22 
TRAVELS IM 
I now fat forward again, and after eight or ten 
miles riding, arrived at the banks of St. Mary's, op- 
pofite the ftores, and got fafe over before dark. 
The river is here about one hundred yards acrofs ? 
has ten feet water, and, following its courfe, about 
fixty miles to the fea, though but about twenty 
miles by land. The trading company here received 
and treated me with great civility. On relating 
my adventures on the road, particularly the lall 
with the Indian, the chief replied, with a counte- 
nance that at once befpoke furprife and pleafure, 
<c My friend, confider yourfelf a fortunate man : 
" that fellow," faid he, " is one of the greateft vil- 
<c lains on earth, a noted murderer, and outlawed 
" by his countrymen. Laft evening he was here, 
<; we took his gun from him, broke it in pieces, 
" and gave him a fevere drubbing : he, however, 
" made his efcape, carrying off a new rifle gun, 
" with which, he faid, going off, he would kill 
u the firfl white man he met." 
On ferioully contemplating the behaviour of this 
Indian towards me, fo foon after his ill treatment, 
the following train of fentiments infenfibly crowded 
in upon my mind. 
Can it be denied, but that the moral principle, 
which directs the favages to virtuous and praife- 
worthy actions, is natural or innate ? It is certain 
they have not the affiftance of letters, or thofe 
means of education in the fchools of philofophy, 
where the virtuous fentiments and aclions of the 
moil illuftrious characters are recorded, and care* 
fully la^d before the youth of civilized nations: 
therefore this moral principle muff be innate, or 
they njiuft be under the immediate influence and 
guidance of a more divine and powerful preceptor, 
' " - s who, 
