Ch. iv. among; the American Indians. G5 



"O 



of the earth, instead of cultivating its surface ; 

 and, among the northern tribes, the extreme de- 

 sire to purchase European spirits directed the in- 

 dustry of the greatest part of them, almost exclu- 

 sively, to the procuring of plenty for the purpose 

 of this exchange,* which would prevent their 

 attention to the more fruitful sources of subsist- 

 ence, and at the same time tend rapidly to destroy 

 the produce of the chace. The number of wild 

 animals, in all the known parts of America, is 

 even more diminished than the number of people)* 

 The attention to agriculture has every where 

 slackened, rather than increased, as might at first 

 have been expected, from European connexion. 

 In no part of America, either North or South, do 

 we hear of any of the Indian nations living in great 

 plenty, in consequence of their diminished num- 

 bers. It may not therefore be very far from the truth, 

 to say that even now, in spite of all the powerful 

 causes of destruction that have been mentioned, 

 the average population of the American nations 

 is, with few exceptions, on a level with the 

 average quantity of food, which in the present 

 state of their industry they can obtain. 



* Charlevoix, N. Fr. torn. iii. p. 2G0. 



f The general introduction of fire-arms among the Indians has 

 prohably greatly contributed to the diminution of the wild ani- 

 mals. 



VOL. /. 



