irz An Hiftorical Journal of 



LETTER XXVI. 



Sequel of the Charader of the Sa^vages^ and their Way of li'vlng^ 



Madam, St. Joseph's River, Auguft 8. 



IRefume the Courfe of my Memoirs, where I broke it off. 

 You will think, perhaps, that I do not obferve a fufficient 

 Regularity: But we excufe, at leaft in a Relation, what we ad- 

 mire in an Ode : What in a Lyrick Poet is an Effe6l of Art, is a 

 Matter of Neceffity in a Traveller, who cannot relate Things 

 but as he gets Information, and who is obliged to write what he 

 fees, for Fear of forgetting it. 



The Children of the Savages, when they leave the Cradle, ar^ 



jjT/i ' .7 . not<:onfined in any Manner ; and as foon as 

 Ir hat It Î5 that i ^i. • tt j j t? ^ 



fir en thens the Sa crawl upon their Hands and Feet, 



l^T ^and make' them go where they wiîl quite naked, 



^^g^^y ij^tQ |-}je Water, inta the Woods, into the Dirt, 



emjonve j ap c 2Sià.\ïiX.o the Snow, which makes their Bodies 

 flrong, their Limbs very fupple, and hardens them againft the 

 Injuries of the Air ; but alfo, as I obferved before, it makes 

 them fubjed to Diflempers of the Stomach and Lungs, which 

 dellroys them early. In Summer they run, as foon as they are 

 lip, to the River, or into the Lakes, and continue there a Part of 

 the Day, playing like Fifh when it is fine Weather at the Sur- 

 face of the Water (a). It is certain that nothing is better than 

 this Exercife to make their Joints free, and to render them nim« 

 Me. 



They put a Bow and Arrows into their Hands betimes, and to 

 cru ' f av excite in them that Emulation, which is the 

 Ihezrp-jt^xer^ bell Teacher of the Arts, there is no Need 

 wlWr " to fet their Breakfaft on the Top of a Tree, 



as they did by the yo\iXigLacademonia?ts: They 

 are all born with that Pailion for Glory, that has no Need of 

 a Spur ; and indeed they ihoot with a furprizing Exaétnefs, and 

 with a little Pradice, they acquire the fame Dexterity in the Ufe 

 of our Fire Arms. They make them alfo wreflle, and they pur- 

 fue this Exercife fo eagerly, that they would often kill one ano- 

 ther, if they were not parted : Thofe who are worfled are fo en- 



( a) It is very probable that this is the Eeafon why the Small-Pcx is fo fa- 

 tal among the Savages. Much Bathing hardens the Skin, and prevents the 

 Eruption of tl^ Puitules, 



rage4 



