Travels in North America. 185 



îTîCH-e to render them formidable, than the Advantage of their 

 Situatioij ; which they foon difcovered, and knew very well 

 how to take Advantage of it. Placed between us and the Eng^ 

 lijb, they foon conceived that both Nations would be obliged to 

 court them ; and it is certain that the principal Attention of 

 both Colonies, iince their Settlement, has been to gain them, or 

 at leaft to engage them to remain neuter : Being perfuaded om 

 their Part, that if one of thefe Nations iîiould prevail over the 

 other, they fhould foon be opprelTed, they have found the Se- 

 cret to balance their SucceiTes ; and if we coniider that all their 

 Forces joined together have never amounted to more than five 

 or fix thoufand fighting Men, and that long ago they were di- 

 miniihed above half, one muft acknowledge that they could not„ 

 with fo fmall a Power, have fupported themfelves as they have 

 done, but by great Skill and Addrefs. 



As to what relates to private Perfons, and the particular Con- 

 Of theGo<vern ^^^^^ Villages, thefe are reduced to a 



'7 4U ^'^y^" very fmall Compafs, and are foon decided. 

 mmt ofthevti- ^^^^ Authority of the Chiefs does not ex-. 



tend, or very rarely extends, fo far ; and ge- 

 nerally thofe who have any Reputation, are employed only for 

 the Public. A fingle Aifair, however trifling it may be, is a 

 long Time under Deliberation. Every Thing is treated of 

 with a great deal Circumfpeftion, and nothing is decided 

 till they have heard every one who defires it. If they have 

 made a Prefent under Hand to an Elder, to fecure his Vote^, 

 they are fare to obtain it when the Prefent is accepted. It wa:> 

 fcarce ever heard that a Savage failed ^n an Engagement of this 

 Kind ; but he does not take it eafily, and he never receives with 

 both Hands. The young People enter early into the Know- 

 ledge of Bufmefs, which renders them ferions and mature in an 

 Age in which v/e are yet Children : This interefrs them in the 

 Public Good from their erirly Youth, and in fp ires them with an 

 Emulation, which is cherifiied with great Cai-e, and from v/hicli 

 the-re is Reafon to exped the greateft Things, 



The greateil Defe6l of this Government, is, that there is no' 

 ctL T\ r CL ^ Punifnment for Crimes among thefe People. 

 theGo^er^ilit ^^^^^^ ^^is Defea has not the fame Confe- 

 ' ^ o^ernmen , quences here, which it would have v/ith us : 

 The great Spring of our Paffions, and the principal Source of 

 the Diforders which moil difturb civil Society, i/jat is to fay^ 

 Self-Intereft, having fcarce' any Tower over People, who never 

 think of laying up Riches, and vv^ho take little Thought for the 

 Morrow. 



They may alfo jufdy be reproached with their Manner of 

 bringing up their Children. They know not what it is to chaf- 



B b life 



