"Doun-Creech was built with a "strong kind of morter, by one "Paul Mac-tyre. This I do take "to be a kind of ore: whosoever, "this is most certain, that there "hath not been feen ane harder "kind of morter.-This Paul was a man of great power and poffef"fion about 1270. His fon being "killed in Murray, the caftle was never finished." This curious paffage gives us an account of the name of the builder, and the time of building the cattle; we have alfo in it a very fenfible conjecture as to the materials which compofed its cement. The former conjectures appeared but little probable. They fuppofed the whole edifice to be first raised of loofe ftones, and piles of combustible -matter kindled round them, till the ftones were vitrified by the heat. How? on an infpection of the remains of thofe forts, particularly that of the Doun of Creech, many of the ftones appeared to have fuffered little or no alteration from fire, and only to be cemented by fome matter liquified by fire, and poured like liquid lime among the loofe ftones? It feems also a much eafier operation to smelt iron ore in furnaces, and pour it in that state among the ftones, than to erect fuch piles as Lieut. Williams defcribes. For though the piles might, from the plenty of wood in the country at that time, be erected, yet when once kindled, they would fall to the ground, and never ferve the purpofe of vitrifying the more elevated parts of the building. A Defeription of RUDER; the Supreme Being worshipped by the Bramins: From a facred Book, called the Atherbun Bede. THE HE angels having affembled themselves in heaven before Ruder, made obeifance, and afked him, O Ruder! what art thou? Ruder replied, "Were there any other, I would defcribe myself by fimilitude. I always was, I always am, and always fhall be. There is no other, fo that I can fay to you, I am like Him. In this Me is the inward effence, and the exterior substance of all things. I am the primitive caufe of all. All things that exift in the east, or weft, or north, or fouth, above or below, it is I. I am all. I am older than all. I am King of Kings. My attributes are tranfcendent. I am truth. I am the spirit of creation; I am the Creator. I am the knowledge of the four Bedes *. I am Almighty. I am purity. I am the firft, and the middle, and the end. I am the light. And for this purpole do I exift, that whofoever knows me, may know all the angels, and all books, and all their ordinances. And whofoever knows the learning of the Bedes, from thence he will learn the duties of life, he will understand truth, and his actions will be virtuous. And to those who practise virtue, will I give fulness and tranquillity." Ruder having pronounced thefe words to the angels, was abforbed in his own brightness. • The facred writings of the Hindoos in the Shanferit Language. Curious Curious Remarks concerning the Savages of North America. By Dr P. Franklin. TH HE Indian men, when young, are hunters and warriors; when old, counfellors; for all their government is by the counfel or advice of the fages: there is no force, there are no prifons; no officers to compel obedience, or inflict punifliment. Hence they generally tudy oratory; the best speaker having the most influence. The Indian women till the ground, dress the food, nurse and bring up the children, and preferve and hand down to pofterity the memory of public tranfactions. Thefe employments of men and women are accounted natural and honourable. Having few artificial wants, they have abundance of leifure for improvement by converfation. Our 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 useless. add, he may rife again and deliver it. To interrupt another, even in common converfation, is reckoned highly indecent. The politenefs of thefe Savages 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 great 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. You would think they were convinced :-No fuch matter; it is mere civility. A Swedish minifter having af fembled the chiefs of the SafqueHaving frequent occafions to hold hanah Indians, made a fermon to public councils, they have acquired them, acquainting them with the great order and decency in conduc- principal hiftorical facts on which ting them. The old men fit in the our religion is founded; fuch as the foremost ranks, the warriors in the fall of our first parents by eating an next, and the women and children apple; the coming of Chrift to rein the hindmost. The bufinefs of pair the mischief; his miracles, and the women is to take exact notice of fuffering, &c.-When he had fiwhat paffes, imprint it in their me- nifhed, an Indian orator ftood up to mories, (for they have no writing) thank him. "What you have told and communicate it, to their chil- "us," fays he, "is all very good. dren. They are the records of the "It is indeed bad to eat apples. It council, and they preferve tradition is better to make them all into of the ftipulations in treaties a hun- "cyder. We are much obliged by dred years back; which, when we your kindness in coming fo far, compare with our writings, we al- "to tell us thofe things which you ways find exact. He that would have heard from your mothers. fpeak, rifes. The reft obferve a In return, I will tell you fome profound filence. When he has fi- " of thofe we have heard from nished, 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, VOL. VI. N° 33. R ours. "In the beginning, our fathers had only the flesh of animals to "fubfift on; and if their hunting "was << had was unfuccefsful, they were starving. Two of our young hunters having killed a deer, made a fire "in the woods to broil fome parts "of it. When they were about to "fatisfy hunger, they beheld a beau"ful young woman defcend from the clouds, and feat herfelf on "that hill which you fee yonder among the Blue Mountains. They "faid to each other, It is a fpirit "that perhaps has fmelt our broiling venifon, and wishes to eat of "it: let us offer fome to her. They "prefented her with the tongue "the was pleafed with the tafte of "it, and faid, Your kindness fhall "be rewarded: Come to this place "after thirteen moons, and you "will find fomething that will be "of great benefit in nourishing you "and your children to the latest "generations. They did fo, and, to "their furprife, found plants they never feen before ; but which, from that ancient time, "have been conftantly cultivated among us, to our great advan"tage. Where her right hand had "touched the ground, they found "maize; where her left hand had "touched it, they found kidney"beans; and where her backfide "had fat, on it they found tobac"co." The good miffionary, difgufted with this idle tale, faid, "What I delivered to you were fa"cred truths; but what you tell me "is mere fable, fiction, and falfehood." $5 The Indian offended, replied, "My brother, it feems your friends have not done you "justice in your education; they "have not well inftructed you in "the rules of common civility. "You faw that we, who under"ftand and practise these rules, "believed all your ftories; why do 66 you refufe to believe ours?" When any of them come into our towns, our people are apt to croud round them, gaze upon them, and incommode them where they defire to be private; this they esteem great rudenefs, and the effect of the want of inftruction 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 with for opportunities "of looking at you; but for this " purpose we hide ourselves behind "bufhes where you are to pafs, and "never intrude ourselves into your " company." i. Their manner of entering one another's villages has likewife its rules. It is reckoned uncivil in travelling ftrangers to enter a village abruptly, without giving notice of their approach. Therefore, as soon 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 is in every village a vacant dwelling, called the Stranger's Houfe. Here they are placed, while the old men go round from hut to hut, acquainting the inhabitants that ftrangers are arrived, who are probably hungry and weary; and every one fends them what he can fpare of victuals, and fkins to repofe on. When the strangers are refreshed, pipes and tobacco are brought; and then, but not before, converfation begins, with inquiries who they are? whither bound? what news? . and it ufually ends with offers of fervice, if the strangers have occafion for guides, or any neceffaries for continuing their journey, and nothing is exacted for the entertainment. The fame hofpitality, esteemed among them as a principal virtue, is practifed by private perfons; of which Conrad Weifer, our interpreter, gave me the following inftance: He had been naturalized among the Six Nations, and spoke well the Mohock language. In going thro' the Indian country, to carry a meffage Remarks on the Savages of North America. meffage from our governor to the council at Onondaga, he called at the habitation of Canaffetego, 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 converse with him afked how he had fared the 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 a 137 "There stood up a man in black, "and began to talk to the people very angrily. I did not under"ftand what he faid; but percei"ving that he looked much at me "and at Hanfon, I imagined he was angry at fecing me there; fo "I went out, fat down near the house, struck 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 fufpected "it might be the fubject 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 "four fhillings a-pound?" "No, fays he, I cannot give fo much, "I cannot give more than three "fhillings and fixpence." I then "fpoke to feveral other dealers, "but they all fung the fame fong, "three and fixpence, three and fix mong 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 "fhops, and affemble 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 fay, and I "will tell you my reafons. I went "Fately to Albany to fell my fkins, "and buy blankets, knives, pow"der, rum, &c. You know I ge. "nerally used to deal with Hans "Hanfon, but I was a little inclin"ed 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 four fhillings a-pound: but, fays he, I cannot talk on business" (6 now; this is the day when we meet together to learn good things, " and I am going to the meeting." "So I thought to myfelf, fince I "cannot do any bufinefs to-day, I 66 pence. 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 Indians 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 are still ig" norant. You know our practice, "If a white man, in travelling "through our country, enters one "of our cabbins, we all treat him as "I treat you; we dry him if he is wet, we warm him if he is cold, and give him meat and drink, that he may allay his thirst and "hunger; and we fpread foft furs for him to reft and fleep on: we But demand nothing in return. "if I go into a white man's houfe "at Albany, and afk for victuals "and drink, they fay, Where is your money? And if I have none, R 2 may as well go to the meeting ❝ too; and I went with him. 66 they "they fay, Get out, you Indian dog. "You fee they have not yet learn. "ed thofe little good things that we "need no meeting to be instructed "in, because our mothers taught "them to us when we were chil "dren; and therefore it is impof"fible 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. On the Variations in the Temperature of Climates at different Periods *. IT T is a problem ftill undetermined, whether our feafons are not now colder than they were in form er times. It would appear from the writings of the Ancients, that in their days the cold was much more intenfe than it is in ours. Diodorus Siculus fpeaks of the rivers in Gaul as being in general frozen in Winter, and the ice fo ftrong and thick, that not only men and horfes, but whole armies with their chariots and equipage could pass over them. The fame author adds, that it is a custom in thofe countries to cover the ice with straw to prevent people from falling. Cæfar, when croffing from Languedoc to Auvergne, was obliged to make for his army a paffage through the fnow of the Cevennes, which was then fix feet deep. Dio Caffius fays, that Trajan made his famous bridge over the Danube be conftructed to make the paffage eafy for his troops when the river happened not to be frozen. Virgil fhews us, in feveral places of his Georgics, that the Winter was much more fevere in Italy at that time than it is now, when he defcribes the precautions neceflary to be taken for defending the flocks from the severity of the froft and fnow. Ovid, banished to Tomos on the fhore of the Euxine, fays, that that fea freezes every Winter; that the rains or the fun are not able to melt the ice; and that even in feveral places it continues frozen for two years together: that wine froze fo ftrongly, that the liquor remained folid when the veffels were broken, and retained their fhape. Virgil draws a similar pic ture of the fhores of the Danube, when he fays, that the froft penetrates the ground to the depth of feven ells, and that the wines freeze fo as that they may be cut with a hatchet: if this fhould be thought a poetical licence, it may be fupported by the teftimony of other ancient authors. When Commodus was on the banks of the Danube, his courtiers, who wifhed him to return to Rome, afked him if hẹ would never ceafe to drink water hardened by the froft, and if he meant for ever to remain in a country which was doomed to perpetual Winter? The fame writer (Herodian) fays, in his History of Alexander Severus, that the Rhine and the Danube are navigable in Summer, but that in Winter these rivers are fo covered with ice, that people pafs them on horseback; and that those who would drink of them do not carry pitchers, but hatchets to break the ice, the pieces of which they carry like fo many ftones. He fays too, that Aquileia and its neigh, bourhood was a cold country. Pliny the younger, when defcribing his country-houfe in Tufcany, fays, that the air was cold and frofty during Journal de Phyfique. Winter; |