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meannefs of fpirit, the infuks which the fufferers 

 never, fail to offer to their tormentors, the defire of 

 revenge, a ruling pafllon in thefe people, which they 

 never think fufflciently gratified while thofe who are 

 the objecls of it continue to mew the leaft fparks of 

 remaining courage, and finally, fuperftition have all 

 a great Ihare in it : for what exceffes will not a falfe 

 zeal, inflamed by lb many paffions, produce ! 



I fhall not give you a detail, Madam, of every 

 thing that paries at thefe horrible executions. It 

 would engage me too far, becaufe there is no uni- 

 formity, nor any rules in them but what are 111 gge li- 

 ed by fury and caprice. There are often as many 

 actors as Spectators, that is to fay, inhabitants of the 

 village, men, women and children, every one doing 

 as much mifchief as poftible, and none but thofe 

 belonging to the cabbin to which the prifoner had 

 been delivered, refraining from tormenting him - 7 at 

 leaft this is the practice among fome nations. They 

 commonly begin with burning the feet, then the 

 legs, thus afcending to the head, and fometimes 

 they make the punifhment lad for a whole week, 

 as happened to a gentleman of Canada among the 

 Iroquois. Thofe are leaft fpared, who having been 

 already taken and adopted, or fet at liberty, are 

 afterwards retaken. They are looked upon as un- 

 natural children, or ungrateful perfons, who have 

 made war upon their parents and benefactors, and 

 no mercy whatever is (hewn them. It fometimes 

 happens that the patient is left at his liberty, even 

 tho' he is not executed in a cabbin, and faltered to 

 ftand on his own defence, which he does lefs thro' 

 hope of faving his life, than out of a defire to 

 revenge his death before hand, and to acquire the 

 reputation of dying like a brave man. There have 

 been many inftances to prove what a prodigious 

 degree of lirength and courage fuch a relblution is 



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