NORTH AMERICA. 
487 
Upon this, the head men, or chiefs of the whole 
nation, were convened, and after folemn and ma- 
ture deliberation, they returned the traders their 
final anfwer and determination, which was as fol- 
lows : 
" Brothers and friends. We have been confU 
dering upon this bufmefs concerning the captives — 
and that, under the eye and fear of the Great 
Spirit. You know that thefe people are our cruel 
enemies ; they fave no lives of us red men, who 
fall in their power. You fay that the youth is the 
fon of the Spanim governor ; we believe it ; we 
are forry he has fallen into our hands, but he is 
our enemy : the two young men (his friends) are 
equally our enemies ; we are forry to fee them 
here ; but we know no difference in their flefh and 
blood \ they are equally our enemies ; if we fave 
one we mud fave all three : but we cannot do it ; 
the red men require their blood to appeafe the fpirits 
of their ilain relatives ; they have entrufled us with 
the guardianlhip of our laws and rights, we cannot 
betray them. 
" However we have a facred prescription rela- 
tive to this affair, which allows us to extend 
mercy to a certain degree : a third is faved by 
lot : the Great Spirit allows us to put it to that 
decifion ; he is no refpecler of perfons." The 
lots were call. The governor's fen was taken and 
burnt. 
If we confider them with refpeft to their pri- 
vate character or in a moral view, they muft, I 
think, claim our approbation, if we dived our- 
felves of prejudice and think freely. As moral 
men they certainly (land in no need of European 
civilization. 
They 
