people, collected a party, and proceeded down the Kanhaway in queft of vengeance. Unfortunately a cance of women and children, with one man only, was feen coming from the oppofite fhore, unarmed, and unfufpecting any hoftile attack from the whites. Crefap and his party concealed themselves on the bank of the river; and the moment the canoe reached the shore, fingled out their objects, and at one fire killed every perfon in it. This happened to be the family of Logan, who had long been diftinguifhed as a friend of the whites. This unworthy re turn provoked his vengeance. He accordingly fignalized himself in the war which enfued. In the autumn of the fame year a decifive battle was fought at the mouth of the Great Kanhaway, between the collected forces of the Shawanees, Mingoes, and Delawares, and a detachment of the Virginia militia. The Indians were defeated, and fued for peace. Logan, however, difdained to be feen among the fuppliants; but, left the fincerity of a treaty fhould be diftrufted from which fo diftinguished a chief abfented himself, he fent by a messenger the following fpeech, to be delivered to Lord Dunmore :-"I appeal to any white man to say if ever he entered Logan's cabin hungry, and he gave him not meat; if ever he came cold and naked, and he cloathed him not. During the courfe of the laft long and bloody war, Logan remained idle in his cabin, an advocate for peace. Such was my love for the whites, that my countrymen pointed as they paffed, and faid Logan is the friend of white men. I had even thought to have lived with but for the injuries of one man. Colonel Crefap, the laft fpring, in cold blood, and unprovoked, murdered all the relations of Logan, not fparing even my women and children. There runs not a drop of my blood in the veins of any living creature. This called on me for revenge. I have fought it; I have killed many; I have fully glutted my vengeance. For my country, I rejoice at the beams of peace; but do not harbour a thought that mine is the joy of fear. Logan never felt fear. He will not turn on his heel to fave his life. Who is there to mourn for Logan?-Not one."

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To the preceding anecdotes in favour of the American character, may be added the following by Dr. Benjamin Franklin. The Indian men, when young, are hunters and warriors: when old, counsellors; for all their government is by the counfel or advice of the fages. Hence they generally study oratory; the beft fpeaker having the most influence. The Indian women till the ground, drefs the food, nurfe and bring up the children, and preferve and hand down to pofterity the memory of public transactions. Thefe employments of men and women are ac counted natural and honourable. Having few artificial wants, they

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have abundance of leifure for improvement by conversation. laborious manner of life, compared with theirs, they esteem flavish and bafe; and the learning on which we value ourselves, they regard as frivolous and ufelefs.

Having frequent occafions to hold public councils, they have acquired great order and decency in conducting them. The old men fit in the foremost ranks, the warriors in the next, and the women and children in the hindmoft. The bufinefs of the women is to take exact notice of what paffes; imprint it in their memories, for they have no writing, and communicate it to their children. They are the records of the council, and they preferve tradition of the ftipulations in treaties a hundred years back; which, when we compare with our writings, we always find exact. He that would fpeak rifes. The reft obferve a profound filence. When he has finished, and fits down, they leave him five or fix minutes to recollect, that if he has omitted any thing he intended to fay, or has any thing to add, he may rise again and deliver it. To interrupt another, even in common converfation, is reckoned highly indecent.

The politenefs of thefe favages in converfation is, indeed, carried to excefs; fince it does not permit them to contradict or deny the truth of what is afferted in their prefence. By this means they indeed avoid difputes; but then it becomes difficult to know their minds, or what impreffion you make upon them. The miffionaries who have attempted to convert them to Chriftianity, all complain of this as one of the greatest difficulties of their miffion. The Indians hear with patience the truths of the gofpel explained to them, and give their ufual tokens of affent and approbation; but this by no means implies conviction; it is mere civility. When any of them come into our towns, our people are apt to crowd round them, gaze upon them, and incommode them where they defire to be private; this they efteem great rudeness, and the effect of the want of instruction in the rules of civility and good manners. "We have", fay they, "as much curiofity as you; and when you come into our towns, we wish for opportunities of looking at you; but for this, purpose we hide ourselves behind bushes where you are to pass, and never intrude ourselves into your company."

There manner of entering one another's villages has likewife its rules. It is reckoned uncivil in travelling strangers to enter a village abruptly, without giving notice of their approach. Therefore, as foon as they arrive within hearing, they ftop and hollow, remaining there till invited to enter. Two old men ufually come out to them and lead them in. There

There is in every village a vacant dwelling, called the ftrangers boufe. Here they are placed, while the old men go round from hut to hut, acquainting the inhabitants that strangers are arrived, who are probably hungry and weary; and every one fends them what he can spare of victuals, and skins to repofe on. When the ftrangers are refreshed, pipes and tobacco are brought; and then, but not before, converfation begins, with enquiries who they are, whither bound, what news, &c. and it usually ends with offers of fervice; if the ftrangers have occafion for guides, or any neceffaries for continuing their journey; and nothing is exacted for the entertainment.

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The fame hofpitality, efteemed among them as a principal virtue, is practifed by private perfons; of which Conrad Weifer, the interpreter, gave Dr. Franklin the following inftance: He had been naturalized among the Six Nations, and spoke well the Mohock language. In going through the Indian country to carry a meffage from our governor to the council at Onondaga, he called at the habitation of Canaletego, an old acquaintance, who embraced him, fpread furs for him to fit on, placed before him fome boiled beans and venifon, and mixed fome rum and water for his drink. When he was well refreshed, and had lit his pipe, Canaffetego began to converfe with him: afked how he had fared many years fince they had feen each other, whence he then came, what had occafioned the journey, &c. Conrad anfwered all his questions; and when the difcourfe began to flag, the Indian, to continue it, faid, "Conrad, you have lived long among the white people, and know "fomething of their customs; I have been fometimes at Albany, and "have obferved, that once in feven days they fhut up their shops, "and assemble all in the great houfe; tell me what it is for ?—What do "they do there?""They meet there," fays Conrad, "to hear and "learn good things." "I do not doubt (fays the Indian) that they tell " you fo; they have told me the fame: but I doubt the truth of what "they say, and I will tell you my reafons. I went lately to Albany to "fell my skins, and buy blankets, knives, powder, rum, &c. You "know I generally used to deal with Hans Hanfon; but I was a little "inclined this time to try fome other merchants. However I called "firft upon Hans, and asked him what he would give for beaver. He "faid he could not give more than 4s. a pound; but (fays he) I cannot "talk on business now; this is the day when we meet together to learn "good things, and I am going to the meeting. So I thought to myself, "fince I cannot do any business to-day, I may as well go to the meeting "too; and I went with him.-There ftood up a man in black, and

"began

"began to talk to the people very angrily. I did not understand what "he faid; but perceiving that he looked much at me and at Hanfon, "I imagined he was angry at feeing me there: fo I went out, fat down "near the house, ftruck fire, and lit my pipe, waiting till the meeting "fhould break up. I thought too, that the man had mentioned fome

thing of beaver, and I suspected that it might be the subject of their "meeting. So when they came out, I accofted my merchant.- Well "Hans (fays I) I hope you have agreed to give more than 4s. a-pound ?" "No (fays he), I cannot give so much, I cannot give more than 3s. 6d.” "I then spoke to feveral other dealers, but they all fung the fame fong, "three and fixpence, three and fixpence. This made it clear to me that ་་ my fufpicion was right; and that whatever they pretended of meeting to learn good things, the real purpose was, to confult how to cheat In"dians in the price of beaver. Confider but a little, Conrad, and you "must be of my opinion. If they met fo often to learn good things, "they certainly would have learned fome before this time. But they ftill ignorant. You know our practice. If a white man, in travelling through our country, enters one of our cabins, we all treat "him as I treat you; we dry him if he is wet, we warm him if he is

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cold, and give him meat and drink, that he may allay his thirst and "hunger; and we spread foft furs for him to reft and fleep on: we de"mand nothing in return. But if I go into a white man's houfe at "Albany, and afk for victuals and drink, they say, Where is your mo

ney? And if I have none, they fay, Get out, you Indian dog. You "fee they have not yet learned those little good things that we need no "meeting to be inftructed in; because our mothers taught them to us "when we were children; and therefore it is impoffible their meetings. "fhould be, as they fay, for any fuch purpose, or have any fuch "effect; they are only to contrive the cheating of Indians in the price of "beaver."

The next queftion that occurs is, Whether the peculiarities of the Americans, or the difparity between them and the inhabitants of Europe, afford fufficient grounds for determining them, as fome have done, to be a race of men radically different from all others?

In this question, to avoid being tedious, we fhall confine ourselves to what has been advanced by Lord Kames; who is of opinion, that there are many different fpecies of men, as well as of other animals; and gives an hypothefis, whereby he pretends his opinion may be maintained in a confiftency with Revelation. "If (fays he) the only rule afforded by nature to claffing animals can be depended on, there are No. III. different

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different races of men as well as of dogs: a maftiff differs not more from a spaniel, than a white man from a negro, or a Laplander from a Dane. And, if we have any faith in Providence, it ought to be fo. Plants were created of different kinds, to fit them for different climates; and fo were brute animals. Certain it is, that all men are not fitted equally for every climate. There is fcarce a climate but what is natural to fome men, where they profper and flourish; and there is not a climate but where fome men degenerate. Doth not then analogy lead us to conclude, that, as there are different climates on the face of this globe, fo there are different races of men fitted for thefe different climates?

"M. Buffon, from the rule, That animals which can procreate toge ther, and whofe progeny can also procreate, are of one fpecies; concludes, that all men are of one race or fpecies; and endeavours to fupport that favourite opinion, by afcribing to the climate, to food, or other accidental caufes, all the varieties that are found among men. But is he seriously of opinion, that any operation of climate, or of other accidental caufe, can account for the copper colour and fmooth chin univerfal among the Americans; the prominence of the pudenda univerfal among the Hottentot women; or the black nipple no lefs univerfal among the female Samoiedes?—It is in vain to afcribe to the climate the low ftature of the Efquimaux, the fmallnefs of their feet, or the overgrown fize of their heads. It is equally in vain to afcribe to climate the low ftature of the Laplanders, or their ugly vifage. The black colour of negroes, their lips, flat nofe, crifped woolly hair, and rank fmell, distinguish them from every other race of men. The Abyffinians, on the contrary, are tall and well made, their complexion a brown olive, features well proportioned, eyes large and of a fparking black, thin lips, a nofe rather high than flat. There is no fuch difference of climate be tween Abyffinia and Negro-land as to produce thefe ftriking

differences.

"Nor fhall our author's ingenious hypothefis concerning the extremities of heat and cold, purchase him impunity with respect to the fallow complexion of the Samoiedes, Laplanders, and Greenlanders. The Finlanders, and northern Norwegians, live in a climate not lefs cold than that of the people mentioned; and yet are fair beyond other Europeans. I fay more, there are many inftances of races of people preferving their original colour, in climates very different from their own; but not a fingle inftance of the contrary, as far as I can learn. There have been four complete generations of negroes in Pennsylvania, without any visible change of colour; they continue jet black, as originally.

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