52 TRAVELS THROtJCH 



** groping, for fear of finding thorns in our 

 *' way i we go like flaves, and fuch we lliall 

 ** foon be, fince they ufe us as fuch already. 

 *' As foon as they fhall have power enough, 

 •* they will no longer keep in bounds, they will 

 *' load us with irons *, has not their chief threat- 

 *' tntd to offer that indignity to ours j and is 

 •' not death preferable to flavery * ?" 



Here the orator paufed ; and, after taking 

 breath, continued as follows : 



" What fhall we wait for ? Shall we fuffer 

 *' the French to multiply till we can no longer 

 *■* refifl them ? What will the other nations fay 

 ** of us ? We pafs for the mofl fenfible among 

 " the red men f , and they will have reafon to 

 ** fay that we have lefs fenfe than other people. 

 " Why fhall we wait longer ? Let tis fet our- 

 " felves at liberty, and let us fhew that we arc 

 " true men. We muft begin this day to pre- 

 " pare for it ; we mufl order our wives to get 

 " viduais in readinefs, without telling them the 



" reafon. 



* Nature alone has taught thefe favages to refpeft their 

 ibvereign, and to cherifti liberty. 



f Thus the Indians call themfelves, to diHiriguifti them- 

 felves from the Europeans who are white, and from the A- 

 fr leans who are black. 



