326 A JOURNEY TO THE 



those who call themselves Christians ; yet he always declared 

 to me, that neither he, nor any of his countrymen, had an 

 idea of a future state. Though he had been taught to look 

 on things of this kind as useless, his own good sense had 

 taught him to be an advocate for universal toleration ; and I 

 have seen him several times assist at some of the most sacred 

 rites performed by the Southern Indians, apparently with as 

 much zeal, as if he had given as much credit to them as they 

 did : and with the same liberality of sentiment he would, I am 

 persuaded, have assisted at the altar [345] of a Christian 

 church, or in a Jewish synagogue ; not with a view to reap 

 any advantage himself, but merely, as he observed, to assist 

 others who believed in such ceremonies. 



Being thus destitute of all religious control, these people 

 have, to use Matonabbee's own words, " nothing to do but 

 consult their own interest, inclinations, and passions ; and to 

 pass through this world with as much ease and contentment 

 as possible, without any hopes of reward, or painful fear of 

 punishment, in the next." In this state of mind they are, 

 when in prosperity, the happiest of mortals ; for nothing but 

 personal or family calamities can disturb their tranquillity, 

 while misfortunes of the lesser kind sit light on them. Like 

 most other uncivilized people, they bear bodily pain with great 

 fortitude, though in that respect I cannot think them equal to 

 the Southern Indians. 



Old age is the greatest calamity that can befal a Northern 

 Indian ; for when he is past labour, he is neglected, and 

 treated with great disrespect, even by his own children. They 

 not only serve him last at meals, but generally give him the 

 coarsest and worst of the victuals : and such of the skins as 

 they do not chuse to wear, are made up in the clumsiest 

 manner into clothing for their aged parents ; who, as they had, 

 in all probability, treated their fathers and mothers with the 

 same neglect, in [346] their turns, submitted patiently to their 

 lot, even without a murmur, knowing it to be the common 



