Ch. iv. (mums the American Indians. 55 



"a 



single soul,* and of immense tracts of country, in 

 which scarcely three or four scattered villages 

 were to be found.f Some of these deserts fur- 

 nished no game, J and were therefore entirely de- 

 solate; others, which were to a certain degree 

 stocked with it, were traversed in the hunting 

 seasons by parties, who encamped and remained in 

 different spots, according to the success they met 

 with, and were therefore really inhabited in pro- 

 portion to the quantity of subsistence which they 

 yielded.^ 



Other districts of America are described as 

 comparatively fully peopled ; such as the borders 

 of the great northern lakes, the shores of Mis- 

 sissippi, Louisiana, and many provinces in South 

 America. The villages here were large, and near 

 each other, in proportion to the superior fruitful- 

 ness of the territory in game and fish, and the ad- 

 vances made by the inhabitants in agriculture. || 

 The Indians of the great and populous empires of 

 Mexico and Peru sprung undoubtedly from the 

 same stock, and originally possessed the same 

 customs as their ruder brethren ; but from the 

 moment when, by a fortunate train of circum- 

 stances, they were led to improve and extend their 

 agriculture, a considerable population rapidly fol- 

 lowed, in spite of the apathy of the men, or the 



* Lettres Edit. torn. vi. p. 357- 



t Id. p. 321. 



% Id. torn. ix. p. 145. 



.J. AW • IA/11I, K^\* p. i. lit . 



§ Id. torn. vi. p. 66, 81, 345. torn. ix. p. 145 

 || Id. torn. ix. p. 90, 142. Robertson, b. iv 



• - w -■ f * — • 



Robertson, b. iv. p. Ill 



