who live by hunting, and not by agriculture, must always be free, and therefore subject to no other authority, than such as consists with the liberty necessarily arising from their circumstances. All their affairs, whether respecting peace or war, are under the direction of their sachems, or chief men. Great exploits and public virtue procure the esteem of a people, and qualify a man to advise in council, and execute the plans concerted for the advantage of his country: thus, whoever appears to the Indians in this advantageous light, commences a sachem without any other ceremony. As there is no other way of arriving at this dignity, so it ceases, unless an uniform zeal and activity for the common good, is uninterruptedly continued. Some have thought it hereditary, but that is a mistake. The son, is indeed, respected for his father's services, but without personal merit, he can never share in the government; which, were it otherwise, must sink into perfect disgrace. The children of such as are distinguished for their patriotisin, moved by the consideration of their birth, and the perpetual incitements to virtue constantly inculcated into them, imitate their father's exploits, and thus attain to the same honors and influence; which accounts for the opinion that the title and power of sachem are hereditary. Each of these republics has its own particular chiefs, who hear and determine all complaints in council, and though they have no officers for the execution of justice, yet their decrees are always obeyed, from the general reproach that would follow a contempt of their advice. The condition of this people exempts them from factions, the common disease of popular governments. It is impossible to gain a party amongst them by indirect means; for no man has either honor, riches, or power to bestow. All affairs which concern the general interest are determined in a great assembly of the chiefs of each canton, usually held at Onondaga, the centre of their country. Upon emergencies they act separately, but nothing can bind the league but the voice of the general convention. The French, upon the maxim, divide et impera, have tried all possible means to divide these republics, and sometimes have even sown great jealousies among them. In consequence of this plan, they have seduced many families to withdraw to Canada, and there settled them in regular towns, under the command of a fort, and the tuition of missionaries. The manners of these savages are as simple as their government. Their houses are a few crotched stakes thrust into the ground, and overlaid with bark. A fire is kindled in the middle, and an aperture left at the top for the conveyance of the smoke. Whenever a considerable number of those huts are collected, they have a castle, as it is called, consisting of a square without bastions, surrounded with palisadoes. They have no other fortification; and this is only designed as an asylum for their old men, their wives, and children, while the rest are gone out to war. They live almost entirely without care. While the women, or squaws, cultivate a little spot of ground for corn, the men employ themselves in hunting. As to clothes, they use a blanket girt at the waist, and thrown loosely over their shoulders; some of their women, indeed, have besides this, a sort of a petticoat, and a few of their men wear shirts; but the greater part of them are generally half naked. In winter their legs are covered with stockings of blanket, and their feet with socks of deer skin. Many of them are fond of ornaments, and their taste is very singular. I have seen rings affixed, not only to their ears, but to their noses. Bracelets of silver and brass round their wrists, are very common. The women plait their hair, and tie it up behind in a bag, perhaps in imitation of the French beaux in Canada. Though the Indians are capable of sustaining great hardships, yet they cannot endure much labor, being rather fleet than strong. Their men are taller than the Europeans, rarely corpulent, always beardless,* straight limbed, of a tawny complexion, and black uncurled hair. In their food they have no manner of delicacy, for though venison is their ordinary diet, yet sometimes they eat dogs, bears, and even snakes. Their cookery is of two kinds, boiled or roasted; to perform the latter, the meat is penetrated by a short sharp stick set in the ground, inclining towards the fire, and turned as occasion requires. They are hospitable to strangers, though few Europeans would relish their highest favors of this kind, for they are very nasty both in their garments and food. Every man has his own wife, whom he takes and leaves at pleasure: a plurality, however, at the same time, is by no means admitted among them. They are so perfectly free, that unless their children, who generally assist the mother, may be called servants, they have none. The men frequently associate themselves for conversation, by which means they not only preserve the remembrance of their wars, and treaties, but diffuse among their youth incitements to military glory, as well as instruction in all the subtilties of war. Since they became acquainted with the Europeans, their warlike apparatus is a musket, hatchet,t and a long knife. Their boys still accustom themselves to bows and arrows, and are so dexterous in the use of them, that a lad of sixteen, will strike an English shilling five times in ten at twelve or fourteen yards dis * Because they pluck out the hairs. The French writers, who say they have naturally no beards, are mistaken; and the reasons they assign for it are ridiculous. Hence, to take up the hatchet, is, with them, a phrase signifying to declare war ; as, on the contrary, to bury it, denotes the establishinent of peace. tance. Their men are excellent marksmen, both with the gun and hatchet; their dexterity at the latter is very extraordinary, for they rarely miss the object, though at a considerable distance. The hatchet in the flight perpetually turns round, and yet always strikes the mark with the edge. Before they go out, they have a feast upon dog's flesh, and a great war-dance. At these, the warriors, who are frightfully painted with vermilion, rise up and sing their own exploits, or those of their ancestors, and thereby kindle a military enthusiasm in the whole company. The day after the dance, they march out a few miles in a row, observing a profound silence. The procession being ended, they strip the bark from a large oak, and paint the design of their expedition on the naked trunk. The figure of a canoe, with the number of men in it, determines the strength of their party; and by a deer, a fox, or some other emblem painted at the head of it, we discover against what nation they are gone out. The Five Nations being devoted to war, every art is contrived to diffuse a military spirit through the whole body of their people. The ceremonies attending the return of a party, seem calculated in particular for that purpose. The day before they enter the village, two heralds advance, and at a small distance set up a yell, which by its modulation intimates either good or bad news. If the former, the village is alarmed, and an entertainment provided for the conquerors, who in the mean time approach in sight: one of them bears the scalps stretched over a bow, and elevated upon a long pole. The boldest man in the town comes out, and receives it, and instantly flies to the hut where the rest are collected. If he is overtaken, he is beaten unmercifully; but if he outruns the pursuer, he participates in the honor of the victors, who at their first entrance receive no compliments, nor speak a single word till the end of the feast. Their parents, wives, and children are then admitted, and treat them with the profoundest respect. After these salutations, one of the conquerors is appointed to relate the whole adventure, to which the rest attentively listen, without asking a question, and the whole concludes with a savage dance. The Indians never fight in the field, or upon equal terms, but always sculk, and attack by surprise in small parties, meeting every night at a place of rendezvous. Scarcely any enemy can escape them, for by the disposition of the grass and leaves, they follow his track with great speed any where but over a rock. Their barbarity is shocking to human nature. Women and children they generally kill and scalp, because they would retard their progress; but the men they carry into captivity. If any woman has lost a relation, and inclines to receive the prisoner in his stead, he not only escapes a series of the most inhuman tortures, and death itself, but enjoys every immunity they can bestow, and is esteemed a member of the family into which he is adopted. To part with him would be the most ignominious conduct, and considered as selling the blood of the deceased; and for this reason, it is not without the greatest difficulty that a captive is redeemed. When the Indians incline to peace, a messenger is sent to the enemy with a pipe, the bowl of which is made of soft, red marble; and a long reed, beautifully painted, and adorned with the gay plumage of birds, forms the stem. This is his infallible protection from any assault on the way. The envoy makes his proposals to the enemy, who, if they approve them, ratify the preliminaries to the peace, by smoking through the pipe, and from that instant a general cessation of arms takes place. The French call it a calumet. It is used, as far as I can learn, by all the Indian nations upon the continent. The rights of it are esteemed sacred, and have been only invaded by the Flat Heads; in just indignation for which, the confederates maintained a war with them for near thirty years. As to the language of the Five Nations, the best account I have had of it, is contained in a letter from the Reverend Mr. Spencer, who resided amongst them in the year 1748, being then a missionary from the Scotch society for propagating Christian knowledge. He writes thus: 'SIR, 'Though I was very desirous of learning the Indian tongue, yet through my short residence at Onoughquage, and the surly disposition of my interpreter, I confess my proficiency was not great. Except the Tuscaroras, all the Six Nations speak a language radically the same. It is very masculine and sonorous, abounding with gutturals and strong aspirations, but without labials. Its solemn grave tone is owing to the generosity of its feet, as you will observe in the following translation of the Lord's prayer, in which I have distinguished the time of every syllable by the common marks used in prosody. Soūngwâūnēhă, cauroŭnkyāwgă, tēhsēētărōan, saūhsõnĕyōüstă, ēsă, săwǎnēyou, õkĕttäühsělă, ēhněāūwoũng, nā cauroŭnkyawgă, nūghwōnshaugă, nēǎttĕwěhnĕsălāūgă, taūgwăunăutōrōnoăntoūgsick, toantaūgwělēēwheyõustaŭng, cheneeyeŭt, chaquătaūtēhwhĕyoustäūnuă, toūghsau, tāugwaussǎrēnēh, tāwăutõttĕnăugăloūghtōunggă, nāsāwně, sachĕaŭtāūgwāss, coăntēhsälöhäunzāickaw, esă, săwăunnēyoŭ, ēsă, săshāutztă, esă, soũngwāsoũng, chennĕaŭhāūngwā, āuwen. The extraordinary length of Indian words, and the guttural aspirations necessary in pronouncing them, render the speech extremely rough and difficult. The verbs never change in their terminations, as in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, but all their variations are prefixed. Besides the singular and plural, they have also the dual number. A strange transposition of syllables of different words, euphoniæ gratia, is very common in the Indian tongue, of which I will give an instance.-ögillä significs fire, and cawaunnā, great; but instead of joining the adjective and substantive to say great fire, căwūūnnā ōgilla, both words would be blended into this one, co-gilla-waunna. The dialect of the Oneydas, is softer than that of the other nations; and the reason is, because they have more vowels, and often supply the place of harsh letters with liquids. Instead of R, they always use L: Rebecca would be pronounced Lequcca. The art of public speaking is in high esteem among the Indians, and much studied. They are extremely fond of method, and displeased with an irregular harangue, because it is difficult to be remembered. When they answer, they repeat the whole, reducing it into strict order. Their speeches are short, and the sense conveyed in strong metaphors. In conversation they are sprightly, but solemn and serious in their messages relating to public affairs. Their speakers deliver themselves with surprising force and great propriety of gesture. The fierceness of their countenances, the flowing blanket, elevated tone, naked arm, and erect stature, with a half circle of auditors seated on the ground, and in the open air, cannot but impress upon the mind, a lively idea of the ancient orators of Greece and Rome. At the close of every important part of the speech ratifying an old covenant, or creating a new one, a belt is generally given, to perpetuate the remembrance of the transaction. These belts are about four inches wide, and thirty in length. They consist of strings of conch shell beads fastened together.* With respect to religion, the Indians may be said to be under the thickest gloom of ignorance. If they have any, which is much to be questioned, those who affirm it, will find it difficult to tell us wherein it consists. They have neither priest nor temple, sacrifice nor altar. Some traces, indeed, appear of the original law written upon their hearts; but they have no system of doctrines, nor any rites and modes of public worship. They are sunk, unspeakably, beneath the polite pagans of antiquity. Some confused notions, indeed, of beings superior to themselves, they have, but of the Deity, and his natural and moral perfections, no proper or tole Those beads, which pass for money, are called by the Indians, wampum, and by the Dutch sewant: six beads were formerly valued at a stiver. There are always several poor families at Albany, who support themselves by coining this cash for the traders. |