Page:Some account of the wars, extirpation, habits.djvu/123

Rh course, when divested of these fatal comforts, colds, and the endless train of disorders that spring from them, sent them rapidly to the grave.

That so few births have happened since their captivity commenced (and even these appear now to have ceased) may perhaps be traced in some measure to the above causes, particularly to the entire change of habits. But if it is true, as I have repeatedly heard, that prostitution is commonly practised by the women, the chief cause of course lies here.

I have dwelt, perhaps, at too great length on the subject under review, but it is difficult to compress the account, of the condition of a people into a paragraph, and few, I hope, will begrudge the time expended on the perusal of this paper, who understand the duties of man to his fellows, and the consequent necessity of atoning for long neglect, even at this late hour, by future attention to their wants; for we cannot by mere maintenance in life repay the debt we owe a race whom we hare forcibly dispossessed of everything but mere existence. Other duties we are bound to take on ourselves, to improve the condition of the remnant whom time, war, and disease have left to our care, and by careful supervision to arrest the evils that are fast working out their extinction.