NORTH AMERICA, 
493 
The king, although he is acknowledged to be 
the firfl and greateft man in the town or tribe, 
and honoured with every due and rational mark 
of love and efteem, and when prefiding in coun- 
cil, with a humility and homage as reverent as 
that paid to the moft defpotic monarch in Eu- 
rope or the Eaft, and when abfent, his 'feat is not 
filled by any other perfon, yet he is not dreaded; 
and when out of the council, he aflociates with 
the people as a common man, converfes with them, 
and they with him, in perfect eafe and familiarity® 
The mice or king, though eleftive, yet his 
advancement to that fupreme dignity muft be 
underftood in a very different light from the elec- 
tive monarchs of the old world, where the pro- 
grefs to magiftracy is generally effected by fchifin 
and the influence of friends gained by craft, bri- 
bery, and often by more violent efforts; and af- 
ter the throne is obtained, bymeafures little bet- 
ter than ufurpation, he muft be protected and 
fupported there, by the fame bale means that 
carried him thither. 
But here behold the majefty of the Mufcogulge 
mico ! he does not either publicly or privately 
beg of the people to place him in a fituation to 
command and rule them : no, his appearance is 
altogether myfterious ; as a beneficent deity he 
rifes king over them, as the fun rifes to blefs the 
earth ! 
No one will tell you how or when he became 
their king ; but he is univerfally acknowledged 
to be the greateft perfon among them, and he is 
loved, efteemed and reverenced, although he af- 
fociates, eats, drinks and dances with them in 
common as another man ; his drefs is the fame, 
and 
