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young trees, which would spring with force sufficient to raise the largest animal. An English mare, having once strayed away, was caught, and like Mahomet's fabled coffin, raised between the heaven and earth, in one of these snares; the Indians arriving, and seeing her struggling on the tree, cried, "Good morning, what cheer, what cheer, Mr. Englishman's squaw horse. He having no better epithet than woman horse; but being afraid of her " iron feet," he ran and told the English where they could find their squaw horse hanging on a

tree.

"

They perfectly understood when and where to seek for fish of every kind in their particular season. Seals were favourites, the oil being in high esteem. Their bows, and arrows, and cords, were nicely made; their canoes were of birch bark, in which they would venture into a rough sea, or of logs burned hollow, and smoothed with clam shells, the outside being hewed with stone axes.

They were great gamesters, often losing every particle of property they possessed, yet being as cheerful and goodnatured as those who won all. They often played town against town, and sometimes they played kingdom against kingdom; the people of one nation meeting those of another, to run, play ball, &c. On these occasions they always painted themselves, so as not to be known, that if any injury was done, mischief should not follow from revenge.

Their children, very young, were taught to swim and to manage the bow. Their dress was formed entirely from the skins of beasts. They were grave in their deportment, and not loquacious; but emphatical in their expressions, and impressive in their manner. The Frenchmen, say they, has a good tongue, but a false heart; the Englishman, all one speak, all one heart. An Indian once hearing an English woman scold at her husband, her rapid expression exceeding his apprehension, he fled from the house, but stopping at the next neighbour's, he described the dismal scene, by telling them she cried, Nannananannanannanananan, saying, the husband was a great fool to hear her somuch, and chastise her so little. Domestic jars were unknown among them. They smiled and were cheerful, but never laughed loud, and never quarreled with one another. Their apparent insensibility under pains and wounds is well known; yet had they awful apprehensions of death. That they should be surprised and amazed, at the arts and implements of civilized men, is not incredible.

The first ship they saw, they supposed to be a moving island, the masts to be trees, the sails white clouds, the explosion of their artillery, thunder and lightning. Attempting to go on board to pick strawberries, they were saluted with a broad side. They cried out, "So big walk, so big speak, and by and by kill, At the first windmill they saw, they were alarmed and afraid to approach. They considered the first ploughman as a wizard, and told him, he was almost a devil. They readily believed the history of the Old Testament, of the creation, fall, and deluge, but when they were told of a Saviour, they cried out Pocatnie, i. e. Is it possible?

They were a healthy, stout race of men, living sometimes an hundred years; but when sick, and all hope of recovery was past, then their bursting sobs and sighs, their ringing hands, their flowing tears, and dismal cries and shrieks, were enough to excite simpathy and tears from marble eyes. After the corpse was brought to the grave, they wept and mourned, and so again when it was laid in the grave, and after it was buried they often shed tears for a long time afterward, sometimes for a year, morning and night, they poured forth many groans, aud raised many Irish-like howlings." In time of mourning, their faces were painted black. They believed in a paradise far south-west, at the portal of which lay a great dog, prevent ing the entrance of wicked souls. They buried the arms, and much of the treasure of the deceased with him; one to affright the dog, the other to purchase peculiar privileges. The wick ed they conceived pass to the dark abodes of Abbamacko, where they were tortured according to the opinions of ancient pagans.

Their dress, when they wore any, was of the skins of beasts; often wearing nothing but a short apron before. The Powahs are their physicians, who roar and howl over them with many magical ceremonies. A hot-house and cold-bath were one of their principal remedies; the method was, to sit in the hot house an hour, which was a cave terrible heated, and then plunge into some brook or pond. When they had burned the wood near them, they removed to another place; and when the English first came to this country, the Indians supposed it was for wood. Their division of time was by sleeps, moons, and winters. By being abroad so much, they had some knowledge of the stars, and what is surprising, they called Charles' Wain Paukunnawaw, or the Bear, the name given it by Europeans.

Their women, as is common among savages, performed al

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most all the drudgery of the family. They built the houses, covering them with mats, so that they were warmer than those of the English; not a drop of rain, nor a breath of wind penetrated them. Some of these were fifty or sixty feet long. These were to be removed from place to place at the command of the husbands. Every year they had their fishing place, their hunting place, and their planting place, where the house remained the longest.

The women planted, and hoed, and harvested all the corn, brought home all the fish and game, dressed and cured, and cooked it: but like Arab wives, ate not till their husbands had done. They were modest in their dress, and chaste in their conduct.

On this account, and several others, as anointing their heads, giving dowries for their wives, observing a feast of harvest, offering sacrifices, and grievous mournings for their dead, they have been supposed descendants of Abram. There are, doubtless, several striking points of resemblance between the Israelites and Indians; but a further acquaintance with the history of man shews that customs very similar are common in every corner of the globe, among those nations who are in the savage state of society.

Many of the savage customs are laudable and humane. When any are sick, their friends resort to them, and often remain till death or recovery; when they recover, on account of the expence they have been at, their friends send them provisions. and other comforts. The aged are treated with great respect. Their names are all significant, and are changed according to character and circumstances. If the year proved dry, they had great and solemn meetings from all parts to supplicate their gods, and beg for rain. These devotions they continued sometimes ten days, a fortnight, and three weeks, or till rain came. When a field was to be cleared, or any great work accomplished, all the neighbours, men, women, and children, freely lent their assistance; fifty or an hundred were sometimes seen labouring together. The ties of brotherhood were so strong, that sometimes when a person had committed murder and fled, his brother was executed in his stead. It was common for a man to pay the debts of his deceased brother, Their virgins were distinguished by a modest falling down of their hair over their eyes. Their affection was very strong for their children, who by indulgence were saucy and undutiful, A father would sometimes, through grief and rage for the loss

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Society for propagating the Gospel.

of a child, stab himself. Sometimes they would, by break of day, call up their wives and surviving children and families, to make lamentation, with abundance of tears, crying out, " O God, thou hast taken away my child; thou art angry with me; turn thine anger from me, and spare the rest of my children." If they received any good in hunting, fishing, or agriculture, they acknowledged it came from God. If they met with a fall or any other accident, they would say, God was angry with them. When they observed any distinguished excellence, they would say, it was a god. At the architecture, the husbandry, and other arts of the English, they often exclaimed, "You are god, or they are gods," implying that all excellencies are in God. After the season of harvest and hunting, they had anniversary religious festivals. Ought not some pretended Christians to blush at these things?

Their strongest profession of honesty and integrity was, my heart is good; implying that all goodness was in the heart.

CHAP. XVIII.

The Society for propagating the Gospel---The faithful Labours of the New England Ministers to instruct the Natives in the Religion of Jesus Christ.

ans.

IN 1650, a society in England, instituted for propagating the gospel, began a correspondence with the Commissioners of the United Colonies, who were employed as agents for the society. In consequence, exertions were made to christianize the IndiThe Rev. Mr. Eliot, minister of Roxbury, had distinguished himself in this pious work. He had established towns, in which he collected Indian families; taught them husbandry, the mechanic arts, and a prudent management of their affairs, and instructed them with unwearied attention in the principles of the Christian religion. His zeal and success have justly obtained for him the title of the Apostle of New England.

He began his labours about the year 1646, being in the forty-second year of his age. The first pagans, who enjoyed his labours, resided at Nonantum, now the east part of Newton. Waban, a principal chief the e, became a convert, and was distinguished for his piety. Being encouraged by the success of his first attempt, he soon after opened a lecture at Neponsit, within the present bounds of Dorchester. These two lectures

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The Bible Translated into the Indian Language. he continued several years without any reward or encouragement, but the satisfaction of doing good to the souls of men. Beside preaching to them, he formed two catechisms, one for the children, the other for adults. They readily learned these, seriously attended his public lectures, and very generally prayed in their families, morning and evening.

After a number of years, certain individuals in England, affected by his pious and disinterested labours, raised some generous contributions for his encouragement; he gratefully received these, declaring that he had never expected any thing. By such timely aid he was enabled to educate his five sons at college. All these were distinguished for their piety, and all excepting one, who died while a member of college, were preachers of the gospel. His eldest son preached several years to the Indians at Pakemit, now Stoughton, and at Natick, and other places. Other ministers, in different parts of New England, by the example of Mr. Eliot, zealously engaged in the missionary work. Mr. Bourne and Cotton, in Plymouth colony, studied the Indian language, and preached at Martha's Vineyard, and other places. At Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, Mr. Mayhew and son entered on the work; and in Connecticut, Mr. Pierson and Fitch, preached Jesus and the resurrection to the heathen in their vicinity.

That the natives might have the word of life in their own language, which alone was able to make them wise unto salvation, Mr. Eliot began the arduous work of translating the Bi ble for their use. The New Testament was published in 1651, and the whole Bible soon after. The expense was borne by the society for propagating the gospel in New England. Beside this, he translated and composed several other books, as a primer, a grammar, singing psalms, the Practice of Piety, Baxter's Call, and several other things. He took care that schools should he opened in the Indian settlements, where their children were taught to read; some were put into schools of the English, and studied Latin and Greek. A building was erected for their reception, and several of them sent to Cambridge College. The legislature instituted judicial courts among the natives, answering to the county courts of the colony. In these courts, one English judge was united with those chosen by the natives. They had rulers and magistrates elected by themselves, who managed their smaller matters.

The first church of christianized pagans was gathered at Natick; they had two instructors of their own body, when the English preachers could not attend. In 1670, they had between