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The prifoner is commonly tied to a poft by the 

 hands and feet, but in fuch a manner that he may 

 turn quite round it. Sometimes when the execu- 

 tion is to be in a cabbin, whence there is no danger 

 of his making his efcape, he is not tied, but fuffer- 

 ed to run from one end to the other. Before they 

 begin burning him, he lings his death fong for the 

 lafl time, then he makes a recital of all the gallant 

 actions of his life, and almoft always in a manner 

 the mod infulting to the by Zanders. Afterwards 

 he exhorts them not to fpare him, but to remember 

 that he is a man and a warrior. I am much mif- 

 taken, if the fufFerer's finging with all his might, 

 and infulting and defying his executioners, as they 

 commonly do to their lafl breath, is the circumftance 

 that ought to furprife us mod in thofe tragical and 

 barbarous fcenes ; for there is in this a fiercenefs 

 which elevates the mind, which tranfports it, and 

 even withdraws it from the thoughts of what they 

 fuffer, and at the fame time prevents their mewing 

 too much fenfibility. Befides, the motions they 

 make divert their thoughts, and produce the fame 

 effect, nay fometimes a greater, than cries and 

 tears would do. In the laft place, they are fenfible 

 there is no mercy to be expected, and defpair gives 

 them ftrength, and infpires them with refolution. 



This fpecies of infenfibility is not however fo u- 

 niverfal as a great many have believed. It is no 

 rare thing to hear thefe wretches crying in fuch a 

 manner as would pierce the hardeft hearts, which 

 however only rejoices the actors and affiftants. But 

 as to this inhumanity in the Indians, of which hu- 

 man nature could hardly have been thought capa- 

 ble, I believe they have attained to it by degrees, 

 and that practice has infenfibly accuftomed them to 

 it *, that the defire of making their enemy mow a 

 A a 4 mean- 



