AMERICAKS. 
«5 
ference, is eitlier to revenge themselves for the death of some lost 
friends, or to acquire prisoners who may assist them in their hunting-, 
and whom they adopt into their society. These wars are either 
undertaken by some private adventurers, or at the instance of the whole 
company. In the latter case all the young men who are disposed 
to go out to battle, for no one is compelled contrary to his inclination, 
give a bit of wood to the chief, as a token of their design to accom- 
pany him ; for every thing among these people is transacted with a 
great deal of ceremony. The chief who is to conduct them fasts 
several days, during which he converses with no one, and is parti- 
cularly careful to observe his dreams, which the presumption natural 
to savages generally renders as favourable as he could desire. A 
variety of other superstitious ceremonies are observed. One of the 
most hideous is setting the war-kettle on the fire, as an emblem that 
they are going out to devour their enemies, which among some 
nations must formerly have been the case, since they still continue 
to express it in clear terms, and use an emblem significant to the 
ancient usage. Then they send a dish or large shell to their allies, 
inviting them to come along, and drink the blood of their ene- 
mies ; for they think that those in their alliance must not only 
adopt their enmities, but have their resentment wound up to the 
same pitch with themselves. And, indeed, no other people carry 
their friendships or resentments so far ; and this is what should be 
expected from their peculiar circumstances — that principle in human 
nature which is the spring of the social affections, acts with so much 
the greater force, the more it is restrained. 
The Americans, who live in small societies, who see few oDjecis 
and few persons, become wonderfully attached to those objects and 
persons, and cannot be deprived of them without feeling themselves 
miserable. Their ideas are too confined to enable them to entertain 
sentiments of universal benevolence. But this very circumstance, 
while it makes them cruel to an incredible degree towards those 
w’ith whom they are at war, adds a new force to their particular 
frendships, and to the common tie which unites the members of the 
same tribe, or of those different tribes which are in alliance with 
each other. 
Without attending to this reflection, some facts we are going to 
relate would excite our wonder without informing our reason, and 
we should be bewildered in a number of particulars, seemingly oppo- 
site to one another, without being sensible of the general cause from 
which they proceed. 
Having finished all the ceremonies previous to the war, and the day 
appointed for setting out on the expedition being arrived, they take 
leave of their friends, exchanging their clothes, or w hatever moveables 
they have, in token of mutual friendship ; after w hich they proceed froni 
the town, their wives and female relations walking before, and attending 
them to some distance. The warriors march, all dressed in their finest 
apparel and most showy ornaments, without any order. The chief 
W'alks slowly before them, singing the w'ar-song, while the rest ob- 
serve the most profound silence. When they come up to their women, 
they deliver them all their finery, and, putting ou their worst clothes. 
