194 OBSERVATIONS CONCERNING 



Seventhly. 1 have already hinted, that the radical 

 languages in North- America are but few. I know, in- 

 deed, that a very oppofite opinion has been entertained 

 by an enlightened American philofopher.-f- But the 

 dialeBs of the American languages are very numerous. 

 Thus there are, at leaft, forty dialects of the language 

 of the Lennape, whom we call Delawares. Many of 

 thefe dialefts have receded fo little from the parent ftock, 

 that we cannot hefitate to conclude, that the period is 

 not very remote when the tribes who fpeak them were 

 one and the fame people. Moreover, within the period 

 of two hundred and fifty years, we have feen one nation 

 of Indians, from various caufes, feparating into feveral, 

 and the fame language fplitting into di:ded:s. This was 

 the cafe with fome of the fouthern nations, which are 

 known to have migrated, from the weft, acrofs the Mif- 

 fiffipi. Thefe circumftances, by pointing out the great 

 coniolidation of the Americans, in former ages, ftrongly 

 fupport my opinion, that they were once much more cul- 

 tivated than we have ever known them : for extenfive af- 

 fociations of men cannot be formed, or, at leaft, cannot 

 long fubfift, in thefavage ftate. 



time and the inftitution of regular government have moulded into form, 

 that we find fuch an orderly arrangement of men into different ranks, and 

 fuch nice attention paid to their various rights." The Hijlory of America, 

 Vol. III. p. 165. Perhaps, this remark is not very republican, but it is, 

 neverthelefs, ingenious and juft. Among the Natchez, the reparation of 

 ranks was well eflabliflied ; and it was once eftabliflied among many other 

 Indian tribes, where, at prefent, it is hardly known. I have already faid 

 (p. 189) that the Indians fpeak of the power of their chiefs in former times. 

 This power of the chief even extended (in fome inftances) to the taking 

 away the life of his fubjefl, without the form of judgment, or trial. The 

 chiefdcm, at prefent, is feldom, if ever, hereditary. But that it was once 

 hereditary among many of our tribes, is a fad- well eftablifhed by the tef- 

 tlmony of feveral of the early writers concerning America. 



t Mr. JefFerfon. See his Notes on the State of Virginia, p. 164 and 165. 

 London: 1787. 



Eighthly. 



