Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/129

 Their religious offerings. nj

ingratitude, for having treated him fo barbaroufly in return for his religious- offerings, affirming he had always facrificed to him the firft young buck he killed in the new year-, as in a conftant manner he offered him when at home, fome of the fatteft of the meat, even when he was at ihort allow ance, on purpofe that he might mine upon him as a kind God. And he- added, " now you have proved as an evil fpirit, by biting me fa feverelyr- who was your conftant devotee, and are a kind God to thofe accurfed no things, who are laughing at you as a rogue,, and at me as a fool, I allure you, I fliall renounce you from this time forward, and inllead of making you look merry with fat meat, you fliall appear fad with water, for fpoiling the old beloved fpeech. I am a beloved warrior, and confequently I fcorn- to lie, you fhall therefore immediately fly up above the clouds, for I fhall pifs upon you." From that time, his brethren faid, God forfook that ter- reftrial refidence, and the warrior became godlefs.. This information exactly agrees with many fuch inftances of Indian impiety, that happened within my own obfervation and mews the bad confequences of that evil habit of ufmg fpirituous liquors intemperately,. which they have been taught by the Europeans.

The Indians have among them the refemblance of the Jew-ifh SIM-OFFER ING, and. TRESPASS-OFFERING, for they commonly pull their new-killed venifon ^before they drefs it) feveral times through the fmoke and Maine of the fire, both by the way of a facrifice, and to confume the blood, life, or animal fpirits of the beaft, which with them would be a moft horrid abomi* nation to eat. And they facrifice in the woods, the milr, or a large fat piece of the firft buck they kill, both in their furnmer and winter hunt ; and frequently the whole carcafs. This they offer up, either as a thankf- giving for the recovery of health, and for their former fuccefs in hunting - 9 or that the divine care and goodnefs may be dill continued to them.

When the Hebrews doubted whether they had finned againft any of the divine precepts, they were obliged by the law to bring to the prieft a ram of their flock, to be facrificed, which they called Afcham. When the prieft offered this, the perfon was forgiven. Their facrifices and offerings were cal led Shilomim y as they typified Sbilo-Berith, " the purifying root," who was to procure them peace, reft, and plenty. The Indian imitates the Ifraelite 7 i *

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