On the supposed Welch- Indians. 91 



and the arguments of the Welch historian, it seems 

 highly probable, that a colony of white people, who 

 speak the Welch language, does actually exist in the 

 western parts of North- America. 



I cannot, I must confess, adopt this opinion. I 

 readily allow, that the relations published by Mr. 

 Toulmin, and many other persons, both in Europe 

 and in America, are extremely curious. But these 

 relations are very inconsistent with one another, par- 

 ticularly in what relates to the actual state of im- 

 provement of the supposed Welchmen. By some, 

 we are told, that they are very far advanced in im- 

 provement ; by others, that their improvement is not 

 at all greater than that of the Red-Men, or Indians of 

 America. At one time, they are said to be in pos- 

 session of manuscripts (and even printed books) ; at 

 another time, nothing of this kind is found among 

 them. It must be confessed, that Maurice Griffith's 

 relation is, in several respects, more plausible than 

 that of any preceding traveller : but it is not unin- 

 cumbered with inconsistences, which I do not deem 

 it necessary to notice, in this place. His assertion, 

 that the white men of the Missouri speak " pure 

 Welch," even though this assertion be qualified by 

 the observation, that " they occasionally made use of 

 a few words, with which he was not acquainted," is, 

 to me, one of the most improbable things that have 

 ever been related of these people. His silence about 

 their religion is altogether inexcusable. One would 

 suppose, that a person of Griffith's inquisitive turn of 

 mind, would hardly have omitted to make some in- 



