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 presents given by Europeans in these cases, and the promises made, could never have been inducements to wars purely Indian. Add to this, the havock introduced by the small-pox, and the use of spiritous liquors. We are almost totally unacquainted with the remote history of the American tribes. The great magnitude of their remaining works, prove that the population has once been comparatively numerous. This fact is in some measure corroborated by the great number of nations existing at the time of the first invasion of white people. It follows, that the wars that occurred during the accumulation of these people, have probably been less frequent, or less destructive than those which have latterly exterminated a large portion of the race.

{224} LETTER XIX

Descend the Ohio from Cincinnati to Madison—Notices of a Scotch Settlement—Excess of Male Population—Roads—Harvest—Crops—Orchards—Timber—Elections—Methodist Camp Meeting.

Jeffersonville, (Indianal,) August 8, 1820.

On the day succeeding the date of my last, I descended the river to Madison, a new town on the Indiana side of the river.[128]

About twelve miles north-east of Madison, and extending from thence eastward, is a new settlement, consisting chiefly of Scots, who amount to thirty-three families. The land which they have fixed on seems to be of the