I N n 



and quarters by tlie rifinj and fetting of the fun { to exprefs 

 wliich, in their traditions tliey make ufe of hieroglyphics. 

 Their fole knowledge in aftronomy confifls in being able to 

 point out the polar ftar, by which they regulate their courfe 

 when they travel by night. They reckon diftances from 

 one place to another by days' journies, each being about 20 

 miles. They have no knowledge of arithmetic, and thoi:gh 

 they are able to count to any number, figure* and letters 

 appear to carry with them fome hidden myllery, and much 

 above their comprehenfion. Every feparate body of In- 

 dians is divided into bands or tribes, and forms a little com- 

 munity within the nation to which it belongs. As the 

 nation has fome particular fymbol by which it isdiflinguifhed 

 from others, fo each tribe has a badge frcm which it is 

 denominated, as that of the eagle, the paather, the tiger, 

 the buffalo, &c. Throughout every nation they particu- 

 larize themfelves in the fame manner, and the meanelt perfon 

 among them w'M ren-.>mber his lineal defcent, and diftinguifh 

 himfjf by his re'"peaive f^.mily. Every band has a chief, 

 who IS te: u.<»d ihe Great Warrior, and who is eletled for 

 his warlike qi:;dilications ; befides th s there is another who 

 enjoys a pre-eminence as b!= hereditary ri^^ht, and has the 

 more immtdiate mariagcn.: ..t of their civil affairs. When 

 th; chiefs are convened on any public bufinefs, they always 

 conclude with a feafl, at which fefHvity and cheerfulnefs 

 know no limi.s. Dancing is a favourite excrcife among the 

 Indians, they never meet on any occafion but this makes a 

 part of the entertainment ; and when they are not engaged 

 in war or hunting the youth of both fexes amufe themfelves 

 in this manner every evening. The Indians have feveval 

 kinds of dances which they ufe on different occafions, as the 

 pipe or calumet dance, the war dance, the marriage dance, 

 and the dance of the facrifice. The movements in every 

 one of thefe are difGmilar, though it is impofTible to give 

 fuch E defcription of them as will convey to an European a 

 jufl idea of the diftindlions. Hunting is their principal 

 occapation ; they are trained to it from their youth, and it 

 is an exercife which is efteemed no lefs honourable than ne- 

 ceffary towards their fubfiftence. A dextrous hunter is 

 held nearly in as high eftimation as a dillinguifhcd warrior. 

 Scarcely any device which the ingenuity of man has dif- 

 covered for cnfnaring or deilroying thofe animals that flip- 

 ply them with food, or whofe fliiHS are valuable to Euro- 

 peans, is unknown to them. Every hunter prepares himfelf 

 by failing during feveral days : the reafon they give for this 

 is, that fading enables them to dream freely, and in their 

 dreams they are informed where they fliall find the grcatell 

 plenty of game ; it is thought alfo to avert the difpleafure 

 *f evil fpirits, and induce them to be propitious. They 

 feem to have fome notion of a future ilate of exiilence, and 

 fuppofe that their employments there will rcfemble thofe in 

 which they are engaged here, without the labour and diffi- 

 culty annexed to them in this period of exigence. Among 

 thofe who have priells, thefe priefts are their phyficians 



and their conjurors : they cure their wounds and dif- 

 eafes, mterpret their dreams, give them charms which fhall 

 render them fuperior to external danger, and fatisfy their 

 ciiriofity with regard to future events. The Indian is fub- 

 jctt to but ver\- few difeafes ; the moll fatal and deilruclive 

 ii the fmall-pox, which to them has been the mofl terrible 

 of all peftilcncco : this is not, hovever, continual in their- 

 country, ai it is in otlicr nations ; frequently there are inter- 

 va's of many years ifl which it is never heard of; but when 

 it prevails, towns and villr.gos are thinned of their inha- 

 lirants. An Indian is faid to meet death, when it approaches 

 him in his hut, with the fame refolution with which he lias 

 u'ten faced iU-ia the field. If he is a chief, and has a.fa>.- 



FN D 



mily, he makes a kind of funeral oration, which he concludes 

 by giving to his children neceffary advice for the regulation 

 cf their condudl. He then takes leave of iiis friends, and 

 iffues out orders for the preparation of a feafl, which is 

 defigned to regale thofe of his tribe that come to pronounce 

 his eulogi'jm. After the lall ftruggle tlie body is dreffed 

 in the ufual habiliments ; the face is painted, and it is placed 

 in a fitting poUure on a mat in the middle of the hut, with his- 

 weapons by his fide. His relations being feated round, each 

 harangues the deccafed body, in turn, and, if he happen to 

 have been a great warrior, recounts his heroic actions. 

 After this, the body is carried to the burying place, where 

 it is interred with otiier ceremonies. Such arc the general^ 

 charafteriflics of the Indians; the peculiarities of eacii tribe 

 will be found in other parts of the didionary. The amount 

 of Indian population cannot be precifely afccrtained. The 

 newly difcovered illands in the South fea, and part of the 

 N. W. coall, are probably the mofl populcus ; as they have 

 fuffered lefs by invaders. The belt inforn.cd v.-riters have 

 conjcftvired the number of aboriginal Indians in America- 

 to be under 2^ millions. Since the difcovcry of America, 

 the decreafe, in confequence of labour and oppreffion, fa- 

 mine and peftilence, has been aftonifliiiig. A lill of Indian 

 tribes, in Imlay's Hillory of Kentucky, makes the ag- 

 gregate number lefs than 60,000 of thofe who inhabit the 

 country, from the gulf of Mexico on both fides of the 

 Miffi!ipj)i to the gulf of St. Lawrence, and as far well as 

 the country has been generally explored, that is, to the 

 head water of the MifTifippi, and from thence a good u-ay 

 up the MifTouri, and between that river and Santa Fe. The 

 population of the Indian nations in the fouthern parts of- 

 the United States is given differently from Mr, Imlay's 

 itatement by Mr. Parcel!, who refided among them in 1780, , 



Gun men. 

 Mufcogees, commonly called Creeks 5860 



Chaftaws 4131 



Chickafaws 575 



Cherokees 2800 



Catabaws „ ] co 



'3-)' 



Total. 



17,280 



13'423' 

 2290 



8550 

 490 



42,033 



The above red nations have fomewhat increafed fincc the 

 general peace ellabliflicd among them in 1777. The whites 

 incorporated among them are few in number, and lead a 

 vagabond life, connefking thcmielves with one tribe after 

 another. Tlie increafe of population is confiderably 

 checked by the ufe of fpirituous liquors, and by a certain 

 complaint introduced among thi-in by the whites. In tlie 

 northern dillrift of North America, Mr. Hutchins,in 177S, . 

 eilimated the Indians N. of the Ohio, and E. of the Milli- ■ 

 fippi, at 13,800, and thofe weilward of lake Superior and 1 

 the Miflifippi, at lo,coo. 



INDICATION, in Phyftc, fignifies the pointing out or - 

 difcovering what is fit to be done, and what means> applied 

 in any cafe, from a knowledge of the nature oi the difeafe, , 

 and the virtue of medicines. 



Indications are of four kinds : prtfcrvat'i-vCjGr prcphyl/iHic, . 

 which direft how to cut off the caufe of an ap;)roacl)ing - 

 difeafe ; curalii:Ci which fhew how to remove a difeafe ac- - 

 tually - formed ; palliative^ which dirett how to lefien its 

 ef!eds, or take uflf fome of its fymptoms, before it can be 

 wholly removed i^ .u.nd vital, wbiijh relate to the llrergth ofi" 

 the body. - 



Tlatl 



