56 



that's it ; 



between the native inhabitants of 

 North and South America ; they 

 are almost all of a reddish brown 

 or copper colour, with long, black 

 hair, deep-set eyes, and aquiline 

 nose. The Pampas Indians are, 

 however, an exception, being of a 

 very dark complexion, with long, 

 thick, coarse black hair, which 

 generally hangs loose over their 

 shoulders. Their eyes are black, 

 animated, scowling, and are placed 

 widely apart ; foreheads low and 

 broad ; faces flattish ; high cheek- 

 bones and large jaws ; no beard, 

 rather of low stature, and ill- 

 made, but muscular and athletic. 



In the frequent struggles that have occur- 

 red between the civilized settlers and the bar- 

 barous tri i>es of these streat continents, many 

 fearful catastrophes have occurred; perhaps 

 none have been more painful than those in 

 which white ladies have been borne into capti- 

 vity by the savages, 11. The Indians have alway? 



1 1 



270. 



exhibited a strong predilection for making cap 

 tives of White women ; and for this purpose 

 they have frequently "broken in upon the set- 

 tlements of whte men in the night-t.me, and 

 conveyed the oapr,ives upon rafts across rivers, 

 the more effectually to elude pursuit. 



The white people have not generally been 

 treated with cruelty. Kalm, in the course of 

 his travels, met with an Englishman who, when 

 a boy, had been taken away by the Indians 

 thirty years before. When seen by Kalm, he 

 was dressed like an Indian, spoke the Indian 

 tongue, and had married a native wife. There 

 are examples of some Trench people going 

 among the Indians, and adopting their mode of 

 life. There is, on the contrary, scarce an 



instance of an Indian adopting European cus- 

 toms ; but those who were taken prisoners in 

 war have always endeavoured to return to 

 t heir own people again, even after several years 

 of captivity. 



The introduction of fire-arms 

 has done much to diminish the 

 numbers of wild beasts inhabiting 

 countries surrounding new settle- 

 ments. Still, even with the aid 

 of these most efficient weapons, 

 adventurous travellers have very 

 narrow escapes : 



When Mr. Catlin, the celebrated American 

 explorer, was travelling in South America, he 

 performed several journeys in a canoe, and was 

 in the habit of passing the mid-day heats under 

 the shade on shore. One day a companion 

 was roasting a hog for dinner, 13, while another 



12 



271. 



Tr end laid himself out upon the grass, 14, to 

 rest. A large panther, 16, came stealthily out 

 of the woods, and began to sniff on the man, 

 who was lying asleep with his face on the grass, 

 unaware of his danger. Had he moved, instant 

 death would have been certain. Catlin cau- 

 tiously fetched his rifle, but, upon his return, 

 found that the panther had stooped his head, and 

 was pu>hing it under the body of the sleeping 

 man, so that to fire at the pantherin this position 

 would probably involve the life of his friend ; to 

 make a noise, to attract the panther's attention, 

 would also rouse the man, and the pantherwould 

 seize him instantly. Catlin knew, however, that 

 he must not delay a moment. He levelled his 

 rifle just over the body of his friend, then gave 

 a shrill whistle ; the panther looked up, and 

 received the ball in his brain. The sleeper, 

 aroused by the report, made an effort to get 

 up, and in doing so put his hand upon the warm 

 body of the panther, and for a moment was 

 filled with terror, until he learned how provi- 

 dentially he had been delivered. 



