Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/14

 2 On tfie colour of tie Indians of America.

of the human fpecies. One inftance will fufficiently fhcw in what flattering glaffes they view themfelves.

Some time paft, a large body of the Englifh Indian traders, on their way to the Choktab country, were efcorted by a body of Creek and Choktah warriors. The Creeks having a particular friendfhip for fome of the traders, who had treated them pretty liberally, took this opportunity to chide the Choktahs, before the traders, in a fmart though friendly way, for not allowing to the Englifh the name of human creatures: for the general name they give us in their mod favourable war-fpeeches, refembles that of a contemptible, heterogeneous animal.

The hotter, or colder the climate is, where the Indians have long refided, the greater proportion have they either of the red, or white, colour. I took particular notice of the Shavvano Indians, as they were pafiing from the northward, within fifty miles of the Chikkafah country, to that of the Creeks ; and, by comparing them with the Indians which I accompanied to their camp, I obferved the Shavvano to be much fairer than the Chikkafah *; though I am fatisfied, their endeavours to cultivate the copper colour* were alike. Many incidents and obfervations lead me to believe, that the Indian colour is not natural, but that the external difference between them and the whites, proceeds entirely from their cuftoms and method of living, and not from any inherent fpring of nature, which will entirely overturn Lord Kames's whole fyflem of colour, and feparate races of men.

That the Indian colour is merely accidental, or artificial, appears pretty evident. Their own traditions record them to have come to their prefenc lands by the way of the weft, from a far diftant country, and where there- was no variegation of colour in human beings ; and they are entirely ignorant which was the firft or primitive colour. Befides, their rites, cuftoms, &c. as we {hall prefently fee, prove them to be orientalifts : and, as the difference of colour among the human fpecies, is one of the principal caufes of feparation, ftrife, and bloodfhed, would it not greatly, reflect on the goodnefs and juftice of the Divine Being^ ignominioufly to brand numerous tribes and their pofterity, with a colour odious and hateful in the fight and opinion of thofe of a different colour. Some writers have contended, from

tional, or proper names, that common error is avoided, which writers ignorant of their lan guage conflantly commit..
 * S is not a note of plurality with the Indians ; when I mention therefore either their na

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