September 1748. 



fettle things of confequence with the governor, 

 they fit down on the ground, as foon as they come 

 to his audience, and hear with great attention the 

 governor's demands which they are to make an 

 anfwer to. His demands are fometimes many. Yet 

 they have only a ftick in their hand, and make 

 theif marks on it with a knife, without writing 

 any thing elfe down. But when they return the 

 next day to give in their refolutions, they anfwer 

 all the governor's articles in the fame order, in 

 which he delivered them, without leaving one 

 out, or changing the order; andgivefuch accurate 

 anfwers, as if they had an account of them at full 

 length in writing. 



MR. Steidorn related another flory, which gave 

 me great leafore. He faid he had been at New 

 Terk> and had f6tirid a venerable old Atmrictifi 

 favage amongft feveral others in art inn. This 

 old man began to 1 taik with Sleidofh as foon as 

 the liquor was getting the better of his head, and 

 boafted that he could wrJte and read in Engtiflj. 

 SleUorn therefore de'fired leave to aflc a queftion, 

 which thebl-dm'an readily granted. S/e'idofri then 

 afked him, whether he kn'ew who was firft cir- 

 cumcifed .? and the old man immediately anfwer- 

 ed, Father Abraham; but at the fame time afk- 

 ed leave to propofe a queftioit in his turn, which 

 Bleidorn granted ; the old man theft faid, who was 

 the firft quaker ? Sleidofh faid it ^was uncertain, 

 that fotne took one perfon for it, and fome ano- 

 ther ; but the cunning old fellow told him, you 

 are mistaken, fir ; Mcrdecal was the firft quaker, 

 for he would not take oft his hat to Hainan* Many 

 of the favages, who are yet heathen's, are laid to 

 have fome obfcure notion of the deluge. But I am 



convinced 



