7* ravds; in North America. tij 



minilhed; and were it not for the Prifoners Vv4iich they have 

 brousjht from all Parts, and the greateft Number of which they 

 have^adopted, their Situation would not be much more happy 

 than that of the Nations they have fubdued. 



What has happened in this Refpe6l to the Iroquois^ maybe faid 

 with m.ore Reafon of all the other Savages of this Country, and 

 it is not ilrange if, as I have already oblerved, thefe Nations de- 

 creafe every Day in a very fenfible Manner. For though their 

 Wars do not appear at firfc fo deftrudive as our's, they are much 

 more fo in Proportion. The moil numerous of thefe Nations 

 has never had perhaps more than fixty thoiifand SgiiIs, and from 

 Time to Time there is much Blood fpilt. A Surpri?:e, or a Goup 

 de Main, fometimes deftroys a whole Town ; and often the Fear 

 of an Irruption drives a whole Canton to forfake their Country, 

 and then thefe Fugitives, to avoid dying by the Sword of their 

 Enemies, or by Torture, expofe themfelves to perilh by Hun- 

 ger and Cold in the Woods or on the Mountains, becaufe they 

 feldom hâve Leifure or Precaution to carry Pro vi Hon s with them* 

 This has happened in the lad Age to a great Number of JL 

 gonqu'uis and liuronsy of whom we could never hear any Ac- 

 count. 



LETTER XII. 



A Defcription of the Country tip to the Rz^oer of the Onnont agues 

 Of the Flux and Reflux in the great Lakes of Canada. Ths 

 Manner hoiv the Salvages fing their War-Sottg, Of the God cf War 

 among ft thefe People, Of the Declaration of War, Of ike Necklaces 

 cf Shells : And of the CaUimet : And of their Guftoms of Peace 

 and War, 



Madam, Famine Bay, May i6. 



I Have the Misfortune to be detained here by a contrary Wind, 

 which in all Appearance will lait a long Time, and keep 

 ine in one of the worfî: Places in the World. 



I fhall amufe myfelf v/ith v/riting to you. Whole Armies of 

 thofe Pigeons they call Tourtes pafs by here continually ; if one 

 of them would carry my Letter, you would perhaps have News 

 of me before I leave this Place : But the Savages never thouo-ht 

 of bringing up Pigeons for this Parpofe, as they fay the Arabs 

 and many other Nations formerly did. 



I em- 



0 



