340 Conjtftures rcfpe&ing the 



and Teutonic women, he -fays they defended themfelves coit- 

 rageouily againrt the Romans till the fkin of their head was 

 pulled over their ears, in which (late they were left to their 

 fate. It may naturally be afked where the Romans acquired 

 this barbarous practice, of which no other inftauce is to be 

 found in antient hiftory. I am therefore inclined to think 

 that the Cimbri had firft treated the Roman prifoners in the 

 fame manner, and that the Romans, out of revenge, copied 

 their example. The Cimbri may have inherited this practice 

 from the Scythians their anceftors. We are told by Arnmi- 

 arms Marceliinus that the Alani, who lived beyond the Pains 

 Mseotis, dripped the (kin from the heads of their vanquiihed 

 enemies, and fufpended it from their horfes as an honourable 

 trophy of victory. 



In North America this barbarous practice is exceedingly 

 common, efpecially among the favages of Canada. The moll 

 remarkable circumltance here is, that fome of thofe who are 

 fcalped furviut the operation. Lafitean afferts, that, during 

 the courfe of his miffiou, he faw the wife of a Frenchman 

 in Canada who was cured after the operation, and continued 

 in good health* 



9. Puffing- to Death old and infirm Per/bus, 



Herodotus fpeaks of an Indian nation, whom he calls the 

 Pagsei, who put to death and ate their old and infirm people, 

 both male and female. The firft inhabitants of Sardinia had 

 a law, in virtue of which children were obliged to kill their 

 parents when they had palled the age of 70. Hartknoch 

 i'peaks of a like practice among the antient Pruflians. It is 

 well known, in regard to the northern nations, that old 

 people, who had become ufelefs on account of their great 

 toj precipitated themfelves, partly with their own con fen t 

 and partly by compulfion, from a mountain into the Tea. 

 As long as a Hottentot is fit for labour, he is hire of life; 

 but when he becomes old, and incapable of performing the 

 ufcal occupations, a hut is built for him in a diftant place, 

 where he is left, and where he either dies of hunger or is 

 torn to pieces by wild beafts. Kolben, who mentions this 

 fact, having reproached them for this inhumanity, they re- 

 plied, that the Dutch ihowed much greater cruelty to their 

 £ck; " for you leave them (laid they) to perifh gradually, 

 amidft long and lingering pain; whereas we free them at 

 once from all their torment." The Kamtichatkans and Ja- 

 kutians do the fame thing: they build huts for their fick in 

 a forelt, leave them there with. fome food, and pay no further 

 aUo&tioB to ;hcm. . 



The 



