HISTORY OF VERMONT. 217 



greatly dangerous to indulg'e it. Its effects were 

 still worse upon the pregnant ; and often de- 

 stroyed the increase and fruit of nature, before- 

 the birth. 



The manner in which the Indians procured 

 their food, was equally unfavourable to popula- 

 tion, as the uncertainty and irregularity of it. 

 Destitute of a fixed settlement and abode, the- 

 savage spent the hunting season in wandering 

 through the forests in quest of game, and gener- 

 ally carried his family with him. Their women 

 must climb the mountains, wade through the 

 rivers, force their way in the thickets of the 

 forest, sleep upon the wet ground in the open 

 air, and carry their children with them ; and a- 

 midst all these fatisrues and distresses, were of- 

 ten Vvdthout food for several days, and always 

 without comfortable refreshment. Instead of 

 being in any degree prolific, the white women, 

 would have all perished in such a situation. 

 The wonder is, not why population should have 

 been so small, but how it should subsist at all, 

 in such a situation. If the constitution of the. 

 savage had not been uncommonly strong and 

 vigorous, not only the animal passion, but all 

 the powers of nature would have ceased and 

 become extinct, by such continued scenes of 

 fatigue and distress. 



The constancy and perpetuity of their wars, 

 had also a fatal infiuence on population. The 

 irruption of an enemy desolated their cultivated 

 lands, disturbed them in their hunting exer- 

 tions, and destroyed all the little stock of provi- 

 sions they had saved. The women and chil- 

 fU-eo had no place of refuge, but to conceal 



