doubtless, to preserve the families entire, and that the inheritance of each might descend to the family. The children of the lawful wife had a right to the inheritance, and if the husband died before she had children, the brother, being the nearest relative was appointed to be the father of the heir at law. Ruth. 4, 10. Deut, 25, 5. The Indian customs resemble this. A widow is bound by a strict law or custom to mourn the death of her husband for the space of three or four years. But if it be known that the elder brother of her deceased husband has lain with her, she is exempt from the law of mourning, has liberty to tie up her hair and anoint and paint herself; which she could not otherwise do without being treated as an adulteress.

Women have in no country nor at any period of time been treated with the regard and kindness they have experienced in Europe of late years. In eastern countries they were formerly bought, and wherever this mode of obtaining wives has prevailed their condition has been depressed; they have become the property and the slaves of the husbands. In this way were Rachel and Leah obtained: and in many parts of America the marriage contract is a purchase, if not of money, of an equivalent. The suitor devotes his service for a certain time to the parent of the maiden he courts, by hunting with him, cultivating his ground, forming his canoes or by other presents which are useful or rare. Their women are seldom prolific: excessive fatigue, together with the want and distress often incident upon savage life, the custom of suckling their children for many years, and it has been said the

destroying of children when they exceed a convenient number, make the families small.

This mode of obtaining a wife which is found to prevail generally in the North, savours much of Israelitish manners; as does also their plan of divorce: for where a separation is desired, there is no wrangling about it, notice is given to the relations and the reasons assigned, little ceremony follows, no ill will is expressed and the divorce takes place. Let him give her a bill of divorce. This is an event by no means common. Deut. 24, 3.

In many places in which these Indians are settled, there are found among them places of refuge to which a criminal and even a captive may fly, and be safe from the avenger of blood if he can but enter it. Mr. Bartham, writes. "Here we arrived at the Apulachuela town in the Creek nation. This is esteemed the mother town sacred to peace: no captives are put to death or human blood spilt here." Adair states that altho' the Cherokees are exceedingly corrupted, still they observe the law of refuge so inviolably, that they allow their beloved town the privilege of protecting even a murderer, but they seldom allow him to return from it in safety.

The town of refuge called Choate, is situated on a large stream of the Missisippi. Here an Englishman was protected some years ago after having killed an Indian warrior in defence of his property. He told Adair that after some months stay in that town he proposed returning to his house which was in the neighbourhood: but the chiefs told him it would prove fatal to him. He was obliged to remain there until he had found means to

satisfy the friends of the deceased by presents. In the upper country, there is also an old town, now reduced to a village, which is still a place of safety for those who kill others undesignedly, and in most other parts such spots still remain, in which no one was ever known to be put to death, though in their modern degeneracy they have sometimes driven persons out of them that they might be put to death elsewhere. Deut. 19, 2.

The Jewish law, Num. 35. 18. commanded that the murderer shall be put to death. The Avenger of blood shall slay the murderer; when he meeteth him, he shall slay him-but the same severe law provided a chance of escape. Cities of refuge were chosen in different and distant parts to which the murderer could fly and be secure. Numbers 35. 9. and following. So with the Indians, the nearest relative of a murdered man is bound to seek revenge and in general nothing but blood can atone for blood that was shed: nor is there any chance of a murderer shunning the fatal blow but by securing a retreat in one of their peaceful towns-where he is condemned to pass the remainder of his miserable life, to meditate on the evil he has committed and by repentance obtain the Almighty's pardon, while that of man is never vouchsafed to him.

"At the present day we can scarcely form an opinion of what these American Indians were when first discovered by the Europeans, They who see those people now, especially those who are near the new settlements and hold intercourse with the inhabitants, find them abandoned to all sorts of crime, mean, debased and grovelling, full of

deceit and looking out for vengeance. By oppression, diseases and wars brought on them by the new comers, and especially by the free use of spirituous liquors, unknown to them in their pure state, of which they are immoderately fond, they have sadly degenerated in their moral character, and lost that sense of dignity and self importance which they formerly possessed. An old Charibbee, at an early day, thus addressed one of our people. "Our people are become almost as bad as yours. We are so much altered since you came among us that we hardly know ourselves; and we think it is owing to so melancholy a change that hurricanes are more frequent than formerly. It is an evil spirit that has done this, who has taken our best lands from us, and given us up to the dominion of Christians." Losing more and more of their old manners, they cannot at this time give any tolerable account of their religious rites and customs; although strongly attached to them as the express commands of the Great Spirit to their forefathers."

"The very ancient men who have witnessed the former glory and prosperity of their nation, or who have heard from the mouths of their ancestors, and especially from their beloved men, whose office it is to keep alive their traditions and laws and make them known to the rising generation, the former state of the country, the prowess of their warriors in old time and the peace and happiness of society, weep like infants when they speak of the fallen condition of the people. But this grief is not altogether without relief; for they have a prophecy of ancient origin and universal currency among them, that the man of

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America, will, at a future day, regain his ancient ascendency, and expel the man of Europe from this western hemisphere. This flattering persuasion has enabled their prophets to arrest in some tribes the use of intoxicating liquors, and has given birth to attempts for a general confederacy of the Indians of North America."

Boudinot informs us he was present at a dinner given to some Indians in 1789 at New York, who had come there on a mission. Before dinner some of the Sachems with the Chief man were standing in the balcony looking at the city and harbour. They seemed dejected, especially the Chief. General Knox took notice of it and said, "Brother, what has happened to you, you look sad. Is there any thing to distress you.?" He made answer. "I'll tell you, brother. I have been looking at your beautiful city, the great water, your fine country, and see how happy you all are. But then I could not help thinking, that this fine Country and this great water was once ours. Our Ancestors lived here-they enjoyed it as their own in peace; it was the gift of the Great Spirit to them and to their children. At last the white people came here in a great canoe. They asked only to let them tie it to a tree, lest the waters should carry it away. We consented. They then said some of the people were sick, and they asked permission to land them and put them under the shade of the trees. The ice then came and they could not go away. Then they begged a piece of land to build wigwams for the winter; we granted it to them. They asked for some corn to keep them from starving; we kindly furnished it to them; they promising to go away