miles, bearing the inclemency of the seasons, the fatigues of the expedition, the extremes of hunger and thirst with patience and cheerfulness, in hopes of surprising his enemy, on whom he is prepared to exercise the most shocking barbarities, even to the eating of his flesh and drinking his blood. Notwithstanding their ferocity, no people have their angry passions more under their command. From their infancy they are formed with care to endure scoffs, taunts, blows, and every sort of insult patiently, or at least with a composed countenance. They esteemed nothing so unworthy a man of sense and dignity, as a peevish temper, and proneness to a sudden gush of anger. As to their religion, they manifested very little idea of a God, though they recognise the Great Spirit in the clouds and the winds, * and seemed to acknowledge him as eternal and omnipotent, the author of the seasons and of all good; yet they render to him no kind of worship. There were indeed nations in America who paid some religious homage to the sun and moon; and others who worshipped the Devil, with the hope of appeasing his anger, and of courting his friendship and protection. They appeared to have some obscure conceptions of a future state or spiritual life, and they were accustomed to bury in the graves with the dead their war implements and household utensils and ornaments, with the belief that they will be used by the disembodied spirits. They were full in the superstitious belief of demons and fairies, and great observers of omens and dreams, and relied much on diviners, augurs, and magicians, in all their affairs, whether of health, war, or hunting. Their priests or powows, were their physicians, who practised, for the relief of the sick, magical ceremonies and incantations. They acted in the character of witches, calling on the Devil to assist them in the cure of diseases. In his incantations, the powow, sometimes with an assumed fierceness of countenance, and at others with antic gestures and horrible grimaces, labored to extreme sweating and weariness, promising to sacrifice many skins of beasts, kettles, hatchets, beads, knives, and other the best things they possessed, to the fiend, if he would come to help the diseased perA powow could not work his witchcraft in the presence of an English person, nor could his incantations have any effect on the English. They adopted one expedient for the cure of diseases, which may be deemed hazardous. The patient was shut up in a close cabin, and heated by steam until a copious perspiration was produced, when he was suddenly plunged into

son.

*Lo the poor Indian, whose untutor'd mind ·

Sees God in clouds, or hears him in the wind.'-Pope.

a river. This is similar to the practice among the Russians, who, after being heated to the highest degree, roll themselves on the snow, and with impunity.

The American Aborigines were divided into numerous independent tribes, and their forms of government were various. In some tribes, their government was an absolute despotism, in the hands of the Sachem or Sagamores, and was hereditary. When a king or Sachem died, the powow married the squaw, that is, his queen, and became king in the right of his wife.

There were also among the Indians another grade of influential men, called Paniese, who were selected for their great courage and wisdom; and to these also, the Devil, as they supposed, appeared more familiarly than to others, and would preserve them from death, by wounds with arrows, knives, hatchets, &c. The Paniese were held in high esteem, and were always of the Sachem's council, without whom they would not engage in war, or undertake any weighty business. Unwearied endeavors were used by the first settlers to civilize and christianize the native Indians. Under the management of the pious and benevolent Mr. Eliot, the bible was translated into the Indian language. Indian churches and societies were formed, and preachers and deacons were chosen among them; and at one period so considerable was the number of those called christians or praying Indians, as to afford encouragement, that, by the blessing of Divine Providence, a more general conversion would take place. But there were not a few of their influential Sachems who were pertinaciously opposed to the introduction of christianity in their tribes. Some, who had adopted the christian profession, apostatized from the faith, and, like the dog to his vomit, returned to heathenism.

An honest Indian deacon of Natick, being asked the reason why, when their young men were educated in English families and became acquainted with their habits and manners, on returning to their tribe they immediately became idle, indolent drunkards? the deacon replied, Tucks will be tucks for all old hen be hatch em.'

In the town of Yarmouth, there was an Indian deacon, named Joseph Naughaut. He was very pious and exemplary, was often called to pray with the sick, and at funerals; when at an advanced age, he was, in his last sickness, visited by the late Rev. Mr. Alden, who asked him if he was reconciled to death? '0, yes,' said he, 'I have always had a pretty good notion about death. Naughaut was once, while in the woods, attacked by a large number of black snakes. Not having a stick, a knife, or any article for defence, he knew not what to do. Knowing

that he could not outrun them, he`resolved to stand still on his feet. The snakes began to entwine themselves about him, and one reached his mouth, as if trying to enter; the deacon opened his mouth, and the snake put in its head, when the deacon instantly clapped his jaws together, and bit off the serpent's head. The streaming blood from the beheaded frightened the rest of the snakes, and they all ran off-Alden's Epitaphs.

If the native Indians were remarkable for their gravity on some occasions, they were no less so for a propensity to cunning and shrewdness on others.

By permission of the author, I cite a few examples from Drake's valuable Indian Biography.

The

As Governor Joseph Dudley, of Massachusetts, observed an able-bodied Indian half naked come and look on as a pastime to see his men work, asked him why he did not work, and get some clothes to cover himself. The Indian answered by asking him why he did not work. The Governor, pointing with his finger to his head, said, 'I work head work, and so have no need to work with my hands, as you should.' The Governor told him he wanted a calf killed, and that, if he would go and do it, he would give him a shilling. He accepted the offer, and went immediately and killed the calf, and then went sauntering about as before. The Governor, on observing what he had done, asked him why he did not dress the calf before he left it. Indian answered, 'No, no, Coponoh, (Governor,) that was not in the bargain. I was to have a shilling for killing him. Am he no dead, Coponoh?' (Governor.) The Governor, seeing himself outwitted, told him to dress it, and he would give him another shilling. Being now in possession of two shillings, the Indian goes directly to a grog-shop for rum. After a short stay, he returned to the Governor, and told him he had given him a bad shilling piece, and presented a brass one to be exchanged. The Governor, thinking possibly it might have been the case, gave him another. It was not long before he returned a second time with another brass shilling to be exchanged; the Governor was now convinced of his knavery, but, not caring to make words at the time, gave him another; and the fellow got four shillings for one. The Governor determined to have the rogue corrected for his abuse, and meeting with him soon after, told him he must take a letter to Boston for him, and gave him a crown for his service. The letter was directed to the keeper of the Bridewell, ordering him to give the bearer so many lashes; but mistrusting that all was not exactly agreeable, and meeting the Governor's servant on the road, ordered him, in the name of his master, to carry the letter immediately, as he was in haste

and

to return. The consequence was, the servant was tied up received the number of lashes. The Governor felt no little chagrin, at being thus twice outwitted by the Indian. Falling in with him, sometime after, the Governor asked him by what means he had cheated and deceived him so many times? He answered, pointing with his finger to his head, ‘Head-work, Coponoh, head-work!' The Governor was now so well pleased that he forgave the whole offence.

Two Indian chiefs being in England attracted great attention. Being asked their opinion of religion, or of what religion they were, one made answer, that they had no priest in their country, or established religion, for they thought, that, upon a subject where there was no possibility of peoples' agreeing in opinion, and as it was altogether a matter of mere opinion, it was best that every one should paddle his canoe his own way.' A missionary, residing among a certain tribe of Indians, was one day, after he had been preaching to them, invited by their chief to visit his wigwam. After having been kindly entertained, and being about to depart, the chief took him by the hand and said, 'I have 'very bad squaw. She had two little children. One she loved well, the other she hated. In a cold night, when I was gone hunting, she shut it out of the wigwam, and it froze to death. What punishment must she have? The missionary replied, she must be hanged.' 'Ah!' said the chief, 'go then, and hang your God, whom you make just like her.'

6

NOTE. This sketch of the character and manners of the Indians is taken partly from writers who have described them as they now exist on the continent, and partly from the early historians among the colonists.

The prominent and essential features of the Indian character, where it is still allowed to display itself, are the same now that they were two centuries ago. Certain peculiarities, undoubtedly, may now, as then, be observed in particular tribes, from the effect of situation or other local circumstances, and some exceptions to the account in the text of their religious ceremonies, and of the appellations of their rulers and priests, may probably be found; but the description will, in general, equally apply to the natives as they were seen by our forefathers, to those seen by the author while in the American Army, and to those still remaining in the land.

Among the principal nations of Indians in New England at the first settlement of the country by our ancestors were the Wampanoags, otherwise called Pokanokets. They occupied the whole colony of Plymouth, a part of Massachusetts, the Islands of Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard, Cape Cod, and

a part of Rhode Island, Mount Hope in Bristol being the seat of their chieftains. The Chief or Prince of this tribe was Massasoit, otherwise written Ma-sas-so-it, Massasoyt, or Massasoyet. It was customary among the native chiefs to assume different names when any great exploit was about to be performed, or on other occasions as caprice or fancy might dictate; accordingly we find that Massasoit assumed the following; Woosamequin, Osamekin, Owsamequin, or Ousamequin.

Massasoit was the most renowned, and the most meritorious chief of his time, and a firm friend to the English settlers during his life. He was not famed so much for war exploits, as for his mild, humane and peaceable disposition, for his love of his people, and moderation of government. Dignified in his conduct and manners, and wise in his policy, his dominion and influence were extended over many neighboring tribes, who acknowledged him as their tutelar father and protector, depending on his authority to sanction all their expeditions and adjust all their difficulties. Massasoit, was the earliest and most generous friend of the Plymouth Pilgrims. His grant of an extensive territory made to the first settlers, when entire strangers, was a noble act of friendship, and his fidelity to the famous treaty of 1621, during the continuance of his life, and then transferring the same obligation to his sons, form an instance of moral and political virtue little to be expected from an uncivilized chieftain. When the Pilgrims landed on the shore they took possession of a portion of Massasoit's country called Patuxet, now Plymouth. It may be supposed that this intrusion of strangers excited share of anxiety as well as of curiosity in the mind of the chief, and it required a degree of wisdom and prudence to determine the course to be pursued. In March, 1621, the King sent a petty chief named Samoset, who had been a captive in England, to make observations on the new comers. He entered abruptly among the English and addressed them in their own language. About five days afterwards, Massasoit presented himself accompanied with 60 men with bows and arrows, but approached with great caution, stopping on Strawberry hill within view of the settlers. Governor Carver sent Mr. Edward Winslow to hold conversation with him, carrying presents for the king and his brother Quadequina, who was with him. Massasoit was well pleased with this interview, and Mr. Winslow agreed to remain as a hostage in the hands of Quadequina while the king was conducted to an interview with Governor Carver, who received him with drum and fife, and with much favor and respect, and treated him with the best refreshments in his power. The two personages kissed