however, a sacred power to extend mercy to a cer-. tain degree. A third is saved by lot. The Great Spirit allows us to put it to that decision. He is no respecter of persons."

The lots were cast; and the governor's son was burnt. In this instance they seem to have been guided more by error in judgment than a bad intention.

The following anecdote will afford a fine example of their eloquence, and throw. light on the spirit that stimulates them to avenge their kindred..

In the spring of 1774 a robbery and murder were committed on the frontiers of Virginia, by two Indians of the Shawanee tribe. The neighbouring whites, according to their custom, undertook to punish this outrage by their own authority. Colonel Cresap, a man infamous for the many murders he had committed on those much-injured people, collected a party, and proceeded down the Kanhaway, in quest of vengeance. Unfortunately, a canoe of women and children, with one man only, was seen coming from the opposite shore, unarmed, and unsuspecting a hostile attack from the whites. Cresap and his followers concealed themselves on the bank of the river; and the moment the canoe reached the shore, singled out their objects, and at one fire killed every person in it. This canoe happened to contain the family of Logan, who had long been a distinguished friend of the whites. This unworthy return provoked

his vengeance. He accordingly signalized himself in the war which ensued.

A decisive battle was fought in the autumn between the collected forces of the Indians and the Virginians. The Indians were defeated, and sued for peace. Logan, however, disdained to be seen amongst the suppliants. But lest the sincerity of a treaty should be distrusted, from which such an eminent chief absented himself, he caused the following pathetic speech to be delivered to Lord Dunmore, then governor of the province.

"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 clothed him not. During the course of the last 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 passed, and said, Logan is the friend of white men. I had even thought to have lived with you, but for the injuries of one man. Colonel Cresap, the last spring, in cold blood, and unprovoked, murdered all the relations of Logan, not sparing 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 sought 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

He will not turn on his heel to save his life. Who is there to mourn for Logan? Not one."

They are as warm in friendship as they are keen in vengeance, as I will show by the relation of another fact.

Colonel Byrd was sent to the Cherokee nation, to transact some business with them. It happened that some of the borderers had just killed one or two of that nation. It was therefore proposed in the counsel of the Cherokees that Colonel Byrd should be put to death, in revenge for the loss of their countryman. Among them was a chief called Silouée, who, on some former occasion, had contracted an acquaintance and friendship with Colonel Byrd. He came to him every night in his tent, and told him not to be afraid, they should not kill him. After many days' deliberation, however, the determination was, contrary to Silouée's expectation, that Byrd should be put to death; and some warriors were dispatched as executioners. Silouée attended them, and when they entered the tent, he threw himself between them and Byrd, and said to the warriors, " This man is my friend; before you set at him, you must kill me." On which they returned; and the council respected the principle so much as to recede from their determination.

Their government is a kind of confederacy, united under the conduct of one chief. Every town or family has a peculiar chief, who is distinguished

by a particular title, and whom the whites commonly call Sachem. The several towns or families that compose a tribe, have a chief who presides over it; and the several tribes composing a nation have a chief, who is the supreme ruler of the whole. These chiefs are generally men advanced in years, and distinguished by their wisdom in council. The chiefs of the towns settle the private affairs of their neighbours. The appointment of warriors, and settling differences between townships and families, are regulated at a council of the chiefs from the several towns; and making war, concluding peace, or forming alliances with the neighbouring nations, are the subjects of deliberation in the national council, attended by the principal warriors and chiefs from the towns, who are counsellors to the chief of the nation.

In every town there is a council-house. Every tribe has a fixed place for the transaction of the public business belonging to it; and in every nation there is the council-house, where consultations are held on the affairs of the state.

Their religious ideas are confused with strange superstitions and absurd fables. They believe in the superintending providence of a Supreme Being, whom they adore under the title of the Great Spirit, or Lord of the Universe. Him they invoke for protection at home, and assistance in war; and honour him by feasts, in order to procure

favourable

favourable seasons for hunting. These feasts are annually held in winter, on returning from the chace; when choice carcases are presented, and sometimes a white dog is sacrificed. They repeat these ceremonies in spring, before the seed is put into the ground; and after harvest, when they have gathered the produce. They believe also in the existence of inferior deities; especially two, of whom they relate a strange allegory, representing the good and evil principles. According to their tradition, the good being, to whom they give a very hard Indian name*, had a twin brothert, of an opposite disposition, under which they represent evil. Their grandmother, say they, was cast down from heaven when she was with child of their mother, and falling on the back of a great turtle, began to form the earth. When the two brothers grew up, the evil one ever endeavoured to frustrate the good intentions of his beneficent brother. At last they fought, and the earth shook at the combat. They passed over the continent of America; and according to their different agitations and tones of voice, the nations who afterwards were produced spoke different languages. Such is their history of the creation; and though very absurd, not more so than some of the fables of the natives of Indoostan. When compared with all other systems, how does the Mosaic account of the same

Tcharonghyawagon.

+ Tawiskaron.

G 2

great