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it be to the whites, who he knows will treat him well! 

 that in other situations also he meets death with more 

 deliberation, and endures tortures with a firmness un- 

 known almost to religious enthusiasm with us : that he 

 is affectionate to his children, careful of them, and in- 

 dulgent in the extreme: that his affections comprehend 

 his other connexions, weakening, as with us, from cir- 

 cle to circle, as they recede from the centre : that his 

 friendships are strong and faithful to the uttermost^ ex- 

 suspected that the cowardice v.hich he had observed in those of 

 the present race might be the effect of subjugation. But, suppos- 

 ing the Indians of North America to be cowards also, he concludes 

 the ancestors of those of South America to have been so too, and 

 therefore timt those authors have given fictions for truth. He was 

 probably not acquainted himself with the Indians of ISorth Ameri- 

 ca, and liad formed his opinion of them from hear-say. Great 

 numbers of French, of English, and of Americans, are perfectly 

 acquainted with these peoj)le. Had he liad an opportunity of 

 enquiring of any of these, they would have told him, that there 

 never was an instance known of an Indian begging his life when 

 in the power of his enemies: on the contrary, tliat he courts 

 death by every possible insult and provocation. His reasoning 

 then would have been reversed thus. 'Since the present Indian 

 of North America is brave, and authors tell us, tliat the ances- 

 tors of those of South America were brave also ; it must follow, 

 that the cowardice of their descendants is the effect of subjuga- 

 tion and ill treatment.' For he observes, ib. v 27, that * los 

 obrages los aniquillan por la inhumanidad con que se les trata.' 

 * A remarkable instance of this appeared in the case of the 

 late Col. Byrd, who was sent to tlie Cherokee nation to transact 

 some business with them. It happened that some of our dis- 

 orderly people had just killed one or two of that nation. It was 

 therefore proposed in the council of the Cherokees that Co!. Byrd 

 should be put to death, in revenge for the loss of their country- 

 \nent Among them was a chief called Silouee, who, on some 

 former occasion, had contracted an acquaintance and friendship 

 with Col. Byrd. He came to him every night in his tent, and 

 told him not to be afraid, they should not kill him. After many 

 days' deliberation, however, the determination was, contrary to 

 Silouee's expectation, that Byrd should be put to death, and some 

 warriors were despatched as executioners. Silouee attended 

 them, and when they entered the tent, he threw hiinself between 

 them and Byrd, and said to the warriors, ' This man is my 



