HISTORY OF VERMONT. 189 



root. The Indian carries such an instrument 

 with him : And it makes a regular and con- 

 stant part, of what he esteems his dress, 

 to extract and destroy his beard. So fond arc 

 they of this custom, that whenever the Indian 

 can obtain a looking-glass, his first business is 

 to examine his face, and with this kind of twee- 

 zer, pluck out all the hairs he can discover. 

 They generally recommend this custom to 

 their captives, as what would increase their 

 beauty, and destroy their hairy appearance, 

 which the savage greatly dislikes. 



Some philosophers have supposed, that the 

 beardless countenance of the Indian, is derived 

 not from custom, but from nature : That the 

 Indian is without any beard, or hair on any part 

 of his body, except the eyebrows and head: 

 That this arises from a defect in the powers 

 and vigour of nature ; and is an evidence of 

 weakness, impotency, and want of manhood.^ 

 The fact and the conclusion, are both mistakes* 

 Nature is the same in the Indian, as it is in the 

 European : And on whatever part of the body 

 it has assigned hair to the one, ithas given it to the 

 other. I am assured of this from those who 

 have slain, stripped, and buried their warriors r 

 I have the same information from those, who 

 have been their captives ; and who have seem 

 all the members of an Indian family, dressed 

 and undressed, and in all situations. The same 

 is asserted by those, who have lived among the 

 civilized tribes, and been called to perform of- 

 fices of humanity, to the Indians of each sex. 



* Buffon, Kaims, Robertson, 3cc- 

 VOL, I, Z 



