cry, from hill to hill, a Mohawk! a Mohawk! upon which all would flee as sheep before a wolf, without attempting to make the least resistance. And that all the nations around them have for many years, entirely submitted to their advice, and paid them a yearly tribute. And the tributary nations dared not to make war or peace, without the consent of the Mohawks." Mr. Colden goes on to state an instance of their speech to the governor of Virginia, in which it appears the Mohawks were the correctors of the misdoings of the other tribes.

Now, could any thing be found in their name, which might have an allusion to the superiority of the tribe of Levi; we should think the evidence very considerable, that here are indeed the descendants of the part of that tribe which clave to the house of Israel. And here too evidence seems not wholly wanting. The Hebrew word Mhhokkek, signifies an interpreter of the law, superior. We have, then, a new view of the possible origin of the Mohawks!

9. Several prophetic traits of character given of the Hebrews, do accurately apply to the aborigines of America. Intemperance may be first noted. Isaiah, writing about the time of the expulsion of Israel from Canaan, and about to predict their restoration, says; Isai. xxviii. 1- Wo to the crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim ;— (Ephraim was a noted name of the ten tribes of Israel.) The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet. For all tables shall be full of vomit and filthiness; so that there is no placé clean."

In the course of the descriptions of their drunkenness, that of their rejection and restoration is blended; that the Lord by a mighty one would

cast them down to the earth; and their glorious beauty should be like that of a rich flower in a fertile valley, which droops, withers and dies.

But

in time God would revive it. "In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty unto the residue of this people." None who know the character of the Indians in relation to intemperance, need to be informed that this picture does most singularly apply to them.

Doctor Williams in his history of Vermont, on this trait of Indian character, says; "No sooner had the Indians tasted of the spirituous liquors brought by the Europeans, than they contracted a new appetite, which they were wholly unable to govern. The old and the young, the sachem, the warrior, and the women, whenever they can obtain liquors, indulge themselves without moderation and without decency, till universal drunkenness takes place. All the tribes appear to be under the dominion of this appetite, and unable to govern it."

A writer in the Connecticut Magazine assures us of the Indians in Massachusetts, when our fathers first arrived there; " As soon as they had a taste of ardent spirits, they discovered a strong appetite for them; and their thirst soon became insatiable."

Another trait of Hebrew character which sin gularly applies to the Indians, is found in Isai. iii.

The bravery of their tinkling ornaments, about their feet; their cauls, and round tines like the moon; their chains, bracelets, muffers, bonnets, ornaments of the legs; head-bands, tablets, earrings, rings, and nose-jewels; the mantles, the wimples; and the crisping pins." Cne would imagine the prophet was here indeed describing the natives of America in their full dress! No

other people on earth probably bear a resem blance to such a degree.

This description was given just before the expulsion of Israel. And nothing would be more likely than that their taste for these fleshy ornaments should descend to posterity. For these make the earliest and deepest impressions on the rising generation.

10. The Indians being in tribes, with their heads and names of tribes, affords further light upon this subject. The Hebrews not only had their tribes, and heads of tribes, as have the Indians; but they had their animal emblems of their tribes. Dan's emblem was a serpent; Issachar's an ass; Benjamin's a wolf; and Judah's a lion. And this trait of character is not wanting among the natives of this land. They have their wolf tribe; their tiger tribe; panther tribe; buffalo tribe; bear tribe; deer tribe; raccoon tribe; eagle tribe, and many others. What other nation on earth bears any resemblance to this? Here, no doubt, is Hebrew tradition.

Various of the emblems given in Jacob's last blessing, have been strikingly fulfilled in the American Indians. "Dan shall be a serpent by the way; an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that the rider shall fall backwards. Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey; and at night he shall divide the spoil." Had the prophetic eye rested on the American aborigines, it seems as though no picture could have been more accurate.

11. Their having an imitation of the ancient city of refuge, evinces the truth of our subject.Their city of refuge has been hinted from Mr. Adair. But as this is so convincing an argument,

(no nation on earth having any thing of the kind, but the ancient Hebrews and the Indians ;) the reader shall be more particularly instructed on this article. Of one of these places of refuge, Mr. Boudinot says; "The town of refuge called Choate, is on a large stream of the Mississippi, five miles above where Fort Loudon formerly stood. Here, some years ago, a brave Englishman was protected, after killing an Indian warrior in defence of his property. He told Mr. Adair that after some months stay in this place of refuge, he intended to return to his house in the neighborhood; but the chiefs told him it would prove fatal to him. So that he was obliged to continue there, till he pacified the friends of the deceased, by presents to their satisfaction. the upper country of Muskagee, (says Doctor Boudinot) was an old beloved town, called Koosah-which is a place of safety for those who kill undesignedly."

"In

"In almost every Indian nation (he adds) there are several peaceable towns, which are called old beloved, holy, or white towns. It is not within the memory of the oldest people, that blood was ever shed in them; although they often force persons from them, and put them elsewhere to death.” Who can read this, and not be satisfied of the origin of this Indian tradition.

The well known trait of Indian character, that they will pursue one who has killed any of their friends, ever so far, and ever so long, as an avenger of the blood shed, thus lies clearly open to view. It originated in the permission given to an avenger of blood in the commonwealth of Israel; and is found in such a degree, probably, in no other nation.

12. Other Indian rites, and various other considerations, go to evince the fact, that this people are the ten tribes of Israel. Further details are given, and might be enlarged upon: as, religious separations of Indian females, almost exactly answering to the law in ancient Israel; their beginning their year as did Israel,with the new moon after the vernal equinox; their special attention paid to new moons, as was paid in Israel; their greencorn moon, the most lovely of all, even as Israel had their beloved month Abib, which signifies an ear of green corn; their Jubilee declared to have been observed by some of the natives: "Melvenda and Acasta both affirm, that the natives keep a Jubilee according to the usage in Israel." The testimony of Edwards, in his "West Indies," that the striking uniformity of the prejudices and customs of the Caribbee Indians, to the practices of the Jews, has not escaped the notice of historians,-as Gumella, Du Tertre, and others;" and the various predictions of the final restoration of Israel, bringing them from the ends of the earth, from the west, and (as one translates it) "from the going down of the sun." These things open fruitful sources of

evidence.

But I have more than equalled my designed limits. It is again asked, is it possible to find another people on earth exhibiting an equal degree of evidence of their being the ten tribes of Israel? Can another people on earth be found exhibiting one sixth part of the evidence adduced in favour of the American natives? We expect no new revelation, nor miracles wrought, to inform who are the ten tribes of Israel. Here is just such evidence as we should rationally look for; but six times as much of it, as we should