( 37* ) 



muft have been, by this time, reduced to nothing 

 had they not taken care to naturalize a large pro- 

 portion of their prifoners of war. 



It fometimes happens that inftead of fending the 

 overplus of the captives to other villages, they pre- 

 fent theirs to private perfons, who did not demand 

 any, who, in fuch a cafe, are not fo much their 

 mafters as not to be obliged to confult the chiefs of 

 the council what they are to do with them, or elfe 

 to adopt them. If the firft cafe, he to whom a 

 Have has been given, fends for him by one of his 

 family, he then ties him up to the door of his cab- 

 bin, after which he calls together the chiefs of the 

 council, to whom he declares his intentions, and 

 afks their advice, which they generally give in a 

 manner conformable to his inclinations. In the fe- 

 cond cafe, on delivering the priloner into his hands, 

 they tell him. " It is a long time fmce we have 

 cc been deprived of fuch a one ? your friend, or re- 

 4C lation, who was the fupport of our village." 

 Or, " We regret the fpirit of fuch a one, whom 

 tc you have' loft, and who, by his wildom main- 

 " tained the tranquillity of the publick, he muft 

 *' this day be made to appear again, he was too 

 u dear to us, as well as too valuable a perfonage to 

 *' defer any longer bringing him back to life ; we 

 'J therefore replace him upon his mattrafs in the 

 " perfon of this captive." 



There are fome private perfons, however, pro- 

 bably of more credit and reputation than common, 

 who receive die gift of a priloner without any con- 

 dition at all, and with full liberty to difpofe of him 

 as they fhall think proper ; on delivering him into 

 fuch a perfon 's hands the council addreft him in this 

 manner. Behold wherewithal to repair the lofs 



44 of 



