Page:Lacrosse- The National Game of Canada (New Edition).djvu/19

 2 and many of his customs and recreations, the deeper we get into difficulties that have no solution.

The, in enlightened Europe, is uncertain, though traced to the 13th century. How much more difficult to discover the origin of Lacrosse in a savage country, unknown till the century after. If obscurity be any proof of antiquity, Lacrosse is certainly senior among field games. Spanish cruelty sullied the great discovery of America, and made "pale-face" a synonym for everything base and unjust; and French and English conduct afterwards, confirmed the justice of the complaint. Under the circumstances, it was to be expected that they would each have more familiarity with Indian warfare than Indian recreation; and this may account for the comparative silence of American history on their native sports. It was not until a conciliatory policy was adopted, that such sports as Lacrosse were played for the amusement of the whites.

Civilization has not destroyed the Indian's love of hoaxing. Charlevoix, Catlin, and a host of others, were unmercifully hoodwinked and humbugged, and one need not travel far to-day to meet with the same