238 BOUQUET IN THE INDIAN COUNTRY. [1764, Nov. 



was choked with difficulties, but his body and soul 

 were hardened to meet them ; it was beset with 

 dangers, but these were the very spice of his life, 

 gladdening his heart with exulting self-confidence, 

 and sending the blood through his veins with a 

 livelier current. The wilderness, rough, harsh, and 

 inexorable, has charms more potent in their seduc- 

 tive influence than all the lures of luxury and 

 sloth. And often he on whom it has cast its 

 magic finds no heart to dissolve the spell, and 

 remains a wanderer and an Ishmaelite to the hour 

 of his death. ^ 



There is a chord, in the breasts of most men, 

 prompt to answer loudly or faintly, as the case may 



1 Golden, after describing the Indian wars of 1699, 1700, concludes in 

 the following words : — 



" I shall finish this Part by observing that notwithstanding the French 

 Commissioners took all the Pains possible to carry Home the French 

 that were Prisoners with tlie Five Nations, and they had full Liberty 

 from the Indians, few of them could be persuaded to return. It may be 

 thought that thi^ was occasioned from the Hardships they had endured in 

 their own Country, under a tyrannical Government and a barren Soil. 

 But this certainly was not the Reason, for the English had as much 

 Difiiculty to persuade the People that had been taken Prisoners by the 

 French Indians to leave the Indian Manner of living, though no People 

 enjoy more Liberty, and live in greater Plenty than the common Inhabi- 

 tants of New York do. No Arguments, no Intreaties, nor Tears of their 

 Friends and Relations, could persuade many of them to leave their new 

 Indian Friends and Acquaintance. Several of them that were by the 

 Caressings of their Relations persuaded to come Home, in a little Time 

 grew tired of our Manner of living, and ran away to the Indians, and 

 ended their Days with them. On the other Hand, Indian Children have 

 been carefully educated among the English, clothed and taught ; yet, I 

 think, there is not one Instance that any of these, after they had Liberty 

 to go among their own People, and were come to Age, would remain 

 with the English, but returned to their own Nations, and became as fond 

 of the Indian Manner of Life as those that knew nothing of a civilized 

 Manner of living. What I now tell of Christian Prisoners among Indians 

 relates not only to what happened at the Conclusion of this War, but has 

 been found true on many other Occasions." — Golden, 203. 



