354 The Natural History 



of a Fool as a wise Man. Several of them are possess'd of 

 great Quantities of Deer, and Bever Shins^ Wampum, Am- 

 wiition, and many other things which are esteemed Riches 

 amongst them, jet such an Indian is no more esteemed or 

 regarded by them than any ordinary Fellow, provided he 

 has no Personal Endowments, which are the only Ornaments 

 and Perfections that must gain him credit and esteem 

 amongst these People, for a great dealer amongst them is no 

 otherwise valued or respected, than a Man that strains his 

 Wits, and fatigues himself to furnish others with necessaries 

 of Life. 



There is something surprizingiy undaunted in their Beha- 

 viour when they are taken Captives, and expect to die after 

 the most miserable and tormenting manner that Savages can 

 invent against such unfortunate Creatures, as happen to be 

 their Prisoners; for at the very approach of Death they are 

 observed to sing, and shew the greatest resolution and bravery 

 of any People in the World ; having no dread or fear to die ; 

 for they know by instinct of i^ature, and daily Experience, 

 that all things living are subject to Death, wherefore they 

 have that great and noble gift to submit to every thing that 

 happens, with the greatest resignation imaginable, and value 

 nothing that attacks them in this Life. 



They are never fearful in the N^ight, neither do the 

 thoughts or dread of Spirits ever give them the least trouble, 

 such as the Hobgoblins and Bug-bears, the Apprehensions 

 of which we suck in our infancy from [N^urses and Servants, 

 who sugest to us, strange and Idle Tales of Fairies and 

 Witches, which make such impressions on us in our tender 

 Years, that at maturity we are most commonly afraid of our 

 own Shaddows, and carry Pigmie-souls in Giant-bodies ever 

 after, by which means we are so much deprived of reason and 



unman'd. 



