134 



ral years among those on the borders of Canadn, has indeed 

 given an account of their various customs and manners, in 

 two quarto volumes, but intermixed with dissertations so fo- 

 reign to the subject he undertook to treat of, as to render his 

 work a chaos, from which scarce any precise notion can be 

 extracted. Dr. Robertson, in his history of America, abounds 

 indeed in just philosophic reflections on savage life ; but they 

 are rather the results of various observations, than specific 

 accounts of any particular tribes ; which he thought would 

 lead to details of tiresome extent. Moreover, he constantly 

 confounds the savage and barbarian states : however, it is 

 him I am in general obliged to follow. Some important par- 

 ticulars .1 have also extracted from Hearne's Journey to the 

 Northern Ocean. 



The American savage tribes are divided into small iiidcpeii- 

 dant communities, scattered over regions of vast extent, and 

 in a state of constant hostility and rivalship. The forest or 

 hunting grounds are deemed the propertii of the tril)c, from 

 which it has a title to exclude every rival nation. When they 

 go to war, or to hunt, the leader of the most approved cou- 

 rage and skill takes the lead ; but during seasons of tranquillity 

 and inaction, all pre-eminence ceases. — Robert^. 90, 93. 

 Volney's View, 397- Such he tells us was the form of poli- 

 tical order established among the greater part of the Ameri- 

 can nations. Eastward of the Mississipi, from the mouth of 



the 



