162 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



pearance, aspect, and countenance of the Indi- 

 ans, there is an uncommon uniformity, and re- 

 semblance. It is the same in all climates, and 

 in all the tribes of America. It does not vary 

 with heat, cold, situation, employment, or other 

 Gircumstances ; but the Indian countenance has 

 tile same combination of features, and peculiari- 

 ty of aspect, in every part of America. 



Employment, and Method of Pro- 

 curing Subsistence. The food proper for 

 man, is to be found in every part of the earth. 

 But the means and the method of procuring it, 

 are dift'erent among different nations, and in dif- 

 ferent stages of society. The savages of North 

 America had discovered the properties and ef- 

 fects of those seeds, berries, and roots, which 

 the earth spontaneously produces ; and one 

 part of their food was derived from this source. 

 Jishing was another method which they used 

 to procure subsistence. The great plenty and 

 variety of lish, with which the rivers of Ameri- 

 ca abounded, rendered this kind of provision 

 easy to be procured, and of great use. The 

 Indian had acquired much skill and address, in 

 his method of catching the fish ; and he was 

 accustomed to dry, and smoke them, in order 

 to preserve them. The falls of rivers were the 

 places, to which they most resorted for this 

 puq^ose : And most of these falls were the pla- 

 ces, where some of their tribes or small compa- 

 nies resided : And they were generally distin- 

 guished by some particular Indian name. A 

 more general and effectual method of support, 

 was hunting. The fruits which the earth spon- 

 taneously produced, were but few, and of short 



