlie treble, with a very intent voice, as \on% as their breath allows them ; and on a bafs key, with a bold voice, and fliorc accent, they at h'X utter the ftrong myfterious found, Wah, and thus fuiilh tiic great fung, or moll foiemn invocation of the divine eflence. The notes togetlitr compofe their facred, myfterious name, Y-0-Ilii-\VAH. That this feems to be the true Hebrew pronunciation of the divine eflen- tlal name, nin\ JtnovAii, will appear more obvious from the found tiiey feem to have given their charaflers. The Greeks, Wiio chiefly cojiied tlieir alpliabct from tlie Hebrew, had notjed, but lora, very nearly refembling the found of our i^. l"he ancient Teutonic and Sclavonian dialcdls, liave }'(ib as an affirmative, and ufe the confonant /'Finftead of Z'^. Tlie high importance of the fubjeifl-, nceeffarily would lead thefe fuppoied red Hebrews, when fe- parated from other people in America, to continue to repeat tlie favourite name of God, YO Hii Wah, according to the ancient pronunciation. ly 1 Contrary to the ufage of all the ancient heathen world, the American In- dians not only name God by feveral itrong compounded appellatives, ex- preillve of many of his divine attributes, but likewife lay Yam at the beginning of their religious dances, with a bowing poilure of body ; then- they fing Yo Yo, He He, and repeat thofe facred notes, on every reli- gious occafion : the religious attendants calling to Yah to enable them humbly to fupplicate, feems to point to the Hebrew cuftom of pronouncing, ,T, 2V;/;, whici\ likevvife fignifies the divine effence. It is well known what facred regard the Jews had to the four-lettered divine name, Co as fcarcely ever to mention it, but once a year, when the high-priell went into the holy fandluary, at the expiation of fins. Might not the Indians copy from them, this facred invocation ? Their method of invoking God, in a Iblenin. f. fe; 4? Ofi the (I'fcent of the Amokan Imi' ins from the J civs. folemn hymn, with that reverential depo'tnient, rid fpcnding a full breath on cacli o\ the two firll: fyllables of the awful t'ivinc name, hath a lurpriz- ing an:\logy to the Jewidi cuftom, and fuch as no other nation or people, even with the advantage of written recorils, have retained. It may be worthy oi notice, that they never proftrate themfelvcs, nor bow their bodies, to eacli other, by way of falute, or homage, though ufual with the cailcrn nations, except when they are making or renewing peace with Grangers, who come in the name of Yah i then they bow their bodies in that relif;ious fulemnity — but they always bow in their religious dances, becaufe then they fing what they call divine hymns, chiefly compofed of tlie great, beloved, divine name, and addreflcd to Yo He Wah. The favoured perfons, whom the religious attendants are invoking the divine elTcnce to bk'fs, hold up the fliells with both hands, to their mouths, during the awful facred invocation, and retain a mouthful of the drink, to fpirt out on the ground, Tj a fuppofed drink-offering to the great felf-exiftent Giver j which they offer at the end of their draught. If any of the traders, who at tliofc times are invited to drink with them, were to negleft this religious obferv- ance, they would reckon us as godlefs and wild as the wolves of the defart *. After the fame manner, the fuppofed holy waiters proceed, from the higheil to the lowed, in their fynedrion : and, when they have ended that awful fo- lemnicy, they go round the whole fquare, or quadrangular place, and col- ledl tobacco from the fanftified finners, according to ancient cuftom i " For tlicy who fcrve at the altar, mull live by the altar." The Cheerake method of adjuring a witnefs to declare the truth, (Irongly corroborates the former hints, and will ferve as a key to open the vowels of the great, myftcrious, four-lettered name of God. On fmall affairs, the judge, who is an elderly chieftain, afl tlicir (ixc.l notion of Iil)Lr;y, an ' the good of tiuir country, without i.ny ilchiding fophifni). If tln'v do not keen thcf,.' cil-nii'.! points of amity in\icw, v r fli'jl! fiic attain, ;is h:i:li ticoir.ia ; fcr, by a childil': trc,:;y with the Muficchnc Indi.i'.is, whe i di-fi.':iti'J An. i-|<, its moll nortlK'in l.nr .Liriis r.rc conlini'd to till.- liead of tlie tbl)inj; and flowing of S-Vannah riv r. Wc c-c I . d to have /luurilliej off vciy commodious Indan trcaiif^ in the c'juif-hri:,, witli t'/.- ^Tuffiohg(•, which the comnumity know nothing of, c.\cc;l a fow plr.in coniaun p.'-rlisiiiaib, r.i liity ionic ycarj fjncc declared. 1 1 1 friendly i'- 5? On the defcent of the American Indians from the J:zjs. friendly intcrcourfe with thofe who had an open communication with thofc Ibiithern regions *. Living in moderate high latitudes, would naturally pre- vent them from finking into effeminacy, and infpirt them with martial tem- pers, (as we are told of the Chili Indians) without being originally a bloodier people than any of the fouthern nations. However, we fliould be fparing of credit to what unfkilful writers have carefully copied from each other, and tranfmitted to the learned world. I Hiall hereafter, under another argument, Hiew, that the Indians va- rioufly tranfpofc, fliiorten, and lengthen, each fyilable of the great divine name, YO He Wah, in a very extraordinary manner, when they are fiiiging and dancing to, and before, the divine eflence : and that they commonly derive f :h words as convey a virtuous idea, from, or compound them with that divine, eflential name. 'f ■ il I fhall now (liew a farther parity, between the Hebrew language, and the Aboriginal American dialefts. Pujlokocjh figniPes an infant, Neetta a bear, Najfooba a wolf, &c. By joining the word OoJ]3i^ to the end of the names of animals, it makes a • They who have a defire to fee the genuine oratory of the Indians, may find it partly ex- hibited to the public, by the laborious Mr. Colden, mollly in the maimer, as I am told, he found it in the council-books. As that gentleman is an utter ftranger to the language and cufloms of the Indians it was out of his power to dojuflice to the original. Their Ipecch, in general, abounds with bolder tropes and figures than illiterate interpreters can well compre- hend, or explain. In the moll eflential part of his copied work, he committed a very mate- lial blunder, by writing in the firft edition, the Indian folemn invocation, YO Ha Han. I was well affured by the intelligent Sir William Johnfon, and the (kilful, benevolent, pious, and reverend Mr. John Ogilvie, that the northern Indians always pronounce it YO He A 'Ah ; and fo it is inferted in the fecond edition. In jufticc to this valuable luminary of the church, and the worthy laity of the city of New-York, I mull obferve, that, while the rcll of his fa- lerdotal brethren were much blamed for neglcfting their office of teaching, and iiifleaJ thereof, were militating lor an tpifiopate, that gentleman was univerfally beloved by all ranks of people. He fpcnt his time, like a true fervant of God, in performing the various duties of his facred oflice ; and had the utmoU plcafure in healing breaches, both in public fociety, and in private families. Great numbers of the poor negroe flaves, were inllru^ed by him in the principles of chrillianity, while the other clergymen were carneftly employed in difturbing the qiiici ^t the public, for the fake of their favourite Peter's pence. I diflinftion ; The parity cf their language. 53 diftindlion i a? 'NaJJ'GobocJhe, a wolf-cub, Neett''-ooJhe a bear-cub : but though the word Oophe fignifies a dog, as an exception to their general method of fpeech, they call a puppy Ooph ijljik, becaufe he is fo domeftic, or ib- ciable, as p*^% to kifs, or fondle. In like manner, PiJJA fignifies milk ; and Pifiik a woman's bread, or the udder of any animal -, as the young one.":, by kining, or fucking, (hade the brealt, '3, with their month, and thert by receive their nourifliment. With the Hebrews, "]3y {Ocphecha) fignifies active, or reftlefs : which, according to the Indian idiom, expreflcs tlie quality of a dog; Ocphe is therefore tlie name of this animal, and their period denotes a fimilarity, according to the ufage of the Hebrews. Shale and Skatera, fignify to carry, Sbapore, a load. The former word confifts of SLetb and yj/e. Illeh imports dead, and Kuneha loft. They fay Shat Kaneka, to carry a thing quite away, or to Canaan. — Likewife, Illi-ht Kunc/jn, literally, dead, and loft, or probably, gone to Canaan. Several old Iiidi.m American towns are called Kanaai -, and it hath been a prevailing notion with many Jews, that when any of their people died in a ftrange land, they paflicd through the caverns of the earth, till they arrived at Canaan, their attradlive centre. And the word Oobea, likewife imports dead, or cut oft' by O E A, or Tohcwah ; for they firmly believe, as before hinted, they cannot outlive the time the Deity has prefcribed them. They likewife fav, Haffe Ookklllle Check, " the fun is, or has been, cauied to die in the water," i. e. lun-fct. When they would fay, " Do not obfcure, or darken me," they cry JJh-ookklHc Chlnna, verbatim, " Do not occafion JJh, me, to become like the fun, dead in the water." Tliey call the new moon, Ilajfe Aiuahta, " the moon is called upon to appear by Yohevvah :" which plainly fliews, that they believe the periodical revolutions of the moon to be caufed, and the fun every day to die, or be extinguilhed in the ocean, by the conftant laws of God. When we aftt them, if to-day's fun is drowned in the wefterri ocean, how another can rile out of the eaitern ocean to-morrow ? they only reply, Pllla Tammu or Tamim mung \ or fuch is the way of God with his people. It feems to be a plain contradlion of n^ and \'2*2K Ammi; which was the name of Ifrael during the theocracy. Befides, Aeemmi fignifies, " I believe ;" as the peculiar people believed in Yohewah. And it likewife imports, " I am tlie owner of, &c." — according to the Hebrew idiom, the words and meaning nearly ag^ree. EtUt n Ijlv '•iiiri '■:l- M 4t 54 On the (kfccnt of the American Indians from the Jews. Eclle. fignifies wood ; anJ they term any kind of chcft, box, or trunk, Eette Oobe -, and frequently, Oohe ; whiJ; leems to point to the " ark of the purifier," tliat was fo fatal to the laity even to touch •, a ftrong emanation of the holy fire, ligiit, and fpirit, refiding in it, as well as in that which the pri-.'lts carried to war, againll the devoted enemy. The Chikkafah fettled a town, in the upper, or mod weftcrn part of the Mufl-cohge country, about ^uv miles eartward of thiirown nation, and called it Ooe-dfa ; whicli is derived from O J''- A, and Jfi^, " there," or " here, is ;" i. c. " YO I In \V.\it prefides m this place." Au(.\, wlien a perfon is rc- niuving from his former dwelling, they aik him, Ijh ooc a {turn ?) " a:e ycni removing hence, in the n.uva', or urdcr t'le patronage, of YO He W'y^n r" And it both fignifies to afcend, and remove to another place. As, C) K A, Aba, the omniprefent father of mankind, is faid to dwell above, lb the Indian hopes to remove there from hence, by the boui'.ty i.^ innoliuollo, the great iioly One : according to their fixed ilandard of fpetch, had they made .nny nearer approach to O E A, the ftrong religious emblem ot the beloved four-lettered name, it would have been reckoned a prophanation. Thutchlk fignifies a fiar, and Oonna " he is arrived :" but Thiilchik Ocnnncbe, " the morniiig-ftari" becaufe he is the forerunner of liglit, and rcfemblcs the fun that refieds it. And Oun»ahah fignifies to-morrow, or it is liay. The termination denotes tlieir gladnels, ,hat the divine li^^ht had vilirrd them nga'n : and, when they are allcing if it is d.iy, they lay Qnna lie {tak ?), The lail monufyllable only afi.s a cjuellion ; and t!ie f.rniininc gender treble note is tfie mid fy liable of the great divine name — which may retkcl lome light uj'on the former obilrvations. Although the Hebrews had a proper name for tt.e human foul, calling it V.'S: i yet in Prcv. xx. 27, it is called mn'' "i:, " The candle, or lamp of Cjod ■" and figuratively ap[)lied, it conveys a llrong idea of the human fo;il : I'hus tlie Indians term ir, P^aiin IJJ.ttoLwolio, " f Muething of, or a relation to, the great holy Or.e •," very analogous 10 tlie former method of exprefiing the rational principle, in allufion to tlie celellial chcri.bic name ti'N*, /IJhL\ V re, as they Ulieve tlie Deiry refiiies in the new year's, fiippokd \v\\ file. Ik-caufe IJIj^ Man, received l;is breath from the iliune infpiraiiun of the beneficent creator Y.ui, they tcr:n ti.e human 1 fpecies, The parity of ibclr lan^u(ige, 55 fpecics, in their flrong-poiiuiiig lanfzuagc, T'ah-Jcc ; which, though dif- ferent from the divine, tfT ntial, fou;-hturcd niir.t.% in found has n\ Y.\n, for its radix. But, bec.uill- t!ic monkey mimic? 2'ahi"d\ or the rational creati'in, more than ai.y oilv.r brute, in fcatines, fliapc, gcilure, and actions; in proportion ii ilie finiilituile, tl'.ey give Iiini a fimdar name, Shaiv-ive. This indeed malu s .«. ii'mt approach to Jjh and 7\il.', and to Tahice ; but it wants the radix of b'-t!i, sii ! '-■i.ifcquently bears no fignification of relation to either. W'-ile they ii'j:C, tliac the regularity of the actions of the brute cieaiures aruund tnem, txprefici •. nii c underllanding or Inllincl ; they deny their being endued with any portion of t:ie reafoning, and living principle, but bear ordy a faint allufion to Nana IJJjtoboollo, the rational foul. 1 lie PKi;: intelligent among them, fay tlie hun-.an foul was not made of clay, liis.e the brute creation, whole foul is only a corporeal fubli:ance, attenuated by heat, and thus rendered invifible. Through a feeming war-contempt cf each other, they all ufe a favou- rite termination to their adjecT:i\es, (very rarely to their fub(lantives) and Ibnietinies to their verbs ; Specially v.b.en tiicy are ilourilhing away, in their rapid war-fpccclits, v.hich on fuch occafions they always repeat with great vehemence. I fliall give a l'peci:nen of two words, in the dia- leifts of our fniithern Indians. RI is the favourif^ period of tlic Katahba Indians; as .'^A./V-rV, or IFahrc-'/i, " C^ood," and Mr.reicmv:hr'I, ovJt'cb- retav:ub-r'i., " beil," or very good •, /;*;,.'', the l.'.il fyllable of the great di- vine name, is evidently the radix, and magnifies the virtuous idea to a fuperlative. In hke manner, Shc^aye-iydlri, " no: bad," but Sheekare-r'i, fignihes " bad.' With thcfe Indian-, ibieU' is the name of a buzzard, which they reckon to be a mofl impure fowl, as it lives on jjutriu carcalles j upon whicli :.:.o\/:.t, they ciicofe tliat word to convey a vieiou'; idea. m; 5^V5 is the founding termination of the Checrake ; as Sedjla-qus., " good," — and 0-/t' ?^, "bed," or very good. Here tlK^y feCiii to have ftuiioully chofen the vowels : — As the following wortis will illullrate, Tonute-ff, " very honert," or virtuous, and }'-0-L', " I'.vil," or very bad. 'I'o cor- roborate the I'.ints I "ave, conccninff tl.e Indian names of monkev, and the human fpecies, let it be oblerved, that though their words con- vey a virtuous or vicious idea, in proportion as they are conllitutcd our of any ,„:a iili 5-6 On the dcfccni of the American Indians from the Jews. any of their three divine names, Yohewah, Yah, and Ishtohoollo ; or contain the vowels of the great facred name, yet the aforefaid word Y-O-U, is fo far from being a deviation from that general cullom, it is an cmphatical, and emblematical term to exprefs evil, by the negative of good ; for, as it is the only fiibllantive or adjc(5live of that word, it is a ftrong exprcfTive fymbol of the nature, and phyfical caufe of moral evil, by feparating 2'0, the firft fyllable of the divine four-lettered name into two I'yllables ; and adding U, as a fupcrlative period, to make it malum ma- lorum. SIxh is the founding criterion of the Mufkohgc, or Creek Indians, — a kind of cant jargon, for example ; HecU/a-JJjeh, fignifies " good," and IJeettla-ivab-E-J}}eL\ " very good " according to their univcrfal ftandard of fpeech, it becomes a fuperlative, by fubjoining tliat part of the divine name to it. With the Chikkafah and Choktah, Hecitla fignifies dancing -, pro- bably becaufe that religious exercife was good and highly pleafing to them, when, according to ancient cuftom, they dancod in their fymbolical circles, to, and before, YO He Wah. With the former, Apidlowbage-Jheh., exprefles " bad," or evil, thereby inverting the divine letters. Skch is the favourite termination of the Chikkafah and Choktah — as Cbookbmajkeb, " good," Cbookhnaflo-Jkeb (alluding to IJJho) " very good;" and Oikproo-Jkeb, " bad." Likewife, Ockproojlo, " worlt," or very bad ; for, by annexing the contraded initial part of the divine name, IJhtoboollo, to the end of it, it is a fuperlative. Thefe remarks may be of fervice to the inhabitants of our valuable and extenfive barriers, in order to difcover the nacional name of thofe lavages, who now and then cut them off. Ockproo-fe, with thofe Indians, fignifies " accurfed ;" the two laft letters make only ifamecb, which implies a neuter paffive : and, as Ookproo is the only fubftantive or adjcclive they ufe to exprefs " evil," by doubling the leading vowel of the four-lettered divine name, both at the beginning and end of the word ; may we not conjeQure at its origin, as glancing at the in- trodu(ftion of fin or evil by man's overadling, or innovating, througli a too curious knowledge, or choice ? " Y^e fliall be as gods," and, in order to £.iin the refcmblance, they ate what was forbidden. The The idiom and parity of tL^Jr huiguage. S7 " \ The greater number of tlieir compoonded words, (and, I believe, every one of them) which convey a virtuous or pure idea, cither have fomc iyllables of the three divine names, or vifibly glance at tlicm •, or h.ivc one or two vowels of the fiicred name, Yo He Wait, and generally begin with one of them ; which I fliall exemplify, with a few Chikkafah and Cheerake words. IJfe-Aho-zwuc., " Deer," I'civafa, Buffalo, wliich as ic begins with the divine name. Yah, contains no more of their beloved vowels : in like manner, jyc.hka^ " cattle ■'' Ifhke-Oocb'a, "■ a mother." This lad feems to be drawn from T/Z'^, the mother of all mankind. 1.16 and Enekia fignify " a woman." The latter is derived from the aiflive verb, Akckiiibahy fignifying " to love ardently," or like a woman j Nakkane Ajkai^ " a man." From this word, the Chikkafah derive Niikke, the name of an arrow or bullet : and with the Cheerake J/kai lignifies " to fear ;" as all the American brute animals were afraid of man, &c. 1 M I fi ■k:i^ Words, which imply either a vicious or impure idea, generally be- gin with a confonant, and double thofc favourite vowels, either at the beginninfi and end, or in the middle, of fuch words-, r.s Nt'jjhcl/a ircbcca^ " a wolf." With the Chikkaiaii, Ea£ocba fignifies " bewildered i" Patche, " a pigeon," and Putche Eajfooba, " a turde-dove." Soore and Sbceke are the Chikkafah and Cheerake names of a " Turkey-buzzard ■" Cboola and Choocbola^ " a fox " Shockqua and Seequa, an " opoffum," or hog j Ockooine, " a polecat ■" Ookc- ■:na, " a badger ;" Chockpbc and Cheefto^ "• a rabbet." The lad word is derived from the dcfeiftive verb Chejii^ " forbear," or, do not meddle with ; and rabbets were prohibited to the Ifraelites. In like manner, Ooppa and Ockockco, " a night-owl i" Oopbe and Kecra^ " a dog •" Naboolla and U-ncbka, " white people," or " impure ani- mals." The Chikkafah both corrupt and tranfpofe the lad part of the divine name, lihtohooUo ; and the Cheerake invert their magnifying termination t/, to convey an impure idea. /\nd through the like faint allufion to this divine name, lloollo fignifies " idols piftures, or images •" a fliarp-pointcd iarcafm ! for the word, lloollo^ fignifies alfo " mendruous women," who were for the time an equal abomination to the Ifraelites, and with whom ihey were to have no communion. Thefc two words feem to bear the fame analogy to each other, as b\i, AU a name of God, and ^'7^<, Akh^ fignifying the covenant of the holy One to redeem man, and ^"71*, Aloah^ execrated, or accurfed of God, a^ idols were. I With rii > 5? On the dejccnt of the American lud'ians from the fczi's. With the Clieciake, ylivwn, or Anima, fignifics " water," and /lii:moi, " a river-," not much unlike die Hebrew. They likewile term lair, Hawai ;uul both the conjiin(ftiori copulative, and " to marry," is Tawa. The name of a wife hJivab; whiJi wriucn in Hebrew, makes mn, Eve, or Ewd>, the name of our general motlier. So that the Indian name of a wife, is literally S:ihI emphatically, ins And, " One ablokitely needful for the well-being of Jj.i; or man i" Jj7:iau.a 'tihi?) fif^njiies "have you married?" We gain additional light from the flrong fignificant appellative, JJIi-ke, " a mother;" wlii'-h is an evident r.ontradion of I^ja^ the mother of 2'awe, or man- kind, with their favourite termination, Jke, fubjoined ; the word becomes thus fmoGtlicr thr.n to pronounce it at its full length, Ijha-Jke. V we confidcr that the Hebrews pronounced \ Van, when a ronfonant, as W, here is a very Itrong, exprc-nive gradation, through thofe variou" woids, up to the divine, necclTary, And, who formed and connedled ever^ .yftem of be- ings i or to the Hebrew divine original, YO He Wait : at the fame time, we gain a probable rcaibn why fo many proper names of old InJ.ian places, in South-Carolina, and elfewhere, along the great continent, begin with our Anglo-Saxon borrowed ch.; raftt-T, W \ a.^ JVampee, IVatboo, Wappoo, IVad- vio/a, JVnjfamefaby &c. Chance is fluctuating, and can never adl uni- formly. To elucidate the aforefaid remarks, it may not be amifs to obfervc, that, according to the Ifraelitifh cuftom both of mourning, and employing mourners for their dead, and calling weeping, the lifting up of their voices to God, the Choktah literally obfervc the lame cuftom ; and botii they and the Chikkafah term a perfon, who through a pretended religious prin- ciple bewails the dead, Tab-ah, " Ah God!" and one, who weeps on other occafions, Tahma, " pouring out fait tears to, or before God;" which is fimilar to v:in\ When a perfon weeps very bitterly, they fay, TiibmiJJjto, which is a compounded word, derived from n\ and '3% with the initial part of the divine name, Iptchcollo^ fubjoined, to magnify the idea, accordinf^ to the ufaL'c of the Hebrev/s. When the divine penman is dcfcribing the creation, and the flrong purifying wind, whi(.h fwept ,^long the furface of the waters, he calls it, " the iir, or fpirit •" and, more fignificantly, " the wind of God," or a very great wind : and, in other parts of the divine oracles, great hail, a 7 great ^he idiom and parity of their langun^f. 59 N great lion, and the like, are by the fame figure, called the hail of God. They alio apply the furnv.r words, I'ab-ah^ I'ab-ma, and the liki-, to exprefs the very fame idt;is tlirough all the mooiis and tcnfcs ; as Cheyaaras, " 1 fliall wci'p for you " Saiva Clryaara Aiva, " Wii'c, I wiil not weep for you." And wlu-n the violence of il.eir grief for the deceafcd, is much abated, the women fiequcntly, in their plaintive notes, repeat To He {ta) tVab, Yo He (ta) M'tb, Yo He ta Ha, Yo He ta Heh ; with a re- ference probably to the Hebrew cullom of immoderately weeping and wail- ing for their dead, and invo!:in;^ tlie name of God on llich dolefu' occafions •, and which may have induced tlicfe fuppofed red Hebiev/s to believe the like conduct, a very effential part of religious duty. Neetdk Yob-ab fignifics " a fait day," becaufe they were then humbly to fay j^b, and affli(ft their fouls before Yam. In like manner, Yah- Abe Hgnifies " one who weeps for hav- ing killed, or murdered another." Its roots are n', Y(d\ their continual war- period, and, '^a^<, Abele., fignifying " forrow or mourning ;" for, as killing, or murdering, is an hoftile ait, it cannot be drawn from n3«, which fignifics brotherly love, or tender afixxHion. Niiua-Yab-Ahe defcribes a perfon weep- ing, while another is killing him. Now, as Nana is " a relation," 2'ab " God," and Abe as above, the true meaning fcems to be, " One, like bleeding Abele, weeping to God." Likewife their name for fair, Haiva, may inform us, that though at prefent they ufe no Hxlt in their religious cflfcrings, they forbore it, by reafon of their diftant fituation from the fea-fliore, as well as by the danger of blood attending tiie bringing it through an enemy's country •, for, acconiing to the idiom of their lan- guage, if they had not thought fait an cflential part of the law of Hicri- ficature, they moft probably, would not have derived it from the two laft fyllables of the great divine name i whereas they double the confonanr, when they exprcis water, without drawing it from the clear fountain of liv- ing waters, YO He Wah. .' ■• iiM-i;; With tlie Hebrews, as before obfcrved *, "rrj, 1'epbalc, fignifies " Jluk- ing or pulling of the hand, cohefion, conjunction, or entering into fociety •," and " praying, or invoking." In conformity to that original ftandard, when tlie Indians would exprefs a ftrong, lading friendHiip, they liave no • Page 4?. I 2 otiicr 6o On the defcent of the American Indians from the Jcivs. other way, than by faying, Aharattle-la pheena chemanumbok, " I fliall firmly, fluke hands with your ditcourlc, or Ipetch." "When two nations of Indians are making, or renewing peace with each cihcr, the ceremonies and lijlcnmities they ufe, carry the face of great an- tiquity, and are very ftriking to a curious Ipcdator, wliich I lliall here relate, fo far as it fuits tlie prcftnt lubjccl. When ftrangers of note arrive near the place, where they defign to contracfl new friend liip, or confirm their old amity, they lend a mtllcngcr a-head, to inform the people of their amicable intention. He carries a fwan's wing in his hand, painted all over with ftreaks- of white clay, as an exprelTive emblem of their embjlly. The next day, when they have made their friendly parade, witii firing olf their guns and whoop- ing, and have entered the beloved fquare, tiieir chieftain, who is a-hcad of the rcit, is met by one of t.'v.' old beloved men, or magi, of the place. Mc and the vifitant approach one another, in a bowing pofture. The former- fays, To^ Ijh la cbu Angghna? ••' Are you come a friend in the name of God ?" Or, " Is God with you, friend .'"' for, Yo is a religious contraftion oi 2'oleiL'ah, — IJh " the man," La a note of joy, Chu a query, and /Inggcna " a friend." The other replies, 2'ah — /lrahre-L\ Jnggaia, " God is with me, I am come, a friend, in God's name." The reply confirms the mean- ing of the queftionaiy falutc, in the manner before explained. The magus then grafps the flranger with both his hands, around the wrifl of his right hand, whici. holds ibme green branches — again, about tlie elbow — then around the arm, clofe to his flioulder, as a near appro.u h to the heart. Then his immediately waving the eagles tails ovci' the head of the ftranger, is the ftrongelt pledge of good faith. Similar to the Hebrew word, Phale with the Indians, fignifics " to wave," and likcwile to fhake-, for they fay, Skcoba — Phdle^ " lliaking one's head." How far tlie Indian oath, or manner of covenanting, agrees with that of the Ilebrew.s, on the like iolenin occafion, I refer to the iiirelligent re.u! r. Tliiir method of embracing each other, feems to rcfemble alfo that cuflom of the Hebrews, when a ftranger became fiirety fur another, by giving him his wijit ; to which Solomon alludes, " If thou lull ftrieken hand with the ftranger, &:c." — Their common metiiod of greeting each other, is analogous with the above j the hoft only fays, lj}}-la Cbu? and the gueft replies, Arahre-O, ;-' I am come in the name of O E A," or Yo He Wah. When T/jcir nervous and emp/jatical^yle. 6t When is joined to the end of words, it always denotes a k;perlative, according to their univerrai fi^^urative abbreviations of the great beloved name-, thus with the Chikkal'ah, Iffe^ "deer," and Ijfi-O, " very great deer ;" 7'iimija, " a buffalo,*' J'nnas-0, " a very extraordinary great bufialoi'* which is, at kvilt, as ftrong a liiperiative, as bn n'3 bn, fignifyinjj " the houfe of the Omn potent," or " the temple." With the Cheerake Indians, y/ (zvab ta) howive fignifies " a great ikcr- killcr :" it is compounded of /l/jotvwe, " a deer," Jl'ab — the period of the divine name, and Ta, a note of plurality. The title, " the decr-kilkr of God for tiie people," was, fincc my time, v 'y honourable among them, as its radical mc.ning likcwife imports. Kvery town had one lukmniy appointed-, hini, whom they faw the Deity had at I'undry times blefild with better fucccl's than the reft of his brethren, in iup) lying them witli an holy banquet, that they might eat, and rejoice, before the divine eflence. But now it feems, by realbn of their great intertour.c vvitli foreigners, they have left off th.at okl ibcial, religious cultom ; and even their former noted hofpitality. I would alio obferve, that though neceffity obliged them to apply the bear's-greafe, or oil, to religious ufes, they have no fuch phrale as {f^ah ta) etona \ not accounting the bear lb clean an animal as the deer, to be olfcrcd, and eaten in their religious friendly fealls -, where they folcmnly invoked, ate, drank, lung, and danced in a circular iorm, to, and before, YO Me Waii. The Indian dialers, like the Hebrew language, have a nervous and em- jili.uical manner of expreffion. — The Indians do not perlonify inanini.u' ob- jeffs, as did the oriental heatliens, but their ftyle is adorned w;th in-i.iges, co'np.iiifons and ftrong metaphors like the Hebrews •, and equal in allego- ries to any of ti.e eallcrn nations. According to the ages of antiquity, their war I'pieches, and public oration?, always aifume a poetical turn, not unlike the found of the mealtires of tiie 1 1 k-brated Anacreon and Pintlar. Their poetry is feklon exaft in numbers, rhymjs, or iiicafure : it may ivi compared to profe in mufic, or a tunable way of fpeaking, Tiie period is always accompanied with a founding vehemence, to inforce their mulical fpeech : and the mufiC is apparently defii^ned to pleafc the car, and affesSl the paffions. After !'i:. - i t l| 62 On the d'il'oit of the jlmericnn Indians from tic 'Vi-a-s. After wlu\t hath been fiiid of their liun^iiap,c, it may b^- prop'/i : ■ - •) flurvv how they accent the conlonanti : I flull range thfm ir. the on r of. Tliey pronounce A', as in Ko i L and A', as D — .V, by fixing the tongue to the lower teeth; 7 like 7^, as in the old Hibernian, or Celtic aflinviative, 7'f7. I'hey cannot pronounce/', or A'-, they call the governor of Moveel, (Mobille) Ciovjctio- ?>Ioivceub : and they have not a word whicli begins or cn<\i v/ith A". KS are always diviiled into two fyllables ; a'^ IL:k-fi\ *' mad," &c. They have not the letter Z •■, mucii lefs any fuch hailh found as '/z, although they have 'i/. As they ule the Hebrew confj- nants i'and //'', in their molt folemn invocation YO Hi; VVah, inftead of the prcfent Hebrew Jod and Vau •, lb they leem to exclude them intirely out of their various dialects : the pronunciation therefore of the i lebrew charaders, which are fuppofed to convey the other founds, they are unacquainted Vv^icli ; and thole which fecm to be tranlpofed, may be clearly afccrtained by perfons of proper capacity and leifure, by comparing a fulncitnt number of 1 icbrew and Indian words together. The Indian r.ccents, Oo, i-.nd 0, .';^y, and 7/, may, prove a pretty good key to fpecul:'.tive enquirers. Tl often occur in their words ; as Tluirih, " to bleed with a lancet, to bore, fcoop, or make any thing hollow •," and Ileeltla, " to dance." And the South- Americans, we are told, had llkewife the fame found, as in that national name, Tlajkala: it feems to have been univerfal over ihc extenfive continent. And, from a fimilarity of the Hebrew manners, religious rites, civil and martial cudoms, we have a itrong prefumptive proof, that they ufed the aforefaid double vowels, and likewife a fingle vowel, as a termination, to give their words a foft accent : and it is plain to me, thai the Hebrew language did not found fo harll:, as it is now commonly expre»Ted, but like the American dialcds it was intcrfpcrfed with vowels, and i tbe'tr nervous and empf.uttical JlyU, ^'3 anil a vowtl was commonly fiibjoini'd to lai li wonl, for the f.ikc of a fofc tadcncc \ as ^IkU^ and AU^ inllead ot' "pahJ, Abel., aiul "tn, Al^ &:c. The Englifh chara(5lcr!i cannot be broiif'Jit any nearer to the true pro- nunciation of the Indian words, than as above fft down: fo that former writers have noiorioully Arayed, by writing conie(n.i;rally, or taking; thiii;;s on the wing of fame. What Indian wonls we had, bein^ exceedingly mangled, either by the fault of the prefs, or of torturing pens, licrt colore induced Ikilful perfons to conjcdure them to be hicroglyphical charaders, in imitation of the ancient J 'gyptian manner of writing their chronicles. The Indians t:iprefs themfelves with a great deal of vehemence, and with fliort paufes, in all their fet fpeeches ; but, in comm')n dircourie, tliey ex- prefs themlelvcs according to our ufual method of fpeech, only when they fcold eacli other : whicii I never obferved, unlefs they were intoxicated with ipiritous liquors, or talu.'Uy overheard a hulba.iii when lober in his own fa- mdy. They always a^l the part of a (loir philofopher in outwartl appear- ance, and n'-vtr fpeak above their natural key. And in their philolopliic way of realoning, their language is the more fliarp and biting, like keen irony and facyr, that kills whom it praifes. They know, that thus they corrcfV and fubdue the firfl: boilings of anger ; which, if unchecked, proves one of the molt dangerous pafTions to which human nature is fubjecft. So that remote favages, who have heard only tl;e jariinf fcreeches of nigiit-owls, and the roaring voices of ravenous beads of prey, in this refpeft give Icffons, and fct a worthy exam})lc to our moll civiHzed nations. I have heard feveral eloquent Indian leaders, juft as they were rcadv to let off for war, to ufe as bold metaphors and alkgories in ticir fpeeches — and images almoft as full and animating, as the eloqui-nt penman of the old divine book of Job, even where lie is paintmsr, with his ftrong colours, the gladnefs and contempt of tiie beautiful war-horfe, at the near approach of the enemy. I heard one of their captains, at th.c end of his oration for war, tell the warriors that (IckhJ outermoll, he feelingly knew their guns were burning in thnr hamis -, their tomohawks thi'!\y to drink the blood of their enemy ; and their trully arrows • 'if ■t i 64. On th: dcfcent of the American Indians from the Jc-os. arrows impatient to be on the wing; and, left delay fliould burn tlieir hearts an/ longer, he gave them the cool retVefliing word, " Join tlie holy ark, and away to cut off the devoted enemy." They immediately Ibiinded the Ihrill whoo-whoop, and ftnick up the folemn, awrul long, I'o, &:c. • M' m In Virginia, refides the remnant of an Indian tribe, who call tlicmfelves Si |)6nc ; which word, with the Egyptians, fignifies the time of putting tlieir wine into vcfiels ; derived, according to mythologills, from Scpban, " to in- clofe or conceal." From thence they formed the Hditious Ti/ipkone, the pu- nirtier of fins, anim;\ted with hatred ; and alfo the icil of their pretended furic?, from the like circumllances of the yjar. Our eaily American writers have bellowed on thefe Indians an cmptrror, according to tiie Spnnilli copy, ■calling him PavcluUjii — contrary to the imiian method of cndiiig their pro- per names with a vowel ; and iiave pidurcd them as .1 ilparate body of fierce idolatrous canibals. We hov,e\t.r find tliem in the prefent day, of the fame temper and religious tenet?, as the reft of the Indian Americans, in propor- tion to their fituation in life. Confitlering the nearnff; of I'gvpt to judea, they might have derived that appellative from the Egyptians, — cfpecially, as here, and in feveral of our American colonies, (particularly on the north fide of Sufquihana liver, in Penlylvania) are old towns, called Knmci. There was about thirty years ago, a remnant of a nation, or fubdivided tribe of Indians, called Katuai ; which refembles the Hebrew proper name, 3>23, {Canr.ati, or Cbaiioona). Their proper names always end with a vowel; and they Icldom ule a confonant at the end of any word *. I cannot recoiled * \( wc ccr.fiJcr the proximity of thofe Indians to a thick-fcttlcd colony, in which there are many j^cntlcnien of cmiiiciit learning' '' *^''" ^TP^ar not a little furprizing that the name Ca- naaiiii.s, in tiie original iangu.igc, according to the Indian method of e.xprelling it, as above, did not excite the attention of the curious, and prompt them to fome enquiry into the lan- guage, ritti, and cullnms, of tliofe Aborigines : whicli had they circdcd, would have jullly procured them thofe culogia from the learned world, which their fociety profufely bellowed on the nrtful, iir.jiroved ftrokes of a former pri.ne magiilrate of South-Carolina, whofe conducl in Ir.'.'iaii affair--, was fo e.vceediiif'ly fin^,i'.!.ir, if not foiciid and faulty, (as [ publicly proved whm he prcfilcd thcie) that another year's fuch manaqement would have caufed the Chcerake to remove to the I'lencli btiricr, or to have invi.ed the French to fettle a gariifon, where the late unfortunr.te Fort-Loudon llood. Hut a true Britifti adininiftraticti fucceeding, in tlie very critical time, it dellroyed their immature, but moll dangerous tlueatenirg fchefc. This note I infcrt here, though rather out of place, to (hew, that the northern gentlemen have not made all thofe obfervations and enquiries with regard to the Indians, which might have been reafonabiy cxpedled, from fo numerous and learned a body. 7 any IS3CMU« Tbcir opinion cf thunder and lightning. 65 any exceptions but the following, which are fonorous, and feem to be of an ancient date \ Ookkah, " a fwan •," Ilputak, " a wing i" Kooflmk^ " iccds i" Sheenuk, " fand •," 67j/7//>, " the Ikies ;" Phutchik, " a ftar ;'• Soonaky " a kettle;" Skin, " the eye ," Ji-eep, " a pond ;" and from which they derive the word Ji-ee-fe, " to bathe," which alludes to the eaftern me- thod of purifying themfelves. llluk fignifics " a hand :" and tiiere are a few words that end withyZ>-, as Soslijfjy " a tongue," &:c. .'1 r I 1! The Indians call the lightning and thunder, Eloha, and its rumbling noife, Rowah, which may not improperly be deduced from the Hebrew. To enlighten the Hebrew nation, and imprefs them with a reverential awe of divine majcfty, God fpoke to them at Sinai, and other times during the theocracy, with an awful or thundering voire. The greater part of the Hebrews feem to have been formerly as ignorant of philofopliy, as are the lavage Americans now. They did not know that thunder proceedetl from any natural caufe, but from the immediate voice of Elohim, above the clouds : and the Indians believe, according to this Hebrew fyftem of phi- lofophy, that Minggo IJJjto Eloha Alkaiajio, " the great chieftain of the thun- der, is very crofs, or angry when it thunders :" and I have heard them fay, when it rained, thundered, and blew (harp, for a confiderable time, that the beloved, or holy people, were at war above the clouds. And they believe that the war at fuch times, is moderate, or hot, in proportion to the noife and violence of the ftorm. ! ,v.- I have feen them in thefe ftorms, fire off their guns, pointed toward the (ky; fome in contempt of heaven, and others through religion — tlie former, to (hew that they were warriors, and not afraid to die in any fliape •, much lefs afraid of that threatening troublefome noife : and the latter, becaufe their hearts dirciftcd them to aflilt IfitohooUo Eloha *. May not this * The firft lunar eclipfe I faw, after I lived with the Indians, was among the Cheerakc, An. 1"36 : and during the continuance of it, their conduct appeared very furpr' 1; to one who had not feen the like before ; they all ran wild, this way and that way, li. Ijnatics, firing their guns, whooping and hallooing, beating of kettles, ringing horfc- ..li, and making the mod horrid noifes that human beings pofilbly could. This was the I'tleft of their natural philofophy, and di.Mie to aflill the fufl'ering moon. And it i? an opinion of fome of the Ha.l-Indians, that edipfcs are occafioncd by a great monftcr r '"jmbling a bull- frog, which now and then gnaws one edge of the fun and moon, and woui.. totally dcllroy them, only that they frighten it away, and by tiii: means preftrve them and their light. K proceed \W1 1^ 'iA \H •'!■• I I €6 On tie defcent of the American Indians from the Jews, proceed from an oral tradition of the war which the rebellious angels waged- againft the great Creator •, and which the ancient heathens called the war of the giants ? Nothing founds bolder, or is more exprelTive, than the Chee- rake name of thunder, Eetttaquaro/ke. It points at the effedls and report of the battles, which they imagine the lioly people are fighting above. The fmall-pox, a foreign difeafe, no way connatural to their healthy climate, they call Oomtuquaray imagining it to proceed from the invifible darts of angry fate, pointed againft them, for their young people's vicious conduiflr. When they fay, " I fliall fhoot," their term is, Ake-rocka. The radix of this word is in the two laft fyllables j the two firft are exprelTive only of the firft perfon fingular -, as Jkeeohoofa, " I am dead, or loft •" and Akeeoboofcray *' I have loft." Rooka feems to have a reference to the Hebrew name for the holy Spirit. m 'I m \ I i The moft fouthern old town, which the Chikkafah firft fettled, after the Chokchoomah, Choktah, and they, feparated on our fide of the Miflifippi, into three different tribes, they called 2'anekay thereby inverting Tahkd»e, the name of the earth ; as their former brotherhood was tlien turned into en- mity *. The bold Creeks on the oppofite, or north fide of them, they named Tahnabe, " killing to God," or devoting to death ; for the mid confonanc exprefles the prefent time. And their proper names of pcrfons, and places, are always expreflive of certain circumftances, or things, drawn from roots, that convey a fixed determinate meaning. With the Mufkohge, Algeh fignifies " a language," or fpeech: and, becaufe fcveral of the Germans among them, frequently fay Tah-yah^ as an affirmative, they call them Tah-yah Algeh., " Thole of the blafphemous Ipcech j" wliicb ftrongly hints to us, that they ftill retain a glimpfe of the third moral com- mand delivered at Sinai, " Thou fiialt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain," or apply the name of Yohewah, thy Elohim, to vain, or created things. • They call the earth Yahkane, becaufe Yah formed it, as his footftool, by the power ef his word. In alliifion alfo hereto, Nakkane lignifies a man, becaufe of the mother- earth ; and Nakke a bullet, or arrow. When the Cheerake aCt a perfon, Is it not fo } they fay, Wahkane ■ I'he divine eflcntial name, and Kane, are evidently the roots of thcfc words. Thefe Objhiiitkns en their UifigU:-i;. 67 l i Thcfe I.'Kliar.s to inculcate on their young people, th.it YO He Wam is the Autlior cf vegetation, c.iU the growth of vegetables, IVahraah^ " moved by Yoiiewah •," toi /lab fignifics to walk, or move-, and the comonant is aa expletive of diftindion. In like manner, IVah-ah fignifies, that " the fruits are ripe," or moved to their joy, by Yohewah. They likewife call the flying cf birds, fFdhkuab ; ps Yolicwah gave tliem tliat fwift motion. And, when young pigeons are well feathered, they lay, Putcbe hiJhJJjc oolphotahdh — Patche figniiics " a pidgeon," Hip^jhc^ " leaves, hair, or feathers," oolpha^ or oolphoy " a bud," /i, y/'Z', the celcllial, cherubinii- cal name of God, fignifying fire, /^, a ror.iraJlion cf t!ie conjunrtion copu- lative, and "PM, Ale, the ftrong, or on npoieat. They fay a river, or warm viftuals, is A-flm-pa -, that is, the former is become fordable, and the latter eatable. They here divide Ajh into two fyllables \ and the termination alludes to the word, .,'////, which fignifies eating. K 2 Fduh "I ; 68 On the dcfcent of the American Indians from the Jeivs, Pi'uih fignifies to raife the voice, Vocifero — for *3, Phi, fignifies " the mouth," and .^ub, " to move." Opite is the name of a war-leader, be- caufe he is to move his mouth to O E A, or invoke YO He Wah, while he carries the beloved ark to war, and is fandifying himlelf and his party, that they may obtain fucccls againft the enemy. But Pae-Minggo fignifies a far-off, or diftant chieftain. Pa yak Matuhuh, is the high name of a war- leader, derived from Paab, to raife the voice to Yam, and Tahuby " finiflied," meaning his war-gradation : tiie M prefixed to it, makes it a fubftantive, acr<:""''.:ng to the ufage of the Hebrews. Any thing liquid they term Oohhe, from Ookka and cbe : and Ookcbaab fignifies " alive." It h drawn, from Ookka^ " water," Ch, a note of refemblance, and Aab, " mov- ing •," i. e. a living creature relembles moving water. In like manner, Cokcbti fignifies to awake out of fleep ; and alfo to plauL any vegetable fubftance, alluding to their three different ftates — they firfl: were enabled to move about — tlicn reft, or fieep is necefiury, and alio being planted in t!;e earth — but they hope that in due time, they fliall be moved upward, after they have flept a while in the earth, by the omnipotent power of I'ah. They have an idea of a refurreftion of the dead body, according to the general belief of the Jews, and in conformity to St. Paul's philofoph'cal axiom, that conupuou pitr.edes generation, and a rcfurre<-tion. ■ \ N Kccnta fignifies " a beaver," Ookka *• water," and Ihenna " a path ;" but, for a i'mooth cadence, they contract ti;em into one word, Kecmook- het'tna; whicli very exprcllively fignifies " i beaver-uair.." P The Indian compounded words, are generally pretty long-, but thofe that are radical, or fimple, are mortly fhort : very few, if any of them, ex- ceed three or four fyllables. And, as their dialeds are guttural, every word contains fome conlonants j and thefe are the eflential charaftcriftics of lan- guage. Where they deviate from this rule, it is by religious emblems ; which obvioufiy proceeds from liie great regard they paid to the names of the Deity ; efpecially, to the four-lettered, divine, eflTential name, by ufing the letters it contains, and the vowels it was originally pronounced with, to convey a virtuous idea ; or, by doubling, or tranfpofing them, to fignify the contrary. In this they all agree. And, as this general cuftom mufl proceed from one primary caule, it feems to afliire us, they were not in a 1 favae'; Ohfcr'vattons on their language. «9 favage ftate, when they firfl: feparated, and variegated their dialects, with fo much religious care, and exaft art. Bhnd chance could not dired fo great a number ot' remote and warring favage nations to fix on, "lul unite in To nice a religious ftandard of fpcecii. Vowels arc inexprefl'ive of things, they only typiiy them; as Oo-E-A^ " to afccnd, or remove:" — E /l, a moll facred affirmation of the truth. Similar to thefe are many words, contain- ing only one confonant : ^n^'To-e-u, " it is very true ," O-fe-ii, " very goodj'* T-O-U, " evil, or very bad " T-u-a, " he moves by the divine bounty -," Nan-ne I'a, " the divine hill, or the mount of God," &c. If language was not originally a divine gift, which fome of our very curious modern pliilo- fophers deny, and have taken great pains to ft ' afide ; yet human beings are poflefied of the faculties of thinking and fpeaking, and, in propor- tion to their ideas, they eafily invented, and learned words mixed, witli confonants and vowels, to exprefs them. Natural laws are common and general. The fituation of the Indian Americans, has probably been tlic means of finking them into that ftate of barbarifm we now beliold — Yet, though in great meafure they may have loft their primitive language, not one of them exprefifes himfclf by the natural cries of brute-animals, any far- ther than to defcribe fome of the animals by the cries they make; which we ourfelves fometimes imitate, as Cheo-qua-le-'jun/oo, the nr.me they give that merry night-finging bird, which we call " Whip her will my poor wife," ^much like our cuckoo) fo termed from its mufical monotony. No lan- guage is exempt from the like fimple copyings. The nervous, polite, aiul copious Greek tongue had the loud-founding Biio Bono, which the Romans imitated, by their bellowing Boz'es Bourn -, and tlie Indians fay Pa-a, figni- fying the loud noifc of every kind of animals, and tlieir own loud-founding war IVhou PVhoop. Where they do not ufe divine emblems, their words have much articulation of confonants. Their radicals have not the infepa- rable prope:ty of three confonants, though frequently they have; and their Vvurds are not fo long, as fti angers con'iedurally draw them one. In- ftead of a fimple word, we too often inleit the wild pifture of a double, or triple-compounded one ; and the conjugation of their verbs, utterly de- ceives us. A fpeclmen of this, will fhew it with fufficient clearnefs, and may exhibit fome ufeful hints to the curious fearchers of antic]uity. A-no-wa fignifies " a rambler, renegadoc, or a perfon of no fettled place of abode." A-no'-iui!/.', the fiift perfon, and IJh-na, the fecond perfon Angular, * ff. f 70 On the defcent of the American Indians from the Jews, fingular, but they have not a particular pronoun for the third j they dlQin- guifli it by cuftom. Si-a, or Sy-ah, is " I am •" Chee-a, or Chy-dh, " you are i" and Too-zvah, " he is." Jy-ab fignifies " to go -," Ay-a-fa^ " I remain j" IJh-i-a-fay *' you remain j" Jfa, " he remains." AOO-E-A is a ftrong religious emblem, fignifying " I climb, alcend, or remove to another place of refidence," It points to A-nb-wab, the firll perfon fingular, and O-E-A, or YO He Wah ; and implies, putting themt'elvcs under his divine patronage. The beginning of that mod facred fymbol, is, by ftudious flre^ *' you were dii"- pleafed :" but Che-a-fd-ah fignifies " I am difpleafed with you;" and Che-a- fd-a-re " I was offended by you i" Cbe-a-fd-a-cbee-le is " I occafion, or have occafioned you to be difpleafed," literally, " I produce, or have produced offence to you ;" and Cke-a-fd-a-chee-la ylwa, " I fhall not caule you to be difpleafed." In like manner, they fay A-dn-ha, which fignifies " I defpifc," or literally, " I move ha ;" for the mid letter is inferted for dulimflion-fake, according to their idiom. So A-chin-ha-chu, " I Ihall contemn you ■" A-chin-ha-chee-lu A-way " I fhall not caufe you to become delpicablc." Chce-lc fignifies literally, " to bring forth young." So that the former me- thod of cxprefTion is very fignificant v and yet it flicws a Itcrility of lan- guage, as that fingle word is applicable to every fpecies of female anin: is, fowls not excepted : Thus, Phoo-Jhe Chee-le^ " the birds lay." Oe-fie (:gni- fies " a young animal," of any kind — and likcwife an egg. When men- tioned alone, by way of excellence, it is the common name of an infant , but when the name of the fpecies of animals is prefixed to it, it def;.ribes the young creature. An-pupj-koojh oo-Jhe^ is what the tender mother fays to her well-pleal'ed infant. The two words import the lame thing. 'I'he for- mer reiembles the Hebrew, and the latfcr is likewile a Ivibft.nritive , they i fay /I t i" 7? On the dcfccnt of the American Indians from the Jews. hy Choolloc-Jkc Teeth-hl-a-ta-hdh, "the fox-cubs are run ofF-," — Choo-la bcinp; the name of a fox. Pbut-choos-oo-flje JFahkd-as, " let the young cluck fly away •," and Phoo-fooJIje Hifli-fH Ool'pl\i-qut-fa, •' tlie young wild bird's hairs, or feathers, are not fprung, or juddcd." Pafe (ignifies the hair of a man's head, or the mane of animals. Sha-le fignifics pregnant, liteially, " to carry a burthen •," as Oo-pje Shu-le., " llie bears, or carries, an infant j" but, when it is born, Shoo-le is the name for carrying it in their arms. This bears off from the divine radix, with great propriety of language. /;« prefixed to a verb, denotes the malculine and feminine pronouns, ilium and illam As this is their fixed method of fpeech, the reader will eafily un- derftand tlie true idiom of their language. Sal-le fignifies " I am dead," Cbil-lc, you, &rc. Il-leh^ he, ^c. And this is likewife a fubltantive, as Il-let Min-te, " death is appro:iching," or coming : M:n-tc-cba fij:nifies " come you i" and A-niiit tc-la Jzva, or ylc-Dii/i-i.i-qini-c/jii, " I will not come." The former word, Shd-Jt, " to carry a burthen," or, flie is pregnant, fcems to be derived from fU and bik : and, as A-JJod-k, Ip-J/ja-te, and E-p.Ki-lt\ are the firfV, fccond, and third pcrfons fingular of the prefcnt tcnfe, the latter may allude to her conception by the power of the Deity : and it alfo points to "rvi', Sha-wu-le, or Saul, " the grave, or fepulchre," out of which the dead AkiII come forth to a new world of light. In like manner Chee-lc " to bring fortli," or A-cbee-la-le, " I brought forth," appears to be derived from D, a note of relemblance, and bn. Ale, the fruitful Omni- potent. All the American nations, like the Jews, entertain a contemptible opinion cf tlieir females that are barren — fterility they confidcr as proceed- ing from the divine anger, on account of their conjugal infidelity. m \u To enable grammarians to form a clear idea of the Indian method of va- riegating their verbs, and of the true meaning they convey, we mufl: again recur to the former eficntial word, or rather divine emblem, A-ah, " he moves." They fay Aas, " let him move," and Ee-wa-ko, or Bid-fas A-d- /i-n\ " I now move," or " yeftcrday I moved i" for, like the Hebrews, thcv fometimcs ufe the preterperfeft, inftead of the prcfent tenfe. Ad-a-ru- cL'u is the firfl: perfon fingular of the future tcnfe, in the indicative mood. A-d-ta-hab expiefil's the third perfon plural of the prefcnt tenfe, and fame mood. A-u-ta-bdh-ta-ku-a fignifies, by query, " have ye, or will yc move ?" It is their n)echod of conjugating their verbs, that occafions any of their radical Obfcrvations on their langnage. 7i radical or derivative verbs to exceed three or four fyllablcs -, as \vc fee by this, which, though compofcil only of two vowels, or lliort iyllables, is yet fo greatly delkiMcd. With them two negatives make an allirmative, as Mbijh-ko qua, " I (liall not drink v" add tlie ftrong negative termination Atcii, it is, " I will certainly drink." An ailirmative quclliun frequently implies a ftrong negative ; as ^li a-rd-ta-ii*a, literally, " will, or IhouKI, I go ?" that is, " I really will nor, or fliould not go ;" and on the contrary, a negative query imports an a''hrmative aflertion -, as yl-kai u-qiut-ta ko-a^ " fhould not I [',0 ?" or, " I frrely lliould go." Ec-u ko J-pdrel Sa-kai c qiia-tn ko a, is literally, " if I ate, iliouli! not 1 be latisfied ?" wiiit!) implies, " if I ate, I Jhould be fully fatisfied. To drinking, tliey apply a word tliat fignifics content ; and indeed, they are moll eager to dritik any fort ot fpi- ritous liquors, when their bellies are quite 'ull. When they are tireil with drinking, if we fay to any of thcin, Un-ia ''n^-^d-ua Chena b'ljh-ko-la Chuy " Well, my friend, I will drink with you i Lbe a-\o'^k pa chce-rc 1 co gc.ty " for, indeed, I rejoice in your company ;" he replies, Ilai-a, Ook-ka Hoo-me Ili/lj-ko Sa-n-ck tara\ which is, " No-, lor I am content with drinking bitter waters." Tlie/ conftantly preiix the ftibllantive before the adjedivc, and place the accufative cafe before the verb. If wc tranllatc the following words, Ook-ka Pan^gc HuiK-ma Law-iva A-bifi ko Ic Bla fas^ they literally fignify, " yefterday I drank a great deal of red-grape water," meaning claret. Thus they lay, 1ik-kc-ba, In^-glccfljc I'ren jhe lie lap A-hing ga Eteche, " formerly, when the Ivnglifli and French fought againit each other j" Frcn Jhe hig-glee-Jljc A be-tu L\" the French were killed by the Knglilli." The verbs are feldom defective, or iir.perfccl : thou'?;h they may fc'in to be fo to perfons who do not unJerlland tl'.e idiom of t!; ir langu.ige, tliey arc not; tliey only atipe.u- as fuch by the near relemlilar.ce of words, which (")n- vey a different meaning — ni A-kai-a., " i go," Sa-k.ii a, " I am fatisfied with eating," and Salkai-i^ " I am an:;ry, crofs, vexed, or diflurbcd in mind •," Sbee-a^ Cbe-kai-a, and Cbil-kai-a. in the fccond perlon •, /ha, l( k,i! a, and Al-kai-a, in tlie third perfon Hngular. A pec -fa fignifics " to lev," and A!-pcc-fa, " ftrait, even, or rie;ht ; Al-po'-i-ak, the general nair.e of mercantile goods, I fubjoin, as fuch a word is uncommon with tlsem ; tlicy icldom ufe to harlh a termination. I fliall here clofe this argument, and hope L enoii''!i I M i ; I'^i f 74 On the dcfcent cf the Attiencan Indians from the ye'u;:. ciK-ugh hath been faid to give a dear idea of the principles of the Indiait language and diukds, ith pttiTiis and idiom, and ftron;^ fimilarity to, and near coincidence with the Hebrew — which will be not cafily accounted fur, but by coniukriny tiic American Indians as ticiccnded from the Jews.. A R G U M li N T Vl If They count Timh after the manner of the I febrews, They divide the \ c.r into fpring — fumincr — autumn, or the fail of the leaf — and winter: wliii . the Cheeral<:e Inui.ins call Kc/?jb, AkoocOy Odckobjlc, Ko'ra; and tlie Chikhal.u'i and Chokiah nation, Oioclpha, Tome pa//e, /IJbtora- vidciia, Jptli-ii, Kd^th is ih uvn from A)iant6gt\ the general appellation fur the fun and moon i btcaufe, when the fun letuhr- from the fouthern hemi- fplierc, he covers the v-retab! world with a green livery. Akooca tlludes llrongly to rhc eflentiai ilvine name, as we have fcen in the former argu- tnent. WilIi regard to OokkobJIc, " the iall of the leaf," as they call a buzzard, S/^cre, or .S'ci.' •, and as Soolekohjle fjgnifies troublefome, offenfive, dilagrecible, the word fignifies, that " the fall of the year is as dif- agreeable a fight, us that of a Inizzard." AVrt, as with the Hebrews, figni- fies the winter ; and is likewile the name of a bone : and by joining Hah, an Hebrew ncrc of admiration, to the end of it, as Kcra-Hu/p, it becomes the psoper name of a n.ui, fip 'ying, " all bones," or very bony. 0:dal- f/.-, " the 'prinp; feafor " is derived from Oolpha^ the name of a bud, or to Ihoot out i ';;cau!c tiu;i tlie folar heat cuufcs vegetables to bud aiul fpring. Tdiiul) fignifies " the folar ligiit," and Pal/e, " warm or hot •/* ylfi:tonu " winter," and Moona, " prefently," &c. They number \\w\x years by any of thole four periods, for they have no name for a year-, and they fubdivide thefe, and count the year by lunar niontlis, like the ifratlites, v, ho counted by moons, as their name fuflicienily teftiiies •, for tluy called them □«m% the plural of nT, t!ic moon. Tlie Indians have no diftimft proper name for the fun and moon •, one «vord, with a note oi diftinclion, exprelfes both — for example; the Cheerakc call 1'beir manner of counting time. 7S call tlic fiin F.uf-fi A-nan-td-ge^ " the tlay-mcon, or l\in j" an.i t!i- I.uut, Neuf-fe /l-nan-to-ge, or " the nif.^hc-kin, or moon." In like m.ni.cr, t c Chikkalali and Choktah term tlie one, Ncctuk-'nJj'Jjt ;.:ul the other, Xeciniak- Iliijjeb i for Ndi'/iik n^iiilics " a tlay," aiui I^iiiii:a.i:, " ;i ni^ht." Here I cannot forbear remarking, tliat the Indi.^ns c.ll the penis ct' any animal, by the very fame name, I/ajj'i- •, with tiiis dilllrence only, tiiat the termination is in this inftance pronounced fliort, wlitrtas tiie other is long, on purpofe to di(liii[ uilh the words. '1 his bears a Hrong analogy to wl:at the rabbins tell us t,i' the purity of the Hebrew laiiyuag-, t!ut " it is !> chafle a tongue, as to have no proper names for the parts of ytncratioii." The Cheerake can boalt of the fame decency of ftyle, for t!iey call a corr.- houfe, IP^aluhre and tiic penis I any creature, by the very fame name \ intimating, tiiat as the fun anil n^ influence and ripen tlie fruits t!iat are llored in it, fo by the help .errs and 15acc!uis, \'cnus lies warm, whereas on the contrary, fine Ccnn iif B,'.abus,f>i^ct I'inus. \ 'I :! W They count certain very remarkable things by knots of various colours and make, after the manner of the Suuih-Amcrii, an Aborigines j or by notthol ftpiare (licks, which are like wife diltributed among the head warriors, an. I other chieftains of dilTerenc towns, in order to number tlio winters, &c. — the moons alfo — their fleeps — and the days when they travel -, and efpecially cer- tain fecret intended acls of hollility. Under fuch a circumllance, if one d.;y elaples, ea'ch of them loolcns a knot, or cuts off a notch, or elfe makes on-*, according to previous agreement -, wliieh thole who are in the trading way among them, call broken days. Thus they proceed iLiy by day, till the whole time is expired, which was marked out, or agreed upon ; and they know witii certainty, the exact time cf any of the afortl'.iid period:,, v;i-cn they are to execute their fecret purpnfes, be they ever fo various. T'u" au- thors of the romantic Spanifli iullories of Peru and Mexico, have wonder- fully llretelied on tliefe kr.ottvJ, or marked firings, and notched fquarc Hicks, to fliew their own fruirlVd inventions, and draw the attention and furprize of the learned world to their magnified bundle of trilles. The metliod of counting time by weeks, or fevenths, was a very ancient cuftom, pradifed by the Syrians, Egyptians, w id ir.oft of the oriental nations \ L 2 and li. I ! # IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V /. >° Ck'x {< &j & ^ 1.0 I.I 1.25 £ us i2.0 U 11.6 ■7] <« ^ ^<*# Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 l\ ^^ <^ ^ ^ ^ €^ ^1^ ^ <> '%^ 4rj l/u 76 On the defccnt of the American Indians from the Jews. and it evidently is a remain of the tradition of the creation. The Creator, indeed, renewed to the Hebrews the old precept of fanftifying the feventh day, on a particular occafion. And chriftianity promoted that religious obfervance in the weftern world, in remembrance of the work of redemp- tion. The Greeks counted time by decads, or tens ; and the Romans by nones, or ninths. The number, and regular periods of the Indians public religious feafts, of which prefently, is a good hiftorical proof, that they counted time by, and obferved a weekly fabbath, long after their arrival on the American continent. f^ !1 m They count the day alfo by the three fenfible difFerences of the fun, like the Hebrews — fun-riie, they term, Hajfc kootcha weenie., " the fun's com- ing out j" — noon, or mid-day, Tabcokbre; — and fun-let, Hajp Oobea, lite- rally, " the fun is dead -," likewife, Hoffe Ookka'tora, that is, " the fun is fallen into the water ■" the laft word is compounded of Ockka, water, and Elora, to fall : it fignifies alfo " to fwim," as inftinft would diredl thole to do, who fell into the water. And they call dark, Ookklille — derived from Ookka, water, and Illeb, dead ; which fhews their opinion of the fun's difap- pearance, according to the ancients, who faid the fun flept every night in the weftern ocean. They fubdivide the day, by any of the aforefaid three ftandards — as half way between the fun's coming out of the water; and in like manner, by midnight, or cock-crowing, &c. They begin the year, at the firft appearance of the firft new moon of the vernal aequinox, according to the ecclefiaftical year of Mofcs : and thole fynodical months, each confift of twenty-nine days, twelve hours, and forty odd minutes ; which make the moons, alternately, to confift of twenty-nine and of thirty days. They pay a great regard to the firft appearance of every new moon, and, on the occafion, always repeat fomc joyful founds, and ftretch out their hands towards her — but at fuch times they offer no public liicrifice. Till the 70 years captivity commenced, (according to Dr. Prideaux, 606 years before the Chriltian sra) the IlVaelites had only numeral names for the folar and lunar months, except n'SN and a'^J/IMH ; the former fignifies a green ear of corn -, and the latter, robuft, or valiant, And by the firft name,. I (hull It ilk u Their method of counting. 77 name, the Indians, as an explicative, term their paffhver, which the trading people call the green-corn dance. As the Ifraelites were a fcni'ual people, and generally underftood nothing but the Ihadow, or' literal p;irt of the law i fo the Indians clofely imitate them, minding only that traditional part, which promifed them a delicious land, flowing with milk and honey. The two Jewifh months juft mentioned, were a^quinodtial. Abib, or tlieir prefent Nifan, was the feventh of the civil, and the firfl; of the ecclefndical year, anfwering to our March and April : and Ethanim, which began the civil year, was the feventh of that of the ecclefiallical, the fame as our September and Ovftober. And the Indians name the various feafons of the year, from the planting, or ripening of the fruits. The green-eared moon is the mo{l beloved, or facred, — when the firfl: fruits become fantflified, by being an- nually offered up. And from this period they count their beloved, or holy things. When they lack a full moon, or when they travel, they count by deeps ; which is a very ancient cuftom — probably, from the Mofaic method of counting time, " that the evening and the morning were the firft day." Quantity they count by tens, the number of their fingers •, which is a natural method to all people. In the mercantile way, they mark on the ground their numbers, by units ; or by X for ten ; which, I prefume they learned from the white people, who traded with them^ They readily add together their tens, and find out the number fought. They call it 2''akd-ne- Tlapba, or " fcoring on the ground," But old time they can no way trace, only by remarkable circumfl;ances, and sras. As they trade with eaciv Other, only by the hand, they have no proper name for a pound weight. i Jlr ! ii' ! il m The Cheerake count as high as an hundred, by various numeral names v whereas the other nations of Eafl; and Weft-Florida, rife no higher than the decimal number, adding units after it, by a conjunftion copulative ; which innmates, that nation was either more mixed, or more fkiUul, than the refl: : the latter feems moft probable. They call a thoufand, Skoch Chooke Kaicre, " the old," or " the old one's hundred :" and fo do tlic red, in their various dialects, by interpretation •, which argues their former dcill in numbers. 'fl ^ yS 0/; the d:J'ii!:t cf the American Indians from the fcjis. I fhall here give a fj-'ecimen of the Hebrew method of counting, and that cf tlic Cbtc-ake, Chikkafah, and Mufl^ohge or Creeks, by which fomc farihcr anaio'-;y will aj-pcar between the favagc Indians, and their fuppoied Ifraclitifli brethren. I'he Hebrew charaders were numeral figures : tliey counted by them alphabetically, N (i), 2 (2), and fo on to the letter ■•, the tenth letter of the alphabet, and which ftands for ten ; then, by prefixing ♦ to thole letters, they proceeded with tiieir rifing numbers, as N'' (11), a' 1^1?.), y ('3)> "'^ ('+)) &c. They had words alio of a numeral power, as ini* ( i), ^I'V (2), ^'ih'^ ( j), J';i"il< (4)> &c. We fliall now fee how the Indian method of numbering agrees with this old ftandard, as well as with the idiom of the Hebrew language in fimilar cafes. The Cheerake number thus : Scguo i, I'alr:: 2, Choch 3, Nankke 4, Ipki 5, Soctare 6, Karekoge 7, Subnayra S, ^^obruiyra cj, Skoih lo, Sccitoo 11, TaratGo 12, &c. And here we may fee a parity of words between two of the Indian nations ; for t!ic Mullcohge term a ftone, Tahre ; which glances at the Hebrew, as they not only built witli fuch materials, but vifed it as a word of number, exprefilve of two. In like manner, Ifljk^ " five," fignifies a mother, which fecms to Ihcw that their numeral word", were formerly fignificant ; and that they arc one (lock of people. The Ciiikkaiah and Choktah count in this manner — Chephpha i, T.'oogalo 2, Tootchena 3, Oojln 4, lathlahe 5, IlaHuahle 6, Untoogalo 7, Untoolchcna b', Cbakkdle 9, Pokoolc 10, Pokoole Aazva Chephpha^ " ten and one," and fo on. The Cheerake have an old v/alle town, on the Georgia foutli-weft branch cf Savannah river, called I'oogalo; which word may come under the former obfervation, upon the numerical word two : and they call a pompion, Oofio^ which refemblcs Oofta., four. ^ I'l The Cheerake call twenty, Tahre Skceh, " two tens :" and the Chikkafah term it, Pokoole 'Toogalo^ " ten twos :" as if the former had learned to num- ber from the left hand to the right, according to the Syriac cuftom ; and the latter, from the right to the left hand, after the Plebrew manner. The former call an hundred, Skoeh Chookc ; and, as before cbferved, a thoufand, Skoeb Chooke Kaiere, or '• the old one's hinidrcd ;" for with them, Kaiere figni- fies " ancient," or aged ; whereas Eli, or Eti-u, expreUcs former old time. 7 May 'their method of countings 79" May not this have fome explanation, by the " Ancient of days," as exprcflcd by the prophet Daniel — ma^^nifying the number, by joining one of the names of God to it — acconlin;.' to a iVeq'ient ruftom of the Hebrews ? This feems to b: illuflr;ir,\i with kiffioient ckarrcfs, by the numerical metl.ocl of tlie Chikkafah — for they call ww hiin.lred, Pokcole Tathkepa ; and a thou- fand, Pokoik 'i'dthiccpa 'tair'cpa IJiH-) ; the lall of wliich is a ftrong double fupcrlative, according to the ufage of the Hebrews, by a repetition of the principal wonl ; or by affixing the name of God to the end of it, X-O hughten tlic number. liijto is one of their names of God, expref- five of niajcfty, or greutneTs j and Soottatlj'eepa *, the name of a drum, dc- rivL'd from Scotlc, an eanhcn pot, and iTtJ/WtY/rt, perhaps the name or num- ber of Ibme of their ancient It-oions. CD The Mufl;ohge metliod cf counting is, Hcimnai i, Ilckko'.c 2, Toctcbcva 3,. Oljla 4, Cbahdpe 5, Eepahge 6, Ilcolophdge 7, Checncpa S, Ohfiape 9, Po- i^uk 10, tec. 1 am k)rry that I have not fufficicnt fl^ill in the Muflcohrc dialtfty to make ^ny iifcful obfervations on this head ; however, the reader can eafily difcern the parity of language, between their numerical words, and thofe of the Chikkafah and Choktah nations ; and may from thence con- clude, that they were formerly one nation and people. ■If : .ill'' ..il! ; '1 i":^*l f? . i: !tr: I have feen their fymbols, or fignatures, in a heraldry way, to count or didinguifli their tribes, done with wiiat may be called wild exadnefs. The Choktah ufe the like in the dormitories of their dead ; which feems to argue,, that the ancienter and thicker-fettkd countries of Peru and Mexico had for- merly, at leaft, the jie of hieroglyphic characters; and tiiai; they painted the real, or figurative images of things, to convey their ideas. The prefent American Aborigines feem to be as (kilful Pantomimi, as ever were thofe of ancient Greece or Rome, or the modern Turkilli mutes, who defciibe the meaned things fpokcn, by gefture, adion, and the pafTions of the face. Two far-dillant Indian nations, wlio underdr.nd not a v/ord of each otl;er's language, v.'ill intelligibly converfe together, and contraft engagements, without any interpreter, in fuch a furprizing manner, as is fcarccly credible. As their diaksfls are guttural, the indications they ufe, with the hand or • The double vowels, c« and cr, are aUvny; to he joined in one fyllable, and prononncci.t fingers,. !ong;. 8o On the uifccnt of the Amer'tmn l/ulhms from tbc yews. fingers, in common dircourff, to accompany their ipeecli, is the reafon that Itranjicrs ima[',inL' they make only a gaggling noik', like what wc are told or the Hottentoi.s wiihoiu any articulate Ibiind ■, whereas it is an ancient ciil- tom of the eailcrn countries, which probably the firll emigrants brought with them to America, and (till retain over the fai-extended continent *. ARGUMENT VII, |;i»' li>i In conformity to, or after the manner of the Jews, the Indian Americans have their Prophets, High-Priests, and others of a religious order. As the Jews had a //■ivl/uiii JhuSloruiii, or moll holy place, fo have all the Indian nations •, particularly, the Muflcohge. It is partitioned off by a mud-wall about breaft-high, behind the white feat, which always ftands to the left hand of the red-painted war-feat ; there they depofit their confe- crated veflels, and fuppofed holy utenfils, none of the laity daring to ap- proach that facred place, for fear of particular damage to themfelves, and general hurt to the people, from the fuppofed divinity of the place. With the Mufkohge, Hifch Lalage fignifies " cunning men," or perfons prefcient of futurity, much the fame as the Hebrew feers. Checratahcge is the name of the pretended prophets, with the Cheerake, and nearly 3- - preaches to the meaning of ^'33, NebitU the Hebrew name of a prophet. Chcera is their word for " fire," and the teimination points out men pofleft of, or endued with it. The word feems to allude to the celeftial cherubim, fire, light, and fpirit, which centered in O E A, or Yohewah. Thefe In- dians call tlieir pretended prophets alfo Loa-che, " Men refembiing tlie holy fire," or as Elohim •, for the termination exprefies a comparifon, and Loa, is a contraction of Loak., drawn from n'7K, Eloah, the fingular num- ber of DTi'^i*, Elohim, tiie name of the holy ones. And, as the Mufl-cohge If!- * The firll numbering was by their fingers ; to which cudom Solomon alludes, Pi-cv.'iW. 16. " length of days is in her right hand." The Greeks called this, ATcT5/virr«/y.o'^?/i', becaufe they numbered on their live fingers : and Ovid fays, Scu, quia tot digitis, per qms mmerare J'o- hmui ; likewifc Juvenal, Sua dextrd computat aitnos. Others numbered on their ten fingers, as we may fee in liede de ratione temporum. And the ancients not only counted, but are faid to fpeak with their fingers, Piov. vi. 13, ' The wicked man he teacheth with his fingers." And Nxvius, in Tarentilla, fays, dat digito literas, 7 cull Thi'ir prophets, bigb-pricjls, 3i call the noife of tliunder, Erowab, To the Cheerake by. inverting it, IFornh, " He is -," thereby alluding to the divine eflence : and, as thole term the lightning Elua, and believe it immediately to proceed from the voice of ///. toholto Eloa Aba^ it fliews the analogy to the Hebrews, and their fenti- ments to be different from all the early Teathen world. The Indian tradition fays, that their forefathers were pofieired of an ex- traordinary divine fpirit, by which they foretold things future, and con- troulcd the common courfe of nature : and this they tranfmittcd to their offspring, provided they obeyed the facred laws annexed to it. They be- lieve, that by the communication of the fame divine fire working on their Louche^ they can now effed: the like. They fay it is out of the reach of Nana Ookproo, either to comprehend, or perform fuch things, becaufe the beloved fire, or the holy fpirit of fire, will not co-operate with, or adluate Hottuk Cokproofe, " the accurfed people." IJhtohooUo is the name of all their prieftly order, and their pontifical office defcends by inheritance to tlie eldeft ; thofe friend-towns, whic i are firmly confederated in their exercifes and plays, never have more than one Archi-?}iagus at a time. But lamenefs, contrary to the Mofaic law, it mufl: be confeffed, does not now exclude him from ofHciating in his religious fundion •, though it is not to be doubted, as they are naturally a modeft people, and highly ridicule thofe who are inca- pable of procreating their fpecies, that formerly they excluded the lame and impotent. They, who have the leaft knowledge in Indian affairs, know, that the martial virtue of the favages, obtains them titles of diftindion -, but yet their old men, who could fcarcely corred their tranfgrefTing wives, much lefs go to war, and perform thofe difficult exercifes, that are elTen- tially needful in an adlive warrior, are often promoted to the pontifical dig- nity, and have great power over the people, by the pretended fanftity of the office. Notwithftanding the Cheerake are now a neil of apoftate hornets, pay little refpeft to grey hairs, and have been degenerating fafl from their primitive religious principles, for above thirty years pafl — yet, before the lail war. Old Hop, who was helplefs and lame, prefuled over the whole nation, as Archi-magus, and lived in Choate, their only town of refuge. It was entirely owing tj the wifdom of thofe who then pre- fided in South-Carolina, that his dangerous pontifical, and reg.il-like power, was impaired, by their letting up Attn Kulla Ktdla, and fup- porting him fo well, as to prevent the then eafy tranfition of an Indian M Jiigh- Ka On the dcfccnt of the American Indians from the 'Jcii^s. higli-pritllhood into a French American bioody chair, with a bvinch of red and black beads \ where the devil and they could as eafily have inllruifted them in the infernal Frencli catechiihi, as they did the Canada Indians : as— Who killed Chriil ? .////uvr, The bloody Englifn j S:c. * To dilcovcr clearly the origin of the Indian religious fyftem, I miifl: oc- rafionally quote as inuth iVom the Mofaic intUtution, as the favages feem to copy alter, or imitate, in their ceremonies ; and only the faint image of the Hebrew can now be expcdled to be difcerned, as in an old, im- perfcdt glals. The prieflhood originally centered with the firfl male born of every family : wiih the ancient heathens, the royalty was annexi^d to it, in a direift line •, and it defcended in that manner, as low as tlie Spartans and Romans. Bur, to fecure liVael from falling into heathenifli cudoms aiad v;orfhip •, God in the time of Mofes, fet apart the Levites for religious fer- viccs in the room of the firll-born •, and one high-priell, was elcL^ed from the family of Aaron, and anointed with oil, who prefidcd over the rell. This holy office defcended by right of inheritance. However, they were to be free of bodily defects, and wer . by degrees initiated to their holy office, before they were allowed to ferve in it. They were confecrated, by having the water of purifying fprlnkled upon them, wafliing all their body, and their clothes clean, anointing them with oil, and offering a facrifice. It is not furprizing that the drefs of the old favage Archi-magus^ and that of the Levitical high-prieft, is fomewhat different. It may well be fuppofed, they wandered from captivity to this far-dillant wildernefs, in a diilreft condi- tion, where they could fcarcely cover themfelves from the inclemency of heat and cold. Befides, if they had always been pofTciled of the greateft affluence, the long want of written records would fufficiently excufe the difference ; becaufe oral traditions are liable to variation. However, there are fome traces of agreement in their pontifical drefs. Before the Indian Archi- magus officiates in making the fuppofed holy fire, for the yearly atonement • A wrong belief has .1 moft powerful efficacy in depraving men's morals, and a right one has a great power to reform them. The bloody Romi(h bulls, that France fent over to their Indian converts, clearly prove the former ; and our peaceable conduit, as plainly ihcwed the latier, till liritannia fcnt out her lions to retaliate. 7 ©f 7/je ornaments of their higb-priejl. 83 of fin, the Sagan clothes liim with a white ephod, which is a waiftcoat without llccvcs. When he enters on that Iblcmii duty, a beloved attendant ipreads a white-drtil buck-fkin on the wliite feat, wiiicii flands dole to the i'uppolld holiell, and then puts fome white beads on it, that arc given him by tlie people. Then the Archi-magus wraps around his flioulders a con- fecrated Ikin of the i'ame fort, which reaching acrofs under his arms, he ties behind his back, with two knots on the legs, in the form of a figure of eight. Another cuftom he obferves on this folemn occafion, is, inftead of going barefoot, lie wears a new pair of buck-fkin white maccafenes made by himlelf, and Hitched with the Hnews of the fame animal *. The upjjcr leather acrofs the toes, he paints, for the fpacc of three inches, v.ith a few ftreaks of red — not with vermilion, for that is tiieir continual war- emblem, but with a certain red root, its haves and ftalk refcmbling the ipecacuanha, which is their fixed red fymbol of holy things. Thelc flioes he never wears, but in the time of the fuppofed paflbver ; for at tlie end of it, they are laid up in the beloved place, or holiell, where much of the like Tort, quietly accompanies an heap of old, broken earthen ware, conch-fliells, and other confecrated things. The Mofaic ceremonial inflitutions, are acknowledged by our beft writers, to reprefent the MefTiah, under various types and fliadows •, in like manner, the religious cuftoms of the American Indians, feem to typify the fame •, according to the early divine promife, that the lied of the woman r.iouUI bruifc tiie head of the ferpent ; and that it fliould bruife hi;; heel. — I'he Levitical high-prielt wore a breoft-plate, which they called llofriliim, and on it the Urifit and Thummim, fignifying lights and perfecflions ; for they are the plurals of IIX, Aivora, (which inverted makes Erozi-a) and n~"ip, Tlwruh, r^'iii 4 ' 'i'^ 4; • Obfcrvant ubi fefta mero r i -^ t'abbata rcges, Et vctus indulget fenibus cii.-.r,''iHa porcis. Juvenal, Sat. vi. When the high-priell entered into the hollcd, on the day cf expiation, he clothed himfeli" in whire; and, when he finillied that day's fervice, he laid afide thofe clothe- and Ictt them in the tabernacle. Lev. xvi. 23. When the Egyptian priefts went to worOiip in their temples, they woic flioes of white parchment. Herodotuj, Lib. ii. Cap. v. M 2 tlie ■1 i 1 : v^ 84 On the dcj'cent of the American Indians from the 'yeius. the law, as it dircifted tlu'in under dark fliadows, to Mefliah, the lamp of light and perf'c(ftions. In refcniblance of this facred pedtoral, or bread- plate, the American /Irchi-magus wears a breaft-plate, made of a white conch-fhcll, with two holes bored in the middle of it, through which he puts the ends of an otter-Hcin ftrap, and faftens a buck-horn white button to the outlidc of each, as if in imitation of the precious Hones of Urim, which miraculoufly blazoned from the high-prieft's breafl, the unerring words of the divine oracle. Inftead of the plate of gold, which the Levite wore on his forehead, bearing thefe words, niH'' "h dp, Kadejh li 2'oheiaab, " holy, or feparate to God," the Indian wears around his temples, either a wreath of fwan-feathers, or a long piece of fwan-fl':i's. If a two-yt-ars drouplit lia[>; ens, ilic fyiihedrlm, at tlic c.iriull I'llicltation of the niortilieil linicrs, tonvcno in a boJy, and nuki; proper enquiry into tlic true caui'c of their calamities •, bccaul'c (lay they) it is better to ipoil a tew r(j;',vi:rn people, tlian a tew roi^uifli people fl-.ouUl fpoii Uottuk Orctccpch : TIic lot loon falls upon Jonas, and he is immeciiatdy fwallowed iij). Too nni(.!i ram is equally dangerous to tlu.l'e red prophecs. — I was lately toKl by a pentleniaii of tiillinj^uilhed tharaVler, that a famous rain-ivakcr of the Mull.ohge was fliot tleatl, becaufc the river over-flowed their fields to a great height, in the middle of Augud, and dcllroyed tiieir weighty iuir- velt. They afcribcd the mifchicf to his ill-will ; as the Deity, they fay, doth not injure the virtuous, and defigned him only to do good to the beloved people. I !!^ In the year 1747, a Nachee warrior told me, that while one of their prophets was uling his divine invocations for rain, according to tlie faint image of their ancient tradition, he was killed with thunder on the ipot ; upon which account, the fpirit of prophecy ever after fubfided among them, and he became the lafl: of their reputed prophets. 'I'hey believed the holy Spirit of fire had killed him with fome of his angry da'ting fire, for wilful impurity j and by his threatening voice, forbad them to renew tlie like attempt — and jullly concluded, that if they all lived well, they flnould fare well, and have proper fealbns. This opinion coincides with that of the Ifraelites, in taking fire for the material emblem of Yo- hewah ; by reckoning thunder the voice of rhe Almighty above, according to the fcriptural language ; by efteeming thunder-ftruck individuals under the difpleafure of heaven — and by oblerving and enforcing fuch rules of purity, as none of the old pagan nations obferved, nor any, except the Hebrews. As the prophets of the Hebrews had oracular anfwers, fo the Indian magi, who are to invoke YO Hii Wah, and mediate with the fupreme holy fire, that he may give feafonable rains, have a tranfparent ftone, of fup- pofed great power in afllfting to bring down the rain, when it is put in a bafon of water ; by a reputed divine virtue, inipaflcd on one of tiie like forr, in time of old, which communicates it circularly. I'liis flone would fuffer a great decay, they aflert, were it even i\:ev by their own laity ; but if by foreigners, it would be utterly defpoiled of its divine commu- Tbclr pr'icjls vutbod of fcckhig fccfonahle ruins. 87 cOin.nuaicaiive power. Dotli not this alliuie to tlic precious blazoning (tones of Uriin and Thumniiiii ? i^..-- "!' In Tymalife, ii lower Clipcr.ikc town, livod one of tluir reputed great divine men, who never informed the people of his feekiny fur rain, but at the ciiange, or full (,f the mnoii, unUTs thns, or from the feathered kalenJcr ; fuch as the quackinj'; of ducks, the croakin'i; of ravens, and iVom tlie moillnefs of the :.ir felt in their quills ; conli.-- qucntly, he feldom iaileil of fuecefs, whirli l>i;jhly increaicil iiis name, and profits •, for even when it rained at other times, they afcribed it to the intercefTion of their rijreat Lelo\'ed man. Rain making, in the Cheerake mountain", is not I'o dangerous an office, as' in the ricii level lands (;f tlic Chikkaiith country, near the ^'Ii^i^ppi. The alvn'e CT.eerake piophet had a carbuncle, near as bin; as an tgp;, which they faiil he fi.und wliere a great rattle- fnake lay dead, and that it fparkled with fuch I'urprizing luflre, as to illund- natc his daik winter-houfe, like llrong Hadies of continued li[i!itnin;.r, to tlic great terror of tl.e v/eak, v,!;o duifl net \.\\t'v\ any account, approach ihe dreadful fire-darting place, for fear of fi:d !en death. When he died, ic was buried along with him accortling to cufloip, in tlic town-Iumic of Ty- mahfe, under the great beloved cabbin, which Hood in the wcflernmofb part of that old fabric, where they who will run the riHc of fearching, may luckily find it •, but, if any of that family deteftcd th,em in difturbing tlie bones of their deceafed relation, ti.ey would rcfent it as the bufdl pel of holliiity. The inhuman conduft of the avaricious Spaniards tow.'.vd the dead i'eru- vians and Mexicans, irritated the natives, to the higiieft pitcli of diftradion, againft thofe ravaging enemies of humanity. The intenfe love the Indians bear to their dead, is the reafon that fo few have fallen into the Iiands of our phyficians to diflcft, or anatomill*. We will hope alfo, that frt)m a prin- ciple of humanity, our ague-charmers, and water-cafters, who like birds of night keep where the Indians frequently haunt, would not cut up their fel- low-creatures, as was done by the Spanifli butchers in Peru and Mexico. Not long ago, at a friendly fcu'A, or feafl: of love, in Weft-Florida, dur- ing the time of a long-coptlnued drought, I earneftly importuned the o' ! rain-maker, for a fight of the pretended divine ftone, which he had affiired me he was poflefled of; but lie would by no means gratify my requeft. Ho told \^' i S8 On the dcfcent of the American Indians from the 'J civs. told me, as I was an infidel, literally, " one who (hakes hands with the accurfcd ipecch," and did not believe its being endued with a divine power, the fight of it could no ways benefit me -, and that, as their old unerring tradition afllired them, it would fufler very great damage in cafe of com- pliance, he hoped I would kindly acquiefce; efpecially, as he imagined, I believed every nation of people had certain beloved things, that might be cafily fpoiled by being polluted. I told him I was fully fatisfied with the friendly excufe he made to my inconfiderate requeft -, but that I could I'carcely imagine there were any fuch beloved men, and beloved things, in lb extremely fertile, but now fun-burnt foil. Their crops had failed the year before, by reafon of feveral concurring caufes: and, for the moft part of the fummer fealbn, he had kept his bed through fear of incurring the punifli- ment of a falfe prophet j which, joined with the religious regimen, and abftemious way of living ho was obliged ftriflly to puriue, it fweated him io feverely, as to reduce him to a fkcleton. I jelled him in a friendly way, faying, I imagined, the fupveme holy fire would have proved more kind to his honed devotees, than to ficken him fo feverely, efpecially at that critical feafon, when the people's food, and his own, entirely depended on his health ; that, though our beloved men never undertook to bring down feafonable rains, yet we very feldom failed of good crops, and always paid them the tenth bafl>:et-full of our yearly produce ; becaufe, ihey perfuaded our young people, by the force of their honeft example, and kind-hearted enchanting language, to fliun the crooked ways oi Hottuk Kdlnkfe, " the mad .light people," and honeftly to fliake hands with the old beloved fpecch — that the great, fupreme, fatherly Chieftain, had told his Loncbe to teach us how to obtain peace and plenty, and every other good thing while we live here, and when we die, not only to fliun the accurled dark place, where the fun is every day drowned, but likewife to live again for ever, \ery happily in the favourite country. Me replied, that my fpeech confided of a mixture of good and ill ; the beginning of it was crooked, and the conclufion ftraight. He faid, I had wrongfully blamed him, for the effed of the diforderly conduft of the red people and himfelf, as it was well known he faded at different times for iTcveral days together j at other times ate green tobacco-leaves ; and fome days drank only a warm decoftion of the button fnake-root, without allowing any A converfation iv'ub one of their pr'ujh. 89 any one, except his religious attendant, to come near him \ and, in every other refpcfl, had honellly oblerved the auderc rules of his religious place, according to the beloved fpeecli that IfljtohoQllo EUa Aha gave to the Loi'uhc of their forefathers : but Loak IJJjtohoollo was forcly vexed wich molt of their young people for violating the chaftity of their neighbours wives, and even among the thriving green corn and peafe, as their beds here and there clearly prov^.U tluis, they fpoiled the power of his holy things, ami tempted Mim^go IJJjto Eloa, " the great chieftain of the thunder," to bind up the clouds, and wichold the rain. Befides, that the old women were lefs honrft in paying their rain-makers, than the L'nglilh women behaved to their belcned men, unlefs 1 had fpoken too well of tliem. The wives of this and the other perfon, he faid, had clieated him, in not paying him any portion of the Lift year's bad crop, which their own bad lives [greatly contributed to, as that i -nurious crime of cheating him of his dues, fufficlcntly teflified; not to nil.; lion a late ciiflom, they liad contracted fincc the general peace, of plantnig a great many fields of beans and peafe, in diltant places, after the fummcr-crops were over, on the like dilhoneft principle •, likewife in afllrming, that when the firft harveft was over, it rained for nothing -, by that means tliey liacl blackened ihe old beloved fpeech, that Jfljlohoollo Eloa of old I'poke to Ins Loache, and conveyed down to liim, only that they might paint their own bad aiflions white. He concluded, by faying, that all the chieftains, and others prellnt, as well as myfelf, knew nov/ very well, from his honeft fpeech, the true caufe of the eartli's having been fo ftrangely burnt till lately j and that he was afraid, if the licarts of thole light and mad people he complained nl', tlid not Ipee.lily grow honed-, the dreadful day would foon come, in which JXak Tjljltbccllo would fend PLkI- tbik Keeradh Iptb, " tiic great blazing liar," TabLr.ie ceklhma., T.cak kachachc^ " to burn up half of tlie earth with fire," Vhcrinmi y'iubc, " from the north to the fouth," Hcijf\: oohca pera, " toward t!ie fetting of tlie fun," where they fhould in time arrive at the dreadful place of darknefs, be confined there hungry, and otherwife forely diftreft among hin":n;.f fnakes and many other frightful creatures, according to the ancient tri'c fpeech tliat Ijlto- hoollo Ala fpokc to his beloved houdc. Under this araiumeni, I will alfo mention mother '' rikino; refemblanre to the Jews, as to their TniiES. — As the fuerdutal oAk. vvas fixed in the tribe N of 1ir :i' ■At' -5. It go On the defcent of the American Indians from the Jeius, of Levi, they had forty-eight cities allotted them from the other tribes. And Mofes alTures us, in Dent. xiv. 2S, 29, that thofe tribes paid them alfo once in three years, the tithe, or tenth of all they poflefled, which is fuppofed to be about the thirtieth part of their annual poflcfTions -, by which means they were reafonably maintained, as fpiritual pallors, and enabled to fulfil the t'xtenfive and charitable application of their dues, as enjoined. It hath been already hinted, that the Indian prophets undertake by the emanation of the divine fpirit of fire, co-opetating with them, to bring down proper rains for crops, on the penalty of looling their own lives ; as the Indians reckon that a regular virtuous life will fufficiently enable their great beloved men to bring bkflings of plenty to the beloved people ; and if they negleft it, they are dangerous enemies, and a great curfe to the community. They imagine his prophetic power is alfo reftriftive as to winter-rains, they doing more hurt than good ; for they JLiftly obferve, that their ground fel- dom fuffers by the want of winter-rains. Their fentiments on this head, are very ftrong ; they fay, Ijhtohocllo Aha allows the winter-rain to fall un- fought, but that he commanded their forefathers to feek for the fummer- rain, according to the old law, otherwife he would not give it to them. If the feafons have been anfwerable, when the ripened harveft is gathered in, the old women pay their reputed prophet with religious good-will, a certain proportional quantity of each kind of the new fruits, meafured in the fame large portable back-bafkets, wherein they carried home the ripened fruits.. This ftated method they yearly obferve ; which is as confonant to the Levi- tical inftitution, as can be reafonably expefled, efpecially, as their traditions have been lime out of mind preferved only by oral echo. Modern writers inform us, that the Perfees pay a tithe of their revenues to the chief Deftour, or Arcliimagus of a city or province, who decides cafes of confcicnce, and points of law, according to the inftitution of Zoro- after — a mixture of Judaifm and paganifm. Their annual religious ofi'ering to the Archimagi, is a mifapplication of the Levitical law concerning tithesj^. contrary to the ufage of the American Aborigines, which it may be fuppofed they immediately derived from tlie Hebrews ; for, as the twelfth tribe was devoted to the divine fcrvice, they were by divine appointment, maintained at the public expencc. However, when we confider that their government was 7 o£ '■!( ^J heir pay mtnt of titba to their pncjh. 9 J of a mixed kind — firft a theocracy — then by nobles, and by kings — and a< other times by tiieir high-pricll, it feems to appear pretty plain, that tlie Deity raifed, preferved, and governed thofe people, to oppofe idolatry, and con- tinue, till the fulnels of time came, the true divine vvorfliip on earth, under ceremonial dark fliadows, without exhibiting their government in the leafl, as a plan of future imitation. Befides, as Mefliah is come, according to the predidions of the divine oracles, which reprefented him under various ftrong types and fliadows, furely chriftians ougiit to follow the copy of thcii humble Mailer and his holy difciples, and leave the fleecing of the flock to the avaricious Jews, whofe religious tenets, and rapacious principles, fup- port them in taking annual tithes from each other ; who afietSl to believe that all the Mofaic law is perpetually binding, and that the prcdided Shilo, who is to be their purifier, king, prophet, and high-priefl:, is not yet come. The laia of tithing, was calculated only for the religious ccconomy of the Hebrew nation •, for as the merciful Deity, who was the immediate head of that ftate, had appropriated the Levites to his ftrvice, and prohibited them purchafing land, left they fliould be feduced from their religious duties, by worldly cares. He, by a moft bountiful law, ordered the ftate to give them the tithe, and other offerings, for the fupport of themfelves and their numerous families, and alio of the widow, the fatherlcfs, and the llranger. :i^; > t i'li;- ^ -HI.; I fhall infert a dialogue, that formerly paficd between the Chik- kafah Loiiche and me, which will illuftrate both this, and other par- ticulars of the general fubjefl ; and alfo Ihew the religious advantages and arguments, by which the French ufed to undermine us with the Indians. We had been fpeaking of trade, which is the ufual topic of difcourfe with thofe craftfmen. I afked him how he could reafonably blame the Englifli traders for cheating Tekape kummc.h, " the red folks," even al- lowing his accufations to be juft ; as he, their divine man, had cheated them out cf a great part of their crops, and had the aflurance to claim it as his religious due, when at the fame time, ii • had fliaked hands with the ftraight old beloved fpeech, or ftriftly ob> d the ancient divine law, his feeling heart would not have allowed him to have done fuch black and crooked things, efpecially to tiie hclplefs, the poor, and the aged; N 2 it 1 '1 92 On tie di'fcent of the American Iiid'uins from the fcivs. it rather would have ftrongly moved him to ftretch out to them a kind and helping hand, according ro the old beloved fpeech of Ijhtohoollo Ma to his llotluk IJJjtohoollo, who were fufficiently fupported at the pviblic expence, and ftridly ordered to fiipply with the grcatefl: tendernefs, the wants cf others. lie fmartly retorted my objedions, telling me, that the white people's excufes for their own wrong condndt, were as fuli'e and weak as my com- plaints were againft him. The red people, he faid, faw very clearly through fuch thin black paint -, though, his facred employment was equally hid from them and me •, by which means, neither of us could reafonably pre- tend to be proper judges of his virtuous conduft, nor blame him for the ne- celTary effl-ft of our own crimes ; or urge it as a plea for cheating him out of his yearly dues, contrary to the old divine fpeech, for the crops became light by their own vicious condufl, which fpoiled the power of his holy things. So that it was vifible, both the red and white people were conjmonly too partial to themfelves ; and that by the bounty of the fupreme fatherly Chieftain, it was as much out of his power, as diftant from his kindly heart, either to wrong the beloved red people, or the white nothings;, and that it became none, except mad light people, to follow the crooked fteps of Hottuk Ookproofe, the accurfed people. As there was no interruption to our winter-night's chat, I afked him in a friendly manner, whether he was not afraid, thus boldly to fnatch at the di- vine power of diftributing rain at his pleafure, as it belonged only to the great beloved thundering Chieftain, who dwells far above the clouds, in the new year's unpolluted holy fire, and who gives it in common to all nations of people alike, and even to every living creature over the f ice of the whole earth, becaufe he made them — and his merciful goodnefs always prompts him to fupiply the wants of all his creatures. He told me, that by an ancient tradition, their Lcd(he were poflefled of an extraordinary divine power,, by which they foretold hiddea things, and by the beloved fpeech brought down fhowers of plenty to the beloved people •, that he very well knew, the giver of virtue to nature refided on earth in the un- polluted holy fire, and likewife above the clouds and the fun, in the fliape of a fine fiery fubftance, attended by a great many beloved peo- |)le ', and that he continually weighs us, and meafures out good or bad things 1.' « m 'f French tricks to feduce the Indians to their inter cji. 9? tilings to us, according to our a<5tions. He added, that ihoiigh the former beloved fpeech had a long time fubfided, it was vfiy rcalbnable they lliould ftill continue this th. t old beloved cuftom •, efpecinlly as it was both profitable in fupporting many of their helplcfs old belovi-d men, and very produdive of virtue, by awing their young people from violatinj^ the ancient laws. This fhewed him to be cunning in prieltcrafc, if not pofTcired of a tradition from the Hebrew records, that their prophets by tlie divine power, had, on material occafions, a(fted beyond the ftatcd hws of nature, and wrought miracles. My old proplietic friend told me with a good deal of furprize, that though the beloved red people had by fome means or other, loll the old beloved fpeech •, yet Frcnjhe Lakkane ookprco, " the ugly yellow French," (as they term the MifTilippians) had by fome wonderful merliod obtained it ; for his own people, he adurcd me, had fcen them at New Orleans to bring down rain in a very dry fcafon, when they were giving out feverai bloody fpeeches to their head warriors againft the F.nglini Chikknfih traders. On a mifchievous politic invitation of the French, feverai of the Chikkafuh had then paid them a vifit, in t!ic time of an alarming drought and a general faft, when they were praying for feafonable rains at mafs. When they came, the interpreter was ordered to tell them, that the French had holy places and holy things, after the manner of the red people — that if their young people proved honeft, they could bring down rain whenever they ftood in need of it — and that this was one of the chief reafons which induced all the various nations of the beloved red people to bear them fo intenfe a love ; and, on the contrary, fo violent and inexpreffible an hatred even to the very name of the Englifli, becaufe every one of them was marked with Amimhole Ookkproo, " the curfe of God." The method the Chikkafah prophet ufed in relating the affair, has fome humour in it — for their ignorance of the chriftian religion, and inftitutions.;;., perplexes them whea they are on the fubjeft j on which account I fliall literally tranfcribe it. He told me, that the Chikkafah warriors during three fucceffive day?, accompanied the French Lodche and IfitohooUo to the great beloved houfc, where a large bell hung a-top, which ftrange fight exceedingly furprized 7 them j. m 'i I I!' 'III 1 1 94 On the ilcfccnt of the American Indians from the Jcii'S. fci*^ t!iem •, for, inflcad of being fit for a horfc, it would require a great many ttiii horfcs to carry it. Around the infide of the beloved lioufe, tliere was a multitude of iie and flie beloved people, or male and female faints or angels, whofe living originals, they affirmed, dwelt above the clouds, and helped them to get every good thing from Ijhtohoollo Aba, when they earneflly crave their help. The French beloved men fpoke a great deal with much warmth j the reft were likewife bufily employed in imitation of their Ifjlo- hoollo and Louche. At one time they fpoke high, at another low. One chole this, and anotiier chofe that fong. Here the men kneeled before the images of their fhe- beloved people ; there the women did the like before their i'a- vourite and beloved he-pidtures, entreating them for fome particular favour which they flood in need of. Some of them, he laid, made very wild mo- tions over their heads and breafls ; and others flruck their flomachs with a vehemence like their warriors, when they drink much Ookka Honima, " bitter waters," or fpirituous liquor ; while every one of them had a bunch of mixed beads, to which they frequently fpoke, as well as counted over ; that they loved thefe beads, for our people ftridly obfcrved, they did not give them to tiieir Lociche and TJIjtohoollo^ as the red people would have done to thofe of their own country, though it was very plain they de- fcrved them, for beating themfelves fo much for the young people's roguiih aftions •, and likewife for labouring fo ftrongly in pulling off their clothes, and putting them on again, to make the beloved phyfic work, which they took in fmall pieces, to help to bring on the rain. On the third day (added he) they brought it down in great plenty, which was certainly a very difficult performance; and as furprizing too, that they who are always, when opportunity anf»vers, perfuading the red people to take up the bloody hatchet againfl their old fleady friends, fhould ftill have the beloved fpeech, which IjljtohooUo Aba Eloa formerly fpoke to his beloved Lcacbe. Thus ended our friendly dilcourfe. ARGUMENT VIII. Their Festivals, Fasts, and Religious Rites, have alfo a great re- femblance to thofe of the Heb-cws. It will be neceflary here to take a fhort view of the principal Jewifli feafts, &c. They kept every year, a facred read called the PalTover, in memory of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. Their fejihals, religious rites, &c. 9S bondage. Seven days were appointed, Lev. xxiii. — To thefe they added an eighth, through a religious principle, as preparatory, to clear their lioufcs of all leaven, and to fix their minds before they entered on that religious duty. The name cf this fedival is derived from a word which fignifics to " pafs over •," becaufe, when the deftroying angel flew through the Egyptian houfes, and killed their firft-born, he palled over thofe of the Ifraelites, the tops of whofe doors were ftained with the blood of the lamb, which they were ordered to kill. This folemnity was inftituted with the ftrongell injunftions, to let their children know the caufe of that ob- fervancc, and to mark that night through all their generations. Three days before this facred feftival, they chofe a lamb, without fpoc or blemidi, and killed it on the evening of the fourteenth day ofvlbib, which was the firft moon of the ecclefKiftical, and the feventh of the civil year ; and they ate it with bitter lierbs, without breaking any of the bones of it, thus prefiguring the death of MeiTiah. Tliis was tlie realbn that this was the chief of the days of unleavened bread, and tliey were llriftly forbidden all manner of work on that day ; bcfides, no uncir- cumcifed, or unclean perfons ate of the pafchal lamb. Thofe of the peo- ple, whom diieafes or long journies prevented from obferving tlie palTover on ihat day, were obliged to keep it in the next moon. On tlie fixteenth day, which was the fecond of the pafTover, they offered up to God a ilieaf of the new barley-harveft, becaufe it was the carlieft grain. The prieft carried it into the temple, and having cleaned and parclied it, he grinded or pounded it into flower, dipt it in oil, and then waved it before the Lord, throwing fome into the fire. The Jews were for- bidden to eat any of their new harveft-, till they had offered up a flieaf, the grain of which filled an omer, a fmall meafure of about five pints. All was impure and unholy till this oblation was made, but afterwards it be- came hallowed, and every one was at liberty to reap and get in liis harveft. On the tenth day of the moon Ethanim, the fiifc day of the civil year^ they celebrated the great faft, or feaft of expiation, afilidled thtir fouls, and ate nothing the whole day. The high-prieft offered fevcral I'acrificcs, and having carried the blood of the victims into the temple, lie iprinkled it upon the altar of incenfc, and the veil that was before the holicQ i anti went into ! i ;1^ iT ' *•' ! I k iii'. 96 On the drfccnt of the American Indians from the Jeivs. into that mofl: facrcd place, where the divine Shekinah refidcd, carrying a ccnil'r fmoking in his hand with incenfe, which hindered him from having a clear fight of the ark. But he was not allowed to enter that holy place, only once a year, on this great day of expiation, to offer the general facri- fice both for the fins of the people and of himfclf. Nor did he ever mention the divine four-lettered name, YO He WaH, except on this great day, when he bkfled the people. ilfi I m Kaf Becaufe the Ifraelites lived in tabernacles, or booths, while they were in the wildcrnels ; as a memorial therefore of the divine bounty to them, tliey were commanded to keep the feaft of tabernacles, on the fifteenth day of the montli Tifri, which they called Rojh Ho/afia/j, or llofiianab, \t laded eight days j during which time, they lived in arbours, (covered with green boughs of trees) iinlefs when they went to worfliip at the temple, or liing HoJIjaniyo around the altar. When they were on this religious duty, they were obliged each to carry in their hands a bundle of the branches of willows, palm-trees, myrtles, and others of different forts, laden with fruit, and tied together with ribbons ; and thus rejoice together with the appointed fingers, and vocal and inftrumental mufic, in the divine prefence before the altar. On the eighth day of the feaft, one of the prieits brought fome water in a golden veffel, from the pool of Siloam, mixed it with wine, and poured it on the morning-facrifice, and the firft fruits of their latter crops which were then prcfented, as an emblem of the divine graces that ihould flow to them, when Shilo came, who was to be their anointed king, propher, and high-priell — The people in the mean time finging out of Ilaiah " with joy fliall ye draw water out of the wells of falvation." Let us now turn to t!ic copper colour American Hebrews. — While their fanftified new fruits are dreffing, a religious attendant is ordered to call fix of their old beloved women to come tu the temple, and dance the be- loved d.'.ncc with joyful hearts, accorc.ing to the old beloved fpeech. Tliey cheerfully obey, and enter the iuppofed holy ground in folemn proceffion, each carrying in her hand a bundle of fmall branches of various green trees; and they j' in the ianie number of old magi, or priefts, who carry a cane in one liupid ;-.dorned with white fe:uhers, having likcwife green boughs in their other hand, whi-rh they pullec' from their holy arbour, and carefully place there, encircling it with fever;, 1 rounds. Thofe beloved men have their heads di-effed ■^. ^ 7heir religious Jejiivali, fafis, &c. 97 drofled with while plumes •, but the women are decked in their flnefl:, and anointed with bear's-greafe, having fmall tortoife-lhells, and white peb- bles, faftened to a piece of white-dreft deer-(kin, which is tied to each of their legs. The eldefl: of the priefts leads the facred dance, a-head of the innermoft row, which of courfe is next to the holy fire. He begins the dance round the fuppofed holy fire, by invoking Yah, after their ufual manner, on a bafs key, and with a fliort accent-, then he fings YO YO, which is repeated by the reft of the religious procelTion j and he continues his facred invocations and praifes, repeating the divine word, or notes, till they return to the fame point of the circular courfe, where they began : then He He in like manner, and Wah Wah. While dancing they never fail to repeat thofe notes j and frequently the holy train ftrike up Halelu, Halelu ; then Ilaleluiah, Haklu- Tah, and Aleluiah and Alelu-Yah, " Irradiation to the divine cflence," with great carneftnefs and fervor, till they encircle the altar, while each ftrikes the ground with right and left feet alternately, very quick, but well- timed. Then the awful drums join the facred choir, which incite the old female fingers to chant forth their pious notes, and grateful praifes be- fore the divine effence, and to redouble their former quick joyful fteps, in imitation of the leader of the facred dance, and the religious men a-head of them. What with the manly ftrong notes of the one, and the (hrill voices of the other, in concert with the bead-lhells, and the two founding, drum- like earthen vefTels, with the voices of the muficians who beat them, the reputed holy ground echoes with the praifes of Y. > 1 e Wah. Their finging and dancing in three circles around their facred fire, appears to have a reference to a like religious cuftom of the Hebrews. Ai.d may we not rea- fonably fuppofe, that they formerly underftood the pfalms, or divine hymns ? at leaft thofe that begin with Halelu-Tah ; otherwife, liow came all the inha- bitants of the cxtcnfive regions of North and South- America, to have, and retain thofe very expreflive Hebrew words ? or how repeat them fo diftindly, and apply them after the manner of the Hebrews, in their religious accla- mations ? The like cannot be found in any other countries. In like manner, they fing on other religious occafions, and at their feafts of love, Ale-To Jlt-To; which is ^N, the divine name, by his attribute of omnipotence ; and % alluding to niH''. They fing likewife Ilewah Hewahy which is mn " the immortal foul j" drawn from the divine efiTential name, O as 1 n n t ' 98 0/i the dcfcciit of the American Indians from the fcws. as deriving its nitional foculties from YofinwAH. Thofe words that they fing in their religious dances, they never repeat at any other time •, which feems to have greatly occafioned the lofs of the meaning of their divine hymns -, for I believe they are now fo corrupt, as not to underrtand cither the fpiritual or literal meaning of what they fing, any further than by allufion. i ' ' ' Tn tlicir circuiting dances, they frequently fing on a bafs key, /llue Altu\ Ahh'e^ Aliihe, and Altiwiih Aluwah, which is the Hebrew m'^M. They like- wife fing Shiln-To Shilh-Td, ShilU-He SbiluHe, Shilu-lVah Shilh-lVah, and Shilu-Hiih Shilh-Wh. They tranfpofe them alfo feveral ways, but with the very fame notes. The three terminations make up in their order the four- lettered divine name. Hah is a note of gladnefs — the word preceding it, i^l'iih, feems to exprefs the prcdiifted human and divine m'?"^, Shiloh, who v/as to be the purifier, and peace-maker. They continue their grateful divine hymns for the fpace of fifteen minutes, when the dance breaks up. As they degenerate, they lengthen their dances, and Ihorten the time of their fafts and purifications j infomuch, that they have fo exceedingly corrupted their primitive rites and cuftoms, within the fpace of the lall thirty years, that, at the fame rate of declen- fion, there will not be long a poflibility of tracing their origin, but by their dialeds, and war-cufloms. At the end of this notable religious dance, the old beloved, or holy wot- men return home to haften the feaft of the new-faniftified fruits. In the mean while, every one at the temple drinks very plentifully of the CuflTeena and other bitter liquids, to cleanfe their finful bodies j after which, they go to fome convenient deep water, and there, according to the ceremonial law of the Hebrews, they wafli away their fins with water. Thus fanftified, they return with joyful hearts in folemn procefiion, finging their notes of praife, till they enter into the holy ground to eat of the new delicious fruits of wild Canaan *. The women now with the utmoft cheerfulnefsj bring to * They ate fo ftriflly prohibited from eating fair, or fleni-meat, till the fourth day, that during the inte.val, the very touch of cither is accounted a great pollution : after that period, they are deemed lawful to be eaten. All the hunters, and able-bodied men, kill and barbecue wild game in the woods, at leall ten days before this great fellival, and religioufly keep it for that facrcd ufc. the ^hcir religious fe/} hah ^ fojis, (§c. 99 the outfulc of the facred fquare, a plentiful variety of all tliofc good tilings, with which the divine fire has blcfled them in the new year •, and the reli- gious attendants lay it before them, according to tiieir ftaicd order and reputed merit. Every feat is fervcd in a gradual fuccefTion, from tlie white and red imperial long broad feats, and the whole fquare is foon covered ; frequently they have a change of courfes of fifty or fixty different forts, and thus they continue to regale themfelves, till the end of the fcdival ; for they reckon they are now to feaft themfelves with joy and gladnefs, as the divine file is appeafed for paft crimes, and has propitioufly fanftified their weighty harvcft. They all behave fo modeftly, and are pofTened of fuch an extra- ordinary conilancy and equanimity, in the purfuit of their religious myfte- ries, that they do not fliew the lealt outward emotion of plcafurc, at the fiifi: fight of the fanflified new fruits ; nor the leall uncafinefs to be tailing thofc tempting delicious fat things of Canaan. If one of them adted in a contrary manner, they would fay to him, Che-Hakfet Kaneha, " You refemble fuch as were beat in Canaan." This unconcern, doubtlefs proceeded originally from a virtuous principle ; but now, it may be the mere effect of habit : for, jealoufy and revenge excepted, they feem to be diverted of every menial paffion, and entirely incapable of ahy lafting afftdlon. I 'i I Ihall give an inftance of this. — If the hufband has been a year abfent on a vifit to another nation, and fliould by chance overtake his wife near home, with one of his children (kipping along fide of her •, inftead of thofe fudden and ftrong emotions of joy that naturally arife in two generous brealts at fuch an unexpefted meeting, the felf-interefted pair go along as utter ftrangers, without fceming to take the leaft notice of one another, till a con- fiderable time after they get home. The Indians formerly obferved the grand feftival of the annual expiation of fin, at the beginning of the firft new moon, in which their corn became full- eared i but for many years paft they are regulated by the feafon of their har- veft. And on that head, they fliew more religious patience than the Hebrews formerly did ; who, inftead of waiting till their grain was ripe, forced their barley, which ripened before any other fort they planted. And they arc perhaps as fkilful in obferving the revolutions of the moon, as ever the Ifraelites were, at leaft till the end of the firft temple ; for during that period, inftead of meafuring time by aftronomical calculations, they O 2 knew .A, 1 00 On the dcjcent of the American Indians from the Jews. ,m knew it only by the phafcs of the moon. In like manner, the fuppofed red Hebrews of the American defarts, annually obferved their feftivals, and Neetak Tah-ah, '• lays of afflifting themfelves before the Deity," at a pre- fixed time of a certain moon. To this day, a war-leader, who, by the number of his martial exploits is entitled to a drum, always fanftifics him- fclf, and his out-ftanding company, at the end of the old moon, fo as to go off at the appearance of the new one by day-light i whereas, he who has not fulBciently diftingiiiflied himfelf, muft fct out in the night. As the firft of the Neetak HooIIo, precedes a long ftrift fad of two nights and a day, they gormandize fuch a prodigious quantity of Ih-ong food, as to enable them to keep inviolate the fucceeding faft, the fab- bath of fabbaths, the Neetak Tab-ab : the feaft lafts only from morning till fun-fet. Being great lovers of the ripened fruits, and only tantalized as yet, with a near view of them; and having lived at this feafon, but meanly on the wild produtls of nature — fuch a faft as this may be truly faid to afflict their fouls, and to prove a fufficient trial of their religious principles. During the ftftival, lome of their peopV arc clofcly cm- ployed in puttin;^ their temple in proper order for the annual expiation ; and others are painting the white cabbin, and the fuppofed holieft, with white clay •, for it is a facred, peaceable place, and white is its emblem. Some, at the fame time are likewife painting the war-cabbin with red clay, or their emblematical red root, as occafion requires j while otiiers of an in- ferior order, arc covering all tlie feats of the beloved fquare with new mat- tielTcs, made out of tlie fine fplinters of long canes, tied together with iLigs. In the mean time, feveral of them are bufy in fweeping the temple, clearing it of every fuppofed polluting thing, and carrying out the allies from t!ie hearth which perhaps had not been cleaned fix times fince the laft vcar's general offering. Several towns join together to make the annual hicrifice ; and, if the whole nation lies in a narrow compafs, they make but one annual offering : by which means, either through a fenfual or religious principle, they ftrike off the work with joyful hearts. Every thing being thus prepared, the Jrcbi-magus orders fome of his religious attendants tcv dig up the old hearth, or altar, and to fweep out the remains that by chance might either be left, or drop down. Then he puts a few roots of the but- ton-fnake-roor, with fome green leaves of an uncommon fmall fort of tobacco,, r.nd a little of the new fruits, at the bottom of the fire-place, which he I orders, II! *thcir religious /ejlivah, fa/Is, ^c. 102 orders to L covered up witli white marley clay, and wtticd over with clean water •. Immediately, the magi oiler them to make a thick arbour over the altar, with grcci branches (jf the various young trees, which the warrior.-, had dc- fignedly cholcn, and laid down on the oiitfidc of the fiippol'ed holy grounil : the women, in the interim are buly at home in cleanin<^ out their houfcij, renewing the old hearths, and clcanfing all their culinary vefllls, that they may be fit to receive the pretended holy fire, and the lanftificd new fruits, according to the purity of the lawi led by a contrary conduit, they fliould incur damage in life, health, future crops, &c. It is frcfh in the memory of the old traders, that formerly none of thefe numerous nations of Indians would eat, or even handle any part of the new harveft, till fume of it h;ut been offered up at the yearly fcftival by the /Ircbi-nwj^us, or thofe of his appointment, at their plantations, though the liglit harvelt of the paft year had forced them to give their women ami cliildren of the ripening fruits, to fullain life. Notwithftanding they arc vifibly degenerating, both in th:?, an-i every other reliaious obfervanee, except what concerns war ; yet their laagi and old warriors live contentedly on fuch harfli food as nature affords them iti the woods, rather tliati tranfgrels that divine precept given to their forefathers. 'Hi -'1 , • -1 '*' M Having every thing in order for the facred folcmnity, the religious waiters carry ofi^thc remains of the feaft, and lay them on the outfide of the fquare ; others of an inferior order carefully fweep out the fmalleft crumbs, for fear of polluting tlie firft-fruit ofi-'ering ; and before fun-fet, the temple mull be clearetl, even of every kind of vefiel or utenfil, that had contained, or been vifed about any food in that expiring year. The women carry all off, but none of that lex, except half a dozen of old beloved women, are allowed in that interval to tread on the holy ground, till the fourth day. Now, one of the waiters proclaims with a loud voice, for all the warriors and beloved men, whom the purity of the law admits, to come and enier the beloved I'quare, and obferve the fait \ he likewife exhorts all • Under ilio palladijm of Troy, were places i igs of the like nature, as a prefervative I'rom evii ; but che above practice leems to be prctry much tempered with the Mofaic infti- tution ; for God commanded them to make an altar of earth, to facrifice thereon. jfW. x;i. 24. t the -il J 02 On the defccnt of the American Indians from the Jews. the women and children, and thofc who have not initiated themfclves in war, to keep apart from them, according to law. Should any of them prove difobedient, the young ones would be dry-fcratched, and the others ftript of every thing they had on them. They oblerve the fame ftridl law of purity, •in their method of fanctifying themfelves for war, in order to obtain the ■divine protecftion, afTiftance, and fuccefs. But a few weeks fince, when a large company of thefe warlike favages were on the point of fctting off to commence war againfl: the Mufkohge, fome of the wags decoyed a heedlefs trader into their holy ground, and they ftript him, fo as to oblige him to redeem his clothes with vermilion. And, on account of the like trefpafs, they detained two Indian children two nights and a day, till their obftinate parents paid the like ranfom. Their great beloved man, or Archi-magus, now places four centinels, one at each corner of the holy fquare, to keep out every living creature as im- pure, except the religious order, and the warriors who are not known to have violated the law of the firft-fruit-offering, and that of mar- riage, fince the laft year's expiation. Thofe centinels are regularly relieved, and firm to their facred truft -, if they difcerned a dog or cat on the out- limits of the holy fquare, before the firft-fruit-offering was made, they would kill it with their arrows on the fpot. They obferve the faft till the rifing of the fecond fun ; and be they ever fo hungry in that facred interval, the healthy warriors deem the duty fo awful, and the violation fo inexpreflibly vicious, that no temptation would induce them to violate it i for, like the Hebrews, they fancy temporal evils are the neceffary effeft of their immoral condufV, and they would for ever ridicule and reproach the criminal for every bad occurrence that befel him in the new year, as the finful author of his evils -, and would fooner fhoot themfelves, than fuffer fuch long-continued ftiarp difgrace. The reli- gious attendants boil a kifficient quantity of button-fnake-rooc, highly im- bittcred, and give it round pretty warm, in order to vomit and purge their finful bodies. Thus they continue to mortify and purify themfelves, till the end of the faft. When we confider their earneft invocations of the divine efl'ence, in this folemnity — their great knowledge of fpecific virtues in fimples — that they never apply the aforefaid root, only on religious occa- fions — that they frequently drink it to fuch excefs as to impair their health, ^ an^ l^heir religious feJiivaUt fujis, &c. lo: and fometimes fo as to poifon themfelves by its acrid quality — a:ui uke iiuo th« account, its well-known medicinal property of curing the bite of the r. ; ft dangerous fort of the ferpentine generation -, muft not one think, thnt the Aboriginal Americans chofe it, as a ftrong emblem of the certain cure of the bite of the old ferpent in Eden. That the women and children, and thofe worthlefs fellows wiio have not hazarded their lives in defence of their holy places and holy things, and for the beloved people, may not be entirely godlefs, one of tlie old be- loved men lays down a large quantity of the fmall-leafcd green tobacco, on the outfide of a corner of the facred fquare •, and an old beloved woman, carries it off", and diftributes it to the finners without, in large pieces, which they chew heartily, and fwallow, in order to afflift their foul,'-. She com- mends thofe who perform the dury with cheerfulncfs, and chides thofe who feem to do it unwillingly, by their wry fices on account of the bitternefs of the fuppofed faniflifying herb. She diftributes it in fuch quantities, as (he thinks are equal to their capacity of finning, giving to the reputed, worthlefs old He-hen-pickers, the proportion only of a child, becaufe flic thinks fuch fpiritlefs pidlures of men cannot fin with married women ; as all the females love only the virtuous manly warrior, who has often fuccefsfully accompanied the beloved ark. fn the time of this general faft, the v/omen, children, and men of weak conftitutions, are allowed to eat, as foon as they are certain the fun I as begun to decline from his meridian altitude •, but not before that pe- rod. Their indulgence to the fick and weak, feems to be derived from di- vine precept, which forbad the offering of facnfice at the coft of mercy ; ;ind the fnake-root joined with their fanftifying bitter green tobacco, feeni to be as ftrong exprefTive emblems as they could have poflibly chofcn, ac- cording to their fituation in life, to reprefent the facred inftitution of eating the pafchal lamb, with bitter herbs ; and to fliew, that though the old ferpent bit us in Eden, yet there is a branch from the root of Jeffe, to be hoped for by thofe who deny themfelves their prefcnt fweet tafte, which will bs a fufficient purifier, and effect the cure. I i'i *!# i iJ^ The whole time of this faft may with truth be called a faft, and to the Atchi-tnagus^ to all the inagiy and pretended prophets, in particular -, for, by ancient • i ■Jf [H V^\ 104 On the dcfcent of the American Indians from the Jews. ancient ciiftom, the former is obliged to eat of the fanflifying fmall-leafed tobacco, and drinl: tlie fnake-root, in a fepurate hut for the fpace of three days and nights without any other fubfiftence, before the folemnity begins; befides his full portion along with the reft of the religious order, and the old war-chieftains, till the end of the general faft, which he pretends to obferve with the flridleft religion. After the firft-fruits are fandlified, he lives moft abftemioully till the end of the annual expiation, only fucking water-melons now and then to quench thirft, and fupport life, fpit- ting out the more fubftantial part. ■t;; II \ I' ' By the Levitical law, the priefts were obliged to obferve a ftrider fandity of life than the laity-, all the time they were performing the facerdotal offices, both women and wine were ftriftly forbidden to them. Thus the Indian religious are retentive of their facred mylleries to death, and the Archi-magtis is vifibly thin and meagre at the end of the folemnity. That rigid felf- denial, feems to have been defigned to initiate the Levite, and give the reft an example of leading an innocent fimple life, that thereby they might be able to fubdue their unruly pafTions •, and that by mortifying and purifying himfelf fo exceffively, the facrifice by paffing through his pure hands, may be accepted, and the holy Spirit of fire atoned, according to the divine law. The fuperannuated religious are alfo emulous in the higheft degree, of ex- celling one another in their long fafting ; for they firmly believe, that fuch an annual felf-denying method is fo highly virtuous, when joined to an obe- dience of the reft of their laws, as to be the infallible means of averting evil, and producing good things, through the new year. They declare that a fteady virtue, through the divine co-operating favour, will infallibly infure them a lafting round of happinefs. At the end of this folemn f?,ft, the women by the voice of a crier, bring to the outfide of the holy fquare, a plentiful variety of the old year's food newly dreft, which they lay down, and immediately return home 1 for every one of them know their feveral duties, with regard both to rime and place. The centinels report the affair, and foon afterward the waiters by order go, and reaching their hands over the holy ground, they bring in the provifions, and fct them down before the famidied multitude. Though moft of the people may have feen them, they reckon it vicious and mean to fliew a gladnefs for the end of their religious duties •, and Ihameful to 'ill ^beir religious fefihals, fajist G?