[ 7 * ] 
fhouting, tinging, and dancing at an extrava- 
gant rate, till the operations of the liquor 
ceafe ; or being wearied they fall afleep. 
The fix nations enjoy the charadler of 
being the moft warlike people in America , 
this they have acquired by the uninterrupted 
ftate of war, they have continued in probably 
near 200 years, and which has been attended 
with fuch fuccefs, that has made them the dread 
of people above 1000 miles diftant. It can- 
not however be fuppofed, but they have fre- 
quently met with feveral . checks, efpecially 
fince the French affifted all their enemies open- 
ly near thefe 100 years paft. 
Their wars were formerly carried on with 
much more cruelty then of late, their prifon- 
ers who had the misfortune to fall into their 
hands, being generally tortured to death, now 
their numbers being very much diminifhed by 
conftant wars, with both diftant and neigh- 
bouring nations, and, perhaps a good deal part- 
ly by the fpirituous liquors, and difeafes the 
Europeans have brought among them. They 
very politically ftrive to ftrengtheu themfelves 
not only by alliances with their neighbours, 
but the prifoners they take ; they are a! moft 
always accepted by the relations of a warrior 
flain in his place, and thus a boy of 15, is 
fometimes called father by men of 30, This 
naturalizes them of courfe, and unites them 
into the tribe the deceafed belonged to. This 
cuftom 
