46 WILLIAM BARTRAM 



exclusively endued with knowledge of the Creator & capable of express- 

 ing his love, gratitude & homage to the Great Author of Being. . . .^^ 



His defense of the " dignity of animal Nature " is supported 

 by his general Romantic primitivism. In spite of an occasional 

 reservation fostered by his scientific studies, he generally leaned 

 to the theory that everything that came from the Creator's 

 hands w^as good, and that imperfections were the product of 

 man. He observed, of course, that not only man but also his 

 pet crow^ was capable of dissimilation — a vice he could not 

 forgive; that cattle and horses, as well as man, were given to 

 intemperance — another vice he abhorred ; that untutored Indians, 

 living in primitive blissfulness, often exhibited "vices, immor- 

 alities, and imperfections." ^° Yet, in general, he believed 



that we act most rationally & vertously when our actions seem to 

 operate from simple instinct, or approach nearest to the manners of the 

 Animal creation. For if we examine minutely the Morality or Manners 

 of Animals, & compare them with those tribes of the human Race who 

 yet remain in the simple state of primitive Nature, as our Indians, who 

 have had but little intercourse with white people, we shall find but 

 little difference between their manners & the animal creation in general.^^ 



His views on this subject of the simple perfection of primitive 

 manners and their similarity to animal behavior are given in 

 great detail. "Having resided some considerable time amongst 

 several of these nations," he goes on to say, " I can give a pretty 

 concise view, both of their Arts & Sciences, & their Morality." " 

 He then discusses Indian manners and customs in respect to 

 love, reproduction, care of their young, and other central topics 

 of human existence. The Indians build homes. They protect 

 their persons and property. They protect the aged. " Instinct, 

 knowledge or Reason directs them how, to clothe themselves 



^^ As already noted, in the preceding chapter, there is nothing to indicate 

 whether the manuscript is a fragment of a long letter addressed to some friend 

 or whether it is the rough draft of a philosophical paper. It does, however, 

 contain the marks of a red wax seal. 



^^ Travels, 212. 



^^ Bartram Papers, I. 



^^ Ibid. For a more extended study of Bartram's treatment of the Indian see 

 the next chapter. 



